Union, FAA collide on air safety

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-airsafety4sep04,1,4080596.story?coll=la-headlines-business&track=crosspromo

Union, FAA collide on air safety
Some say contract and controller staffing disputes pose dangers. The agency calls this a safe period in aviation.

From the Associated Press
September 4, 2007

WASHINGTON -- The next time you board an airliner and buckle your seat belt, you will be about to fly through a bitter labor dispute between some of the people most responsible for your safety in the skies.

The nation's air traffic controllers and the Federal Aviation Administration, which employs them, cannot agree whether enough qualified people are guiding air traffic or how safe the air space is today.

With airline travel rebounding almost to the volume before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, delays on U.S. flights have reached a record high. Nearly one-third of domestic flights on major carriers were late in June. At the same time, the FAA and the National Air Traffic Controllers Assn. have been unable to agree on a contract. A year ago, the FAA declared an impasse and imposed a contract. Since then, the retirement of experienced controllers has soared beyond the agency's forecasts.

"In several places, it has created a safety problem where controllers are working 10-hour days, six-day weeks and working combined positions because they don't have enough fully trained bodies," union President Patrick Forrey said.

FAA figures show the number of fully certified controllers dropped to 11,467 in May -- the lowest in a decade, the union says. Beside them in control centers are 3,300 so-called developmental controllers who are being trained on the job.

"They are pushing the envelope and somebody is going to snap," Forrey warned. "Unless the agency slows down the traffic, someone may make a mistake, and then are they going to blame it on the controller?"

FULL story at link.

[Lex1775]

1. This probably won't end well for the ATC Union

The FAA is one of the few government agencies that does not screw around with people/organizations that are hindering their area of oversight. The amount of power an FAA inspector has is impressive. It only takes one guy to shutdown an air operation because he doesn't like the way something is happening.

If the ATC Union were to try and strike I'd almost guarantee you'd see the "nationalization" of all the ATC centers in the US and every person that was striking would be out of a job.

[Sherman A1]

2. Deja Vu All Over Again?

Sounds exactly like the 1980's

I was at one point training to become an air traffic controller in the 1970's and it is a good thing I quit the program as the Esteemed Mr. Reagan would have fired me anyway.