US FAA seeks savings from ATC
 

http://news.airwise.com/story/view/1121298934.html

What's the lastest "projection" for the number of retirements over the next couple of years?

Ummm, I can think of at least one....;) :D

I expect that in the next 10 years you will see close to 10,000 retire. We have started the academy up again and they are starting double shifts. This year all hires will go to the enroute option as that takes longer. I was really surprised that they even thought about that. They are expecting to hire about 1200 next year. I hope that they actually do. We are already 1000 short and it is just going to get worse.

regards

Scott

Thanks for the input Scott :ok:

I did read somewhere else that there was talk of those entering the system being put onto a "different pay deal" with different conditions and pay. Rumour?

Hi Jerricho;

We are in contract negotiations right now with the FAA and that is what they said that they really want to do, in effect create a B scale. <shrug> I don't know what the future holds other than my retirement, sooner if the contract goes south or later if it doesn't <G>.

regards

Scott

To keep posted on this you may wish to read the bulletins issued by

[email protected]

In the past few weeks their newsflash presented both sides of the dispute, the FAA's and NATCA's.

I've read indeed that a two-tiered pay system is considered, one for current ATCO's and a lower one for the new entries. Makes me think of two past events :
1. The PATCO-Reagan confrontation of 1981, when 11000 controllers were fired just like that - have the FAA and the controllers ever overcome this event do we think? The current controller shortage speaks for itself perhaps.
2. To my knowledge the only succesfull two-tier pay system in history has ever been applied in Cuba by el leader massimo to ensure the Cuban system to survive against the pressures of... yes the same Raegan.

Will be quite interesting to follow.

....and the FAA will win.

Purely because they will offer very the prospect of very attractive salaries to the new trainees, who are intelligent enough to realise you don't get everything at once.

In the UK, a training salary of £16K plus alowances becomes an all validated salary of £30K, and upwards of £50K after a few years.

The same will apply in the US, if the FAA have any common sense, they will keep current employees on the same terms and conditions, but offer new joiners a different contract, if they don't like it they can go and wok for Walmart.

Twas ever thus....

Niknak;

Sure glad that you aren't on our contract team... Why should someone who is a CPC work for less and NEVER make as much as another CPC? (Certified Profesional Controller.) A B scale will never make as much as the person above you... Sounds really fair to me. As to what they start out at, they do start out much lower and then work thier way up... I think that you need to understand our pay system before you start throwing things about...

regards

Scott