Between a Rock and a Hard Spot: Demands on air traffic controllers
I’ve lost track of how many government shutdowns I’ve experienced during my life. Some under Democrat presidents, others under Republicans. During a shutdown, a select group of Americans always comes to mind, Air Traffic Controllers. I was one for 10 years of my life, but I moved on from that job decades ago to fly airplanes and write.
The reason controllers always come to mind is they’re the only group of federal government employees I feel a kindred spirit with. These men and women, considered essential by the FAA, are hard at work during the shutdown keeping airplanes from running into each other. But they’re also not going to be paid because the derelicts in Congress refuse to work with each other.
This all made me wonder how quickly a shutdown might be resolved if members of Congress didn’t get paid during this kind of leadership vacuum. Or actually, would a shutdown have even occurred. Well, that’s a story for another time.
Right now, I’m thinking about the nation’s 11,000 + controller workforce. A majority of these workers are tied to six-day work schedules and 10-hour days. I worked those schedules for a brief period once when I was a controller and trust me, they can play havoc on your brain.
You feel like you meet yourself coming and going from the facility each day. Sometimes it’s tough to fall asleep because the job winds you up while you’re there and is often impossible to leave behind when you climb behind the wheel of your car. I remember hopping into bed some nights because I I needed sleep for an early shift the next day, but my eyes didn’t get the message and stayed wide open. That’s exhaustion.
And these shifts aren’t going away anytime soon because the system is understaffed by two or three thousand controllers, a problem left over from the FAA’s handling of the 1981 PATCO strike. And of course, the FAA Training Academy in Oklahoma City where new controllers learn the job is also shut down.
Then there’s the stress itself of being a controller. Making life or death decisions every couple of minutes just comes with the job. Some facilities see more of this kind of thing than others. Trainees who can’t cope with this kind of brain overload don’t make it, of course. This is bad stress.
There is good stress too. Like when your brain acts almost without your input forcing you to slam on the brakes of your car to avoid a collision. If that’s ever happened to you, it’s only after the danger has passed that you realize your heart rate was through the roof.
And you probably never noticed you were holding your breath.
So, life should be a mix of good stress and bad stress. Right now, air traffic controllers are pretty overwhelmed with bad stress because they don’t have a smidgen of control over their lives. But their role in a tower or radar room is probably only a minor cause of that stress.
As I said, these folks are not being paid during the shutdown. Most controllers are probably smart enough these days – I hope – to have a savings account of some kind to see them through a financial crunch like this. They’re not gazillionaires like some other members of the government. Of course, the law says these federal employees will see their money … eventually once the shutdown ends. Until then, they’ll need to tighten their belts.
So, controller’s stress level is up, and they still must report to work, knowing they’ll be paid but not knowing when. These folks are dedicated enough that I can promise they’ll show up for work. Of course, last time some controllers did call in sick as a way to take a few days away from the stress even though they were deemed “essential.”
Just in time, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) released a statement yesterday laying down the law about Shutdown 2025 essentially explaining, “We get how stressful it is to report for work at a job like this on a stress creating schedule having no idea when you’ll actually be paid.” If you read between the lines though, the union was also telling members, “No funny stuff this time around.”
The union said, “NATCA does not endorse, support, or condone any federal employees participating in or endorsing a coordinated activity that negatively affects the capacity of the NAS, or any other activities that undermine the professional image and reputation of the people we represent. Air traffic controllers and other aviation safety professionals take their responsibility to protect the safety of the flying public very seriously. Participating in a job action could result in removal from federal service. It is not only illegal, but it also undermines NATCA’s credibility and severely weakens our ability to effectively advocate for you and your families.”
NATCA MEMBERS:
“At this critical juncture, it is more important than ever that we rise to the occasion and continue delivering the consistent, high-level of public service we provide every day. We must also recognize that in the current political climate, federal employees are under heightened scrutiny. We cannot stress enough that it is essential to avoid any actions that could reflect poorly on you, our Union, or our professions. Time after time, NATCA members have proven that we are dedicated and resilient. We urge you to stand in solidarity with your brothers and sisters by continuing to exhibit the same unwavering professionalism that the aviation community and the American people deserve. We are deeply grateful for and proud of your steadfast commitment to the safety of the flying public and the integrity of National Airspace System (NAS).”
These folks are in a corner and it couldn’t get any worse.
But actually … it did.
Yesterday, Captain Chaos reported that some federal employees might not receive back pay after the shutdown ends. Of course, that probably doesn’t apply to essential employees, unless they were furloughed. And they would never be furloughed if they show up for work as they’re required to do.
But then, this President does enjoy keeping people off balance, especially those who disagree with him even if it transforms some other group into a bunch of scapegoats. So, calling in sick is probably too big a risk for most controllers right now.
But c’mon Captain. Did you really need to make everything just a little worse for these workers?
So where does all this put controllers on a stress level gauge? Pretty close to boiling over, I’d say.
Just what every American needed right now. Something else to worry about.
I know a government shutdown makes Captain Chaos feel powerful, but really … did you need to add one more chunk of uncertainty to these people’s lives?
When I’m super stressed, I don’t make good decisions. And safe decisions are whaat we demand of controllers day in and day out, even as they now start to worry about feeding their families and paying their mortgages. But controllers are pros.
I only hope none of them get distracted on the job with all the chaos running rampant in their heads.
Rob Mark