The title of this thread lead me to believe this post was going to be about how the constant reliance on overtime and the removal of 100 odd ATCs into management positions, and the complete lack of respect shown to ATC by management has lead to our current staffing situation.
Instead, we've got a history lesson.
Dick, not working that particular airspace, I can only suppose that my colleagues' own sense of pride and professionalism lead them to
making the situation/airspace work -
much like we try to make all the projects foisted upon us work.
That is how AsA really exploits us = by relying on our professionalism.
Example: AsA
slandered every single ATC in the press for months on end by inferring that renegade ATCs were running an illegal "sick-out" - expecting that either we:
A) would just keep doing our jobs (while they influence public opinion against us),
.
or,
.
B) turn into renegades for real and give them someone to pin the problems on -
Either outcome a win-win situation for AsA.
