America’s air traffic controllers missed their first full paychecks of the government shutdown Tuesday, and some airlines are now donating meals to keep them fed.
United Airlines said in a statement to CBS News that “United is donating meals for air traffic controllers and other federal workers whose pay is delayed. We appreciate the hardworking federal employees who are keeping the air travel system running.”
United is offering the meals at its hubs nationwide, including at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, Denver International Airport, Houston/George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, San Francisco International Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport.
Delta Air Lines and JetBlue also said in statements to CBS that they would be offering meals at their airports.
At a press conference at LaGuardia Airport Tuesday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and National Air Traffic Controllers Association President Nick Daniels spoke about the increasing financial strain facing air traffic controllers.
“This is Day One, and Day Two gets harder. Day Three is harder after that as expenses continue to roll,” Mr. Duffy said. “Many of our controllers can make it without this first paycheck. They’ve been in the job for, you know, 10, 15, 20 years. They plan for days like this. But we have a lot of new controllers who are still in training that aren’t at a high level in income and they can’t handle what’s happening to them today.”
Mr. Duffy also brought up the trend of some air traffic controllers having to take side jobs to make ends meet.
“America’s air traffic controllers are now having to focus on how do they put gas in the car, how do they take care of their children, how do they pay for child care … that makes the system less safe. And then the only way to make it safe is to reduce the number of aircraft in it. Day in and day out, air traffic controllers have to have 100% of focus 100% of the time,” Mr. Daniels said.
Senate Republicans tried and failed to advance a bill last week that would have extended funding to pay essential federal employees, including air traffic controllers.
“It allows Donald Trump to pay who he likes and not pay who he doesn’t like. It essentially invites perpetual shutdown, since the president gets to choose what’s open or what’s not open, and who gets paid and who doesn’t,” said Sen. Chris Murphy, Connecticut Democrat and opponent of the bill, according to the Wall Street Journal.
