Call-Outs Mimic Controller and TSA Agent Action in 2019 Shutdown

The US Department of Transportation has reported a so-called “tick-up” in air traffic controllers calling out sick since the start of the government shutdown, and if it develops anything like it did in 2019, the situation will only worsen. In the funding lapse, more than 13,000 controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration agents are forced to work without a paycheck.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on October 6 that some ATC facilities are operating with as few as half of their usual staff levels, including in Denver, Fort Worth, and Phoenix. With controllers expected to miss their first paycheck on October 14, officials are concerned that absentee rates will only continue to climb. In this case, controllers will have to slow flights in order to preserve safety… and we all know how quickly delays can get out of hand from there.

Duffy was joined by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association at a Newark press conference to discuss the matter. He explained that, on top of having to manage dense airspace, controllers are now forced to be “thinking about, am I going to get a paycheck? Do I have to take a second job and drive Uber when I'm already exhausted from doing a job that's already stressful?"

The FAA’s controller shortage hasn’t helped matters. The agency is about 3,500 controllers below its target staffing levels, meaning those still on the job are often working mandatory overtime or six-day weeks. Because of this, even a small rise in sick calls puts the system on thin ice.

The union, meanwhile, is urging caution. NATCA reminded members that any coordinated sickout would be illegal and could result in termination from federal service.

"It is more important than ever that we rise to the occasion and continue delivering the consistent, high-level of public service we provide every day," the union said. "We cannot stress enough that it is essential to avoid any actions that could reflect poorly on you, our union, or our professions."

The situation is a close replica of the 2019 shutdown, when controllers and TSA officers began missing work as unpaid days piled up, slowing air traffic around New York and forcing lawmakers to negotiate an end to the impasse. The longer the current shutdown drags on, the more worried airlines get about a repeat.

FMI: www.natca.org