EPISODE #5
- – In 1981 President Reagan fired the striking air traffic controllers and decertified the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO) union. Many consider this to be the turning point in labor relations that has led to the decline in labor union power and success in the years that have followed.
- – Is There An Anti-Union Campaign? – This section will look at media coverage of labor issues, anti-union organizations such as the National Right To Work Committee and the Chamber Of Commerce, and politicians with anti-union platforms.
- – This section will present a look at the legal, political, and economic issue involved in "Right to Work" laws. It will also investigate the National Right To Work Legal Defense Foundation and look at who is funding such organizations.
- – Union leaders are often referred to as "union thugs" who are only interested in enriching themselves. Is there truth behind these accusations? Who is promoting this image in the media and why are they doing so?
- – A controversial issue in recent years has been the use of legislation to limit the collective bargaining rights of public service employees. Public workers, and especially teachers, have been painted as parasites on the taxpayer who don't earn their pay. Who is promoting this criticism and is it part of a push for smaller government and lower pay for workers?
- – One of the main criticisms that anti-union forces make against unions is that they hurt the economy and cause job loss. We will look at the facts behind this complex issue.