 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
||||||
Patrick Forrey Testimony on Issues of Concern to the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area
By NATCA
Posted: 10-16-2008
Air Traffic Controller Staffing and the Effect of the Imposed Work Rules
On September 3, 2006, the FAA unilaterally imposed a set of work rules on its air traffic controller workforce. These rules instituted unpopular changes to the annual leave policy, removed career advancement opportunities, established new pay bands that decreased controller wages significantly, and eliminated rest periods, among other provisions which left many controllers dissatisfied with their work environment. Recent NATCA research has shown that as a result of these imposed work rules the total number of CPCs has fallen to a 15 year low, attrition from the ATC workforce has reached record levels and exceeded all expectations ? the attrition rate in FY 2008 has been 6.8 per day ? and facilities throughout the country are severely understaffed.
The FAA has repeatedly claimed that the increase in controller attrition is due entirely to the increase in retirement eligibility as those hired following the PATCO strike reach eligibility age. NATCA research shatters those claims. Ninety-eight percent of Air Traffic Controllers who left the workforce in FY2007 did so with time still left on the table. Resignations ? of which there were only 64[5] in the last year of the signed contract ? more than more than tripled to 202 in FY2007. Similarly the percent of those eligible to retire who chose to do so has increased from 21 to 30 percent since the imposition of the work rules.
Practically, this means that there are fewer eyes watching the skies and runways throughout the country, and those that remain are suffering from fatigue. At Philadelphia Tower/TRACON, there are currently only 67 CPCs, two of whom are scheduled for transfer within the next several months. This is less than 65 percent of the 109 jointly authorized by the FAA and NATCA in 1998. Smaller facilities in Pennsylvania are similarly strained. Wilkes-Barre airport has 14 CPCs rather than the authorized 25, while Harrisburg is down to a staggering 13 full performance level controllers 43 percent of what had been authorized.
Left with understaffed facilities, management is faced with two choices for handling the ever-increasing volume of air traffic: call in overtime or work short-staffed. Both of these options ? which are often used in tandem ? create fatigue among air traffic controllers. Regular use of overtime limits a controller?s ability to recover from work-related stress and fatigue, while short-staffing increases workload and limits opportunities for rest and recovery during the shift. On short-staffed shifts managers are forced to reduce the number of Radar Assistants (RAs), giving one controller the responsibility of not only for communication with aircraft but also coordination with other controller positions and facilities and updating flight progress information. Additionally, managers may be forced to combine positions, creating greater complexity by requiring each controller to monitor greater numbers of confliction points and an increased volume of aircraft. According to the FAA?s own research, ?evidence was found that increased sector complexity may be associated with reduced situational awareness and may lead to a larger number of, and more severe, errors.?[6] Fatigued Air Traffic Controllers are more likely to make errors, less likely to identify pilot error, and are more likely to increase the safety buffer, which would result in delays.
PHL currently has 15 CPCs who are eligible to retire. If they left, this would further exacerbate the staffing shortage and the threat of fatigue-related errors and delays. Rather than encourage the continued outflow of experienced controllers by continuing to enforce the imposed work rules, the FAA must return to the bargaining table to bargain fairly with NATCA. Congress can do its part by quickly passing the FAA re-authorization bill, which contains provisions that would force the FAA to resume bargaining with NATCA and would send any unresolved disputes into binding arbitration. While this would not reverse the damage that has already been done, it would significantly slow the rate of attrition and give the system more time to recover.
| Next: Patrick Forrey Testimony on Issues of Concern to the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area Page Seven |
Patrick Forrey Testimony on Issues of Concern to the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area
