We are 400 less controllers today than we were in the 2019 shutdown. And now they’ve been stretched so thin for so long, with so much going on, so much pressure on their backs, that they’re actually resigning from the profession. -Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Naetalis on
Shouldn’t that make a strike mean even more this time or am I missing something? If they wanna fuck around with air travel I say the ATC gives em what they want and all walk off the job. We’ll see how fast the R’s wanna negotiate then.
NoneOfThisMatters_XO on
Why isn’t the union telling them to strike? Ground all flights. Do something big to force Congress to negotiate.
Angedelanuit97 on
And the republicans could end this today if they wanted to. But they don’t
The_Outsider303 on
Can anyone explain how marginally reducing the ATC load by 10% per hour makes a significant difference to staffing? These flight disruptions seem more like performative politics and a punishment to travelers.
ChiefFun on
Great job republicans! Continue to fuck over every American.
MattressMogul73 on
I still don’t understand why they can’t as a union pick a date. Let’s say next Wednesday that every single one of them is going to stop being available simultaneously. They are not getting paid anyway. The important part here would be to make sure that they placed the blame squarely upon the Trump administration and or the Republicans that are refusing to negotiate. Even better if they can partner up with other critical parts of this country, let’s say teachers union that would force Parents to stay home from work in other sectors if they’re not available. Or other public transportation sectors. As long as the system is able to scrape by, then the stalemate will continue. Decisive action has to be taken in order to finally force the hand of the Republicans here.
triplab on
Sitting in Vegas at the airport right now, dreading the day, next to some dude on the phone who said to whomever he was talking, “I wish them Democrats would just pay our workers.”
Anxious-Answer5367 on
I wasn’t planning to fly to the US anytime soon. But this clinches it. So many dangers entering the USA under this administration. It’s very sad to witness.
fga2025 on
I am very worried that (1) there will be a major airline disaster resulting from this chaos, and (2) the media will manufacture consent (i.e. entirely the wrong lesson) that both sides are equally to blame and should have just worked together… when in fact the GOP is purely nihilistic and has an explicit agenda to tear down our entire federal government (aside from the police state dimension).
ajf8729 on
Can someone ELI5 why ALL of the ATCs can’t just simply not go to work? They aren’t getting paid, they can’t arrest them all or force them to work, and they can’t easily replace all of them. They hold all the cards here. Just shit it all the fuck down.
Its-A-Spider on
As always, it is worth noting that:
* Of the 128 days the US government has ever been shutdown, 75 days were under Trump (or 58%)
* Of the $24,4 billion worth of cost from all these shutdowns in the US history, $21,7 billion was under Trump (or 89%), $16,7 billion just from this latest shutdown
stoic_spaghetti on
I feel like peoples insticitivr reaction is “I don’t fly anyway, this doesn’t affect me”
Dawg when planes are falling out of the sky into residential areas remember everyone is at risk
CelticSith on
Bend over and grab your ankles holiday travelers
aquatrez on
Don’t worry everyone, when the airline industry collapses, our federal government will be there to bail out and save all the airline corporations! Nothing to worry about!
subcrtical on
It blows my mind that we aren’t paying like $500k+ a year for these roles. They are such a critical part of our infrastructure, basic staffing issues should never be a factor like this. Just insane.
Guy-Manuel on
ATC has to go on strike, illegal or not
Guiac on
Start with a mass sick out over Thanksgiving to really get the pressure on
Always_Delulu on
You all ready for an entirely predictable avoidable tragedy to occur? I know I’m not.
tropicsun on
What happened to the software update Elon was taking over…?
cyberattaq123 on
It’s becoming more and more apparent that (unrelated to the insane shit ice is doing), that it’s more than likely the case there is going to need to be a horrific catastrophe that claims the lives of possibly hundreds before the republicans are forced or feel even moderately forced to do anything, and likely due to the backlash generated by the deaths of innocent people directly, unambiguously connected to the shutdown and their absolute inability and unwillingness to govern and let the country function normally.
They just don’t care. They want the chaos, and the pain. It will probably take ATCs going on mass strike and completely tanking the airline industry before the idiots and evil bastards in DC do anything.
chasingjulian on
Why are air traffic controllers not considered absolutely critical employees and get paid no matter what happens? Also, aren’t the funds that pay air traffic controllers come from airline/airport fees and not the taxpayer?
FunctionBuilt on
We’ve finally made it to the point where effects are being felt by more people because essential workers are as saying fuck it. In the past we never get to this point.
thebroward on
is the life of an ATC like this glorious scene in *Pushing Tin*, starring John Cusack?
Soon, the administration will announce the plan for the new ATC by SpaceX.
No more pesky union. It’ll be cheaper and more efficient. And way worse.
RecipeFunny2154 on
One thing with the resignations — In addition to everything else, *anyone* in federal government employment is going on around 10 months of this administration holding their jobs over their heads and constantly insulting them and their career. ATC employees have felt that all of this time and now they’re not getting paid while being told to come anyway. It’s exhausting and this admin is essentially gutting the next generation of most of these orgs and agencies.
poopdedoop10 on
This is what happens when you vote republican or when republicans are in charge
applewait on
Just wait until Thanksgiving… busiest travel day of the year is just three weeks away.
This can’t go three more weeks, right?
Shambly on
Having a law that says that ATC are required to work without pay (aka slavery) instead of the government having to pay workers even if they don’t agree on the budget is basically what is wrong with America.
Mephisto506 on
This is the “tearing system
Down” stage that people wanted. I’m just not sure they realised how much pain was involved, how long it will take, and I’m not sure why they thought a better system would arise from the ashes.
gigglefarting on
Because there’s no goal, and therefore no end in sight, of this shutdown other than to shutdown the government in order for Trump to rule with even less oversight
32 Comments
We are 400 less controllers today than we were in the 2019 shutdown. And now they’ve been stretched so thin for so long, with so much going on, so much pressure on their backs, that they’re actually resigning from the profession. -Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Shouldn’t that make a strike mean even more this time or am I missing something? If they wanna fuck around with air travel I say the ATC gives em what they want and all walk off the job. We’ll see how fast the R’s wanna negotiate then.
Why isn’t the union telling them to strike? Ground all flights. Do something big to force Congress to negotiate.
And the republicans could end this today if they wanted to. But they don’t
Can anyone explain how marginally reducing the ATC load by 10% per hour makes a significant difference to staffing? These flight disruptions seem more like performative politics and a punishment to travelers.
Great job republicans! Continue to fuck over every American.
I still don’t understand why they can’t as a union pick a date. Let’s say next Wednesday that every single one of them is going to stop being available simultaneously. They are not getting paid anyway. The important part here would be to make sure that they placed the blame squarely upon the Trump administration and or the Republicans that are refusing to negotiate. Even better if they can partner up with other critical parts of this country, let’s say teachers union that would force Parents to stay home from work in other sectors if they’re not available. Or other public transportation sectors. As long as the system is able to scrape by, then the stalemate will continue. Decisive action has to be taken in order to finally force the hand of the Republicans here.
Sitting in Vegas at the airport right now, dreading the day, next to some dude on the phone who said to whomever he was talking, “I wish them Democrats would just pay our workers.”
I wasn’t planning to fly to the US anytime soon. But this clinches it. So many dangers entering the USA under this administration. It’s very sad to witness.
I am very worried that (1) there will be a major airline disaster resulting from this chaos, and (2) the media will manufacture consent (i.e. entirely the wrong lesson) that both sides are equally to blame and should have just worked together… when in fact the GOP is purely nihilistic and has an explicit agenda to tear down our entire federal government (aside from the police state dimension).
Can someone ELI5 why ALL of the ATCs can’t just simply not go to work? They aren’t getting paid, they can’t arrest them all or force them to work, and they can’t easily replace all of them. They hold all the cards here. Just shit it all the fuck down.
As always, it is worth noting that:
* Of the 128 days the US government has ever been shutdown, 75 days were under Trump (or 58%)
* Of the $24,4 billion worth of cost from all these shutdowns in the US history, $21,7 billion was under Trump (or 89%), $16,7 billion just from this latest shutdown
I feel like peoples insticitivr reaction is “I don’t fly anyway, this doesn’t affect me”
Dawg when planes are falling out of the sky into residential areas remember everyone is at risk
Bend over and grab your ankles holiday travelers
Don’t worry everyone, when the airline industry collapses, our federal government will be there to bail out and save all the airline corporations! Nothing to worry about!
It blows my mind that we aren’t paying like $500k+ a year for these roles. They are such a critical part of our infrastructure, basic staffing issues should never be a factor like this. Just insane.
ATC has to go on strike, illegal or not
Start with a mass sick out over Thanksgiving to really get the pressure on
You all ready for an entirely predictable avoidable tragedy to occur? I know I’m not.
What happened to the software update Elon was taking over…?
It’s becoming more and more apparent that (unrelated to the insane shit ice is doing), that it’s more than likely the case there is going to need to be a horrific catastrophe that claims the lives of possibly hundreds before the republicans are forced or feel even moderately forced to do anything, and likely due to the backlash generated by the deaths of innocent people directly, unambiguously connected to the shutdown and their absolute inability and unwillingness to govern and let the country function normally.
They just don’t care. They want the chaos, and the pain. It will probably take ATCs going on mass strike and completely tanking the airline industry before the idiots and evil bastards in DC do anything.
Why are air traffic controllers not considered absolutely critical employees and get paid no matter what happens? Also, aren’t the funds that pay air traffic controllers come from airline/airport fees and not the taxpayer?
We’ve finally made it to the point where effects are being felt by more people because essential workers are as saying fuck it. In the past we never get to this point.
is the life of an ATC like this glorious scene in *Pushing Tin*, starring John Cusack?
https://youtu.be/HczHtWP_uPs?si=LTq8nJflVKGkBClK
Soon, the administration will announce the plan for the new ATC by SpaceX.
No more pesky union. It’ll be cheaper and more efficient. And way worse.
One thing with the resignations — In addition to everything else, *anyone* in federal government employment is going on around 10 months of this administration holding their jobs over their heads and constantly insulting them and their career. ATC employees have felt that all of this time and now they’re not getting paid while being told to come anyway. It’s exhausting and this admin is essentially gutting the next generation of most of these orgs and agencies.
This is what happens when you vote republican or when republicans are in charge
Just wait until Thanksgiving… busiest travel day of the year is just three weeks away.
This can’t go three more weeks, right?
Having a law that says that ATC are required to work without pay (aka slavery) instead of the government having to pay workers even if they don’t agree on the budget is basically what is wrong with America.
This is the “tearing system
Down” stage that people wanted. I’m just not sure they realised how much pain was involved, how long it will take, and I’m not sure why they thought a better system would arise from the ashes.
Because there’s no goal, and therefore no end in sight, of this shutdown other than to shutdown the government in order for Trump to rule with even less oversight
thanks to the democrats