I wish he wouldnt back down.
This is in large part the FAA's fault for failing to properly staff their facilties. All of the Reagan era replacements are retiring and the agency still hasn't recovered. The cans been kicked down the road for over 30 years, and things are finally coming to a head, at least at my facility. I know one controller at my facility has resigned from the agency in the last week, saying he just cant do this amount of OT anymore and can make this kind of money without completely sacrificing his personal life. A handful more are considering resigning to sit out for a year, and then apply directly to the facility they actually want to be at, since thats about the only way to actually "transfer" as a controller today.
The situation at ZJX is mirrored at many of the Level 12 ARTCC and TRACONS across the country, they just got the publicity. My facility is 75% staffed, we're all on 6 day work weeks with no end in sight, and we're all burnt out and exhausted. The union is nowhere to be found, so if the airlines want to raise a stink and try and get things changed, thats great in my eyes.
AFAIK, the FAA is still trying to claim there is no staffing shortage at their ATC facilities. Tell that to the 300 hours of OT I've already worked this year. Its a complete joke.