primitive believes sleeping on the job took 30 years to develop

[USA4ME]

MadHound

Why is nobody stating the obvious when it comes to sleeping air traffic controllers?
 
Namely that this sudden "crisis" is a direct outgrowth of Reagan's union busting measures thirty years ago.

The main issues surrounding the PATCO strike of '81 concerned hours worked, staffing and safety. Pay wasn't a priority issue. Yet despite all of this, Reagan played the cowboy at high noon, and shot PATCO down. Since then, air traffic controllers have been less experienced, been forced to work longer hours, with fewer staff on board any given shift, and yes, do so with less pay. These issues have now come to the fore, with staff falling asleep on duty and other such issues. Frankly, I find it a bit of a miracle that that is all we've suffered, some snoozing air traffic controllers and not a larger, deadlier tragedy.

Three decades later, we now have air traffic controllers who are paid less, in terms of real wages, who work longer hours, and work harder since there are fewer staff on duty, handling a dramatically increased traffic load.

Yet according to the media, this is somehow some new, unforeseen phenomenon, one that is the fault of the the air traffic controllers. Nobody seems to want to point out that this is the logical consequence of St. Ronnie's union busting efforts thirty years ago.

When you pay people poorly, and force them to work more, you are not only going to get shoddy work from those employees, but the best and brightest simply won't enter the field. As with teaching, or any other such profession, if you want the best, you have to pay for them.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=933632&mesg_id=933632

For 30 years, no problem.  Now it's happening and Reagan is to blame.

 

.
 

[Karin]

moondust  (1000+ posts)      Thu Apr-21-11 09:09 AM
Response to Original message
14. It is getting some coverage.
 IMO covered very well Wednesday night on Elliot Spitzer. But that's all I've seen.

Oh look, a mini bouncy:

TalkingDog (1000+ posts)       Thu Apr-21-11 03:06 PM
Response to Original message
21. I did say it last night at dinner. In a small town red state diner.
 With the everpresent boob tube turned to the news... When the air traffic story came on I said in voice loud enough to hear...

"They don't give those guys any time off to get real sleep. I wonder why they don't unionize." Then the mister and I busted out laughing at the top of our lungs.

He said: "Yeah, they could call their union PETCO or something." and we laughed again.
 

[thundley4]

TalkingDog (1000+ posts)       Thu Apr-21-11 03:06 PM
Response to Original message
21. I did say it last night at dinner. In a small town red state diner.
 With the everpresent boob tube turned to the news... When the air traffic story came on I said in voice loud enough to hear...

"They don't give those guys any time off to get real sleep. I wonder why they don't unionize." Then the mister and I busted out laughing at the top of our lungs.

He said: "Yeah, they could call their union PETCO or something." and we laughed again.

Stooooopid DUmmie!!!  PETCO is a an animal supply store and is most likely trademarked.  Then there is the little fact that William Cumming Clinton rehired many of the workers fired by Ronald Reagan.  Maybe union workers are the problem.

[Randy]

Funny, the ATC guys and their wives that I knew in the 70's were all a hard drinking, hard partying group that raised hell when they were off and then dragged their sorry asses to work the next day. Huh, who knew they were saints?

[Karin]

Yeah, Randy, the other day on the news they interviewing someone about all this (I forget who).  He something cryptic, "...and some of these guys weren't using the downtime to rest."

[USA4ME]

October
 
75. They've been falling asleep for 3 decades, too -- as the cuts have increased

Personally, I can't believe it took this long for this to come to light.

It didn't "come to light" because "they've been falling asleep for 3 decades, too" is a lie.

BTW primitives, Reagan fired the ATC's because they went on strike and the law prevented them from doing so.  You can't even say that on your site, that's how weak you are.  With it so easy to swat down your lies, could you at least try and become more inventive and imaginative with them?

.

[NHSparky]

Huh...seems to me that the NRC has rules in place to ensure workers are not overly fatigued, why not the FAA?

[jukin]

What cuts have happened in any form of government except in the military?

[BlueStateSaint]

What cuts have happened in any form of government except in the military?

There have been cuts to programs in Republican districts, IIRC.