Thread by @ajplus

British Airways pilots went on strike for the first time in the company's history this month. It's the latest case of aviation workers showing the power of organized labor.
Read @JenLouiseWilson's #thread on recent strikes of the sky: (1/10)

On Sept. 9, pilots went on a two-day strike over compensation issues. Hundreds of canceled fights meant a loss of $49 million per day for British Airways. Pilots just called off a second strike, but with no settlement yet, there could be more walkouts.
theguardian.com/business/2019/…

Aviation strikes are hugely disruptive, and thus hugely powerful. Earlier this year, the U.S. government shutdown came to an abrupt halt after TSA workers began calling in sick & the flight attendants union (@afa_cwa) threatened a general strike. (3/10)
nytimes.com/2019/02/22/bus…

This summer, flight attendants held the longest aviation strike in Taiwan's history. The flight crews (women only, per policy) face low wages, sexual harassment and strict rules for appearance. They won a pay increase, and EVA will hire men now too. (4/10)
thediplomat.com/2019/06/taiwan…

The summer months are an effective time to strike because of the uptick in travel. This year, baggage handlers in Morocco and Denmark organized walkouts, and 11,000 airline food workers in the U.S. threatened a strike as well. (5/10)
nytimes.com/2019/06/04/bus…

The first aviation strike came in 1932 when pilots for Century Air Lines quit flying for two months over a proposed 40% reduction in pay. The pilots were often pressured to fly in unsafe weather conditions to arrive on time. (6/10)
nytimes.com/1932/03/06/arc…

The pilots in the Century Air Lines strike were represented by the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) trade union. ALPA had close ties to the U.S. Postal Service and was able to push Congress to side with the pilots. It was a major victory for organized labor in aviation. (7/10)

But unions took a hit in 1981 when the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO) went on strike. President Reagan invoked a 1955 law that banned strikes by government unions, firing the strikers and banning them from federal service (8/10)
nytimes.com/2011/08/03/opi…

In the face of public pressure and financial challenges, aviation workers continue to use the power of organized labor and strikes to push for better working conditions and fair compensation. (9/10)

For more labor history in the aviation industry, read: (10/10)
- "Air Traffic by" @PulitzerPrizes winner Gregory @Pardlo:
bit.ly/2mjKrIg
- "Collision Course" by @JosephMcCartin: bit.ly/2mlqSPP
- "On the Ground" by @LieslOrenic:
bit.ly/2kHVxqj