Interesting take on the controller \"shortage\"
From Avweb:
[ QUOTE ]
NATCA Declines Comment On Whistle Blower's Charges
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) is emphatically declining comment on an anonymous letter sent to AVweb from an air traffic controller, challenging the union's contention that air safety is being jeopardized by a staff shortage throughout the system. AVweb sent a copy of the detailed missive to NATCA but the union refused to comment ... sort of. We can't tell you why it chose not to comment because the normally forthcoming union officials we contacted insisted that all communications regarding the letter be considered "off the record." So, with the objections raised by the union and the defensible rationale it used in choosing not to comment observed, in all fairness, so too shall be the original letter. Enter "Jane Doe," a veteran air traffic controller whose experience within the day-to-day environment of the ATC system is at once illuminating and troubling. (Note: Although Jane's identity and the tower she works at won't be revealed, AVweb has collected evidence to confirm that she is who she says she is.)
...A Litany Of Waste And Deception...
In her letter, Jane alleges that ample staff members are available to handle the workload at her tower considering the number who are on breaks at any given time. She alleges that in an eight-hour shift most controllers will put in no more than four hours "on position." She also claims that management has virtually no authority over the unionized staff, some of whom ridicule and berate supervisors in front of co-workers. "FAA managers have bargained away a lot of their management rights and the union isn't about to give them back," Jane charges. Jane says controllers routinely use sick days (they are entitled to two and a half weeks a year) as extra vacation time and are unchallenged by supervisors. She said the union vigorously defends controllers who test positive for drug use and those who do spend a year doing other work until they can retake their medicals. "If they worked for practically anyone else, they'd be fired," Jane opined in an interview with AVweb.
...FAA Offers General Comments
FAA chief spokesman Greg Martin said the letter contained "troubling charges" but declined to comment on specific allegations. He did say many of the more general observations are well-known to the agency. He noted that in House testimony in June, the agency reported that air traffic controllers used more than 100 percent of their sick leave and the FAA has set a goal of reducing sick time by 8 percent (air purifiers, maybe). Martin said that's all part of the emphasis on productivity and performance that is in effect at the agency. "Our intent is to keep our system the safest in the world but also to invest taxpayers' money in the best ways possible," he said. Martin hinted there could be some fireworks ahead as the agency demands more productivity from employees. "We're being asked to do more and do it more smartly," he said. "When those tough decisions are made, our organization has to believe it has support at the highest level." Among the controversial programs being proposed is a computer system called CRU-X that monitors just how much time each controller spends working aircraft.
The following is the text of the anonymous letter sent to AVweb....
[/ QUOTE ]
The letter is too long to print here. Follow the AvWeb link to the article, including the full letter from the controller: AvWeb Newstory
From Avweb:
[ QUOTE ]
NATCA Declines Comment On Whistle Blower's Charges
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) is emphatically declining comment on an anonymous letter sent to AVweb from an air traffic controller, challenging the union's contention that air safety is being jeopardized by a staff shortage throughout the system. AVweb sent a copy of the detailed missive to NATCA but the union refused to comment ... sort of. We can't tell you why it chose not to comment because the normally forthcoming union officials we contacted insisted that all communications regarding the letter be considered "off the record." So, with the objections raised by the union and the defensible rationale it used in choosing not to comment observed, in all fairness, so too shall be the original letter. Enter "Jane Doe," a veteran air traffic controller whose experience within the day-to-day environment of the ATC system is at once illuminating and troubling. (Note: Although Jane's identity and the tower she works at won't be revealed, AVweb has collected evidence to confirm that she is who she says she is.)
...A Litany Of Waste And Deception...
In her letter, Jane alleges that ample staff members are available to handle the workload at her tower considering the number who are on breaks at any given time. She alleges that in an eight-hour shift most controllers will put in no more than four hours "on position." She also claims that management has virtually no authority over the unionized staff, some of whom ridicule and berate supervisors in front of co-workers. "FAA managers have bargained away a lot of their management rights and the union isn't about to give them back," Jane charges. Jane says controllers routinely use sick days (they are entitled to two and a half weeks a year) as extra vacation time and are unchallenged by supervisors. She said the union vigorously defends controllers who test positive for drug use and those who do spend a year doing other work until they can retake their medicals. "If they worked for practically anyone else, they'd be fired," Jane opined in an interview with AVweb.
...FAA Offers General Comments
FAA chief spokesman Greg Martin said the letter contained "troubling charges" but declined to comment on specific allegations. He did say many of the more general observations are well-known to the agency. He noted that in House testimony in June, the agency reported that air traffic controllers used more than 100 percent of their sick leave and the FAA has set a goal of reducing sick time by 8 percent (air purifiers, maybe). Martin said that's all part of the emphasis on productivity and performance that is in effect at the agency. "Our intent is to keep our system the safest in the world but also to invest taxpayers' money in the best ways possible," he said. Martin hinted there could be some fireworks ahead as the agency demands more productivity from employees. "We're being asked to do more and do it more smartly," he said. "When those tough decisions are made, our organization has to believe it has support at the highest level." Among the controversial programs being proposed is a computer system called CRU-X that monitors just how much time each controller spends working aircraft.
The following is the text of the anonymous letter sent to AVweb....
[/ QUOTE ]
The letter is too long to print here. Follow the AvWeb link to the article, including the full letter from the controller: AvWeb Newstory
