Chief Of Fired ATC Union Offers Perspective On Contract Towers

"The rhetoric, on air safety within the private sector in the US, is out of control and about to crash land. They spin that the air traffic controllers who man the Federal Contract Towers (FCT) around the country are inferior because they don’t wear a Federal badge, therefore, air safety is being compromised. The "sky is falling" and doomsday is on the horizon...so they say. But lets turn the clock back to see why and when the FAA first initiated the FCT program and its ultimate long term impact on aviation.. After years of contract negotiations, the FAA forced a show down with the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO), and on August 3, 1981, a strike went down that ripples thru the system even today. The decision by the Reagan administration to 'fire the solution and keep the problems' would forever change the way business is conducted by the FAA."

"During the strike, the FAA made the decision to close hundreds of Federal Towers around the nation because manpower was the operative word, and they needed bodies to fill positions in what they considered to be, more critical areas to keep the system running, no matter what the risk or cost. Early in 1982 the FAA started re-opening some of those closed towers, but business would be conducted on a different level, because for the first time in history, Air Traffic Control was being subcontracted out to the private sector. The FCT program has been existence for approximately 22 years and continues to expand. PATCO represents many of these excellent, highly qualified professionals around the country."

"The qualifications to be an Air Traffic Controller at the control towers of 'small town' USA are equal to those who wear a Federal badge. Training, proficiency, medicals, stress tests are all on the same level as the Feds with no margin for error."

"The base talent of the professionals who staff the smaller towers, come from the military, retired FAA and PATCO controllers, therefore in most cases their cumulative experience, far exceeds those who are employed by the Feds."

"I will not debate the issue of privatization, but I will defend the professional controllers who have manned those facilities over the past 22 years and their excellent safety records which is better than that of the Federal sector."

"The Spin Masters and bureaucrats are running scared and using 'air safety' as a scare tactic. Let them debate, but with the truth, and not try to put the blame on the professional air traffic controllers in the private sector who are dedicated in their service."

Ron Taylor, PATCO President

FMI: www.patco81.com