Jacksonville Controller Resigns after One Year

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By NATCA
Posted: 10-17-2008


Jacksonville controller Keith Schlegel says when he arrived at the air traffic control facility a year ago, "the contract dispute between the controllers and FAA management was well underway" and "the working environment was suffering as a result. Controller shortages, an abundance of trainees, decreased pay, and low morale had begun setting in. At the time of this letter (see link below), it has not gotten better, but has in fact gotten worse."

Schlegel's resignation was effective earlier this month. He is one of the latest new employees to leave the FAA over poor working conditions and the FAA's terrible treatment of controllers as a result of the imposed work rules and pay cuts of September 2006.

Writes Schlegel in his resignation letter, "As more senior controllers retire, and the number of trainees increases without any easement between controllers and management, I fear the working environment in the control towers, TRACONs, and ARTCCs that serve our nation's airports will continue to worsen."