NORTHRUP,
HERBERT R.: Papers (PATCO Strike), 1972-1991 – REAGAN LIBRARY COLLECTIONS
NORTHRUP, HERBERT R.: Papers
(PATCO Strike), 1972-1991
Biographical Note
Herbert
R. Northrup attained an A.B. from Duke University in
1939; an A.M. in 1941 and Ph D. in 1942 from Harvard University. Twenty years later, Northrup
served as chairman director of the Department of Industry (now called
Department of Management) at the Wharton School, Pennsylvania, from January 1964
until his retirement in July 1988.
During Northrup’s tenure, the struggling group
began to live up to its mandate as a resource for labor relations and personnel
material. Under Northrup’s
leadership, the school became the largest academic publisher of
labor-management relationships and studies.
Northrup himself published several research
papers and books, ranging from a wide selection of topics including: “The Negro
in the Air Transport industry” (1971); “Blacks and other Minority Participation
in the All-volunteer Navy and Marine Corps” (1977); “Impact of OSHA on the Aero
Space Industry” (1977); “Objective Selection of Supervisors” (1978); “The
12-Hour shift Revisited” (1988); “The Federal Government as Employer: The
federal Labor Relations Authority and the PATCO Challenge” (1988); and “The
‘Helper’ Controversy in the Construction Industry” (1993).
As a
professor emeritus at the
The
material donated to the Reagan Library pertains to the 1981 PATCO Strike.
PATCO STRIKE SUMMARY
On
President
Ronald Reagan’s response was swift: he fired all eleven thousand PATCO
participants, but allowed a forty-eight hour grace period for the strikers to
return to their positions without retribution.
While some of the strikers heeded the president’s warning and went back
to work, many did not and found themselves out of work. In his autobiography, An American Life,
President Reagan explained that while he was sympathetic with the strikers – as
he himself led the Screen Actors Guild for two terms in the 1950s – Reagan
rejected the strikers’ demand for a “huge salary increase” that would cost the
Federal government an additional $700 million per year.
In
addition, Reagan argued that the strike itself was illegal, and if the PATCO
union won, it would set a precedent that would open the Federal government to
all sorts of demands from federal employees.
Reagan quoted Franklin Roosevelt, who stated that workers who performed
an essential government service could not act out against their employers,
namely the people. In Reagan’s eyes, he
had to “maintain the safety of the airways” from these workers who had
abandoned their pledge not to strike against the government. The Court of
Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld the President’s and John Lewis’
(Secretary of the Department of Transportation) decision to fire all remaining
strikers.
The
PATCO strike had several long-lasting ramifications. Still relatively new to the Presidency,
Reagan’s move was popular with the people; Reagan demonstrated that he was
taking his role seriously and was, in his words, “not playing games.” The President’s handling of the PATCO strike
further symbolized the decline of organized labor in the public’s
perception. After the strike ended, all
attempts to rebuild a PATCO-like union failed.
Ironically, the Federal Aviation Administration’s subsequent
investigation into the controversial conflict determined that many of the air
traffic controllers had genuine grievances, leading the FAA to take steps to
increase workers’ benefits and lessen stress.
Scope and Content
This
collection is arranged into five series.
SERIES I: STRIKE DOCUMENTS (2 l.f.; Box 1-4)
This
series consists of primary documents pertaining to the strike. Such sources include audio tapes, news
clippings as the strike unfolded, and various PATCO papers and communiqués
(newsletters, contracts) relevant to the strike. This series also contains PATCO’s failed
appeal to the United States Supreme Court to uphold the strike.
SERIES II: POST-PATCO STRIKE (0.8
l.f.; Box 4-7)
This
series consists of files documenting the aftermath of the PATCO strike. This series includes Congressional
investigations, various air traffic controllers groups that attempted to
succeed PATCO, and the post-strike environment for air
traffic controllers. This series also
contains an appeal to Federal Labor Authority to reinstate PATCO
SERIES III: LEGALITIES AND
INTERNATIONAL RAMIFICATIONS (1.3 l.f.;
Box 7-11)
This
series consists of legal papers and cases where fired air traffic controllers
attempted to force the federal government to rehire them. The material also includes various
international responses to the PATCO strike and news clippings describing how
the strike affected international air travel.
SERIES IV: PATCO STRIKE AS
HISTORY (0.1 l.f.; Box 11-12)
This
series consists of articles and scholarly perspectives concerning the PATCO
strike approximately ten years after the event.
This series also includes material focusing on the strike’s ten-year
anniversary.
SERIES V: INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH
UNIT STUIDES AND DOCUMENTS
(2 l.f.;
Box 12-16)
This
series consists of independent and Congressional studies concerning air traffic
controllers. The material includes
topics concerning international working conditions, labor/management
relationships, and air traffic controller staffing. The documents also include several court
depositions of PATCO leaders for their role in the strike.
CONTAINER LIST
SERIES
I: PATCO STRIKE
Box 1
Audio
Tapes
Background and Chronology I: History
and Background
Background and Chronology I:
Pre-Strike Clippings
Background and Chronology I: Public
Service Research Course
Background and Chronology I:
Chronology (1)-(5)
Background and Chronology I: Labor in Conflict: A History
of the
Professional
Air Traffic Controllers Organization
Chronology II: PATCO – FAA
Communications I
Chronology II: PATCO – FAA
Communications II
Chronology II: Clippings on Strikes (1)-(3)
Box 2
PATCO Material: PATCO Material (1)(2)
PATCO Material: Cluster Meetings, AFGE
Minutes, re PATCO
Treachery,
Bill of Clay
PATCO Material: United States Union
Reactions
PATCO Materials: PATCO – violence
copies
PATCO Finances (1)-(4)
PATCO Contracts: April, 1973
PATCO Contracts: November, 1976
PATCO Contracts: December, 1977
PATCO Contracts: March, 1978
Box 3
PATCO Contracts: [April, 1979]
PATCO Contracts: [March, 1978 (Revised
October, 1979)]
PATCO Newsletter (1) [1]
PATCO Newsletter (1) [June 2, 1971 –
October 18, 1972] [2]
PATCO Newsletter (1) [November 27,
1972 – December 24, 1973] [3]
PATCO Newsletter (1) [January 28, 1974
– July 5, 1974] [4]
PATCO
Newsletter (1) [August 10, 1974 – December 25, 1974] [5]
PATCO Newsletter (1) [February 23,
1975 – May, 1975] [6]
PATCO Newsletter (1) [June 14, 1975 –
November 15, 1975] [7]
PATCO Newsletter (2) [March 11, 1976 –
May 5, 1976] [1]
PATCO Newsletter (2) [June 6, 1976 –
November 25, 1976] [2]
PATCO Newsletter (2) [December 15,
1976 – April 15, 1977] [3]
PATCO Newsletter (2) [May 17, 1977 –
January 30, 1978] [4]
PATCO Newsletter (2) [March 10, 1978 –
December, 1978] [5]
PATCO
Newsletter (2) [April 23, 1979 – January, 1980] [6]
PATCO Newsletter (2) [March 25, 1980 –
January 1981] [7]
Box 4
Litigation: Decertification (PATCO) (1)(2)
Litigation: EEO [Equal Employment
Opportunity]
Litigation: Internal PATCO Litigation, Harassment, NLRB
[National Labor
Relations Board]
Litigation:
Pre- August 1981, Issues Were Early FLRA [Federal Labor
Relations Authority]
Litigation and Administrative Actions
– Federal Labor Relations Authority,
Bankrupt (1)-(3)
Legal Documents II: Air Traffic
Associations/PATCO IV 652811009
Extra
Copies United States Supreme Court – Legal Papers #78-1394 (1)-(3)
SERIES
II: POST-PATCO STRIKE
Box
4, Continued
Miscellaneous: Congressional (1)-(4)
Box
5
Miscellaneous:
Econ [Economic] Impact (1)(2)
Miscellaneous: Government Pay, Strikes
Miscellaneous: Unemployment Comp
[Compensation]
Air Traffic Unions: [Exclusion of
PATCO strikers]
Air Traffic Unions: New ATC [Air
Traffic Controllers] Unions (Except
USATCO)
[United States Air Traffic Controllers Organization] (1)-(4)
Air Traffic Unions: [General
Accounting Office Inquiry and Miscellaneous Items]
USATCO
(Failed Attempt to Rebuild PATCO): USATCO [United States Air
Traffic Controller Organization] Incorporation
USATCO (Failed Attempt to Rebuild
PATCO): USATCO Press Clippings
USATCO
(Failed Attempt to Rebuild PATCO): Publications (1)-(4)
Box
6
Air
Traffic Controllers Hiring and Training: [Commercial Controllers] (1)(2)
Air Traffic Controllers Hiring and
Training ATC [Air Traffic Controllers]
Private
Controllers
Air
Traffic Controllers Labor Relations: Foreign Controllers
Air
Traffic Controllers Labor Relations: Air Traffic Controllers Labor Relations
(1)(2)
Air Traffic Controllers Safety [12/21/1989-05/23/1986]
(1)
Air Traffic Controllers Safety [05/22/1986-04/07/1982]
(2)
Air Traffic Controllers Safety [04/01/1982-02/06/1982]
(3)
Air Traffic Controllers Safety [01/29/1982-01/21/1982]
(4)
Air Traffic Controllers Safety [12/04/1981-08/09/1981]
(5)
Air
Traffic Controllers Union: [Dateline Newsletters, PASS: Professional
Airways Safety Specialists] (1)-(3)
Air
Traffic Controllers Union: PASS [Professional Airways Safety Specialists]
Miscellaneous
Box 7
Air Traffic Controllers Union: PASS
[Professional Airways Systems Specialists]
Constitution [August, 1983] (1)
Air
Traffic Controllers Unions: PASS [Professional Airways Systems Specialists]
Constitution [August, 1982] (2)
Air
Traffic Controllers Stress/Disability: Air Traffic Controllers
Stress/Disability
02/10/1991- November 1982] [1]
Air
Traffic Controllers Stress/Disability: Air Traffic Controllers
Stress/Disability
[07/23/1982- June 1981] [2]
Air
Traffic Controllers Technology: [01/04/1988-08/07/1981]
Federal
Aviation Administration: Correspondence – FAA [Federal Aviation
Administration] and Data on Strike-
Roper Poll [08/02/1983-10/21/1981]
Rejected
1981 Agreement: [Article 1 to 28 – 06/06/1981] (1)
Rejected
1981 Agreement: [Article 29 – 59 – 06/22/1981] (2)
Rejected
1981 Agreement: [Article 1-24 – PATCO#1] (1)
Rejected
1981 Agreement: [Article 25-59 – PATCO#1] (2)
Rejected
1981 Agreement: [Article 60-99 – PATCO#1] (3)
[General
Accounting Office: FAA Staffing September, 1988]
[Professional
Air Traffic Controllers Organization v. Air Transport Association of
America – Writ of Certiorari to the
United States Court of Appeals for the
Second Circuit]
[Petition
for Review of an Order of the Federal Labor Relations Authority
06/11/1982] (1)-(4)
[Brief
for Appellant]: [Air Transport Association of America v. Professional Air
Traffic Controllers Organization,
Inc.]
[Appellant’s
Reply Brief]: [Air Transport Association of America v. Professional
Air Traffic Controllers Organization,
Inc.]
SERIES
III: LEGALITIES AND LEGAL RAMIFICATIONS
Box 7, Continued
Legal
Documents I: [Air Transport Association of America et. al. v. Professional
Air Traffic Controllers Organization,
Inc. et. al.] (1)(2)
Box 8
Legal Documents I: [Appeal: Air
Transport Association of America, et. al. v. Professional Air Traffic
Controllers Organization, INC.]
Legal Documents I: [Amicus
Curia Brief of Appeal]
FAA Strike Plan: [National Air
Traffic Control Contingency Plan] (1)-(4)
FAA
Strike Plan: National Air Traffic Control Contingency Plan Revision
04/15/1981] (1)(2)
FAA
Strike Plan: [Other Contingency Plans]
Controller
Reinstatement (1)-(8)
Box
9
Controllers
Reinstatement (9)-(11)
IFATCA
– PATCO Strike – International Reaction: IFATCA [International
Federation Air Traffic Controllers
Association] Connections
IFATCA
– PATCO Strike – International Reaction: IFATCA [International
Federation Air Traffic Controllers
Association] Clippings
IFATCA
– PATCO Strike – International Reaction: [PATCO Strike – Japan, New
Zealand, Denmark, Australia]
IFATCA
– PATCO Strike – International Reaction: PATCO Strike – Caribbean
IFATCA
– PATCO Strike – International Reaction: PATCO Strike – European
Controllers
IFATCA – PATCO Strike –
International Reaction: PATCO Strike – France
IFATCA
– PATCO Strike – International Reaction: PATCO Strike – ILO
[International Labor Organization]
IFATCA
– PATCO Strike – International Reaction: PATCO Strike – ITF
[International Transport Workers’
Federation]
IFATCA
– PATCO Strike – International Reaction: PATCO Strike – Netherlands
IFATCA
– PATCO Strike – International Reaction: PATCO Strike – Portugal
IFATCA
– PATCO Strike – International Reaction: PATCO Strike – UK
IFATCA
– PATCO Strike – International Reaction: PATCO Strike – WFTU
[World Federation of Trade Unions]
IFATCA
– PATCO Strike – International Reaction: PATCO Strike –
[Miscellaneous]
IFATCA
– PATCO Strike: PATCO (1)-(3)
IFATCA
– PATCO Strike: IFATCA –PATCO Newspaper Clippings (1)-(3)
IFATCA
– PATCO Strike Canadian Reaction (1)-(5)
IFATCA
– PATCO Strike Canadian Reaction: [Telegrams, CATA [Canadian Air
Traffic Association] – PATCO]
Box
10
Air
Traffic Controllers Regional
Europilote (1)(2)
Transport Canada: Correspondence
Transport
Canada: Interviews – Ottawa
Transport
Canada: ATC – Canada (1)-(3)
Transport
Canada: ATC – Europe
Transport
Canada: Air Traffic Controllers International Pay Survey (1)(2)
FEIA
– Flight Engineers International Association
International
Air Transport Association
IFALDA
– International Federation of Air Line Dispatchers Association
IFALDA
– Correspondence (1)(2)
IFALDA:
Australian Airline Pilots
IFALDA
– Articles (1)-(5)
IFALDA
– Korean Plane Shot Down by Soviets (1)-(3)
Box
11
IFALDA
– Korean Plane Shot Down by Soviets (4)
IFALDA Latest Draft (1)(2)
IFALDA Latest Draft: Proposal
IFALDA Latest Draft: Supplementary
Materials
IFALDA – Atlas ET KSSU
IFATCA: International Federation of
Air Traffic Controllers
IFATCA: Day of the Controller
IFATCA: Excerpt from the Controller (1)-(3)
IFATCA: International matters
Bilingual Strike
IFATSEA: Correspondence
IFATSEA (1)(2)
Series
IV: THE PATCO STRIKE AS HISTORY
Box 11, Continued
[Rehiring
of Fired PATCO Employees]: [August 13, 1993]
[Labor
Relations and Public Policy Series No. 32]
[The
“Helper” Controversy in Construction Industry]
Box 12
[“Salting” the Contractors’ Labor
Force: Construction Unions Organization with
NLRB Assistance”]
[“The Labor Policies of the Reagan
Administration”]
[“Union
Corporate Campaigns and Inside Games as a Strike Form”]
[“The
PATCO Strike: Myths and Realities” by Michael H. LeRoy”]
SERIES
V: INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH UNIT STUDIES AND DOCUMENTS
Box 12, Continued
Survey
of Working Conditions of Air Traffic Controllers Book I: Comparison Chart
Survey
of Working Conditions of Air Traffic Controllers Book I: Australia (1)-(3)
Survey of Working Conditions of
Air Traffic Controllers Book I: Austria (1)(2)
Survey of Working Conditions of
Air Traffic Controllers Book I:
Survey of Working Conditions of
Air Traffic Controllers Book I:
Survey of Working Conditions of
Air Traffic Controllers Book I:
Survey of Working Conditions of
Air Traffic Controllers Book I: France (1)-(5)
Survey of Working Conditions of
Air Traffic Controllers Book II:
Survey of Working Conditions of
Air Traffic Controllers Book II:
Survey of Working Conditions of
Air Traffic Controllers Book II:
Survey of Working Conditions of
Air Traffic Controllers Book II:
Survey of Working Conditions of
Air Traffic Controllers Book II: New Zealand (1)-(5)
Survey of Working Conditions of
Air Traffic Controllers Book II: Sweden
Box 13
Survey of Working Conditions of
Air Traffic Controllers Book II: Switzerland (1)(2)
Survey of Working Conditions of
Air Traffic Controllers Book II: International Labor Organization Report
Management and Labor Relations
in the Federal Aviation Administration Volume I (1)-(4)
Management and Labor
Relationships in the Federal Aviation Administration Volume II (1)-(3)
Air Transport Association of
Air Transport Association of
Box
14
Air
Transport Association of America v. Professional Air Traffic Controllers
Organization: Deposition of Robert E.
Meyer (4)(5)
Air Transport Association of
America v. Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization: Deposition of
David A. Trick (1)-(5)
Air
Transport Association of America v. Professional Air Traffic Controllers
Organization: Deposition of Robert E.
Meyer [Washington DC] (1)-(3)
Edward V. Curran: Unpublished
PATCO Strike Manuscript (1)-(5)
Paden, D. Air Traffic Control
Part 1. (Ann Arbor:
University of Microfilms International, 1962).
Box
15
Paden, D. Air Traffic Control Part 2. (
International, 1962)
Glenn C. Kinney, Glennis L. Bell, Martin A. Ditmore:
The Human Element in Air Traffic Control: Factors in System Recovery and
Revitalization [1983]
Glenn C. Kinney, Glennis L. Bell, Martin A. Ditmore:
The Human Element in Air Traffic Control: Factors in System Recovery and
Revitalization – Appendixes [1983]
Aviation Safety: Air Traffic
control [PATCO Walkout] (1)(2)
General Accounting Office: FAA
[Federal Aviation Administration] Staffing: The Air Traffic Control Work force
Opposes Rehiring Fired Controllers
General Accounting Office: FAA
Staffing: Air Traffic Controllers’ Work Load and Operational Performance
General Accounting Office:
Aviation Safety: Serious Problems Concerning the Air Traffic Control Work Force
Federal Aviation
Administration: Biological Rhythms and Rotating Shift Work
Federal Aviation Administration:
Air Traffic Service Recovery and Revitalization Plan
Box 16
Selection of Air Traffic
Controllers, August 1984
Air Traffic Controller Health
Change Study, December 1978
Federal Aviation
Administration: Air Traffic Controller Health Change Study
Federal Aviation
Administration: Selection of Applicants for the Air Traffic Controller
Occupation, July 1981
Department of Transportation:
Air Traffic Controller Career Committee Report, January 1970