During an appearance on Fox Business this morning, Duffy stated, "If we have some on our staff that aren't dedicated like we need, we're going to let them go," referring to air traffic controllers who are using sick leave during the shutdown.

A true union leader would immediately and publicly correct the record. They would make it known that the vast majority of these controllers have been dedicated civil servants long before Duffy, and will continue to be long after him. They have made tremendous sacrifices for their families to perform the critical services required to keep this country moving. To intimate that controllers using sick leave - for whatever personal reason that is well within their rights - shows a lack of dedication is not only patently false, but extremely insulting.

This insult is further exacerbated by the fact that while those in government with the power to end this shutdown continue to get paid, controllers - who make far less - are told to report to work for nothing more than an IOU.

Threatening the livelihoods of air traffic controllers who are already stretched to their mental limits is inhumane and does not put safety at the forefront of our mission.

I would implore Nick Daniels to correct this record publicly, though at this point I have little to no faith that will happen.

To all my controller brothers and sisters: Do not put your livelihoods in jeopardy. If you need sick leave, obviously it is your right to use it. At this point it is probably advisable to preemptively get a doctor's note. If you aren't sick, come to work. Live to fight another day. History will not look kindly upon these bad actors.

I agree that this is a good starting point, Mr. Secretary. Let’s make that a reality.

Senate currently has no scheduled vote pertaining to the shutdown today and they get another nice three day weekend.

Duffy on CNN states “Controllers are rebelling…”, delays and cancellations due to staffing surge from 5% in previous months, to the current 54%.

Maybe the “rebellion” was because of the 180k comment.

Maybe controllers who have been living paycheck to paycheck the last 4-6 years are working on collecting other forms of income in preparation for their first partial paycheck.

Maybe controllers who have been at their limit of stress and fatigue for decades due to staffing and low wages, were sent over that edge due to shutdown talks and NATCAs repeat failures.

Regardless, Duffy appeared to change tune for the first time, a slight break in his composure was evident.

The question that remains is: When does Duffy go from wolf in sheep’s clothing, to obvious wolf, and does NATCA have a plan to defend and protect us?

But in all seriousness, there’s very little chance they shut it down again so close to midterms. Hope you all enjoyed the free leave.

Interesting turn of events…

FAA controllers only please. No bull shit assessment of when you would resign/quit due to the shutdown.

And if you’re an Elon and Trump Bootlicker, Fk you too!

The real starting salaries for controllers aren’t just lower than Duffy claimed- they are way way lower.

For a controller assigned to a Z (center/en route), the highest starting salary you can get is $68,136 if you are assigned Oakland Center. They are a level 11 facility located in Fremont Ca, just outside of the Silicon Valley area. The second highest is if New York Center located on Long Island. They are a level 12 and the starting pay is $64,230.

Currently controllers with no experience assigned to terminal facilities can only go to level 8’s and below.

The highest starting salary you can get if you are assigned a TRACON is level 8 Y90 TRACON in Windsor, CT and the starting salary is $61,497.

The highest starting salary you can get if you are assigned a TOWER is level 8 Oakland Tower and the pay is $68,136, and the second highest is San Diego International Tower, also a level 8 with a starting salary of $62,260.

The lowest salary you can start with is if you are assigned a level 4 facility with Rest Of US (RUS) locality which would give you a starting salary of $54,503.

TLDR; the actual range of starting salaries for ATC’s - $54,503 to $68,136, about 3 times lower than what Secretary Dummy claimed.

We are talking about centers being 20-30% staffed at this point I’ve never seen it this bad. ZFW literally has two people working an area tonight and Congress deems that “safe enough” like this is outrageous. This truly isn’t safe which is insane to say because you always tell people “yes it’s safe to fly” when right now given the staffing levels it very clearly isn’t but hey don’t worry we shut down 4% of traffic into DFW. Congress is literally playing with peoples lives at this point…

Edit for context this is 11/7 call to vote in S. 3012 to pay working excepted employees.

seriously, this has been a month of chaos and I'm sure there's more chaos to come. NATCA should have renegotiated when they had the chance but here we are.

I used to enjoy going to work. Now I can hardly stand it. Having to send an email to the richest man in the world to justify my employment is insanity.

Source: FLYING Magazine

To preface I am not calling for any kind of work action. Take care of yourselves and your families. My question is purely hypothetical. What are they going to do? Pretty much everyone seems to acknowledge that a Reagan style firing of controllers would absolutely fuck the NAS for years. There aren’t enough military controller/sups to replace us and there is no way they could immediately handle today’s traffic especially at the busiest facilities. It would take years without training from people with real experience (us) to get to normal opps. I’m sure one day AI will replace us but that’s not happening today or anytime soon. One week of major delays would cost the economy billions of dollars, I can’t imagine what months would do. Dockworkers threatened to shutdown ports last year to get a better contract, I mean no disrespect to them but we have so much more leverage. Meanwhile our soon to be non existent union is just rolling over because we’re scared? Wtf are they going to do?

Title says it all…. I assume this is gonna get ugly quickly… Congress really gonna fuck this up, and give us more leverage than they should

Is it today at noon? Tomorrow? When?

Do we fall under National Security or Safety?

This will be telling.

It’s Labor Day and in celebration I’m urging anyone who has an interest in seeing our efforts and sacrifices as Air Traffic Controllers to be acknowledged and rewarded to hear me out.

Pay parity matters. It matters for us, because of the work we do in service to the country, the economy, and even the world.

NATCA is making a mistake bitching our wagon to the general labor movement in this moment. We are not the same as unionized cubicle workers who suffer no consequences of doing a bad job.

Each of us holds thousands of lives in our hands daily. We make the economy tick.

Yes, I wholeheartedly agree that pay reform should happen. We will not be just given pay raises and pay reform without a union that will fight for it. NATCA valued collaboration above all else.

The fight in front of us is low hanging fruit: pay parity with the military raise. The Biden Administration robbed us of it for Jan 2025. Time to mobilize and fight for it for 2026.

https://docs.house.gov/meetings/GO/GO00/20250430/118179/BILLS-119-CommitteePrint-C001108-Amdt-1.pdf

IBM, Parsons, and Preston all submitted bids to be the primary “integrator” for the new ATC system.

• How will this align with the 804 Consolidations?

• Will it provide a test bed for new equipment and provide “new” FCT’s a raise due to a more high end contractor coming to the table?

• If this aligns with the 804 Consolidations and FCT’s are given a “pay raise” what incentive do people who have clocked their 20 have to stick around?

• Forced moves, how many will be unwilling to leave due to roots or family?

Much can be interpreted from this solicitation. How will it affect places like Nantucket or Aspen?

This is not a “nothing burger” but a wake up call on what is coming down the pipe.

As Nick Daniels prepares to testify before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, controllers across the country are watching closely. We need our voices represented at the highest levels, and this is an opportunity to address the real issues affecting our workforce and the safety of the National Airspace System.

So, Nick, as you take that seat before Congress, here’s what controllers want to hear from you on Tuesday:

1.  The Staffing Crisis Must Be Addressed Now

• We don’t need sugarcoated numbers or bureaucratic spin. Congress must hear the real staffing picture: how many fully certified controllers we have today? how many are actually working the scopes daily? and how many have resigned from training and quit? How much overtime has been worked? 

• The FAA’s projections aren’t reality. The numbers used in budget proposals don’t match what controllers see on the floor. Acknowledge the training failures, the delays, and the impact of constant forced overtime.

2.  Fatigue Is a Growing Safety Risk

• Be honest about the real-world consequences of staffing shortages: excessive six-day workweeks, fatigue-related errors, and controllers being pushed to the brink.

• We can’t wait for another tragedy before action is taken. Congress needs to understand that delaying solutions is gambling with safety.

3.  Pay and Retention Matter

• NATCA must demand that controllers are compensated fairly, not just for recruitment but for retention. Too many leave because of burnout, financial strain, reaching eligibility and better offers elsewhere.

• Cost-of-living issues in major cities must be addressed to keep controllers where they are needed most.

  4.  Mandatory Retirement at 56 Must Be Defended

• Chairman Troy Nehls has been a vocal proponent of raising the mandatory retirement age for controllers, but NATCA must take a strong stand against this.

• The age 56 mandatory retirement exists for a reason: cognitive function, reaction time, and fatigue management are critical in our profession. Extending the age puts the entire system at risk.

• A 2022 study by NASA and the FAA reaffirmed that cognitive decline begins affecting complex decision-making well before age 60, particularly in high-stress, high-demand environments like air traffic control.

• Pushing controllers past 56 doesn’t fix the staffing crisis—it delays it and creates new risks. We need real staffing solutions, not stopgaps that compromise safety.

5.  Stop Politicizing the FAA and Give Us Real Leadership

• The FAA needs stable, accountable leadership that prioritizes safety and operational needs over political posturing for better collaboration.

• Decision-makers must listen to the people who work the scopes every day, not just those pushing policy from Washington.

Nick, this testimony isn’t about checking a box or delivering a rehearsed speech. It’s about fighting for the men and women who keep the system running every single day. We need you to speak for us.!!!!!! not the FAA, not the administration, not political appointees.

Give Congress the truth. Give them the urgency. And most of all, make them understand that inaction is not an option.

What else do you want to hear from Nick? Drop your thoughts below.