Return to Article: Air traffic controllers land in Washington to lobby
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34177
Joe D.
You have no idea, the FAA has classes setup every so often and wouldn't you know only a third od the classes are filled. Why? Because of the garbage you have to go through and the crap you have to take to get this job... So no people are not lining up, they are going other places for work where wages starting out at Home Depot are better than the starting salary of about 8.83 an hour! Of course, 8.83 and hour to start training to keep lives safe. The Flying public has no idea of the stress and anxiety of not trusting your employer... The FAA hasn't been truthful about their process and they are now in a BUDGETARY mode rather than a SAFETY mode... I'm a controller and I don't fly.
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34164
Air traffic controllers are grossly overpaid. Bus drivers have more responsibilities and do a far, far better job on any day. NATCA will follow the same self destructive path as PATCO. Both are doomed to fail, due to greed and stupidity.
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32739
Lets get one thing straight its NOT early retirement. Its mandated by Federal LAW!! This job takes years off your life. 20 years 50 or older, 25 years any age, and 56 bye, bye (Yes, I'm aware of the grandfather clause). Skills go down slightly at 40, 45, and even more at 50. This is the same retirement as firefighters and police. You want a 50 year old man or 25 year old man pulling you out of a burning building??? Overpaid?? Consider a Dental Assistant makes 56K and saw the injured 9/11 EMT worker, medically retired in 2001, and was making 93,000$. I started off at around 23K and over 22 years later make 100K. Im worth 7K more than an EMT!!! I love my job but this mental torture the FAA is putting on "us" is not worth any money!! No one other than the hamsters understands the job of ATC and its a waste of time trying to explain it.
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32469
I see there is still much controller envy. Envy is a difficult emotion to overcome.
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32460
Why do you think the controllers have a strong union? It is to protect them because their working conditions can be very difficult. I don't want my airplane safety to be compromised. Unions have a history and play a valuable role in this country, but most unions have been destroyed by ignorant politicians, NAFTA and the illegals who are willing to settle for less than fair benefits and wages.
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32447
To Dan, the same country that has a "c/d" student for President who chokes on pretzels and appoints Horse trainers to head federal agencies. Heck of a job brownie.
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32393
To Dan Ketter, if the job is easy money as you imply, why aren't you doing it? Do you have a GED? I am forced to assume it is because you do not have one. Why wouldn't everyone just jump, including you, into this career if your evaluation is accurate and fair?
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32377
Joe D., where does your vast experience and expertise in air traffic control come from? The stress of being an air traffic controller cannot be overstated. I've been a civilian controller for 16 years, preceded by 10 years in the Air Force. It's a 24/7 job. I work at least an 8 hour day with a single 30 minute lunch break. I have Wednesday and Thursday for my weekend. I work every Friday and Saturday night and every Sunday and holiday. I don't get to do things with my kids on the weekend while they're out of school. I don't get to see their ballgames, dance recitals, or band concerts. I don't get to take them to see their grandparents. I don't get to have a date night with my wife. Add to that that there is zero tolerance for any error, and the FAA telling me that it's my fault if there is a delay, but I'd sure better not make a mistake. Jump in there, Joe D. Let's see you plug in at a busy radar facility and twist, turn, and braid 75 or 100 airplanes coming from all directions into a single stream correctly spaced to land on the airport, while simultaneously having the same number of aircraft taking off and climbing in all directions to their next destination. After you do all that for 26 years, come tell me how easy air traffic controllers have it.
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32372
To Dan Ketter:
I don't know where you get your information, but most controllers have at least a 4 year degree. Some have masters and still others are working on PHDs. And if you do the math, ATC school/training is ANOTHER 3 to 4 years, so it is like going on to law school and/or medical school. It is advanced, highly specialized training. After your initial 4 year degree, then earning the ATC "degree", you can finally start working on your own. So for any of you who think a GED is enough...think again!
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32359
To Joe d and his comment, I am not sure where you get your information but I have worked since 1982; 40 (or more) hours per week; 5 8-hr shifts. 25 years and not one shift was less than 8 hours unless some form of leave was used. Stress earns our early retirement. Check with some of the new hires (that are still with us) and see how long that line is for this poverty level job. Scott OX
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32358
These controller jobs are among the nation's most critical. Make no mistake, life and limb are at risk when we jeopardize the consistency and continuity of the controller workforce. The federal workforce (especially where life and limb are at risk) should be compensated fairly and negotiated with in the open. It is interesting how none of their critics will address or seriously discuss the air traffic controllers' actual labor and retention issues.
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32355
Where else can someone with a GED make $100K a year and still complain ?
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32335
Why do people post comments when they have no idea what they are talking about? Controller work a minimum 8 hours per day and with the lack of staffing most work 60 hours per week. The FAA is hiding the daily near mid air collisions, finding any excuse not to blame the budget. In regards to the comment about "poor controllers," these controllers are people with college degrees who should be rightly conpensated for the stressful job they do, not be forced to apply for food stamps like some new hire controllers here at miami center have done.
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32333
Joe,
Controllers work 10 hour shifts these days, understaffed, and under terrible stress. They are responsible for doing something the pilots can't do: Keep them from crashing into another. On top of that, they are responsible for ensuring timely traffic. It would be like having people in a building manning every traffic light in your city, so traffic flows as smoothly as possible, but instead of cars, they're planes with 200 people on them. Instead of fender benders, there are fatal plane crashes. They work hard under severe stress, and still keep us safe with a ridiculous record. The FAA screwed them, and the effects are obvious. This needs to change.
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32330
To Joe D., your comments show you are ignorant of what a work day is for us. Yes, we do get some time for breaks during the day, as well as time to do refresher training, train new hires, go to the bathroom, etc.
The FAA cut the pay of the newly hired by 30%, not half as you mentioned, and the FAA cannot get enough people to take the job. We have at least 15 openings at my facility and no one to take them. The job now starts at about $19,000 per year, and after 20 years at the busiest facilities in the world, you can expect to top out at about $94,000.
I've worked three months straight of overtime, it is an extremely stressful job, and your air traffic controllers have earned every penny. After 20 years in the job, I've also earned my retirement.
Those are tidbits you failed to mention.
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32324
As you can see by Joe's post at 9:22 a.m this morning, he is still here at home having washed out of Air Traffic Control training since he couldn't do the job. Also, as you can see, he's not up to date on what happened last year because of the new forced work rules and new highly reduced pay schedules. i.e. Controllers have been leaving in droves leaving the towers way understaffed, the skies very unsafe, workforce morale at rock bottom and the Agency scrambling to hire people because no one is "lining up" to start at wages that qualify you for food stamps. Gimme a break Joe and please get back on your meds, your comments are so off from reality it's pathetic.
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32321
"Joe d," don't let facts get in the way of good lies. FAA controllers DO work 8-hour days and 40-hour weeks. Additionally, many are now working 6-day weeks and 10-hour days due to understaffing and forced overtime.
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32319
As I recall, some 65% of Congress voted last June to right the wrong..........but Marion and her band of bandits told Congress to go to hell and still shoved her views down the throats of the workforce...........and today the far less safe. Hopefully this time, the will of the majority will prevail and the injustice forced on the Controllers will be reversed.............for the good of all of us who fly.
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32312
The FAA should fire back - these "poor controllers" are among the highest paid federal employees - and they get early retirement. They also do not work a full eight hour day. Some tidbits they fail to mention. You could cut the salary in half and people would still be lining up to apply for this job. Give me a break!
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