November 23, 2007
Good news...
This is very good news, if you care about France. The NYT article doesn't mention what's really at stake—they don't want anyone in their shrinking readership to get BAD ideas. This moment is precisely parallel to moments in the Thatcher and Reagan administrations, when those leaders faced challenges by strikers that could have crippled them, and destroyed hopes of reform.
PARIS, Nov. 22 — A crippling national transportation strike that has lasted nine days appeared to be sputtering to an end on Thursday as rail workers fighting to retain early retirement rights seemed willing to accept negotiations and voted throughout the country to return to work.
More than 40 union assemblies across France voted to return to work, but more votes were being held. The state-owned rail operator S.N.C.F. hailed the early voting as a sign of a “dynamic” to return to work, and union officials talked about “a climate to suspend” the strike....
Margaret Thatcher faced a coal miner's strike. Which was really a socialist strike, an action by the Labour Party intended to nullify the results of the ballot-box, and make her back down on her conservative reforms. But she had prepared carefully, building up stocks of coal beforehand. And she knew that the people were with her, and were willing to bear hardship to kill the beast.
Reagan was not expecting his strike, in the very first days of his Presidency. But he had the advantage that the air-traffic controller's strike was flat-out illegal. He acted without hesitation, knowing that the people supported him. (I remember it well. What a splendid, happy moment!) And, as in Britain, what was at stake was enormous. To lose would have crippled him from the beginning.
The history of our time is a story of Leftist policies failing, and of attempts to preserve them by means that circumvent democracy. Such as using the courts to legislate, and by controlling the press and the academy to prevent the flow of ideas, and by using strategic strikes by corrupt unions.
The French economy is in rotten shape because of insane policies. Sarkozy wants to change them, much like Thatcher and Reagan did. This could be the crucial victory. Good luck to him.
Posted by John Weidner at November 23, 2007 08:53 AMActually, Reagan did prepare for the strike - PATCO was demanding huge pay increases, a shorter work week, early retirement, etc., during negotiations in February. At that point, Reagan's Secretary of Transportation Drew Lewis started working on some contingency plans to train new air traffic controllers. The strike hit in August, and between 2,000 non-striking controllers, 3,000 supervisors, and around 1,000 military air traffic controllers, all working 60 hour weeks, as well as measures to reduce peak-hour traffic at major airports and shutting down smaller airport towers, something like 80% of flights kept going, and air freight was hardly impacted at all. The FAA starting pumping trainees through their air traffic controller school, another 1200 strikers came back to work, and Reagan fired the other 11K. Not only fired - they were banned from the federal service for life - that ban was finally lifted in 1996. And they impounded the union's strike fund - just took it! Can you imagine that?
This page has a write-up of the whole thing, including this pretty stellar paragraph:
The federal dreadnought turned all its big guns on the hapless strikers. PATCO leaders were hauled off to jail for ignoring court injunctions against a strike. The Justice Department proceeded with indictments against 75 controllers. Federal judges levied fines amounting to $1 million a day against the union while the strike lasted. Over 11,000 strikers received their pink slips, while 1,200 went back to work within a week's time. Morale among the strikers was shaky. "I thought Reagan was bluffing," lamented one controller. In October the Federal Labor Relations Authority decertified PATCO.
Oh, and check out this YouTube video - ABC news from August 3rd, 1981:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vVJ51Zh4JI
Hey Weidner!? I was searching the Catholic bloggers' list for some fellow homeschooling moms and found a Weidner...that's my name too. Well, my husband's name. They are from Germany...still have relatives there in Munich.
Ebeth
Posted by: Ebeth at November 23, 2007 12:22 PMAwesome! Thanks, Ethan.
By the way, if anyone is looking for a career, those new hires from the strike are coming up for retirement. The UND Aerospace department expects to place any of their air controller grads immediately. (My son is at UND, though no longer in the aerospace dept.)
Posted by: John Weidner at November 23, 2007 12:26 PMHi Ebeth,
My own family connection with Germany is lost in the mists of the past. I'm not aware of any German relations.
What list did you find me on? I'm not really a Catholic blogger--more, as who should say, a blogger who is Catholic.
(Actually I'm so "catholic" in my tastes that I don't really fit in anywhere. My favorable comments about Israel once got me on the blogroll of a popular Orthodox Jewish blogger, resulting in various misunderstandings...)
Posted by: John Weidner at November 23, 2007 02:10 PMWell, I found you on the Catholic bloggers list:
http://catholicblogs.blogspot.com/ and I actually think you have to register.....
Anyway, thought I drop by.. and say hello.
Ebeth
Posted by: Ebeth at November 25, 2007 10:05 PM
