Coral
I suspect the intended end result of the NAS will be fewer controllers. The controllers have obviously figured this out.
I'm not the least bit surprised at what their trade union is doing.
What it doesn't have is anything to do with air safety despite the bleatings emanating from various so called "professionals" here and elswhere.
The biggest threat to air safety after Nov 27th will be from the unprofessional behaviour of controllers and pilots opposed to the new system because for once they won't have got their own way.
Interestingly, I was in the US not long after Reagan fired all the controllers in 1981. I heard not one word of sympathy for them from any of the aviation people I talked to ranging from soaring pilots to commercial charter operators, airline employees, military, NASA etc. This was in the US where the controllers are actually friendly and helpful.