FAA To Outsource 2400 Air Traffic Controller Positions

[True_Blue]

WHEATON, Md., Feb. 1 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The Federal Aviation Administration (news - web sites) (FAA (news - web sites)) announced today the decision to contract out a portion of the Nation's Air Traffic Control System in what is considered to be the largest, most complex outsourcing effort of public functions in U.S. Government history.

Lockheed Martin was awarded a 5 year deal that, with options, is valued at $1.9 billion dollars. Information released with the announcement indicated a dramatic consolidation plan, closing 38 Automated Flight Service Stations (AFSS) across the U.S.

The National Association of Air Traffic Specialists strongly condemns the Federal Aviation's decision to involuntarily separate 2000 controllers. NAATS feels the outcome was largely a result of age discrimination and a conscious decision to deny a large portion of the workforce the retirement they have earned. "Many of our controllers are 3 to 4 years short on retirement, and stand to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars from their pensions," stated Kate Breen, NAATS President. "It was bad enough the Bush administration allowed the theft of pensions of Enron employees, but now as a direct result of his management agenda, Bush is sanctioning government employees losing a large portion of their pensions."

more....
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=669&ncid=669&e=3&u=/usnw/20050202/pl_usnw/faa_to_outsource_2400_air_traffic_controller_positions164_xml

[aquart]

1. Oh, I feel REAL safe.

[neverforget]

2. Welcome to Bush's ownership society: if you'renot rich, you're fucked.

[serryjw]

6. ?? WTF?

The RICH don't fly?

[libnnc]

11. It's all about busting up civil service unions

Repugs hate NATCA (National Air Traffic Controllers Association) and other related industry unions. They demonized the controllers during the PATCO strike in '81 and have since painted all unionized civil servants as greedy and lazy.

Remember, private facilities will be NON-UNION facilities. What did the PATCO strikers want? It wasn't about money it was about SAFETY and safe work environments. Who wants a controller watching a radar scope with out a break? Or less than 8 hours between working shifts?

Anyway, this is a big deal and it's been in the works ever since Reagan. Busting NATCA is the GOP's biggest wet dream. Safety be damned.

[serryjw]

12. I have no problem with what you say

When RR busted the union I had a friend in NY checked out and left the human race.

MY WTF?? was about the prior statement

Welcome to Bush's ownership society: if you'renot rich, you're fucked.

This is an issue that the rethugs will care about....They fly for business more than we do for pleasure. Privatizing ATCers will scare the sh*t out of them

[libnnc]

13. Oh, we're on the same page totally

I'm just thinking that maybe they (rich repugs) don't realize (or are too stupid to care) what's really at stake. They're so far removed from reality they don't give a rip anymore.

And you know what's more amazing is--would you believe there are NATCA members who actually voted for Shrub? At my partner's old facility there were a few fundie Rush-types who voted for Bush. They've heard the talk they know their jobs will suffer but they voted for him anyway (on moral issues :eyes:) Un-freaking-believable.

I'm so glad she got the hell outta that place and transferred into the 21st century.

[serryjw]

19. No surprise...

When I was out there spreading the word before the election I was in Front Of our supermarket where the firemen/trucks park to shop for food for the station.I had this conversation with many whom were planning on voting for * after they have been fighting here for several years the elimination of overtime pay? WTF? I don't get it.

[aikido15]

26. You are correct.

:grr: Bust up everything this country was built upon, especially the backs of the working class!

[Liberty Belle]

14. The truly rich fly in private LEAR jets.

The rest of us are screwed. So, how long til Al Qaeda sleepers get jobs as air traffic controlleres?

[serryjw]

17. The TRULY RICH

represent a small amount of people whom supported Bushit....lets go after the working yuppies...they will really be pissed and so will their spouses.

[lwin]

24. True...

But the great equalizer is that everyone has to share the same airspace. Gravity is notoriously merciless across the board, if you're worried about mid-air accidents.

If you want to know where the real danger lies, I have two words for you: runway incursion.

[DemBones DemBones]

3. I'm not a bit surprised. Until working people wake up and

start unionizing again, this country will continue to go down the tubes for all but the very rich. Workers have power but must realize it and exercise it -- and not be so stupid as to think unions are "beneath" them.

[lovuian]

4. Bush is stealing from everyone@@@

Old Young Private Civil teachers army everyone

No one is safe!!!

[libnnc]

5. This is just the beginning

of a long hard road. My partner is an Air Traffic Controller and has just finished a transfer to Charlotte. She'll probably be safe there as Charlotte is in the top 35 facilities in the country.

The contollers at smaller facilities are going to get royally screwed. Bush and the repugs HATE ATCers and related staff and privitization is already in the works. Little Winston-Salem tower here in town went private a couple of years ago.


I despise this administration and everything it stands for. :nuke:

[serryjw]

8. Would you please list the 35 SAFE facilities....

I'd like to know what city connections to eliminate.

[kuozzman]

7. This is insanity!

It's really becoming sad how often I say that.

:shrug: :wtf:

[fooj]

9. WTF? Speaking of Enron...Why isn't Ken Lay in jail?

Bet Shrub won't be adding that into his little "Speech" tomorrow! Outsourcing Security! Unbelievable!

[Robert Oak]

10. Grover Norquist ----- know thy enemy, he is them

He has a paper on the 2nd term...

one of the major "goals" is to outsource the government.

I'm not kidding.

http://www.pbs.org/now/politics/030404SecondTermDiet.pdf

Once outsourcing becomes standard operating procedure for the federal government...

How could 59M people be so dumb?

(If anyone doesn't know Norquist holds a weekly meeting and literally
Republicans, including Bush, have sworn an oath of allegiance to
this psycho's agenda)

[Liberty Belle]

15. Can they start by outsourcing Bush, please?

[AP]

16. I'd rather see the Democrats raise hell over this than raise hell re Rice

and Gonzalez.

No matter who Bush appoints they'll suck ass.

But this outsourcing -- this is what it's all about. Protect those pensions please, and let's not privatize this business unless it makes sense (and I suspect it doesn't make sense).

[bookman]

18. With modern equipment...

..satellites, etc. a controller in India can watch the screen in New York and get patched through to the planes. Don'tcha just love it!

[Rainscents]

20. This is insane!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[burrowowl]

21. Not really

My father was in ATC for 36 years, my sister was a Secretary of her local PACTO. The strike Raygun quashed was ABOUT SAFETY! Things have not gotten better since then and add underfunded FAA inspectors for maintenanace, cheap Chinese parts not up to spec, (the perfect storm si a brewing) .... The system is going down like our highway infrastructure (60% of bridges o the Intersate, soon will not be practicable or WILL FAIL! soon, 10 years or less), electrical transmission lines (Desert Palms wind power during the Enron energy thingie crisis, power generation and no where to go), etc., etc., ......
Raygun, Bu$h I, Clinton (yes Clinton, best republican prez ever), Bu$h II .... as other threads indicate, the U$ is far down the road to becoming a banana republic and Bill M$ Gates bets against the $, money has no loyality except to money.

[Hekate]

22. This will finish what Reagan started when he busted their union

Air traffic controllers threatened to strike for better hours, among other things -- because, you know, an extremely tired air traffic controller can make mistakes. It is one of the most stressful jobs there is. They wanted more controllers, fewer hours, among other things.

President Reagan fired them all. Yes, indeed, he did. Fired their asses and hired all new air traffic controllers who were more compliant.

Now that crop is getting ready to retire all at once, because they were hired all at once.

And this is the thanks they get. Screwed just like the rest of us.

Hekate

[Hekate]

23. Plus, it just flat-out makes no sense from a Homeland Security standpoint

God help us.

Hekate

[barb162]

25. this is an extremely bad move. People controlling the air

traffic should be government employees, not answering to a private corporation. This is just the start of getting rid of well-paid people with good benefits in the federal government. I was wondering when this was going to happen. Next step is Lockheed will ship the jobs to India for 3 bucks an hour.

[aikido15]

27. Union busting....

I feel a revolution is in order. :mad:

[barb162]

28. it has been in order for years now. Car and steel

maufacturing should not have left this country 20 years ago. Light manufacturing should not have left. There's virtually nothing left but government, retail, health care,some white collar jobs and here is how they will get rid of them. State and local government workers better learn from this...they are next.

[Daphne08]

29. This is unbelievable to me!

I'm utterly speechless.

[ramadoss]

30. This will absorb my contract eventually

I work on an FAA contract right now and we bid on this new contract. From how I see it this is a good thing. The controller situation in this country was in bad shape and the FAA let just say doesn't operate smoothly. Privatising these controllers will improve the FAA's flight operations. I believe Canada did this at some point and it vastly improved their flight services and operations, less mistakes and less cost. Lets just hope Lockheed's plans for this contract were the same as ours. It would be very easy to get it wrong.

[Corgigal]

34. improve faa flight operations?

well lets see what others say:


The United States has the safest, most efficient air traffic control system in the world. Air traffic controllers guide more than 1 million passengers home safely every day. Just consider the dismal record of air traffic control privatization in other countries.

Britain's air traffic control system has been in a state of crisis since privatization. Near misses have increased by 50% and delays due to air traffic control are growing enormously. Privatization has been a financial disaster, losing money in each of the last two years and requiring a bailoutin March of more than $200 million from the government and the airline industry.

Canada's privatized system, Nav Canada, suffers from inefficiencies,
inadequate staffing and financial losses. Just last month, the fees that airlines, and ultimately passengers, are required to pay for air traffic control went up 7% to cover bad debt of $22 million. Should that be the model for the American air traffic control system?

The tower at Van Nuys Airport is staffed by highly trained professionals employed by the Federal Aviation Administration. Their priority =8B first,last and always =8B is safety. There's no private contractor trying to pinch pennies. These controllers are answerable to the public, not to investors and not to accountants. That could change if the bill crafted by a few members of Congress is passed in September when it's scheduled for a vote.

http://lists.iww.org/pipermail/iww-news/2003-August/003143.html

[cthrumatrix]

35. you are letting facts get in the way again

[bemildred]

31. Another reason not to fly. nt

[Mika]

32. It'll be much easier to "Wellstone" "undesirables" now.

:mad:
:argh:

[cthrumatrix]

33. it's just a mafia bus. decision under his control.... that's why