Plenty Of Blame To Go Around
The FAA last Thursday issued a scathing report on New York’s Terminal Radar Approach Control on Long Island, saying the union has too much control over scheduling and costs are out of control. The facility is not understaffed or unsafe, the report said. “We have a scam; we don’t have a safety issue,” FAA spokesman Greg Martin told reporters. At over $4 million, overtime costs at the New York facility are more than double those at any other large TRACON. According to the FAA’s news release, “Generous amounts of overtime allowed 21 controllers to earn more than $200,000 last year, not including benefits; this year, that number is projected to increase to 51.” The report said there is “a culture of insubordination and intimidation” at the facility, and blamed both FAA management and the local union for the situation, which has developed over the last 15 years. The report was written by a 25-member team, based on its 60-day onsite review of the facility.
