Do Air Traffic Controllers Get Back Pay? ATC Worker Reveals Paycheck For 184 Hours Of Work During The Government Shutdown
Is receiving back pay really an acceptable replacement for the paychecks federal workers are missing, though?
Max Acronym | Shutterstock We are possibly near the end of the longest government shutdown in United States history. For 40 days now, the government has been at a standstill while Republicans and Democrats have fought. This morning, CNN reported that eight Democratic senators broke with their party’s hardline stance and voted with Republicans to end the shutdown.
Government employees are no doubt breathing a sigh of relief. For over a month, some of the country’s most essential workers, like air traffic controllers, have gone without pay. These incredible people have continued to do their jobs to keep the country running and keep Americans safe despite not receiving a paycheck.
One air traffic controller shared the paycheck they received for 184 hours of work, and it was upsetting to say the least.
They posted a photo of the paycheck to Reddit. The photo they shared had two separate paychecks included, one for the pay period ending on October 18 and one for the pay period ending on November 1. The pay for each was $0.
Reddit
“184 hours of labor provided by a U.S. air traffic controller for $0.00,” they wrote. “200 hours including my partial paycheck I received on October 14. Last full paycheck was in September.”
Commenters were disappointed, but not surprised. Many pointed out how essential air traffic controllers are to the safety and functioning of the nation, arguing they should be paid somehow. “All federal workers should be paid if Congress is getting paid,” one person said.
When asked if they would receive back pay for the work they did during the shutdown, the original Reddit poster confirmed they would. However, as one user pointed out, “That doesn’t help pay their bills right now.”
Sources say that the Trump administration has been trying to find a way to pay air traffic controllers, but has had little luck.
Without air traffic controllers, the country would be in pretty bad shape. The Federal Aviation Administration reported that there are about 44,360 flights in the U.S. every day. Those flights can’t travel safely without air traffic controllers, but there’s not much of an incentive to keep doing your job if you aren’t getting paid.
According to a Politico report, the Trump administration was trying to find a way to pay air traffic controllers, just like it found a way to pay the military. But a congressional aide said it would have required $500 million each month to ensure they received paychecks.
Politico noted that air traffic controllers and other federal workers going without pay are legally required to be given back pay when the shutdown is over. Russ Vought, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, assured employees they were doing everything they could. “Obviously, we’re fixing that by playing budgetary twister to find a pot of money that has a similar purpose that we can pay them,” he said.
Air traffic controllers are supposed to receive back pay, but the government has sent conflicting messages about this.
USA Today confirmed that federal employees who work through a shutdown are entitled to back pay. However, President Trump muddied the waters a bit by suggesting that furloughed federal workers would not receive back pay. It seems that his comments do not apply to those who have worked through it, though, like air traffic controllers.
It’s great that these workers receive back pay and are compensated for the work they did, but that still doesn’t make it fair. CBS News explained that members of Congress do indeed continue to receive paychecks during a government shutdown. The irony is that if the government is shut down, they’re typically not putting a whole lot of work in. Meanwhile, workers like air traffic controllers are.
Lawmakers can’t be expected to back down from what they believe is right just to end a shutdown. However, it’s also not right that federal employees like air traffic controllers get caught in the middle of it all and are used as pawns. If they’re working, they should be paid, just like any employee.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
