Ken,

I mean no disrespect to your father but I’ve heard both sides of the issue and I’ve worked the most important side.  I’ve worked with the same equipment the PATCO controllers had issues with.  While it wasn’t great equipment, it served us well up until October ’99 when new displays were installed.  Sure, there were some enhancements along the way which helped to make it more stable. 

Did your father ever mention the term ‘no hitter’?  That happened when a controller would come to work and never have to plug in and work traffic at all during the shift because of overstaffing.  Not much stress there or reason to strike.  You don’t see that happen in today’s environment where we’re moving 35% more traffic than when your father was a controller and we’re doing it with about the same number of people…and we did it with roughly the same equipment up until a few years ago.

The controllers simply got greedy.  Reagan agreed to an increased benefit/retirement package and reduced work week but the controllers were holding out for a 25% pay raise which would’ve been $10,000 at the time.  Reagan said no.  He wasn’t trying to crush the little guy.  The controllers were doing quite alright for themselves at the time and they got heady. 

Sure there was intimidation; the kind that came from the strikers and was directed at those who stayed on and fulfilled their oath not to strike. 

I’ve talked with too many controllers who worked through the strike and I’ve listened to them describe how it was simply greed that got in the way.  I’m sorry to tell you, Ken, but in my opinion your basis for your Democrat beliefs are built on a pretty weak foundation.

Respectfully, 

Kevin g