The seeds of the Professional Air Traffic Controllers (PATCO) strike were sown well before the strike began on August 3, 1981. PATCO was founded in 1968 and, since In the early days of the union, its members hoped to improve their current work situation under the FAA. It is important to note that as a union made up of federal employees, PATCO was not permitted to strike under threat of civil and criminal penalties. Between 1970 and 1980, PATCO was under the leadership of union president John F. Leyden, during which time PATCO made significant progress. Leiden leaders actively encouraged cooperation with the FAA and discouraged illegal acts by PATCO members. In 1980, Robert Poli became the new president of PATCO. Poli had opinions radically different from those of Leiden; he favored an activist approach to negotiations with the FAA. He believed the system would be almost impossible to operate without PATCO. On August 3, 1981, after seven months of unsuccessful negotiations, approximately 12,500 of PATCO's 17,500 employees went on strike. President Reagan, outraged, ordered the strikers to return to work or be permanently barred from any form of future federal employment. As a result of this threat, 11,350 PATCO workers abandoned their jobs (Shostak, 2009). On August 17, 1981, the FAA began hiring new workers (Schalch). PATCO struggled to survive until 1982. The majority of the union's finances were drained by massive fines. Union members demonstrated fierce loyalty and continued to send in their dues as best they could throughout 1982. However, this was not enough to save PATCO and the union was decertified by the Court of United States appeal on June 11, 1982 (McCartin, 2011). On June 19, 1987, NATCA was accredited as the sole negotiating group...... middle of paper ...... as chairman (McCartin, 2006). Works CitedMcCartin, Joseph. “Collision Course: How Reagan Broke PATCO to Create the “Brotherhood of the Downward Mobile.” » Social Policy 41.4 (2011): 15-21. Academic OneFile. Internet. May 2, 2012.- - -. “A Historian’s Perspective on the PATCO Strike, Its Legacy, and its Lessons.” Journal of Employee Responsibilities and Rights 18.3 (2006): 215-222. Academic OneFile. Internet. May 2, 2012. Schalch, Kathleen. “The 1981 Strike Leaves a Legacy for American Workers.” National Public Radio. Np, August 3, 2006. Web. May 1, 2012. .Shostak, Arthur. “PATCO Strike of 1981.” Journal of Social Studies 34.2 (2009): 149-158. Academic OneFile. Internet. May 2, 2012.- - -. “Unfortunate 25th Anniversary: ​​The PATCO Strike in Retrospect.” » New Labor Forum 15.3 (2006): 75-82. Academic OneFile. Internet. May 2 2012.