Re: <nettime> The Californian Reality (from: New Geography)

[Eric Miller <eric@squishymedia.com>]

> The elephants in the room are the breaking of the unions (starting with
> Reagan's breaking of the air-traffic controllers, a blow still being felt
> both as implied threat and lowered safety of air travel in the us) 

In absolute numbers, fatalities have declined significantly since the strike in ’81.   Proportionally, it’s even greater when considered in terms of fatalities per mile travelled.  So if we’re going to accept a causal link between breaking the union and air traffic safety results, our conclusion must be “good thing Reagan broke PATCO.”  

Presumably, that’s not the conclusion to be drawn, though….correct?

We just simply can’t blame union busting for technologically-driven reductions in the number of jobs.  I don’t know that anyone on this list getting on a plane would prefer an ATC system without GPS and automation and collision avoidance systems, even though those systems cost some controllers their jobs.

Eric

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