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Lot 130
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Ronald Reagan AM Speech Draft On Busting Air Traffic Controllers Strike, 4 pp. Nearly 200 Words In His Hand
Ronald Reagan AM Speech Draft On Busting Air Traffic Controllers Strike, 4 pp. Nearly 200 Words In His Hand
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Description:

Ronald Reagan AM Speech Draft On Busting Air Traffic Controllers Strike, 4 pp. Nearly 200 Words In His Hand

An assembled group of four pages, together constituting an early draft of a speech delivered by 40th U.S. President Ronald Reagan (1911-2004), his "Remarks on the Air Traffic Controllers Strike" delivered to reporters in the Rose Garden. ca. August 3, 1981. [Washington, D.C.] Including a 1p autograph manuscript in Reagan's hand; 2pp of a typed document heavily revised in Reagan's hand; and a blank government affidavit that was referred to in the speech. Expected light wear including edge wrinkles, else near fine. The largest documents are 8.5" x 11." Impeccable provenance as this item comes from the files of Helene von Damm (b. 1938), Reagan's longtime personal secretary and later Ambassador to Austria, and gifted to our consignor, her White House assistant.

The Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO) functioned as a trade union from its founding in 1968 until it was decertified in late October 1981 as a consequence of this very strike. Organizational president Robert E. Poli demanded salary and benefits increases, early retirement options, and a reduced work week for his members when negotiating with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in February 1981. Over the next several months, the two parties neared a mutually satisfactory agreement, but PATCO ultimately responded with larger demands which were not met. PATCO called a strike on August 3, 1981 at 7 AM. Reagan delivered this speech just a few hours later, at 10:55 AM.

On August 5, 1981, in accordance with the terms outlined in Reagan's speech - the promise of a 2-day grace period before mass firing - the Reagan administration terminated over 11,000 striking air traffic controllers. The strike broke down and PATCO was officially disbanded on October 22, 1981. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association now represents this work population.

The air traffic controllers strike and Reagan's response to it are especially interesting because PATCO had supported Reagan instead of Jimmy Carter during the 1980 presidential election. The candidate Reagan, who had represented the Screen Actors Guild during his acting career, in turn had voiced his support for PATCO. Reagan's swift response in the negative on August 3, 1981 was thus somewhat of a surprise. In busting the air traffic controllers strike, Reagan signaled the intolerance of his administration towards labor agitation on the federal level.

The official transcript can be viewed on the Reagan Library's website, found here, and is listed as one of the major speeches of his presidency.

The lot is comprised of:

1. A 1p autograph manuscript featuring 112 words in Reagan's hand on a watermarked leaf of "The White House / Washington" note paper. With numerous contemporaneous revisions in his hand, evidenced by partial erasures, insertions, cross-outs, and heavy outlining of certain words and figures. Slightly wrinkled and with a partially rusted paper clip impression at upper left, else near fine. 5" x 8."

Reagan wrote in full:

"1. This morning at 7 A.M. the Union representing those who man our air traffic control facilities called a strike. This was the culmination of 7 months of negotiations between the Fed. Aviation Admin. + the Union.

At one point in these negotiations agreement was reached and signed by both sides granting a $40,000,000 income in salaries & benefits. This is twice what other govt. employees can expect. It was granted in recognition of the difficulties inherent in the work these people perform.

Now however the Union demands are 17 times what had been agreed to - $681 mil. This would impose a tax burden on their fellow citizens which is unacceptable."

Reagan's revisions of this important first paragraph were fully retained in the final draft, as one can see when referring to a transcript of the actual speech made available on the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum website.

2. 2pp of an early typed draft of Reagan's speech, both pages dated August 3, 1981, containing approximately 86 words in Reagan's hand. Reagan has vigorously reworked this early draft, striking out 7 paragraphs, and adding words, sentences, and even entire paragraphs before sometimes crossing them out.

Toward the center of page 1, Reagan directs his speech writers to "Insert 1," that is, the first paragraph of the speech that he wrote on the White House notepaper. Towards the bottom of page 1, Reagan discusses an oath that all government employees had previously signed, thus making the strike illegal. It is likely that Reagan carried the fourth document included in this lot--the Affidavit--in his hand to read from at the podium. In the revised draft, Reagan wrote in part: "Let me read the sworn oath taken by each of these employees. - Insert - oath Por. B." The last two paragraphs of the speech, that Reagan wrote out but then deleted, have been shortened to the crisp version of the final speech: "It is for this reason that I must tell those who fail to report for duty this morning they are in violation of the law, and if they do not report for work within 48 hours, they have forfeited their jobs and will be terminated."

4. A blank copy of the document referred to be Reagan as the employee oath, being Standard Form 61, Appointment Affidavits, distributed by the U.S. Civil Service Commission. Section B, entitled "Affidavit as to Striking Against the Federal Government," has been circled.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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