Controllers Declare 'Staffing Emergency' in Atlanta, Chicago, New York and Southern California

Air Safety Week, Jan 14, 2008

U.S. aviation labor unions are ratcheting up the volume as regards their labor unrest with the nation's air traffic controllers among the most vocal.

The nation's controllers, suffering a 10 percent loss of their workforce in 2007, a record pace of new losses this year and worsening stress and fatigue levels that have drawn the critical eye of two major government watchdogs, have declared a 'staffing emergency' in four key air traffic areas of the country: Atlanta, Chicago, New York and Southern California.

National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) President Patrick Forrey says air traffic control facilities there do not have enough trained and experienced personnel to safely handle the volume of traffic in the air and at major airports.

NATCA is projecting that 500 controllers will retire by Feb. 3, with 2,200 more controllers able to retire by year's end. There have been 357 retirements so far since October 1, 2007, including 201 on Jan. 3 alone. Another 130 have told NATCA they intend to retire by Feb. 3 due to the lack of any incentive to stay on the job. The current trend, if it continues, will shatter the FAA's projection of 695 retirements this fiscal year and perhaps even the record of 856 retirements set in fiscal year 2007.

"An already dangerous situation is about to get worse," said Forrey. "An additional 2,200 experienced controllers will be able to retire by the end of this year, thinning the already-depleted ranks of the workforce at a time when the skies have never been more congested.

"The General Accountability Office (GAO) has already stated that the risk of a catastrophic accident on our runways around the nation is high. Without an adequate amount of rested, well-trained controllers in towers and radar facilities, the risk of an aviation accident now includes the airspace as well as the ground," the union leader added.

Forrey is calling on the FAA and the Department of Transportation to act immediately to stem the loss of veteran controllers and bolster the workforce in Atlanta, Chicago, New York and Southern California. NATCA said they are among the worst-staffed in the country and have suffered a disturbing rash of runway and airspace incidents in recent weeks and months.

But an Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman disputed NATCA's claims, saying the union's figures are misleading. The FAA and NATCA have been at odds since September 2006 when the U.S. aviation agency declared an impasse on contract negotiations.

The Teamsters union, which is organizing mechanics from United, oppose the sale of United's San Francisco aircraft maintenance operation. The mechanics believe that aviation safety is compromised by outsourcing maintenance.

The labor union says United now outsources all of its heavy maintenance of Boeing 747s and 777s to South Korea and China, noting that in the Beijing repair station, only five of 2,179 mechanics are certified by the FAA.

"Outsourcing airplane maintenance threatens mechanics' jobs and it threatens passenger safety," said Teamsters President Jim Hoffa. A substantial majority of United mechanics have submitted cards requesting Teamster representation. The Teamsters are confident of winning an election to represent the mechanics within the next few months.

And leaders from the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA), Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), the International Association of Machinists (IAM), and the Transport Workers Union (TWU) concluded a three-day summit recently, geared toward preparing an overall strategy to secure gains in upcoming contract talks.

In the next two years, more than half of all flight attendant contracts with U.S. airlines will be up for negotiations or are already in the process.

By coordinating efforts, the labor coalition hopes to raise the industry standard for wages, retirement, health care, benefits and working conditions for all flight attendants and retirees.

They say that for the past several years, airline employees across the industry have sacrificed pay, benefits and working conditions through a long series of bankruptcies, restructurings, layoffs and threatened liquidations.

During the three-day summit, union leaders met with leading academics, labor economists, consultants and lawyers to outline an initial strategy for this crucial round of bargaining.

Recognizing that airline executives are unlikely to agree to significant improvements without a fight, the coalition will now begin work on more specific initiatives and move forward on mobilizing their members in support of bargaining goals.

The coalition will meet again in March.

Over the next 18 months, approximately 46,000 AFA flight attendants at 18 airlines will be in new or continuing contract negotiations (including those at United Airlines and US Airways), as will 19,000 APFA members at American Airlines, 9,000 TWU members at Southwest Airlines and 12,000 IAM members at Continental, ExpressJet and Micronesia Airlines.