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Air traffic controller union warns sickouts are illegal

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Controllers and TSA agents missed work in 2019 shutdown,

delaying flights

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Trump has targeted Democratic states for shutdown actions

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By Doyinsola Oladipo and David Shepardson

NEWARK/WASHINGTON, Oct 6 (Reuters) - The union

representing more than 13,000 U.S. air traffic controllers on

Monday urged workers to remain on the job during the ongoing

partial government shutdown that requires them to work without

pay.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and the president

of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association are holding

a press conference on Monday at Newark Liberty International

Airport to discuss the impacts of the shutdown. The airport near

New York City is a major United Airlines hub.

President Donald Trump has made transportation a focal point

in a government shutdown battle with the Democrats, cutting off

more than $28 billion of aid for climate programs, subways,

tunnels and mass transit in Democratic-leaning states like New

York and Illinois.

Last week Vice President JD Vance pulled air travelers

into the shutdown debate when he said they "may not arrive on

time because the TSA and the air traffic controllers are not

getting paid today," on Fox News. No flights are believed to

have been delayed because of the shutdown.

In 2019, during a 35-day shutdown, the number of

absences by controllers and Transportation Security

Administration officers rose as workers missed paychecks,

extending checkpoint wait times at some airports. Authorities

were forced to slow air traffic in New York, which put pressure

on lawmakers to quickly end the standoff.

The union on Monday told workers "participating in a job

action could result in removal from federal service" and that it

is illegal.

"It is more important than ever that we rise to the occasion

and continue delivering the consistent, high-level of public

service we provide every day," the union told members. "We

cannot stress enough that it is essential to avoid any actions

that could reflect poorly on you, our union, or our

professions."

About 50,000 TSA employees who staff airport security

checkpoints are also required to keep working, but are not

getting paid.

NATCA in 2019 said many controllers had reached "the

breaking point." Then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat,

said at the time the shutdown was "pushing our airspace to the

breaking point."

Airline trade group Airlines for America, which represents

United, Delta Air Lines ( DAL ), American Airlines ( AAL ) and

Southwest Airlines ( LUV ), warned that during a funding lapse

"the system may need to slow down, reducing efficiency" and

impacting travelers.

A persistent shortage of controllers has delayed flights and

many are working mandatory overtime and six-day weeks. The FAA

is about 3,500 air traffic controllers short of targeted

staffing levels.