Official Statement of NATCA President Nick Daniels on the Ongoing Government Shutdown

Official Statement of NATCA President Nick Daniels on the Ongoing Government Shutdown

The following is the official statement from NATCA President Nick Daniels:

"Tuesday, air traffic controllers and other aviation safety professionals we represent received zero dollars in their paycheck, just two weeks after they received a partial paycheck. This is not acceptable.

"For this nation's air traffic controllers, missing just one paycheck can be a significant hardship, as it is for all working Americans. Asking them to go without a full month's pay or more is simply not sustainable.

'During the shutdown, these professionals are required to oversee the movement of the nation's passengers and cargo while many are working ten-hour days and six-day workweeks due to the ongoing staffing shortage, all without pay. This situation creates substantial distractions for individuals who are already engaged in extremely stressful work. The financial and mental strain increases risks within the National Airspace System, making it less safe with each passing day of the shutdown.

"It is incredibly unfair to expect hard-working, patriotic American air traffic controllers and their families to bear the full burden of policy disagreements in Congress. We have consistently said that NATCA supports any measure that would end this shutdown and pay our members. It is time for Congress to take action to end this shutdown.

"Congress must pass a clean continuing resolution (CR) to immediately end the government shutdown, ensure that all individuals who have not been paid during this prolonged closure receive their compensation, and then engage in bipartisan negotiations on other pressing issues facing our nation."