Union efforts during shutdown
10-20-2025 | 11:20 AM
#51
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Joined: Sep 2023
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From: Former Hooterville
10-20-2025 | 01:03 PM
#53
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Joined: Feb 2024
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10-20-2025 | 05:14 PM
#54
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Joined: Nov 2020
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From: Enoch Powell Enthusiast
The TSA might be the ones who end this shutdown for us. While firing ATC for calling in sick might be illegal (not that that would stop them), they can replace them with military controllers right away.
They can't replace the TSA overnight, so they can't really fire them either.
They can't replace the TSA overnight, so they can't really fire them either.
The average area controller takes about 2 years to train. "Collision Course: Ronald Reagan, the Air Traffic Controllers, and the Strike that Changed America" covers this. Ground/field ATC operations are complex, but the real hang-up is the cruise-to-approach handoff.
The TSA is a much more immediate bottleneck, and not easily replaceable.
Practically, putting the National Guard in for TSA duties might be an actual improvement. But politically it would be a disaster. I would absolutely hate it.
Shutdowns have been done often enough to have their own rhythm. This will come and go, then be back again in 2-5-7 years.
(*)- Best analogy I've read is a Mark Twain saying about how paddlewheel captains were experts for their segment of the river but useless elsewhere.
10-20-2025 | 05:37 PM
#55
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Joined: Feb 2013
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If you want to end this BS, ALPA should support ATC walking off the job. If they fire a controller, have ALPA walk us off the job as well. We would have a budget tomorrow afternoon and they would change the law allowing for continuation of government, taking this move off the chess table for good. I am not a fan of playing with people's livelihoods for politics of all things. On a current trajectory, ATC is understaffed and still running 24/7 ops so airlines can get paid to repositions flights on a redeye for more profitable AM launches. Controllers are working understaffed, and now sick so they don't get fired. If ALPA is about safety, this is the time to act. This is not about a work action, this is about upsetting an accident chain in the making.
EDIT: We would be the a-holes for those travelling over a few days, but the industry would be the heroes, the Robinhood, of ending this technique that only hurts people already struggling to get by.
EDIT: We would be the a-holes for those travelling over a few days, but the industry would be the heroes, the Robinhood, of ending this technique that only hurts people already struggling to get by.
It's sad that FAs will do it, but pilots will not.
11-04-2025 | 07:15 AM
#56
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Joined: Sep 2023
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From: Former Hooterville
We all are very familiar with the mechanisms used to nudge Congress towards ending the last shutdown. The media, corporate America and politicians have effectively blacked out that mechanism because it is inherently very effective and has the ability to completely render them powerless, just envision them having to drive home like a everyday people.
Duffy has threatened to fire any controller calling out sick during the shutdown. Furthermore, the Taft-Harley Act prohibits strikes amongst private-sector employees if it could cause a national emergency... So restrictions on strikes are not limited to just public servants as Reagan demonstrated, but everyday civilians as well. Not exactly what the framers of the Constitution had in mind.
Duffy has threatened to fire any controller calling out sick during the shutdown. Furthermore, the Taft-Harley Act prohibits strikes amongst private-sector employees if it could cause a national emergency... So restrictions on strikes are not limited to just public servants as Reagan demonstrated, but everyday civilians as well. Not exactly what the framers of the Constitution had in mind.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/he...1458e4a6&ei=10
11-04-2025 | 11:50 AM
#57
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From: Boeing Necromancer
11-05-2025 | 08:01 AM
#58
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11-05-2025 | 08:25 AM
#59
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Joined: Jul 2023
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