Tue, Apr 25, 2006
NATCA Says Membership May Opt For Early Retirement
It wasn't all that long
ago that a hiring binge began at the FAA, to replace striking air
traffic controllers fired by President Ronald Reagan after they
refused to return to work.
The Washington Post reports from 1982 -- the year after the
strike -- through 1991, the agency hired an average of 2,655
controllers per year... and now, those controllers are looking at
their own retirement, for several reasons... not the least of those
reasons is, again, a labor contract dispute.
The National Air Traffic Controllers' Association (NATCA) warns
the organization's ongoing contract dispute with the FAA could lead
to a shortage of qualified tower personnel by as early as next
year. Union leaders in St. Louis say many controllers will simply
retire if the FAA imposes a new contract without union input. This
comes at the end of nine months of bitter talks between the two
sides -- talks that broke down earlier this month.
While agency negotiators say their offer is a generous one --
the average controller would see a $10,400 raise in annual salary,
up to $138,900 -- many controllers's salaries would be frozen. The
reason? NATCA says they work at airports where traffic is down or
at least the same as in years past.
By retiring early, the
union says those controllers would get a better cost-of-living
allowance. If that provision becomes the law of the land... then
NATCA says about a quarter of the controllers now in the tower
could opt out early -- leaving the national airspace in a state of
disarray.
The FAA says it has a plan if that happens -- one that would put
in place more controllers, but at cheaper rates. Skeptics say that
even if there is such a plan, it'll be mighty tough to implement by
next year -- when NATCA says many of its members will likely take
early retirement.
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