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Air Traffic Controllers Protest FAA Plan to Cut Pay Scales

Posted on: Tuesday, 16 May 2006, 15:06 CDT

By Rodney Foo, San Jose Mercury News, Calif.

May 16--Air traffic controllers passed out leaflets Monday at the Bay Area's three major airports, hoping to whip up support to stop the Federal Aviation Administration from imposing pay cuts next month.

The FAA and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, which represents more than 14,000 workers, have been at an impasse over a new contract since last month. Unless Congress intervenes and mandates that the FAA enter binding arbitration, the agency can unilaterally institute new pay schedules under its final contract proposal.

Local union members say the FAA's proposal will cut cost-of-living adjustments necessary for air traffic controllers to cope with the Bay Area's higher cost of living and also eliminate higher pay rates for controllers in some supervisorial roles. The FAA's pay proposals would drastically cut pay for new hires at a time when there is a shortage of qualified air traffic controllers, the union said.

The union also contends 25 percent of its members could be compelled to retire based solely on eligibility requirements.

"Basically by doing this, it's going to deteriorate safety by making people leave. . . . It will be less safe and less people watching the skies," said Elise Streed, a 10-year veteran who works at the Mineta San Jose International Airport tower.

Streed and Rich Burton, an air traffic controller for 20 years, handed out small leaflets at the entrance of the Terminal C baggage claim area.

However, the FAA said existing air traffic controllers won't see any cuts in base pay and their compensation. The agency maintains that salaries and benefits have risen 75 percent since 1998.

The final offer would save more than $1.8 billion and be used to upgrade the air traffic control systems and hire more controllers to improve safety and reduce delays for passengers, the FAA said.

The distribution of leaflets at San Jose, San Francisco and Oakland international airports is part of a national campaign by the union that began last week at various airports.

Contact Rodney Foo at rfoo@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-5258.

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Copyright (c) 2006, San Jose Mercury News, Calif.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: San Jose Mercury News

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