August 5th 1981 after a two day strike of the Air Traffic Controllers represented by the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization, known as PATCO. President Ronald Regean fired 11,500 of the striking workers, stating that the strike was a violation of federal law.
PATCO workers were then replaced with non-unionized employees. President Reagan through an Executive Order in 1982, prevented any of the fired air traffic controllers from being rehired in the future by the Federal Aviation Agency.
In 1993, also by Executive Order, President Bill Clinton rescinded Reagan’s Order, allowing previously fired PATCO workers to be hired again by the FAA, which presently includes several hundred of the previously dismissed.
