PATCO Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization is the union that went on strike in August of 1981.

President Reagan stated that the air traffic controllers did not have the right to strike. Federal members of the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization went on strike in 1981 violating a federal law prohibiting government unions from striking. President Reagan stated that if the air traffic controllers "do not report for work within 48 hours, they have forfeited their jobs and will be terminated." When they did not return to work, President Reagan carried out his threat. He fired 11,345 striking air traffic controllers who had ignored his order. He used supervisors and military controllers to handle the nation's commercial air traffic until new controllers could be hired and trained.

President Reagan busted the air traffic controllers union, not the pilots union. Federal members of the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization went on strike in 1981 violating a federal law prohibiting government unions from striking. President Reagan stated that if the air traffic controllers "do not report for work within 48 hours, they have forfeited their jobs and will be terminated." When they did not return to work, President Reagan carried out his threat. He fired 11,345 striking air traffic controllers who had ignored his order. He used supervisors and military controllers to handle the nation's commercial air traffic until new controllers could be hired and trained.

National Air Traffic Controllers Association was created in 1987.

PATCO is the name of the union that went on strike. Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization. It is still a union to this day and represents contract air traffic control towers. The president is Ron Taylor and he posts many articles about PATCO here:

http://www.stuckmic.com/patco-news-issues/