Air Traffic Controllers Should Not Be 'Political Pawn' in Government Shutdown, Union Chief Says

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00:00Today, it benchmarks the first time in history that air traffic controllers and other aviation

00:06safety professionals we represent have now received two zero-dollar paychecks, 41 days

00:14without pay. Controllers continue to show up and step up. Despite working full-time during the

00:22shutdown, and in many cases, mandatory overtime, controllers continue to show up and step up for

00:27the American flying public and for each other. On behalf of myself and your NACA leadership,

00:35we see you. We thank you for your tireless commitment to safety of our national airspace

00:41system and the flying public. Your sacrifice and perseverance in the face of financial and

00:48emotional hardship are extraordinary. Now, air traffic control is one of the most mentally

00:54demanding and high-consequence professions in the entire world. Every moment that we are at work,

01:01it requires everything we have. Focus, judgment, decisiveness, perfect decision-making, thousands

01:12of times a shift. And what hangs in the balance is our responsibility to safety in order to prevent

01:21tragedy. Air traffic controllers must show up day in and day out, fully prepared to handle the stress,

01:30pressure, and the weight of their responsibilities to the American flying public and their safety.

01:37So I'll take anything that recognizes these hard-working men and women, but we'll work with

01:41the administration on any issues that are out there. Air traffic controllers have continued to show up

01:44during this shutdown. They've endured the longest shutdown in American history. And every single day,

01:50they absolutely not only deserve their pay, they deserve to be recognized for what's going on. So

01:57we'll work with the administration through it. We'll work through the issues that are going on.

02:01And we want, just like the rest of the American people want, this shutdown to end the frustrations

02:07that are out there are real. And we share them because we're frustrated with the process as well.

02:13Again, air traffic controllers should not be the political pawn during a government shutdown.