Air traffic controllers have become unpaid Uber drivers and restaurant servers amid the government shutdown

Air traffic controllers, as essential workers, are expected to work during… Government shutdown Which began on October 1, but they were not compensated during the funding interruption. They were paid partial pay on October 14 for work done before the shutdown, but will receive $0 for their work for the next two weeks.

Nick Daniels, President of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), said: luck The lack of compensation has increased financial pressure on workers, who already work six days a week for 60 hours.

“Somehow thinking we can live with ‘You’ll get your money eventually’ ‘Don’t pay the creditors, don’t pay the mortgage, don’t pay the gas, don’t pay the food bill,'” Daniels said. “Nobody takes out IOUs, and air traffic controllers have to feel that pressure, too.”

Before the shutdown, air traffic controllers were already there Among the most stressful In the United States, the aviation industry has been plagued by a shortage of controllers for more than a decade, a problem exacerbated by little funding for training, which is behind the FAA’s schedule. Before the shortage, 91% of U.S. air traffic control centers were Operate below FAA-recommended staffing levels, and government shutdowns have made the problem worse: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said earlier this month that air traffic staffing has declined. 50% reduction In some areas, this is partly due to observers calling in sick.

How are controller needs met?

NATCA, the union that represents more than 20,000 aviation safety workers, is looking into financial institutions that offer interest-free loans. Some new workers who have just graduated from the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City and are being placed in new jobs have been asked to move across the country without a guaranteed paycheck, Daniels said. The controllers have long since stepped in to provide them with meals and support.

Daniels noted that other consoles are turning to “gig jobs” like driving for Uber or… DoorDashin addition to working as servers in restaurants, jobs that can accommodate day jobs or irregular schedules.

“It’s a world where now they’re not only dependent on each other, but they’re also dependent on having other jobs, going to their primary job in the day, and then in the evening, going out and having to do some level of secondary job,” Daniels said.

The workers also receive free food from airline flight crews, including Alaska Airlines pilots who… Pizza delivery To controllers at San Francisco International Airport. behind American pilots and flight attendants served food to controllers, and Canadian and Australian air traffic controllers also stepped in to provide support, Daniels said. Some major airports receive food for controllers sometimes once or twice a day.

What is the impact of the lockdown on air travel?

Maintaining morale during the shutdown helps relieve “that stress, that stress, creating that burnout, and the unnecessary risk that it brings into the system,” Daniels said.

During the 2019 government shutdown, air traffic controllers Organized “sick discharges”. Refusing to work without pay. More staffing issues would not only jeopardize aviation safety, but increased pressure could lead to more controllers missing shifts, and thus more flight cancellations. Flightware reported More than 7850 delays At American airports on Sunday, as well as the cancellation of 117 flights. Duffy said 53% of 23,000 flight delays over the course of a week earlier this month as a result of staffing issues. Typically, staffing-related challenges account for only 5% of delays.

White House spokesman Kush Desai confirmed that the decision to end the lockdown rests with Democrats.

“Democrats could put an end to this disaster today by voting for the same clean finance bill they voted on 13 times under Joe Biden — and instead make ordinary Americans pay for their stupid games,” he said. luck In a statement.

Airlines, including New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, urged passengers and passengers to be patient. Refuse to play messages By Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem blamed the shutdown on Democrats, saying the video violated airport policies on showing partisan content.

Daniels insisted that the impact of the closure on air traffic controllers was not just isolated, but would continue to impact the aviation sector and the broader US economy.

“Controllers are not responsible for closing and initiating a shutdown…the only people who can do that are elected officials,” Daniels said. “And that’s why the American people — we’re asking them to continue to stand up and say: End this shutdown now.” There is no scenario where we just have a game plan where someone doesn’t have any money and continues to operate.