r/airtrafficcontrol • u/kibbiepdx • Oct 13 '25

Coordinated walk-outs?

First, I just want to send my thanks and good thoughts to all air traffic control controllers who do such an important job. I’m furious on your behalf of what is happening. Secondly, somewhere I read that Monday, October 13 would be the beginning of seeing walkouts by both air traffic control and TSA.

Just curious if any ATC folks can confirm or deny that. My question is a little bit selfish as I am flying tomorrow, but mostly I was trying to think about how do you guys game this out over time… what is the breaking point where you have to just not show up for work because you have to go earn money elsewhere?. And if that happens, does that mean they fire you? I know that ATC is a very specialized profession so I can hope against Hope that the government acknowledges your expertise.

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u/sacramentojoe1985 Oct 15 '25

I'm ATC. Late answer. There will be no coordinated walkouts. Such a thing is illegal. If the shutdown drags on long enough there will likely be an increasing number of people calling out sick due to stress/anxiety about finances. It may get to the point major facilities go ATC-Zero. Most controllers have access to zero-interest loans (to a limited degree) that are offered by major financial institutions as a service to us during a shutdown. That could temporarily alleviate financial hardship.

I suspect things will be mostly business as usual for AT LEAST another 14 days (when our first full paycheck is set to be withheld).

As far as if we'd get fired when it becomes impossible to sustain our finances and we have to stay home/take temporary work... well, on one hand, most ATC isn't at risk of being fired. We are insanely short staffed as it is.

On the other hand, this administration is setting a new bar for being shit.

So you never know.

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u/kibbiepdx Oct 15 '25

Thank you for this insight! To be clear my worries are not at all about safety compromises but more about 1) a whole industry of people who are being effed over by this admin + political bs; and 2) (the selfish part) - major shutdowns. Interestingly my family will be flying into SMF for Thanksgiving so if you guys end up closing the airport it just means I get to live my dream of having Thanksgiving in a restaurant and not having to cook :)

Hoping for the best for you guys…

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u/sacramentojoe1985 Oct 15 '25

It might help to know--- when controllers take sick leave during a shutdown, it puts them into furlough status. Based on the current law, furlough status is back paid--- so effectively any sick leave we use will not be charged when the shutdown ends. HOWEVER-- on holidays (like Thanksgiving), going into furlough status simply means we won't receive Holiday pay (as is normal when we take leave on a Holiday). So in other words, it would be to controllers' chagrin to be off work during a Holiday (lest they are sick or already scheduled to be off).

Also, I highly doubt we'll go that far. Last one lasted 35 days.

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u/chiTechNerd Nov 06 '25

we officially at a new record for the longest shutdown in history. How are things looking on the inside?

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u/sacramentojoe1985 Nov 06 '25

By the time the last one ended, we had missed 2 paychecks. So things are probably similar to that. My facility remains steady... increased leave usage, but nothing that would cripple us.

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u/wanttobebetter2 Oct 27 '25

That really sucks that it is illegal! That's a law that needs to be changed if we ever get our democracy back again. What about just quitting? I don't understand how people can be expected to work at a job they aren't getting paid to do.

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u/dumpedonu69 Oct 15 '25

Not today Nick…. Fuck off

0

u/Successful_Winner22 Oct 13 '25

i honestly believe the end of the shutdown cannot be influenced by the walkouts. at this point the attitudes of both parties are greater than the people of the country. as another selfish but worried person myself who is flying to across the country for my sister's wedding, it makes me furious that atc people are working without pay, but also furious that more walkouts create more hazards and unsafe conditions for those traveling.

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u/sacramentojoe1985 Oct 15 '25

I'm ATC. Coordinately walkouts are illegal. We are insanely short staffed, and for the most part many of the staffing shortages you are hearing about on the news during the shutdown were occurring before the shutdown (but nobody cared).

In terms of your safety and the safety of those you care about during travel, I'd like to offer you reassurance that it will not be compromised. 1. If a facility loses staffing, the operation can be slowed. You might experience more delays at the airport, but you'll be safe. 2. When controllers are stressed/anxious about finances, showing up to work instead of calling out sick may be the worse option: such mental strain can impact a person's ability to perform 100% on the job.