30 Years Ago Today: The Middle Class Died

Saturday 6 August 2011

by: Michael Moore, MichaelMoore.com | Op-Ed

President Reagan walks along the White House colonnade, 1981. (Photo: Wikimedia)

From time to time, someone under 30 will ask me, "When did this all begin, America's downward slide?" They say they've heard of a time when working people could raise a family and send the kids to college on just one parent's income (and that college in states like California and New York was almost free). That anyone who wanted a decent paying job could get one. That people only worked five days a week, eight hours a day, got the whole weekend off and had a paid vacation every summer.

That many jobs were union jobs, from baggers at the grocery store to the guy painting your house.

And this meant that no matter how "lowly" your job was you had guarantees of a pension, occasional raises, health insurance and someone to stick up for you if you were unfairly treated.

Young people have heard of this mythical time -- but it was no myth, it was real. And when they ask, "When did this all end?", I say, "It ended on this day: August 5th, 1981."

Beginning on this date, 30 years ago, Big Business and the Right Wing decided to "go for it" -- to see if they could actually destroy the middle class so that they could become richer themselves.

And they've succeeded.

On August 5, 1981, President Ronald Reagan fired every member of the air traffic controllers union (PATCO) who'd defied his order to return to work and declared their union illegal. They had been on strike for just two days.

It was a bold and brash move. No one had ever tried it. What made it even bolder was that PATCO was one of only three unions that had endorsed Reagan for president! It sent a shock wave through workers across the country. If he would do this to the people who were with him, what would he do to us?

Reagan had been backed by Wall Street in his run for the White House and they, along with right-wing Christians, wanted to restructure America and turn back the tide that President Franklin D. Roosevelt started -- a tide that was intended to make life better for the average working person. The rich hated paying better wages and providing benefits. They hated paying taxes even more. And they despised unions. The right-wing Christians hated anything that sounded like socialism or holding out a helping hand to minorities or women.

Reagan promised to end all that. So when the air traffic controllers went on strike, he seized the moment. In getting rid of every single last one of them and outlawing their union, he sent a clear and strong message: The days of everyone having a comfortable middle class life were over. America, from now on, would be run this way:

* The super-rich will make more, much much more, and the rest of you will scramble for the crumbs that are left.

* Everyone must work! Mom, Dad, the teenagers in the house! Dad, you work a second job! Kids, here's your latch-key! Your parents might be home in time to put you to bed.

* 50 million of you must go without health insurance! And health insurance companies: you go ahead and decide who you want to help -- or not.

* Unions are evil! You will not belong to a union! You do not need an advocate! Shut up and get back to work! No, you can't leave now, we're not done. Your kids can make their own dinner.

* You want to go to college? No problem -- just sign here and be in hock to a bank for the next 20 years!

* What's "a raise"? Get back to work and shut up!

And so it went. But Reagan could not have pulled this off by himself in 1981. He had some big help:

The AFL-CIO.

The biggest organization of unions in America told its members to cross the picket lines of the air traffic controllers and go to work. And that's just what these union members did. Union pilots, flight attendants, delivery truck drivers, baggage handlers -- they all crossed the line and helped to break the strike. And union members of all stripes crossed the picket lines and continued to fly.

Reagan and Wall Street could not believe their eyes! Hundreds of thousands of working people and union members endorsing the firing of fellow union members. It was Christmas in August for Corporate America.

And that was the beginning of the end. Reagan and the Republicans knew they could get away with anything -- and they did. They slashed taxes on the rich. They made it harder for you to start a union at your workplace. They eliminated safety regulations on the job. They ignored the monopoly laws and allowed thousands of companies to merge or be bought out and closed down. Corporations froze wages and threatened to move overseas if the workers didn't accept lower pay and less benefits. And when the workers agreed to work for less, they moved the jobs overseas anyway.

And at every step along the way, the majority of Americans went along with this. There was little opposition or fight-back. The "masses" did not rise up and protect their jobs, their homes, their schools (which used to be the best in the world). They just accepted their fate and took the beating.

I have often wondered what would have happened had we all just stopped flying, period, back in 1981. What if all the unions had said to Reagan, "Give those controllers their jobs back or we're shutting the country down!"? You know what would have happened. The corporate elite and their boy Reagan would have buckled.

But we didn't do it. And so, bit by bit, piece by piece, in the ensuing 30 years, those in power have destroyed the middle class of our country and, in turn, have wrecked the future for our young people. Wages have remained stagnant for 30 years. Take a look at the statistics and you can see that every decline we're now suffering with had its beginning in 1981 (here's a little scene to illustrate that from my last movie).

It all began on this day, 30 years ago. One of the darkest days in American history. And we let it happen to us. Yes, they had the money, and the media and the cops. But we had 200 million of us. Ever wonder what it would look like if 200 million got truly upset and wanted their country, their life, their job, their weekend, their time with their kids back?

Have we all just given up? What are we waiting for? Forget about the 20% who support the Tea Party -- we are the other 80%! This decline will only end when we demand it. And not through an online petition or a tweet. We are going to have to turn the TV and the computer and the video games off and get out in the streets (like they've done in Wisconsin). Some of you need to run for local office next year. We need to demand that the Democrats either get a spine and stop taking corporate money -- or step aside.

When is enough, enough? The middle class dream will not just magically reappear. Wall Street's plan is clear: America is to be a nation of Haves and Have Nothings. Is that OK for you?

Services for Vincent J. Bollon to be Held in New York

March 30, 2011 – Vincent J. Bollon – long-time IAFF principal officer, celebrated labor leader and respected New York City fire fighter – passed away March 28 at the age of 77 in his home in Fairfax County, Virginia.

The wake for General Secretary-Treasurer Emeritus Bollon will be held on Saturday, April 2 and Sunday, April 3 from 2:00- 4:00 p.m. and from 7:00- 9:00 p.m. at the St. James Funeral Home, South Chapel, 829 Middle Country Road, Route 25, St. James, New York 11780.

The Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday April 4 at 10:00 a.m. at the Saints Philip and James Roman Catholic Church, 1 Carow Place, St. James, New York. Interment will follow at St. Raymond’s Cemetery, 2600 Lafayette Avenue, Bronx, New York.

The IAFF will be using the Hyatt Regency Long Island, 1717 Motor Parkway, Hauppauge, New York 11788; (631) 784-1234. The IAFF has secured a rate of $85 per night for members. Bollon served as General Secretary-Treasurer of the IAFF from 1988-2010, making him the second-longest serving principal officer in the 92-year history of the IAFF. He retired in January 2010.

"Vinnie Bollon dedicated his life to the fire service and the IAFF. He worked with distinction and then shared his experience and leadership with the International in the second phase of his career. Vinnie did so much for fire fighters and the IAFF throughout his long career. Everyone in the fire service is better off because of his achievements," IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger says.

"Vinnie Bollon was not only a true legend in the labor movement and an icon in the hearts of fire fighters across the United States and Canada, but as General Secretary-Treasurer he was a true champion and steward of our membership’s assets. His contribution is beyond measure," says IAFF General Secretary-Treasurer Thomas H. Miller.

Bollon joined the FDNY in 1959, fulfilling his ambition to be a New York City fire fighter. During his fire fighting career he served as a fire fighter in the busiest fire station in the Bronx and as a fire officer in the busiest fire station in Harlem. He was awarded FDNY’s Medal for Bravery, twice; and presented with meritorious citations for service on nine separate occasions.

Bollon was an extraordinary union leader going back to his first election in 1975 as the Financial Recording Secretary for Uniformed Firefighters Association (UFA) Local 94. After his promotion to Lieutenant in 1977, he continued his union service to Uniformed Fire Officers Association (UFOA) Local 854 and was first elected to the Local 854 Executive Board in 1978 and served as the president of Local 854 for eight years. He was also first vice chairman of the largest fire fighter pension fund in the United States and Canada from 1980 to 1988. Most recently he was chairman of the NFPA Pension Fund and a trustee on the Fairfax County, Virginia, Uniformed Retirement System.

While in New York City, Bollon was instrumental in enacting legislation for fire fighters throughout the State of New York, protecting their benefits and their occupational health and safety. In addition, he drafted and helped secure the passage of the New York State First Line Supervisors Law, which provides officer training at state expense for newly promoted first line supervisors in all New York State paid fire departments. He also served on the boards of directors for NFPA, New York State Fire Safety Advisory Board, New York City Fire Museum and John Jay College.

"Vinnie Bollon was an honest, forward looking and inspiring leader," says Local 854 President Al Hagan. "Even after leaving the presidency of Local 854, Vinnie stayed in contact with our leadership to provide wise advice and counsel. Not only will the officers and members of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association miss Vinnie Bollon, the entire FDNY will miss him and keep him in our prayers."

Local 94 President Steve Cassidy adds, "His time as a line fire fighter and Local 94 officer is legendary here in New York. As an individual and together with the members of Ladder 31, he earned several citations for courage, bravery and rescues. On behalf of the Local 94 Executive Board and all Local 94 members, our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Vincent J. Bollon."

During Bollon’s 21 years as the IAFF General Secretary-Treasurer he succeeded in implementing new programs, processes and tools to assist local union leadership with financial, membership and accounting issues. He worked diligently to grow union membership, not just in finances and numbers, but in influence within the North American labor movement. He retired in January 2010.

He leaves his wife, Linda; his children Janice and her husband Ron Roveto, Suzanne Bollon, Chrysee Bollon, and Kathleen and her husband Walter Scott; and his grandchildren Jennifer, Steven, Matthew, Nicholas, Caitlin, and Brianne.