Being an air traffic controller is said to be one of the more stressful jobs in the world. The pressure on each controller is more than most people would ever face, let alone for extended periods every workday. Given the stress, the Federal Aviation Administration pay them accordingly. 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 frustrated the controllers. They 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 but rejected a 5% increase - the union wouldn’t settle for less than 10% and subsequently went on strike. This action 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 government instructed that the strikers return to work within 48 hours or face losing their jobs.
Of the 13,000 workers on strike, only 1,300 returned. The government fired and those that did not return. They also banned them from ever working as an air traffic controller again. President Bill Clinton later lifted the civil service ban on August 12, 1993.