{"id":21296,"date":"2025-11-04T20:45:41","date_gmt":"2025-11-04T20:45:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cndailynews.store\/?p=21296"},"modified":"2025-11-04T20:45:41","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T20:45:41","slug":"air-traffic-controllers-union-boss-blasts-schumer-dems-for-prolonging-shutdown-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cndailynews.store\/?p=21296","title":{"rendered":"Air Traffic Controllers Union Boss Blasts Schumer, Dems For Prolonging Shutdown"},"content":{"rendered":"
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This article may contain commentary
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President Nick Daniels of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association warned Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and the Democratic Party that the ongoing government shutdown is posing serious safety risks in U.S. airspace.<\/p>\n

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The NATCA, which represents more than 10,800 certified air traffic controllers nationwide, has repeatedly called on Congress to pass a clean continuing resolution (CR) to end the shutdown \u2014 now on track to become the longest in American history.<\/p>\n

The House approved a clean CR a month ago, but Democrats have blocked it more than a dozen times, insisting on tying the measure to their partisan legislative demands.<\/p>\n

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Daniels emphasized that air traffic controllers are unfairly shouldering the weight of the shutdown, with thousands now working exhausting six-day, 10-hour shifts amid an existing shortage of 3,800 personnel.<\/p>\n

As essential workers, controllers are required to remain on the job, yet many are facing severe financial strain. They received partial paychecks for pre-shutdown work on October 14, followed by $0 paychecks on October 28 and in the pay periods since \u2014 leaving many with more than 120 hours of unpaid labor.<\/p>\n

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The shutdown has also furloughed 2,350 support staff \u2014 including engineers and technicians \u2014 while freezing new controller hiring and training and pausing critical maintenance and modernization projects, leaving the air traffic system increasingly vulnerable.<\/p>\n

In an interview with Fox News, Daniels said hundreds of controllers have been forced to take second jobs just to make ends meet amid the prolonged shutdown.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThese American patriots, they are the unsung heroes that Secretary Duffy speaks about so often. They are the ones that have been thrust into the spotlight, into center focus of a shutdown. And air traffic controllers, we don\u2019t start shutdowns, we\u2019re not responsible for ending shutdowns. Who does? Congress,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd that\u2019s why we\u2019re saying, end the shutdown immediately. It\u2019s not like we\u2019re sitting here talking about an aviation issue. We\u2019re talking, I understand the fears, the frustrations of the American people. We want to do an amazing job on their behalf, and we are. We\u2019re showing up to work every day, the best way that we can to get through this crisis. But this isn\u2019t something that we asked for. We didn\u2019t want to put ourselves in the middle of it,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

\u201cYet here we are, the rope in the tug of war game that we didn\u2019t ask for at all. And we should not be used as political pawns in any way, shape or form for these shutdowns,\u201d Daniels noted further.<\/p>\n

WATCH:<\/p>\n