At a press conference at New York’s LaGuardia Airport Tuesday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that financial strain on critical aviation staff is beginning to ripple through the system—including recruitment—as controllers miss their first full paycheck Tuesday due to the ongoing government shutdown.
“I want the best and the brightest,” he said. “But if you pick a career where you may not be paid for a partial payment, one paycheck, the next paycheck you’re not paid, and maybe a third, that’ll make you rethink, do I want to go into this profession?”
He cautioned that the shutdown was already discouraging new trainees.
“This truly can drive people, and we’ve seen a few times that it has,” Duffy said. “It drives people out of a profession where we’re trying to build more numbers as opposed to the shutdown taking numbers away from us.”
Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, said the situation had already left controllers under acute financial pressure.
“An air traffic controller showed up at their facility to see zero dollars in their paycheck,” Daniels said. “That air traffic controller just moved hundreds of miles from Oklahoma City after passing a grueling four months at Oklahoma City Academy.”
He warned that stress from unpaid work was compounding the demands of a job that “requires 100% of focus 100% of the time.” Daniels added that some controllers had resorted to side jobs or food banks to make ends meet.
“They should never work a side job,” Daniels said. “They should never get off a night shift and then go wait tables and then go move the commerce and people through this airspace.”
Duffy said airspace safety remained unchanged, crediting controllers for maintaining high standards despite personal hardship.
“It’s as safe today as it was two months ago,” he said. “…[But] you may not be traveling on the schedule that you anticipated because of this government shutdown.”
Duffy said staffing shortages had driven 44% of delays on Sunday and 24% the following day. warning that continued disruption could undermine recruitment efforts.
Cancel Duffy’s paycheck until controllers get theirs (plus their backpay)
Maybe Duffy should be telling this to his boss.
Idiocy is driving controllers away from the profession.
I understand the whole “government employee’s can’t go on strike” thingy - however in order to bring Washington (both sides) to its senses and back into the “lets not forget who you work for” mentality, things need to come to a screeching halt - all across the land of the brave.
I do hope these people call out sick with depressive disorders due to senseless abuse and mobbing in droves.
As if it’s Duffy’s fault. C’mon get real.
I understand their frustration but I find it very hard to believe that after all the training they went through to get to where they are - and knowing they will receive full backpay - that they would simply walk away from their career. If they are leaving - this is just the last straw of the stress they have been under because of the understaffing that wasn’t resolved under Biden due to his Administration’s mandated DEI recruitment goals, which caused undue restriction of the training pipeline.
Or to the Dems who refused to pass the House’s clean (i.e. no add-ons) Continuing Resolution. They have admitted they are holding the country hostage because - in their own words - it is the only “leverage” they have right now.
Sounds like a Duffy CYA comment.
Nothing wrong in the FAA will be my fault.
His boss isn’t the problem. Talk to Chuck.