In case you don’t know, a government shutdown is currently looming in the USA, forcing several sectors to make adjustments.
Government shutdowns occur when the legislative department does not pass important bills that fund or authorize the operations of the executive branch. The latest government shutdown has already reached its third week now.
Among the sectors widely affected is the air traffic control sector. Air traffic controllers have been working, get this, without pay, for six days a week, totalling up to 60 grueling hours.
The shutdown, which reportedly began on October 1st, left them with just a partial payment on October 14th for work performed not during the shutdown, but before this. Wow. Now, they face this situation where they won’t receive compensation for the next two weeks of work. If you’re in this situation, would you even stay?
President of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association or NATCA, Nick Daniels, told Ridesharing Forum that this lack of compensation has put severe monetary strain on the workers already burdened by demanding shifts.
“To think that somehow we can live with, ‘You’ll get paid eventually,’ that doesn’t pay the creditors, that doesn’t pay the mortgage, that doesn’t pay gas, that doesn’t pay the food bill,” Daniels noted. “No one takes IOUs, and the air traffic controllers are having to feel that pressure as well.”
So, how is this issue being resolved? The association, which represents over 20,000 aviation safety workers, is currently exploring options for no-interest loans from financial institutions. But it isn’t an easy feat to achieve.
For one, this is tough for recent graduates of the FAA Academy who need to relocate cross-country for new positions without a sure pay. Furthermore, controllers who have been in their jobs for several years are investing money from their own pockets to provide meals and support for the new personnel. Sounds philanthropic, but not fair.
So, these air traffic controllers have signed up on Uber and DoorDash to take driving and delivery jobs. Others have become restaurant servers to catch the lost income. So, they’re doing two jobs a day, and working during the weekend, adding massive stress into their well-being.
What are the impacts of these on the ordinary traveler? Despite the fact further staffing issues would not compromise the safety of flying, but increased stress could lead more controllers to miss shifts, thus causing more flight cancellations. If you’re spending Christmas in Switzerland with your family, you don’t wish for this to happen.
Aside from long-time controllers, airline flight crews, pilots, and Canadian and Australian air traffic controllers are also stepping in to help. They are delivering free food like pizzas to controllers at San Francisco International Airport, for instance.
This isn’t the first time that air traffic control was affected by a government shutdown. There was also a government shutdown in 2019, causing these controllers to organize “sick outs.” The situation was a bit better then, since they refused work without pay.
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