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FAA: a ‘Rogue Agency’ |
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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is telling air traffic controllers who speak out about safety conditions to get another job.
Last week, Don Chapman from the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) told reporters that newly implemented changes in air space rules around the Philadelphia area had controllers concerned about safety and the added pressure on already overworked air traffic controllers. Chapman, NATCA’s Philadelphia facility representative, also noted the changes had been made without any input from the controllers.
When Delaware County Daily Times asked the FAA for a comment, agency spokesman Jim Peters told the paper:
If any controller at the Philadelphia Airport believes that these procedures are unsafe, they should look for work elsewhere.…If they don’t like working for FAA, they should reconsider their line of work.
This arrogant and outrageous comment is from the same agency that is driving a record number of air traffic controllers into early retirement or out of the field because of the working conditions created by the FAA’s unilaterally imposition of new work rules. Those rules, issued in 2006 after the FAA refused to return to the bargaining table with NATCA for a new contract, exacerbated an already serious staffing shortage in the towers and on the radar scopes.
Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.), says the comments are an “outrage” and:
demonstrate once again that the FAA is a rogue agency. The idea that professionals who have concerns about safety should “find another line of work” is an outrage. Everywhere in our society—from the military to hospitals to mines to food processing facilities—responsible organizations emphasize safety first and reward professional employees who identify safety deficiencies.
Several years ago, when the FAA began to eliminate controller involvement in agency projects, NATCA President Patrick Forrey was tossed off the airspace redesign committee. He says the FAA’s comments are:
the height of arrogance from an out-of-control agency that is now trying to stifle whistleblowers, intimidate union members and discredit controllers’ commitment to safety.
We will not be silenced. We will not stand by and do nothing while the agency pushes safe, sensible and time-tested implementation procedures to the side in favor of an authoritarian, “my way or the highway” style. We will not allow our union leaders and members to be threatened or disciplined because they dared to speak up about legitimate and troubling safety concerns that the public needs to be aware of.
5 Comments
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Jim Peters should be fired immediately. He has no clue to what is going on, and no compassion for workers who are only trying to do the best under rotten working conditions. What on earth makes the FAA think that someone who is working on an inhumane work schedule is going to be alert and responsible for the stressful task of air control work? One small error in judgement from an exhausted worker could be a catastrophe. Would the FAA ever put its office workers on shifts like this and expect them to work at 100% and be responsible for the increasing amounts of air traffic? Many thanks to the air controllers for the great job they do and a big fat kick in the butt to Jim Peters…
Well obviously the FAA does not give an iota about it’s workers. Congress does not appear to give a damn, so what do the air traffic controllers do?
One; they can suffer in silence and continue to absorb the unsafe working conditions
Two; they can do as the FAA bosses suggest and go find employment elsewhere. Which is the easy way out.
or Three; organize nationwide public support and consider one hour, one day work stoppages. However this time the AFL-CIO will have to do a lot more than pay lip service. PATCO lost their strike because of failure of organized labor to fully support the strike! Given this fact and a reactionary president in the White House (Ronald Reagan) their was NO way the strike could have been won successfully! However over 11,000 courageous men and women stood their ground and did not return to work!
2-26-08 I personelly are behind the air traffic controllers in their responsibility of maitaining safety and observing the FAA regulations of air traffic. The air traffic controllers have a pressure job assignments in departure and arrival of air traffic every 10 minutes,therefore the FAA shall discuss the hiring and training of new personnell for the safety of air planes in the air and people travelling
Imagine if this happened in France. Workers wold literally shut the country down. Nothing would fly, no goods would be transported, and the streets would be mobbed for a week.
What many companies simply do not understand is that you have to consult the very workers that do a particularly dangerous job or are responsible for the safety and well being of others. It is extremely important for this communication to take place and for there to be a constant monitoring of safety and procedures in order for the controllers to do their job under the best possible circumstances and for the public to be as safe as possible. The FAA simply choses not to listen to the concerns of the controllers, and therefore, puts the airlines and the public in serious if not grave danger.