The law banning Federal Workers from striking gives them no legal recourse if they use the word "strike". From the Trumpettes point of view they would be "self-deporting"
From Politico's E&E newsletter:
In 1981, the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO) went on strike, demanding better pay and other conditions. President Reagan responded by firing all 11,000 of the striking workers in a move that many could see President Trump — who has erroneously called the current shutdown a "strike" and who made "you’re fired" his catchphrase — replicating.
Reagan replaced the air traffic controllers with military personnel. The standoff busted PATCO and dramatically weakened federal unions.
"The ghost of PATCO continues to haunt federal unions," said Joseph McCartin, a labor historian at Georgetown University and author of "Collision Course: Ronald Reagan, the Air Traffic Controllers, and the Strike That Changed America."
"There is little appetite among federal workers at large — but especially among federal union leaders — to challenge the strike ban," McCartin said.
I see both perspectives, old enough to remember as well. Just don’t think enough will risk livelihoods and false hope of this resolving to take the risk. But wish the courage existed to stage a nationwide federal worker “Blue Flu” before it’s too late, and before its effects happen anyway, but not of their (our) own volition.
I agree they shouldn’t “strike”. But they don’t have to. They just en mass accept the offer letter from Muskrat. The effect is the same, but powerful in that it can bring most of government to a halt. The Muskrat letter will probably be declared illegal and the government will be required to bring everyone back. Police call it the “Blue flu”. But use that letter to show America the centrality of what they do. It’s the only way that Republican leaders will finally experience real fear, when they have mobs of angry constituents chasing them everywhere.
The law banning Federal Workers from striking gives them no legal recourse if they use the word "strike". From the Trumpettes point of view they would be "self-deporting"
From Politico's E&E newsletter:
In 1981, the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO) went on strike, demanding better pay and other conditions. President Reagan responded by firing all 11,000 of the striking workers in a move that many could see President Trump — who has erroneously called the current shutdown a "strike" and who made "you’re fired" his catchphrase — replicating.
Reagan replaced the air traffic controllers with military personnel. The standoff busted PATCO and dramatically weakened federal unions.
"The ghost of PATCO continues to haunt federal unions," said Joseph McCartin, a labor historian at Georgetown University and author of "Collision Course: Ronald Reagan, the Air Traffic Controllers, and the Strike That Changed America."
"There is little appetite among federal workers at large — but especially among federal union leaders — to challenge the strike ban," McCartin said.
If you read down into the article, I referenced the ATC strike under Reagan, and remember it well.
I see both perspectives, old enough to remember as well. Just don’t think enough will risk livelihoods and false hope of this resolving to take the risk. But wish the courage existed to stage a nationwide federal worker “Blue Flu” before it’s too late, and before its effects happen anyway, but not of their (our) own volition.
I agree they shouldn’t “strike”. But they don’t have to. They just en mass accept the offer letter from Muskrat. The effect is the same, but powerful in that it can bring most of government to a halt. The Muskrat letter will probably be declared illegal and the government will be required to bring everyone back. Police call it the “Blue flu”. But use that letter to show America the centrality of what they do. It’s the only way that Republican leaders will finally experience real fear, when they have mobs of angry constituents chasing them everywhere.