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WAGES. Poll asked for a $10,000 across-the-board annual increase for all controllers. Their pay now ranges from $20,462— the starting salary at some 100 unhurried airports serving small cities—to $49,229. The wages increase with the difficulty of the job (starting pay at one of the busy "birdcages" near New York, Chicago and Los Angeles is $37,000). On top of that, Poli wanted a twice-a-year, cost-of-living increase that would be 1½ times the rate of inflation. The FAA offered a $4,000 wage hike, which would have included a $1,700 increase as part of the 4.8% raise given all federal employees this year.
WORK WEEK. Poli sought to cut the five-day 40-hr. week back to a four-day 32-hr. schedule—a reduction the controllers seem to want more than pay increases. While they apparently would not accept a salary cut to compensate the Government for their reduced hours, most PATCO members see this issue as the key to lowering their on-the-job anxieties and enhancing safety. The Government at first refused to consider any shortened work week, fearing that similiar demands from other federal workers would start a budget-busting trend at a time of general spending cuts.
RETIREMENT. Claiming that controllers burn out faster than other federal employees, PATCO sought an earlier retirement age and higher pension benefits. At present a controller can retire with half pay at age 50 if he has worked for 20 years, and at any age after serving 25 years. Poli asked that retirement be permitted to any controller after 20 years of work and with 75% of his base salary. The Government adamantly opposed this demand as contrary to its entire drive to hold the line against future Government expenses.
After neither side budged during 2½ months of fruitless talks, Poli said on May 22 that his members would walk out a month later if there were no "acceptable" Government proposal by then. The Administration responded by sending Secretary Lewis to replace Helms, whom the PATCO negotiators considered hopelessly rigid, as its chief bargainer.
Just before the June 22 deadline, Lewis offered a $40 million package of improvements. It included a 10% pay hike for controllers who also act as instructors, an increase in the pay differential for nighttime work to 20%, from the present 10%, and a guaranteed 30-min. lunch period (controllers often munch sandwiches at their scopes when there is too much traffic for a break). Poli found the package insultingly stingy.
Poli, however, knew he did not have 80% of all controllers behind him to win a strike vote, as required by PATCO's rules.
After eleventh-hour dickering, he gained extra retraining benefits for medically disqualified controllers and time-and-a-half pay after 36 hours, though the work week remained at 40 hours. With that, PATCO negotiators called off the strike and put the settlement up for a vote. It was rejected by 95% of PATCO's members.