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It came to national attention when it declared a strike on August 3, 1981, seeking better working conditions, better pay, and a 32-hour workweek. In doing so, the union had violated a 1955 law (5 U.S.C. (Supp. III 1956) 118p.) which banned strikes by government unions; however, several government unions had declared strikes in the intervening period without penalties. President Ronald Reagan subsequently declared the PATCO strike a peril to national safety, and ordered them back to work under the terms of the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947.

On August 5, Reagan fired the 11,359 striking air traffic controllers who had ignored the order. They were replaced with military controllers until replacements could be trained. While some former controllers were subsequently rehired, they and their replacements are now represented by a different union.