Complaints about the FAA’s hiring policies resurfaced after the American Airlines passenger plane and a Black Hawk helicopter crashed in Washington, DC.
The issue actually goes back to Reagan. The professional air traffic controllers organization (PATCO) went on strike in 1981 because of understaffing, long hours, poor working conditions and low pay.
Reagan fired them all and achieved two results: 1. set the precident that understaffing, long hours, poor working conditions and low pay were just fine for American air safety, and 2. started the long grind of devaluing skilled labor and erosion of workers rights in this country. We are experiencing the cascading consequences today.
The issue actually goes back to Reagan. The professional air traffic controllers organization (PATCO) went on strike in 1981 because of understaffing, long hours, poor working conditions and low pay.
Reagan fired them all and achieved two results: 1. set the precident that understaffing, long hours, poor working conditions and low pay were just fine for American air safety, and 2. started the long grind of devaluing skilled labor and erosion of workers rights in this country. We are experiencing the cascading consequences today.