Airlines and Labor...a word from PATCO

30 years after being fired by Reagan because I went on strike as a member of PATCO in 1981, I have come to the conclusion that when the Corporate Structure wants to hammer workers, they line-up some LABOR element within the AVIATION INDUSTRY to accomplish it...and here are a few reasons why:

1. The airline industry is very visible in our society [versus the agribusiness workers for example]...and its also a "glam" industry with all the imagery, uniforms, sexy airliners, beach-filled vacations and exotic destinations all around the world. So its pretty EASY for almost ALL US citizens to be aware of this industry...and have a fairly common understanding about it. I might say that even the X-Ray machines at the airports keeps the airline industry in the news and fresh in everyone's minds. So, even though a small percentage of the citizenry actually "fly", the aviation industry is well known, and in some ways, what happens to the airline industry therefore, oddly,  happens to all of us.  So, if Corporate America wants to WHACK LABOR...soon a union in the airline industry will be singled out for example and sacrifice. And of course, the "pretty blonde newspets and nattily dressed newsmen" in Corporate Media, [who ALSO fly all over the world], will definitly make the sale that the unions are THE PROBLEM.

2. There is  a greater number of the 1%-wealthy...[or even middle-upper middle class] types that fly...and the  "1%ers"   DO NOT WANT THEIR VACATIONS AND BUSINESS TRIPS DISRUPTED!  And if these trips ARE disrupted, or "seem" too costly because of those "pesky unions", then the "1%ers"  are the ones that make the MORE POWERFUL phone calls to their political puppets. YUP, the  "1%ers"  know how to create squeaky wheels...because that's what they do to keep in control of congress.

3. But the REAL brilliance of the "hammer the airline industry as a message to labor"...has got to do with the dreamworld of those citizens who WANT to "fly away"...BUT...don't fly very often because its too expensive FOR THEM! 

And there is the rub.  Corporate Bosses can easily make the claim that THE PRIMARY reason that the average citizen CANNOT FLY ALL THE TIME...is because its the ailrine industry labor unions keep the costs of flying prohibitively high. So, what happens in this little "psy-op" -turned union busting, is that the average citizen, who wants to fly, is mis-informed that they cannot do so as often because of labor costs. Its NOT that flying is actually really an expensive proposition, its because good workers get paid too much money. For Corporations, its like shooting fish in a barrel when they put AIRLINE LABOR in its crosshairs...because the citizenry buys it. Citizens realy do not remember "Sully" executing a brilliant emergency water landing in the Hudson...they do not CARE about his worthy life and profession...they only remember that Corporate America has told them that airline industry labor is BAD!

So, when you combine the "glam" industry, the desire to fly more often like the "1%ers", and the corporate media hyped MESSAGE that "Joe the Plumber" can't fly because of the overpaid airline industry workers, then within a nano-second, the average citizen is TURNED AGAINST LABOR...ALL LABOR. So using the arline industry as an understandible example, thus, with just a few simple steps into "other industries", ALL labor can be painted as being greedy and bad people.

The fact is that the airline industry, like PATCO or air traffic controllers [NATCA-National Air Traffic Control Association...PATCO's replacement labor organization], does not have all that many employees in comparison to the entire labor force across the country.

The airline industry simply has employees that can be easily villified...and therefore, easily established as examples of how labor unions are BAD for the USofA. Its brianwashing by its best design...and it works!

The fact is that NOT everybody should be able to fly because its inherently too expensive. Additionally, there are very few new airports being considered, many airports are already at their capacity limits [my specialty in the FAA], and only slightly larger airliners or vastly adjusted schedules of passengers and flights will allow more people to fly more often. I do look at it like the "yacht world"...not everybody can own a yacht...but most can take a ferry or go out on a party-boat fishing trip.

Additionally, with the webworld now available to us, and considering the upcoming improvements which will make meetings with friends, neighbors, family and business associates in a new virtual world...most likely with 3D holograms presentable in the next go-around, there should be LESS pressure to "take wing".

BUT...since this "flying dream" can be run up the flag pole at almost anytime to HAMMER ALL LABOR...count on the airline industry to keep strumming their violin that: "HEY, you can fly too...we just have to eliminate the unions...don't you agree?...can't you help us beat them down?"

Stand up for airline industry unions...stand up for yourselves...you didn't stand up for PATCO...and look where that got us!

Another PATCO tidbit. In the lead-up to the PATCO strike in 1981, labor unions represented about 20-23% of the labor focre...AND...the mantra from the right wing was:

The problem with our economy is that labor unions are driving up the prices...and IF the labor unions were eliminated, then the costs of living would be lower for the average citizen...AND...therefore, citizens would be better off in a few years.

Its not surprising that this "meme" was swallowed, lock-stock-n-barrel...because you know what was ALSO swallowed in FULL:

That a "Trickle-Down-Economy" would actually work!  And the uninformed citizenry bought ALL of the above because they fell in love with Ronald Reagan.

AND A PATCO MESSAGE TO ALL OF THOSE IN LABOR:  Never call Washington National Airport anything other than Washington National Airport.  DO NOT go along with THIS psy-op. LABOR cannot go along with idolizing the very guy who wreaked more damage onto them and labor than any other president in our nation's history. This is "implanted self-loathing" at its infiltrated best!

Its Washington National Airport...PERIOD!  And this airport should be "re-renamed" exactly as that!

Labor will have been recovered and will be re-inhabiting its PROPER  PLACE in our society once the congress and White House has been changed out enough so that the airport along the Potomac is called:  The Washington National Airport...once again!

Robin Hordon

Kingston, WA