CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — Passengers taking off from the busiest airport in the world are keenly aware that the government shutdown is impacting those in the tall tower.
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Air traffic controllers are expected to get a partial paycheck on Tuesday. That accounts for the hours they worked before the government shutdown.
They will not get paid again until Congress passes a budget. Their next paycheck is supposed to come in on Oct. 28.
Dan McCabe is the Southern Regional Vice President of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.
“This job is very stressful as it is, and they don’t need the added stress of wondering when they’re going to get paid again,” said McCabe.
The union leader said staffing is already an issue.
“No facility is perfectly staffed,” said McCabe.
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He said there are three towers in our region in which pilots check in for directions as they go to and from metro-Atlanta.
There is one at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. There is one in Hampton and one in Peachtree City.
McCabe said the lack of pay has not impacted those towers as of Monday.
“The one in Peachtree City is, pound for pound, the shortest staffed in the Atlanta area,” said McCabe. “Some controllers are working 60-hour weeks. They’re getting four days off a month.”
And, add pay problems to that, and he said staff could start getting sick or quit.
“The system is so fragile that one, two, three people go for any set of reasons, and you never know what is going to happen,” said McCabe.
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