![Reagan Fires Air Traffic Controllers (1981) - podcast episode cover](https://f.prxu.org/282/bff90e60-1a84-48ce-a74a-e64427439752/images/94e08410-0e17-4fa6-93e7-4ccf5d73e0db/aug5.jpg)
Episode description
It’s August 5th. This day in 1981, President Ronald Reagan fired more than 11,000 air traffic controllers, who had gone on strike over failed negotiations for a new contract. In addition to firing them, he banned the workers from ever holding federal jobs again.
Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss how this moment reflected and shifted a moment when American unions were in decline and employers — both at the federal and private level — were being emboldened in their negotiations with workers.
Find a transcript of this episode at: https://tinyurl.com/esoterichistory
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Our team: Jacob Feldman, Researcher/Producer; Brittani Brown, Producer; Khawla Nakua, Transcripts; music by Teen Daze and Blue Dot Sessions; Julie Shapiro, Executive Producer at Radiotopia