PATCO strike at 25

A guest op-ed by a union type in today's edition of the local fishwrapper reminds us that Ronald Reagan broke the air traffic controllers strike twenty-five years ago this month. Reagan did it by noting that strikes by federal employees are against the law and gave the participants a deadline to be back at work or be permanently replaced. Most failed to show and were terminated. No negotiating, no mediation, no ceasefire, nothing. Reagan's decision had foreign policy implications because the Soviets, ever-keen observers of the American political scene, saw the new president make a threat and then carry it out without the slightest bit of hesitation despite the fallout. The Soviets decided this was a man to be taken seriously.