Quick! Fly now while it’s still safe!

By Robin Roseman

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The FAA has walked out of contract negotiations with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA).  The problem has been turned over to congress by the FAA and if congress doesn’t act by June 5th, the last offer by the FAA will go into effect.  Many believe that the FAA intended this all along.  Meanwhile, in the control towers and radar facilities (TRACONs) across the country air traffic controllers are working more overtime shifts as they work to keep the growing number of flights safe in the skies. They are working extra to help to cover the mounting shortage of trained air traffic controllers.  Here are some facts about the staffing crisis quoted from NATCA:

“According to the FAA’s own figures 2,580 controllers are eligible to retire between 2005 and 2007. But the agency only hired 13 air traffic controllers in fiscal year 2004. There simply aren’t enough controllers to meet the traffic demand today, and even fewer in the pipeline to replace those leaving in the coming years.”

“…..A serious staffing crisis continues to loom over the air traffic control system—fewer controllers are watching more planes.  The retirement crisis is real and already here—the FAA is currently seeing the highest rates of retirement the system has seen in the last 24 years. There are 1,000 fewer controllers today than there were just two years ago.”

During the negotiations over the last nine months NATCA has offered salary and benefit reductions that would have resulted in 1.4 billion in cost savings, while the FAA insisted on $2 billion and refused to budge.  The FAA final offer contract would mean a salary cut of between 20-40% and would cut cost of living increases.  Controllers nearing retirement would do much better retiring as soon as they are eligible and would actually loose money by staying at their jobs. At the same time, the wages and working conditions for new hires are substantially reduced.  At the time when the FAA desperately needs more air traffic controllers, they have made the job a much less attractive option.  Those controllers not at retirement age may also be reconsidering their career commitments.  Shifts are becoming more stressful as fewer on duty controllers manage more flights, with the lives of thousands of travelers in their hands each day.  Who would want to work one of the most stressful and difficult jobs when faced with a major salary cut plus the likelihood of working six-day weeks indefinitely?

We are talking about the day to day operation of our air travel system.  The safety and security of the flying public will be increasingly endangered if this situation continues.  Now throw the possibility of another terrorist attack or a bird flu epidemic into the mix and we would have a nightmare.

Senator Barack Obama and Representative Sue Kelly have written legislation, the FAA Fair Labor Management Dispute Resolution Act of 2006, HR4755 and S2201, that would, after 60 days of Congressional inaction, send the FAA and NATCA into binding arbitration to solve the dispute. I urge you to write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper and to call or write Senators Grassley and Harkin and Representatives Boswell, Latham, Leach, Nussle and King and ask them to support these bills.  Let’s not wait until it is too late.