ATC Will Receive Partial Payday, NATCA Head Responds

The first round of layoffs resulting from the government shutdown arrived on October 10 and at least for now, Department of Transportation employees can relax as the RIFs, or reductions in force, were targeted to other agencies, according to a court filing by the Trump administration.

The other agencies affected included the Treasury, Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security departments. However, depending on how long the shutdown extends, the DOT’s reprieve likely won’t last forever.

The court filing said other agencies are “actively considering whether to conduct additional RIFs related to the ongoing lapse in appropriations.” At the same time, agencies not listed, such as DOT, have not made a final decision whether to issue RIF notices.

The lack of an agreement in Congress means that air traffic controllers will receive only a partial paycheck this week. House Speaker Mike Johnson wants to pay controllers on an emergency basis, but Senate Majority leader John Thune says the simplest way to address the negative impacts of the shutdown is to reopen the government.

Nick Daniels, President of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), was asked if controllers and/or flight delays could play a role in ending the shutdown. He emphatically stated it is “absolutely false that air traffic controllers either start a shutdown or that we’re responsible for ending a shutdown.”

Daniels also said the idea that staffing shortages at ATC towers were necessarily shutdown-specific is wrong, noting that controller-related delays had already been common this year at some airports.

With regard to DOT Secretary Sean Duffy’s comments that controllers who consistently call in sick during the shutdown would be fired, Daniels said NATCA has “procedures and processes to handle any level of illegal or misuse of sick leave.” And NATCA has communicated those to the Secretary’s office while also adding that air traffic controllers are allowed to use sick leave for legitimate purposes.

FMI:  www.transportation.gov/ , www.natca.org/