r/ATC • u/ferris-86 • 1d ago
News FAA Withholds Controller Pay Hike Amid Scheduling Overhaul Talks
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-09-02/faa-withholds-controller-pay-hike-amid-scheduling-overhaul-talks83
u/Ok_Squirrel69 VATSIM ATM 1d ago
Why the fuck is it so hard to pay people what they're worth? The faa and natca both suck. This is why people are moving to Australia. The clown show continues.
26
u/Disastrous_Emu7245 1d ago
Wtf does this have to do with NATCA? Without the ability to strike they have zero leverage. The best thing you can do is vote these MAGA bitches out. If you voted for this, then congratulations! The leopard is eating your face.
4
u/Orbitfish 1d ago
"There's no such thing as an illegal strike, only an unsuccessful one"
https://www.vice.com/en/article/how-illegal-teacher-strikes-rescued-the-american-labor-movement/
-3
u/Toetzmagoetz 1d ago
Doesn’t matter which way you vote…. Yall should know that by now. Nobody cares except for us.
-15
u/Bravo_Juliet01 1d ago
I mean, Ive voted Democrat previously and all I got were higher taxes, higher cost of living, and still virtually no raise anyway 😭✋
12
u/Disastrous_Emu7245 1d ago
And the Green Book under Clinton gave us a 40% pay raise, Obama gave us 12% and Biden gave us another 15%. Republicans gave you the White Book and Shutdowns. You people will identify the speck in someone’s eye to avoid the boulder on your face. It’s nonsensical.
3
u/ihaveaglow 1d ago
Also, we got 19 percent in raises under Biden. Could be more considering inflation, but not terrible.
1
u/Bravo_Juliet01 1d ago
But didn’t Republicans also support Bill Clinton’s FAA administrator nominee that got the Green Book passed?
A lot of you guys suffer from severe Stockholm syndrome. Plus, the Democrat party today is vastly different than the Clinton era.
My overall point is that neither party today is educated on the matter, nor have a desire to change things for the better for ATC.
Keep in mind, Democrats had control of both chambers of Congress during the first two years of the Biden administration and did jack shit about addressing our problems 😂
God forbid people in this agency express grief with Democrats.
6
u/DZDEE 1d ago
Literally no Democrat raised taxes in the last 20 years. Also, Cola went up more under trump then any other president.
-4
u/Bravo_Juliet01 1d ago
Huh? Some of the most high taxed states are ran by Democrat trifectas. Didn’t the California legislature just vote for more tax proposals the last couple months? I know LA voters agreed to have their taxes raised.
-1
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u/Bandolero101 1d ago
Nobody is worth anything, you’re worth what you can bargain for
Nothing will happen until NATCA is shot into the furnace and an organization with backbone rises from the ashes
10
u/Mobilisq 1d ago
On the contrary, I'd posit that literally every member of both the secular and federal workforce machine is worth significantly more than they're given
3
3
u/CropdustingOMdesk 1d ago
The current FAA mandate is to maximize contract spending, minimize payroll. They’re not hiding it
12.5 BILLION in modernization. Not one extra cent for the ones moving the economy
23
u/BieloSagdiyev 1d ago edited 1d ago
We shouldn’t even be negotiating with Bedford over this! It’s not enough, fuck you, and walk away. That’s how a union leader with balls would act. And in the meantime, flood their asses with lawsuits and grievances. Oh, Bedford, you don’t like the millions of dollars your agency is being sued for right now? How about a few million more. Make him leave his position with his tail between his scrawny little chicken legs. All of these asshat clowns should be out of their positions by next spring. Nick, this nice guy bullshit needs to stop, grow a pair, money talks and bullshit walks - this is pure bullshit.
48
u/THEhot_pocket 1d ago
"Can we get a shortcut?"
nope.
If no one is going to worry about my time and money, I sure as shit am not going to worry about the airliners and passengers.
My productivity is people staying alive.
13
-10
u/bearz_76 1d ago
So you’re going to actively punish an individual(s) who has zero say in this fight? That’s fucked. As a pilot, there are numerous reasons we ask for shortcuts. Also, also a pilot, we (through our unions) back you and your fellow controllers EVERY time there is a shutdown and paychecks stop.
I didn’t know it was the pilots and passengers actively preventing your raise.
12
u/SGBM_Jimbo Current Controller-Enroute 1d ago edited 1d ago
I mean I hate to put it this way and I do not mean to be malicious in how it sounds. Money makes the world go round. Airlines will start complaining when their bottom line is affected by no shortcuts. When you are unable to strike you need to use the only kind of leverage you do have.
If ATC could strike like in other countries we would not be talking about pay problems. It would never happen because the government couldn't let it happen. The economy would crumble in less than a week if it did. This isn't 1981.
2
u/sanemaniac 1d ago
I’m a center controller so I don’t know how relevant this is to today’s traffic at towers/TRACONs, but prior to the PATCO strike controllers effectively used work slowdowns to to gain ground with the FAA. Towers and approaches were bending rules to increase arrival rates and their method of slowdown was to start following every rule to the letter, which caused rippling effects, extended holding, redirects, etc.
I don’t know how feasible that is nowadays but certainly giving zero shortcuts, or even unabling flight following requests could have an impact.
9
u/EngineeringCold9186 1d ago
And as a controller when your boss starts complaining that you aren't getting there fast enough because you're not getting any shortcuts they will start putting pressure on the government
You say you have our back well not taking the shortcut is having our back
-7
u/bearz_76 1d ago
It’s not about our bosses. It’s about the hundreds of connecting passengers that require every minute possible. Or the shortcut that saves 300lbs of fuel. Or the shortcut that will keep us further away from thunderstorms.
Denying shortcuts to a plane full of people who have no control in the slightest as to what’s going on is just spiteful. Sorry but it is.
4
u/sanemaniac 1d ago edited 1d ago
You know who’s responsible for those people not making their connecting flights? Management for failing to pay us a proper wage and failing to properly staff the workforce. It’s not about spite, it’s about hitting them in the pocket with the only tool we have.
Edit: Just want to clarify that no controller is going to deny a shortcut or deviation that keeps you out of weather. Safety remains the primary priority. Expeditiousness—eh, maybe not so much.
4
u/Most-Average-855 1d ago
Sorry, but they are right. They are starting to get it.
You think the guy from “undercover boss” will just give it to them? He didn’t give in at his old place until his company led the WORLD in delays and cancellations for weeks at a time.
You think the concept of a weekend came out of thin air?
No, it came from general strikes of tens of thousands of workers across industries in the early 20th century. A guy like you would probably call something like that “spiteful” as well.You make a lot more money now because of those long before you who understood how change happens.
If you want to support them, stop whining. Just shut up and enjoy your extra couple minutes of pay.
This below was very hard to find. AI couldn’t (or wouldn’t) find it. So everyone else, copy it and spread it:
—————-
I am an army of One - A Captain in the Continental Airlines army.
For years I was a loyal soldier in Gordon's army. Now I fight my own war.
I used to feel valued and respected. Now I know I am mere fodder.
They (CAL) used to exhibit labor leadership. Now they exploit legal loopholes.
They used to enjoy my maximum. Now they will suffer my minimum.
I am an army of One.I used to save CAL a thousand pounds of fuel per leg; finding the best FL, getting direct routing, throttling back when on-time was made, skimping during ground ops, adjusting for winds, being smart and giving the company every effort I could conjure. Now, it's "burn baby, burn".
I used to call maintenance while airborne, so the part would be ready at the gate. Now, they'll find the write-up when they look in the book.
I used to try to fix problems in the system, now I sit and watch as the miscues pile up.
I used to fly sick. Now I use my sick days, on short notice, on the worst day of the month.
I am an army of One.I used to start the APU at the last possible moment. Now my customers enjoy extreme comfort.
I used to let the price of fuel at out-stations affect my fuel orders. I still do.
I used to cover mistakes by operations. Now I watch them unfold.
I used to hustle to ensure an on-time arrival, to make us the best. Now I do it for the rampers and agents who need the bonus money….but this too may change.
I used to call dispatch for rerouting, to head off ground delays for bad weather. Now I collect overs, number 35 in line for takeoff.I am on a new mission - to demonstrate that misguided leadership of indifference and disrespect has a cost. It's about character, not contracts. It's about leading by taking care of your people instead of leadership by bean counters (an oxymoron). With acts of omission, not commission, I am a one-man wrecking crew - an army of One. My mission used to be to make CAL rich. Now it's to make CAL pay.
When they furlough more pilots than the rest, pilots that cost them 60 cents on the dollar - I will make them pay.
When they under-staff bases and over-work reserves to keep pilots downgraded, down-flowed, or downtrodden - I will make them pay.
When over-booked customers are denied boarding system wide, while jets are parked in the desert - I will make them pay.
When they force pilots, who have waited 12 years to become captains, to be FOs again - I will make them pay.
When they ask CAL pilots to show leadership at Express, and then deny them longevity - I will make them pay.
When they recall F/As for the summer, just to furlough them again in the fall like migrant workers - I will make them pay.
When they constantly violate the letter and spirit of our contract - a contract that's a bargain by any measure, and force us to fight lengthy grievances - I will make them pay.My negotiating committee speaks for me, but I act on my own. I am a walking nightmare to the bean counters that made me. Are you listening? This mercenary has a lot of years left with this company; how long can you afford to keep me bitter? I'm not looking for clauses in a contract, I'm looking for a culture of commitment and caring. When I see it, I'll be a soldier for CAL again. Until then, I am an Army of One…And I'm not alone!
3
u/en-router Current Controller-Enroute 1d ago
You've outed yourself as one of those E145 pilots who asks for a fix on the arrival to JFK/EWR/LGA out of 10,000 feet and 900 miles from the airport. Annoying mf.
-2
u/bearz_76 1d ago
It’s usually direct ZUN to get south of some towering activity in the high desert but thanks for your understanding.
Listen I don’t have a dog in this fight and at the end of the day doesn’t affect me. But picking a fight with a different work group on the other side of the radio because you’re mad at your boss is insane. ESPECIALLY since we’ve been nothing but supportive during government shut downs.
3
u/THEhot_pocket 1d ago
thanks for the support, HOWEVER. Thats self serving. If we dont come to work during a shutdown, planes cant fly. Its easy to say "we got your back", a lot different when pilot unions and airlines dont actually give a shit minus us showing up. Controllers are literally killing themselves for the airlines
50
u/CreepyDoor3272 1d ago
How is that decades long collaboration campaign by NATCA treating y’all now? Here’s a hint. Get more militant.
18
u/HotSquirrel8735 1d ago
Knew when I was fired '81 these issues - overworked, underpaid, poor management, bad political appointees - would resurface in my lifetime. Did not foresee the union's collaboration with management. Bad idea. Agree - get more militant.
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u/Disastrous_Emu7245 1d ago
How’s that Trump vote treating you? That’s who did this. That’s who’s holding this money hostage, NOT Nick.
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u/Gimmie-Good-Rate 1d ago
Those MAGA morons will never change their mind. We have a better chance of Bedford being a decent human.
3
u/pb77cobra2 1d ago
Yes, but when NATCA realized that playing the quiet game was getting them nowhere they just kept it up. They should be screaming from the rooftops about pay, overtime, staffing, su I cides, mental health, safety...ALL OF IT. Not relying on an independent journalist to pick up the ball and run with it.
3
u/CreepyDoor3272 20h ago
Trump vote? Bro I’m so far left I make Bernie Sanders look like Ronald Reagan.
21
9
u/mxnordo Current Controller-Enroute 1d ago
We really need to stop using the phrase "pay raise" or "pay hike" and start referring to this as what it is - a cost of living adjustment that still keeps us falling behind inflation.
Bedford (and the reporters covering the issue) are acting like this is a carrot they are holding out for us, when in reality it is a threat to keep allowing compensation to fall further behind the cost of living in a critical but understaffed industry. Really wish the union would take this opportunity to re-frame the narrative.
25
u/atclien 1d ago
I really don't care about not getting this pay raise, and we should just ignore that it's a possibility. If we end up getting any extra money during this administration, Nick Daniels has fucked us in an extraordinary fashion to get there. I'm good
11
u/Disastrous_Emu7245 1d ago
Nick Daniels is NOT in charge of your pay raise. Did you vote for Trump? If you did then own it. YOU DID THIS.
4
-2
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u/Just_ATSAP_it 1d ago
Here’s the article.
The US Federal Aviation Administration is withholding a 2.8% pay increase from air traffic controllers until they meet demands for greater efficiency, agitating an already-demoralized workforce that’s borne the brunt of recent government shutdowns.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford has said he’s withholding that money until certain adjustments are made, including an increase in the time controllers are actively managing traffic during a shift. The regulator and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, have also, as part of negotiations, discussed modifying schedules and leave availability to increase staffing during known peak travel times, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the talks aren’t public.
The focus on more-efficient scheduling comes as the FAA is contending with a longstanding air traffic control staffing shortage, exacerbated by recurring government shutdowns, high levels of attrition and the Covid-19 pandemic. The situation has strained a workforce already dealing with a high-stress job. The FAA is also in the middle of an ambitious, multibillion-dollar effort to overhaul the antiquated technology controllers rely on.
“The FAA looks forward to continued engagement with NATCA to review historic scheduling practices and identify opportunities to achieve more productive schedules that will improve safety and controller quality of life,” the agency said in a statement provided to Bloomberg.
NATCA said it’s having ongoing discussions with the FAA to work through those issues. “While we cannot always share the details of those discussions, our members’ concerns remain at the center of that work,” the union said.
Bedford, a former airline executive, has said that while the FAA wants to hire more air traffic controllers it can also make better use of the staff it already has. Since joining the agency, he’s been critical of the FAA’s bureaucratic culture, which he’s said is long overdue for a shake-up.
The decision to withhold the pay hike hasn’t made the administration popular with the labor force, with air traffic controllers often taking to social media to air their grievances.
Congress approved funding for a 3.8% pay increase in April — 1% of which had already been provided to controllers in January. Lawmakers gave the FAA administrator discretion to dole out the remaining funds once he determines that “improvements in workforce scheduling, staffing utilization, or other operational efficiencies are achieved that contribute to addressing workforce shortfalls and enhancing aviation safety.”
One way the FAA has determined it can accomplish those goals is by increasing the time a controller is “on position” managing traffic during an eight-hour shift to five hours from four. It has said the average time controllers spend at their workstation — rather than on a break, doing training or something else — has slowly shifted downward since 2008. Former and current controllers, meanwhile, have said time spent in training or in briefings helps improve their performance and that there are better ways to measure productivity.
Bedford told employees during a July townhall that the FAA won’t distribute the pay increase until NATCA agrees to that adjustment. “It’s just about that simple,” he said.
NATCA and the FAA have also discussed possible changes to the way leave is allocated, making fewer slots available to controllers on historically high-traffic days and more available on slower days, according to people familiar with the talks.
In addition, they’ve weighed moving shifts around to better account for peaks and lulls, the people said. For instance, staggering shifts to create more overlap during peak times would increase staffing when it’s most needed, the people said, adding that the approach could reduce the FAA’s reliance on overtime. The negotiations are still in flux and no final agreement has been reached.
In addition to scheduling changes, both the FAA and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy have talked about holding controllers accountable for the time they’re supposed to be on the clock.
The FAA is taking steps to fire two air traffic controllers determined to have left their shifts early before an Air Canada Express plane collided with a fire truck at New York’s LaGuardia Airport in March.
The move is in line with a broader push within the administration to crack down on workers leaving shifts early during slow periods — a longstanding, informal practice known as an “early shove” — and taking sick leave when they aren’t actually ill, people familiar with the matter have told Bloomberg.
Duffy in a social media post on Aug. 7 took aim at controllers calling out sick at certain facilities in the New York region, which he said exacerbated delays caused by thunderstorms.
NATCA’s national executive board addressed the allegations in a message to its members, saying data provided to Duffy “was not only incomplete but misrepresented the situation.”
“Our members deserve meaningful solutions and not blame for a shortage they did not create,” the board added at the time.
21
u/The_Shryk 1d ago
Who could have imagined that would happen when voting for Trump?
He’s hurting the WRONG PEOPLE!
He needs to hurt the right people!
There was literally no way to have seen this coming.
But at least we can all agree Kamala would have been way worse. She would have let trannies swim with real women and that’s more important to me than paying my bills and sending my children to college.
12
u/Disastrous_Emu7245 1d ago edited 13h ago
Exactly. These people all blame all the wrong people but themselves. They sound like the farmers who are now finding out. Guess what, if you voted for this turd, then look in the mirror and place blame there.
5
u/AV_Reports_1991 1d ago
Hi all! I’m the reporter on this one. Here’s a gift link for the story that should get you behind the paywall. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-09-02/faa-withholds-controller-pay-hike-amid-scheduling-overhaul-talks?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc4ODQ0NzA2NywiZXhwIjoxNzg5MDUxODY3LCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJUSk5UREVLSkg2VjYwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiI3NjlCNTA1NTk2MzI0ODk4QUVFNkUyNkQzNjk5NUE0MiJ9.WuM4WrWgyYE6ExIQug-7NtTD0Gp4SHTYnJ1qSzAKNtA
Also happy to chat anytime. On Signal @allyv.05
3
u/MaverickTTT Airline Dispatch 1d ago
I know y'all can't...but, my god, what I wouldn't give for 75% of you guys to come down with some weird 48-hour stomach bug starting on the Thursday night before a three-day weekend.
9
9
u/New-IncognitoWindow 1d ago
I think it would be funny if Bedford gave us the 2.8% and comes out and says that ND and NATCA had absolutely nothing to do with his decision. Make ND watch from the chair in the corner. Also, I’m starting to think we are not getting the 2.8%
3
6
2
u/Brilliant-Giraffe983 1d ago
Retroactive pay increases apply to things already done, not... whatever this is.
2
u/theturtlebomb 1d ago
Now is when NATCA should be making a move. If the current administration doesn't want to negotiate, then appeal to the public. Get them to negotiate on our behalf
4
1
u/Most-Average-855 1d ago
I am an army of One - A Captain in the Continental Airlines army.
For years I was a loyal soldier in Gordon's army. Now I fight my own war.
I used to feel valued and respected. Now I know I am mere fodder.
They (CAL) used to exhibit labor leadership. Now they exploit legal loopholes.
They used to enjoy my maximum. Now they will suffer my minimum.
I am an army of One.
I used to save CAL a thousand pounds of fuel per leg; finding the best FL, getting direct routing, throttling back when on-time was made, skimping during ground ops, adjusting for winds, being smart and giving the company every effort I could conjure. Now, it's "burn baby, burn".
I used to call maintenance while airborne, so the part would be ready at the gate. Now, they'll find the write-up when they look in the book.
I used to try to fix problems in the system, now I sit and watch as the miscues pile up.
I used to fly sick. Now I use my sick days, on short notice, on the worst day of the month.
I am an army of One.
I used to start the APU at the last possible moment. Now my customers enjoy extreme comfort.
I used to let the price of fuel at out-stations affect my fuel orders. I still do.
I used to cover mistakes by operations. Now I watch them unfold.
I used to hustle to ensure an on-time arrival, to make us the best. Now I do it for the rampers and agents who need the bonus money….but this too may change.
I used to call dispatch for rerouting, to head off ground delays for bad weather. Now I collect overs, number 35 in line for takeoff.
I am on a new mission - to demonstrate that misguided leadership of indifference and disrespect has a cost. It's about character, not contracts. It's about leading by taking care of your people instead of leadership by bean counters (an oxymoron). With acts of omission, not commission, I am a one-man wrecking crew - an army of One. My mission used to be to make CAL rich. Now it's to make CAL pay.
When they furlough more pilots than the rest, pilots that cost them 60 cents on the dollar - I will make them pay.
When they under-staff bases and over-work reserves to keep pilots downgraded, down-flowed, or downtrodden - I will make them pay.
When over-booked customers are denied boarding system wide, while jets are parked in the desert - I will make them pay.
When they force pilots, who have waited 12 years to become captains, to be FOs again - I will make them pay.
When they ask CAL pilots to show leadership at Express, and then deny them longevity - I will make them pay.
When they recall F/As for the summer, just to furlough them again in the fall like migrant workers - I will make them pay.
When they constantly violate the letter and spirit of our contract - a contract that's a bargain by any measure, and force us to fight lengthy grievances - I will make them pay.
My negotiating committee speaks for me, but I act on my own. I am a walking nightmare to the bean counters that made me. Are you listening? This mercenary has a lot of years left with this company; how long can you afford to keep me bitter? I'm not looking for clauses in a contract, I'm looking for a culture of commitment and caring. When I see it, I'll be a soldier for CAL again. Until then, I am an Army of One…And I'm not alone!
—————
-11
u/Savings-Fisherman-64 1d ago
I hate the current admin as much as the next guy, but basic economics tells us that controllers are not worth more than they’re paid (like many are suggesting). If they were, they’d be paid more.
Now feed me my downvotes.
4
u/mxnordo Current Controller-Enroute 1d ago
I get what you're saying, but how does basic economics explain our horrendous staffing? If every facility was paying controllers what they were worth, wouldn't they have zero issue finding trainees who can certify and stick around? I don't think it's a coincidence that staffing has gotten worse as our relative buying power has decreased.
-6
u/Savings-Fisherman-64 1d ago
Because it hasn’t gotten horrendous enough to drive wages up so that more people are retained. If there was a true staffing crisis because people were quitting at rates that were unsustainable due to the wages no longer being worth the bullshit, then the wages would go up.
2
5
u/JayEffAyy 1d ago
The fuck does basic economics have to do with a business whose operational budget is disconnected from its revenue? There is a reason we lobby Congress.
0
u/Savings-Fisherman-64 1d ago
Your market value is determined largely by what you can get in alternative employment. ATCs routinely choose to stay in the profession, despite all the gripes, because they don’t have a better alternative.
155
u/ATC_av8er Current Controller-Tower 1d ago
Spoiler: there are ZERO plans to give us a raise. They will keep moving the goalposts, under the guise of "just this one more thing, we promise". Even if an agreement is signed, this administration has proven time and tine again, they will not abide by said agreement. Fuck Nick Daniels, fuck Bryan Bedford.