Erik Loomis

And as you point out, you know, if you're a company that's renting a floor in an office tower, all you care about is that the garbage cans are emptied and the bathroom's clean. Like, you don't care about anything else. And all of a sudden, these people are watching, like, Salvadorans get beaten by the LAPD on the streets. And they're like, what on earth is going on here?

And as you point out, you know, if you're a company that's renting a floor in an office tower, all you care about is that the garbage cans are emptied and the bathroom's clean. Like, you don't care about anything else. And all of a sudden, these people are watching, like, Salvadorans get beaten by the LAPD on the streets. And they're like, what on earth is going on here?

And it was a huge mistake by the LAPD and by the corporate leaders, and it leads to a big victory that spreads across the country and sort of brings a lot of janitors and other low-wage service workers into SEIU and makes it the powerful force in American labor unionism and American progressive politics that it is today.

And it was a huge mistake by the LAPD and by the corporate leaders, and it leads to a big victory that spreads across the country and sort of brings a lot of janitors and other low-wage service workers into SEIU and makes it the powerful force in American labor unionism and American progressive politics that it is today.

In the 70s, like. Planes crashed all the time. Of course, this may be happening now with Trump and the gutting of air traffic control. So this may become more relevant again. But air traffic controllers do not have the technologies that they have now. I mean, you're basically like dots in the sky on a radar screen and trying to get them to not run into each other. And it was very stressful.

In the 70s, like. Planes crashed all the time. Of course, this may be happening now with Trump and the gutting of air traffic control. So this may become more relevant again. But air traffic controllers do not have the technologies that they have now. I mean, you're basically like dots in the sky on a radar screen and trying to get them to not run into each other. And it was very stressful.

And the way the FAA worked is that most of the leadership were old officers, often from the Vietnam War. And a lot of their everyday traffic controllers were rank and file guys from the Vietnam War. And their bosses basically treated them like they were enlisted men, telling them what to do, yelling at them, just adding to the stress.

And the way the FAA worked is that most of the leadership were old officers, often from the Vietnam War. And a lot of their everyday traffic controllers were rank and file guys from the Vietnam War. And their bosses basically treated them like they were enlisted men, telling them what to do, yelling at them, just adding to the stress.

And this was not appreciated by a bunch of ex-Vietnam vets who were pretty angry anyway about their experience in the war and everything else that was going on in the 1970s. So they form this union. It gets quite a bit of publicity. And it's a very radical militant union in certain senses, not politically radical, but radical when it comes to direct action.

And this was not appreciated by a bunch of ex-Vietnam vets who were pretty angry anyway about their experience in the war and everything else that was going on in the 1970s. So they form this union. It gets quite a bit of publicity. And it's a very radical militant union in certain senses, not politically radical, but radical when it comes to direct action.

So they spent the 70s slowing down the airlines, you know, engaging in what we call work to rule, which is like following the terms of the contract in a very specific way, which like malicious compliance is what we would call it now, I think. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But they were politically conservative men by and large, right?

So they spent the 70s slowing down the airlines, you know, engaging in what we call work to rule, which is like following the terms of the contract in a very specific way, which like malicious compliance is what we would call it now, I think. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But they were politically conservative men by and large, right?

I mean, we know that there was a lot of sexism and racism toward women and workers of color there. It's a bunch of politically conservative white men who have a very strong militant culture. Bring in the Carter administration. And Jimmy Carter was terrible on labor issues. I mean, this flat out Jimmy Carter began the period of Democrats really turning away from the labor movement.

I mean, we know that there was a lot of sexism and racism toward women and workers of color there. It's a bunch of politically conservative white men who have a very strong militant culture. Bring in the Carter administration. And Jimmy Carter was terrible on labor issues. I mean, this flat out Jimmy Carter began the period of Democrats really turning away from the labor movement.

Reagan actually did not have an extreme anti-labor record as governor of California. He had signed bills for, you know, say, expand collective bargaining rights for public sector employees. Hadn't he led a union? He was. He himself had been the head of the screen actors. Right. So from the traffic controllers, they sort of see, well, Carter's terrible.

Reagan actually did not have an extreme anti-labor record as governor of California. He had signed bills for, you know, say, expand collective bargaining rights for public sector employees. Hadn't he led a union? He was. He himself had been the head of the screen actors. Right. So from the traffic controllers, they sort of see, well, Carter's terrible.

We actually like a lot of the tough talk that Reagan gives about forward policy. So let's endorse him. And then they had planned for a long time to go on strike in 1981. But, you know, then you look at the things they were wanting on their strike. There was no sense of solidarity with other workers there. Let's put it that way. They didn't care what the flight attendants thought.

We actually like a lot of the tough talk that Reagan gives about forward policy. So let's endorse him. And then they had planned for a long time to go on strike in 1981. But, you know, then you look at the things they were wanting on their strike. There was no sense of solidarity with other workers there. Let's put it that way. They didn't care what the flight attendants thought.

They didn't care what the pilots thought or the machinists. They were out for themselves. And some of the things they were demanding were free flights to Europe. which is not exactly going to give you that solidarity. And notice well that in the 70s, you know, it was a terrible time for private sector workers. You had the recession after 73 and the oil crisis.

They didn't care what the pilots thought or the machinists. They were out for themselves. And some of the things they were demanding were free flights to Europe. which is not exactly going to give you that solidarity. And notice well that in the 70s, you know, it was a terrible time for private sector workers. You had the recession after 73 and the oil crisis.