The air traffic control system has never entirely recovered from what Reagan did to it in 1981. He fired a lot of them to bust their union, at the cost of public safety. In the short term, there weren't enough controllers to cover the losses. That lasted for around a decade. Since then, the problem has been that the pay is no longer good enough to attract the number of people needed. Air traffic control is one of the most stressful jobs in existence and, without a union, the pay has lagged. We can thank Reagan, and all of the tight-budget conservatives who followed him, for our current problems with air safety.
this post was submitted on 22 Apr 2024
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They do have a union actually, however obviously they aren't able to strike so it's largely weakened.
It's not really a union, then.
The extent of federal employee "unions" is some minor benefits and making it harder to be fired. Collective action functionally doesn't exist.
Don't worry, everybody. The ultra rich have private airports and aren't at risk like us plebeians.
Private runways might help alleviate the issue, but those aren't common, especially in the areas the rich fly into. ATC control all the skys, not just the commercial airline skys.
Ok. Fair point. I was trying to somewhat illustrate that the ultra rich, who save money on taxes by cutting air traffic controller positions and pay, will still be protected.
Increasing rest breaks means you need more controllers. This will mean an increase in their budget.
I don't understand the problem?
Conservatives invest money, they don’t spend it.
Lift the age restriction for experienced controllers. Most of the problems will be solved.
This is not even close to enough.
More of a meta comment, but I'm noting that on this thread and on the nursing home staff one, a lot of people are shitting on these solutions with little in the way of constructive criticism.
I think that most of us agree that the current situations are not ideal and that they are dangerous, but these measures are making tangible steps forward. These changes will not immediately increase safety, but its required for long-term health of the profession and traveler safety. I'd love to read about some alternatives that aren't just complaints about how politicians aren't doing enough.
"We need more X and this doesn't do anything about that!"
Yes, these bills don't directly make vital qualified job personnel out of thin air, but they pave the way towards bringing us out of the red and into the yellow. ATCs are already burnt out. Enforcing rest has a direct impact on cognitive function and safety (see: US Navy ship collisions). It also increases job morale and reduces turnover. This will lead to a healthier workforce and increase appeal for those thinking of getting into the field.
Doesn't really help when control facilities are so short staffed that they have controllers working ridiculous amounts of mandatory overtime. Might well make the problem worse when they need even more overtime shifts to make up for increased rest. They need to hire more and pay way more.