Being an air traffic controller is said to be one of the more stressful jobs in the world. The pressure on each controller is certainly more than most people would ever face, let alone for extended periods every work day. As a result it is well compensated. In 1981 air traffic controllers were paid $45k a year which today would be $120k; but they weren’t happy. Knowing that pilots were paid about $102k in 1981 money this frustrated the controllers who thought they deserved as much as the pilots due to the nature of their job.
The PATCO (Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization) demanded a pay rise and were offered a 5% increase, but the union wouldn’t settle for less than 10% and subsequently went on strike. This was despite the union explicitly guaranteeing the government they would never strike.
Ronald Reagan’s administration organised the replacement of the union workers with fast-tracked students, retirees, and foreigners. The strikers were then told to return to work within 48 hours or face losing their jobs. Of the 13,000 workers on strike only 1,300 returned. Those that did not return were not only fired but they were also banned from ever working as an air traffic controller again. This civil service ban on the remaining strike participants was later lifted by President Bill Clinton on August 12, 1993.