Hello and welcome to this day in esoteric political history from Radiotopia.

My name is Jody Abergan.

This day August 5, 1981 1981, President Ronald Reagan fired more than 11,000 air traffic controllers

who had ignored his order to return to work after going on strike or enacting a labor sit-out overstalled contract

negotiations. So just like that, the President fires 11,000 people and 11,000 air traffic

controllers did not show up for their jobs.

Their jobs of course are helping planes get around and so that's a big deal.

It certainly slowed down air travel on that day, though maybe it didn't completely cripple the system in the way

that the strikers had forecast and threatened.

But look, this is a really interesting moment that says a lot about the power or lack thereof of

federal workers, labor and the way it

changed under the Reagan Revolution so here to discuss as always are Nicole Hammer of

Columbia and Kelly Carter Jackson of Wesley.

Hello there.

Hi Jody.

Hey there.

So Nicki, I grew up in a pro-union household.

People will be shocked to hear that.

And I remember sort of like every once in a while,

you know, my parents and people in those circles just sort of saying,

yeah Reagan, you know, broke up the air traffic union

and fired workers and that was like you know a big

...