Union will keep trying to organize air controllers

A federal employees union plans to continue a campaign to organize the nation's air traffic controllers, despite a setback at the hands of a labor relations board. Acting on an appeal from the Federal Aviation Administration, the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA), has ruled that unions must organize controllers nationally, rather than regionally.

Controllers have been without union representation since the illegal strike by the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization in August 1981. President Reagan fired more than 11,000 controllers who belonged to the union when they defied his back-to-work order.