The nascent airlines industry faced first strike when 23 pilots kept their word and refused to fly in 1932
LAHORE: The longest strike inthe history of global aviation was observed by the pilots of America's Southern Airways from June 5, 1960 to September 21, 1962 or 838 days or for a period of two years, three months and 16 days to be more precise. According to the September 22, 1962 edition of the "Chicago Tribune," the strike had begun over salaries and working conditions.
However, it had quickly escalated and new demand included status of pilots reinstated in the company and their seniority. The protest had ended after an agreement was reached between the management of the Southern Airways and the airline's150 pilots in New York on September 21, 1962.
During the strike, the protesting pilots had obtained a large number of Southern Airways shares to exert pressure on the anti-union management. On January 1962, some 5,000 pilots from 47 airlines had gathered at 23 American airports in support of their colleagues working in the Southern Airways.
From July 8 to August 19, 1966, over 35,000 airline workers from five American airlines (United, Northwest, National, Trans World and Eastern) had also opted to go on a strike. The workers, represented by the International Association of Machinists, were anxious to get a share in the substantial profits of 1965.
Due to the impasse, 60 percent of the American commercial airline industry was literally inoperative as 35,000 workers had decided not to work. And the oldest airline strike was witnessed in 1931 when 23 pilots of Chicago-based Century Air Lines had showed resentment against a proposal to cut their wages by up to 40 per cent
Known as the Century Air Lines Strike of 1932, the two-month protest was the first in the history of commercial aviation industry and had led to the sale of the Century Air Lines. The strike had highlighted the problems facing the commercial aviation industry as it began to grow and diversify significantly for the first time.