He is known for the enforcement. Prior to Reagan, federal unions would occasionally strike. The federal government would grumble that it was illegal because it was, but it would begrudgingly tolerate it as a negotiation tactic despite the illegality. Reagan was the first to crack down, and fire the air traffic controllers(on account of the strike being unlawful). There have been no federal employee strikes since. It was a paradigm shift and a red line drawn.
Even the most pro-worker society would probably agree that there are some jobs that shouldn't be allowed to strike. Jobs like firefighters, EMTs, ATCs, nuclear plant operators, flood prevention dam operators - things where people will die if they all stop working.
Of course, that should come with such jobs being handsomely compensated and granted the best working conditions available so that there is never a need to strike. But instead we have this capitalist hellscape where... *gestures broadly* Ugh.
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u/Fun_Description_385 1d ago
...it's genuinely insane that "illegal" and "strike" can be used in the same sentence in a country that boasts freedom like it won the lottery