NATCA Says Membership May Opt For Early Retirement

It wasn't all that long ago that a hiring binge began at the FAA, to replace striking air traffic controllers fired by President Ronald Reagan after they refused to return to work.

The Washington Post reports from 1982 -- the year after the strike -- through 1991, the agency hired an average of 2,655 controllers per year... and now, those controllers are looking at their own retirement, for several reasons... not the least of those reasons is, again, a labor contract dispute.

The National Air Traffic Controllers' Association (NATCA) warns the organization's ongoing contract dispute with the FAA could lead to a shortage of qualified tower personnel by as early as next year. Union leaders in St. Louis say many controllers will simply retire if the FAA imposes a new contract without union input. This comes at the end of nine months of bitter talks between the two sides -- talks that broke down earlier this month.

While agency negotiators say their offer is a generous one -- the average controller would see a $10,400 raise in annual salary, up to $138,900 -- many controllers's salaries would be frozen. The reason? NATCA says they work at airports where traffic is down or at least the same as in years past.

By retiring early, the union says those controllers would get a better cost-of-living allowance. If that provision becomes the law of the land... then NATCA says about a quarter of the controllers now in the tower could opt out early -- leaving the national airspace in a state of disarray.

The FAA says it has a plan if that happens -- one that would put in place more controllers, but at cheaper rates. Skeptics say that even if there is such a plan, it'll be mighty tough to implement by next year -- when NATCA says many of its members will likely take early retirement.

FMI: www.natca.org, www.faa.gov