1 of 3 | As the federal government shutdown enters its second week, the Transportation Department is tracking an increase in air traffic controllers calling out sick, posing a potential danger for domestic air travel. Photo by David Goldman/EPA
The U.S. air traffic controllers union on Monday told its members to keep working during the government shutdown, as Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that air services may be affected the longer the shutdown lasts.
Duffy told reporters on Monday that the Transportation Department has seen an increase in people calling out sick, which could make worse service issues he said will be caused by federal funds running out during the shutdown, according to the New York Times.
“If we think there’s issues in the airspace, we will shut it down,” Duffy said. “We will close it down, we will delay.”
Duffy noted that air traffic controllers do not get paid during a federal government shutdown but still are required to work because of the essential nature of their job, and wait for back pay when the government is funded, CBS News reported.
“They have bills,” he told reporters. “So now they’re thinking about that at the same time that they’re controlling the airspace … I don’t like that.”
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association warned in a statement to its 20,000 members that it “does not endorse, support or condone” organized activity that affects air service capacity.
“Participation in a job action could result in removal from federal service,” the union said in the statement, which was published on its website.
“At this critical juncture, it is more important than ever that we rise to the occasion and continue delivering the consistent, high-level of public service we provide every day,” the union said. “We must also recognize that in the current political climate, federal employees are under heightened scrutiny. We cannot stress enough that it is essential to avoid any actions that could reflect poorly on you, our Union or our professions.”
According to the TSA, 10 percent of TSA workers called in sick during the 34-day shutdown from December 2018 to January 2019.
With the nation already short by roughly 3,000 air traffic controllers and many towers nationwide reportedly regularly understaffed — with some controllers working upwards of 60 hours per week — Duffy said he is concerned about the shutdown causing a critical situation.
The shutdown is now entering its second week, after the Senate failed to pass either of the two stopgap funding bills it voted on Monday evening that would reopen the government for four to six weeks.
