Air traffic controllers were the focal point of the political rhetoric over the government shutdown on Tuesday, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, held a joint news conference at La Guardia Airport. Tuesday marked the first official day of controllers working without pay, and both men stressed that the financial stress is a distraction that could manifest as an increase in flight delays. Duffy and Daniels have both urged controllers to continue to report for work, but the financial pressures add new stress to keeping the system safe. Ground stops and delays have already occurred across the country because of staffing shortages, and Duffy said that’s the only way to keep the system safe under those circumstances. Watch the full news conference, which was streamed by all major networks.
Younger controllers are affected more than their more experienced colleagues. The starting pay for controllers is less than $50,000 a year while those with years of experience make twice to three times that, especially with all the mandatory overtime they’ve been working on their six-day-a-week, 10-hour shifts. Duffy said it’s the younger controllers who are moonlighting to make ends meet and he’s afraid it’s affecting their performance and attendance. “We have a lot of new controllers who are still in training that aren’t at a high level in income, and they can’t handle what’s happening to them today. Those are the very people who have now looked for side jobs,” Duffy said.
Working without pay… FOR THE TIME BEING! None of these articles go the further step of reporting that they will receive back pay just as soon as our dumba$$ legislators do their jobs for their/our country instead of following party lines.
It’s legit that the new kids could be hurting for money after a month without. I used to be one, paycheck to paycheck. However, the older troops should be fine for a couple of months, or at least if they are not, they need to look at their spending. I used to be one of those also. Never ending six day weeks suck though. I used to be one of those also. Keep giving me a six day week, no hope in sight, and no pay check, would make me think about taking a day off occasionally, sick. It’s a two way street you bunch of “can’t ever fix it folks”. Controllers now spend a career holding it together. You explain it some other way…if you can. Oh yea, 35 years ago I had already been working a mandatory six day week for 8 years at ORD. And…no fix yet. Explain that one too. Tell me exactly how it is quickly going to be fixed…again…this time for sure. Going on at least 40 years now?? No BS. Just tell it honest. Would the FAA let pilots, or make pilots work under this type situation? Not hardly! And I am one of those also!
I worked 6 days per week while taking a full schedule in college so it’s not that I don’t know hardship. I also left a very good job in the defense industry over working Sat and Sun for no pay at all and no recovery, either. Got a better job and you could have, too. Don’t work for peanuts and then complain about it. If enough of you quit, things will get better.
I was flying airliners when the controllers went on strike and got fired. The supervisors went to work then though at much lower capacity. We didn’t whine about it, we flew VFR with increased separation between takeoffs. It’s fun flying a slalom course around towering-Q in a 727!
No legislators / administrators should have the ability to shut down the government. ever.
Here Here, Clayton. All you have to do is look at all the other western countries that have found ways to either eliminate altogether, or reduce the impact of government shutdowns. And prior to 1980, we didn’t have shutdowns. The only reason we do now is because of the opinion of one man, Benjamin Civiletti, gave an opinion to president Carter that funding lapses would run afoul of an 1884 (yep, EIGHTEEN EIGHT-FOUR) law called the “Antideficiency Act”. Not a single law changed prior to 1980, but suddenly, without any court precedent, and opinion by an AG who only served 18 months in the Carter administration changed everything…what a mess.
Agreed, Clayton. Been close enough to the ATC world to know what happens when the pay stops. Controllers keep the airspace tight and safe while Congress still cashes its check. That says plenty. Essential folks work for free, morale tanks, and the safety margin gets thinner by the day. We’ve seen this rodeo before, but this one’s meaner and riskier. Work done, work paid. Then pay well, demand well.
Like everything else in our screwed up political system, government shutdowns are used by both sides of the aisle as a giant game of chicken to get their way. It also shows how little each side cares about the American public that they will let honest, hard working people suffer so they can (maybe) score some political points. And, unfortunately, with each shutdown cycle the process gets nastier and goes longer than the last time. Donald Trump now holds the record for the two longest shutdowns in history – a shameful distinction. Instead of planning his hideous ballroom for the White House, he should be trying to get a compromise done to get the government open again. The worst part is that none of the elected and/or appointed officials (like Sean Duffy) are penalized for this political temper tantrum. They still get their paychecks on a regular basis – the American version of “let them eat cake”. I would like to offer a way to end this insanity, but it would require the politicians take responsibility for their actions – not gonna happen!
While generally true that Congress critters will all use it for a game of chicken, in this case one side holds the house, senate, and presidency. It’s safe to say it’s that side’s fault entirely.
Test, test.
Delay or cancel flights to maintain safety, says Duffy? Really?
Air traffic controllers, FAA technicians, and safety inspectors are working without pay while politicians keep getting paid. The military gets its checks through emergency funds, so this administration can act when it wants to. It just refuses to pay the people keeping the airspace safe. These are not paper pushers. They are the ones separating aircraft and fixing the systems that keep passengers alive. Every flight depends on them.
The White House calls it essential work but treats them like they are expendable. Pay them. Just like the military. Not paying for work done is irresponsible.