WDTN-TV (Dayton, Ohio): Air Traffic Contollers In Contract Talks
Dated: 04/13/2006 10:49:30 AMUpdated: 04/13/2006 10:56:36 AM
Contract talks are failing at Dayton International Airport, and that could put your flight in danger.
Air traffic controllers and the FAA have been negotiating for about nine months.
Controllers say the FAA wants to impose drastic pay cuts and offer early retirements.
Controllers believe that would lead to a massive staffing crisis, and a safety issue.
"Fewer controllers with record amounts of traffic is not a good thing in our vision. Their vision seems to be about dollars, not about public safety," said Jim Reedy of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.
Reedy says Dayton's control tower is operating at about 80 percent, and half of those employees may retire in the next five years.