When those people agreed to gainful employment as air traffic controllers, they were informed that the job they were accepting was "critical to our nations infrastructure" and that as such they were prohibited by law from engaging in any kind of organized work stoppage. (If you were waiting on a donated organ, would you like to die over .59/hour/)



Each and every one of them accepted the terms of employment, knowing full such issues as pay, vacations, work conditions. I take no position on how good, bad or awfull those conditions were. The relevant point is, they chose to accept them.



At some subsequent time, they decided, en masse, that they wished to retroactively re-write their contracts.



In business, we call this "Breach of contract" and we get a judge to enforce the original contract or award damages apropriate to the nature of the breach.



They abrogated their agreement. Ol' B'movie-dude warned them. Issued ultimatums. Then excercised America's options under the agreement signed by all parties.



The courts eventually held that the agreement provided for their dismissal.



Too bad they listened to "organizers" in our perfect world.



Just my $.03



Ed Norris