Air traffic controllers across the United States are expressing frustration and anger over a recently announced $10,000 retention bonus, calling the payment inadequate given the mounting pressures facing the profession and the critical staffing shortages plaguing the Federal Aviation Administration.
Controllers and union representatives have described the $10,000 figure as tone-deaf, particularly when compared to the high-stakes nature of their work and the severe consequences of staffing shortages. Air traffic controllers are responsible for safely managing thousands of flights daily, separating aircraft in crowded airspace, and making split-second decisions that directly impact passenger safety.
“It feels like a slap in the face,” said one controller who spoke on condition of anonymity. “We’re working six-day weeks, mandatory overtime, dealing with outdated equipment at some facilities, and they think $10,000 fixes that? Meanwhile, the stress is driving people out of the profession faster than we can train new ones.”
The Republicans won’t stop liquidating society even when planes start colliding in the sky above them
When they start? They already have!
NOT ONLY is a slap, but the amount of atc are actually lower who get the bonus, trump had to include non-ATC technicians into the mix. and its also to punish who dint work for FREE.
The average pay for an ATC is $100,810. The recent shutdown lasted 43 days or 344 hours assuming 8 hours a day maximum allowed by the FAA.
$100,810 / 26 weeks = $3,877/two weeks $3,877 / 80 hours = $48.46/hour $48.46 * 344 = $16,670.24 gross pay, without overtime.
While all controllers should eventually be disbursed their back pay (Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019), only 776 controllers will receive this bonus.
Russel Vought, Christian Nationalist architect of P2025, and now director of the Office of Management and Budget, wants to traumatize the federal workforce to strong-arm his fascist theocracy into power and this is the result.
If Russel Vought believes you’ll go to heaven or hell based on your political affiliations, doesn’t it kind of make twisted accelerationist sense for him to try and kill you in an engineered airline disaster?
Not 100% sure, but they should have received all their back pay including OT.
There’s also a bill moving to use an FAA fund that pays for any damage done to commandeered airplanes to pay ATC during in future shutdown.
And like, our last budget was FY24, we already lapped without a budget before anybody paid attention. I legitimately think will keeping using “continuing resolutions” until trump’s out of office.
Even if Dems sweep in midterms, trump won’t sign it if it’s not exactly what he wants.
Not 100% sure, but they should have received all their back pay including OT.
Maybe they will, maybe they won’t.
SNAP benefit money was already approved by Congress specifically during government shutdowns because of those issues in the past. The money was already allocated. Trump chose to have the administration not process that.
Yeah, but it’s been 11 days since CR…
I don’t know their pay schedule, but statistically speaking they were paid today at the latest.
What are you going off of?
What are you going off of?
You mean about Trump not paying people?
Because that’s well documented for decades, across his businesses, even as recently as the East Wing demolition.
Or do you mean about the money already being available and Trump choosing not to distribute it?
You mean about Trump not paying people?
Do you think he personally signs the checks?
It was people in offices waiting to press a button on a computer, when the CR passed they were able to press the button.
I don’t know why you keep wanting to talk about snap, no one else was talking about snap but you keep mentioning it…
Do you think he personally signs the checks?
Of course not. Just like he doesn’t personally handle the payments for his businesses that don’t pay contractors. I guarantee it was his decision to actively not pay them though.
I don’t know why you keep wanting to talk about snap
Because it’s a recent example of the Trump administration actively choosing not to make payments that are owed, and are even normally handled automatically.
Not sure how you’re missing the relevance to whether they are not making other owed payments related to similar events.
is that the starting salary of ATC.
While all controllers should eventually be disbursed their back pay (Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019)
Does that not constitute a government debt then? I thought the shutdown was due to hitting a debt limit. If there was a relief mechanism to create more debt for special situations like this anyway, why not just pay the ATC’s immediately through that same mechanism?
This time it is not a debt limit issue, just that the government cannot work (with exceptions) if Congress (with POTUS signature) hasn’t explicitly authorized funds to be spent via an annual budget or, more likely nowadays, a continuing resolution.
Different issue, but same result of employees (and program recipients) being treated like pawns.
It’s a small percentage of them anyway. Trump treats the government like he’s paying everyone himself.:
Trump Denies Thousands of Air Traffic Controllers $10K Bonus
Donald Trump has snubbed thousands of air traffic controllers and technicians who kept the skies safe during the longest government shutdown in history, union officials told Axios.
Only 776, or seven percent, of the roughly 11,000 air traffic controllers and technicians who worked through the 43-day government shutdown will get a $10,000 bonus.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy described the “perfect attendance” bonus on X as a Santa moment, apparently ignoring that most workers were gift-less.
Don’t forget that the $10k bonus is pre tax so they’ll be looking at $6k.
Don’t forget that the $10k bonus is pre tax so they’ll be looking at $6k.
Unless that ATC is making over $197k they would keep $7600 of the bonus as up-to $197k annual income the tax rate is only 24% for 2025. Yes, the bonus withholding rate is higher, but when they file at the end of the year, they’d get back that difference in the withholding rate vs the income tax rate.
You are forgetting about social security (6.2%) and medicare (1.2%)
They’ll also have to pay state taxes.
They will definitely end up closer to $6,000 than $7,600.
You stop paying social security taxes after 176100 of income.
Mental.
Not just a US thing. Canadian pension plan and employment insurance deductions also stop once you reach a certain threshold of income within a year.
You are forgetting about social security (6.2%) and medicare (1.2%)
okay, fine.
6.2% of 10000 is $620
1.2% of 10000 is $120They’ll also have to pay state taxes.
8 states don’t have income tax.
So closer to $6860.
So closer to $7,600 than $6,000.
If memory serves, there might be an existing retention program available that offers a 25% increase in pay for three years, but I’m not sure if that’s available to all federal workers or just certain agencies.
It’s 100% possible to give most of them a one time “step” increase that amounts to a permanent 5-7% (ish) raise, which would net them significantly more over time.
Shit, I think if you pick the right job in the military, an 18 year old with a high school diploma can get $70,000 pre-tax if they sign a six year contract.
So yeah, ten grand pre-tax is a joke considering how vital and stressful ATC is.
They’ll throw a mandatory pizza lunch-in next.
So…
Not actually rejecting it, just saying not enough
$10,000 isn’t making their job easier, isn’t making flying safer, isn’t training and recruiting, isn’t giving their time back with their families, isn’t fixing their equipment.
It’s tone deaf to think that throwing cash at people will make all the bad things go away.
America needs major infrastructure investments. The GOP is only interested in destroying the US government and taking back to the days before the New Deal including the white supremacist being immune from prosecution.
Obviously…
But the headline says they rejected it, which would be insane to turn it down
The logical choice is take it and say it’s not enough. Which is what’s happening
I’d argue they’d rather have more staff so they don’t have to work 6 days a week. I’d care less about a bonus if my job had literal lives at risk because I’m overworked and understaffed
If you’re drowning and someone throws you a rope that will let you get even a single gasp of air, are you going to reject it? Or are you going to tell them that you need more in order to survive?
This is actually a fairly well understood psychological phenomenon that management tends to ignore. Offering a clearly insufficient gift is far worse than offering nothing at all. I’ve worked at a place that did a similar thing when they were having retention issues, it’s what lead me to leave the company.
Well, good. The ATCs should have all stopped showing up to work after the first deferred paycheck.
A lot did at some point in the shutdown.
I see this more akin to drowning and then someone brings you a cupcake.
I know what you’re thinking…
What could be stranger than a giant floating cupcake?
More like throwing you the rope and dropping the other end into the water.
Thinks more equal to throwing you a pool noodle with no other way of getting you out the water after. Yes it helps, but not saving anyone.
The commenter isn’t criticising the ATCs, they are criticising the headline.
Maybe the headline shouldn’t say “reject” then.
Which is why I was shocked they rejected it, and felt like clarifying would help others…
