Airlines, Airlines for America (A4A) Members Abandon Push for Privatization

[echster]

Story at this link: https://www.reuters.com/business/ae...g-air-traffic-technology-staffing-2025-02-19/

A letter from A4A "and others add[ed] they do not support "pursuing privatization of U.S. air traffic control services and believe it would be a distraction from these needed investments and reforms.""

Among the others was NATCA. In another story at FlightGlobal, behind a paywall (Aviation groups seek to sway changes to FAA as airlines drop bid to privatise ATC), was this:

"Privatising ATC gained momentum under the first Trump administration, having support from airlines, A4A, NATCA and Trump himself. Neither A4A nor NATCA responded when asked why they changed their stance. NATCA, however, says it only supported privatisation once, in 2017 and 2018, because that proposal met all its requirements. The shift surprised Bob Poole, an ATC privatisation advocate who directs transportation policy at libertarian think tank Reason Foundation. Poole suspects the change could reflect NATCA’s new leadership and A4A’s pending leadership change. That group’s CEO Nicolas Calio intends to retire at year-end."

 

[KP-ATC]

NBAA has been on our side the whole time. I took this photo years ago at BACE.

 

[Somenewguy]

Airline union is more supportive than NATCA.

 

[bravounite33]

Airline union is more supportive than NATCA.

NATCA is a signatory on this letter…

 

[Phillytroll69]

NATCA is a signatory on this letter…

But had trish and Paul gotten their seats how many of us would be left after covid and now trump/project 2025

Members were against it then and leadership said it was the only way to get a seat at a table when it's 100% happening.

Project 2025 aims to seperate the ato and lean into privitization.

Now it's going to happen and this is way to say i need my palms greased for this to happen.

 

[Raise when?]

Dead union is dead

 

[bravounite33]

But had trish and Paul gotten their seats how many of us would be left after covid and now trump/project 2025

Members were against it then and leadership said it was the only way to get a seat at a table when it's 100% happening.

Project 2025 aims to seperate the ato and lean into privitization.

Now it's going to happen and this is way to say i need my palms greased for this to happen.

To be fair to them, it was, and still is, a policy statement in the NATCA constitution. It was added like 10 years ago so the membership might not have been a fan in ‘18 but leadership is actually right to follow what’s in the constitution. If I remember right, any attempts to change that have been voted down at each convention since but until that policy changes, I would expect any leadership group to also put NATCA support for privatizing as long as it complies with the policy.

 

[CoffeeIV]

Airline union is more supportive than NATCA.

Literally says the change is possibly due to the union's change in leadership.

Reading is hard. That's why this job only requires a high school diploma. Enjoy that 1.6% because you won't get anything else.

 

[32andBelow]

Literally says the change is possibly due to the union's change in leadership.

Reading is hard. That's why this job only requires a high school diploma. Enjoy that 1.6% because you won't get anything else.

Like literally cus the Jan raise is cooked

 

[Somenewguy]

NATCA boldly co-signs bill asking federal government to not destroy our entire career field.

They declined to comment on anti-privitization stance to Flightglobal. They aren't even mentioned in the Reuters article.

They fumble every time there is a chance to speak to the public and explain why we need more: money, time off, health benefits, career progression, etc. If there is a time to be fucking shouting it is NOW. Airplanes are crashing. I'm not saying it's air traffics fault, but this is the only time the public will realize what is at stake. If you don't get support right fucking now, these incidents will no longer be impactful, and aviation safety will revert to being a hypothetical scenario which can be explained away.

If the other agencies had not done the legwork what would NATCA have done? Sit on their ass and drink beer at CFS or convention while their brothers and sisters work the boards six days a week for 110k/year.

In solidarity

 

[PlasticBag12]

NATCA boldly co-signs bill asking federal government to not destroy our entire career field.

They declined to comment on anti-privitization stance to Flightglobal. They aren't even mentioned in the Reuters article.

They fumble every time there is a chance to speak to the public and explain why we need more: money, time off, health benefits, career progression, etc. If there is a time to be fucking shouting it is NOW. Airplanes are crashing. I'm not saying it's air traffics fault, but this is the only time the public will realize what is at stake. If you don't get support right fucking now, these incidents will no longer be impactful, and aviation safety will revert to being a hypothetical scenario which can be explained away.

If the other agencies had not done the legwork what would NATCA have done? Sit on their ass and drink beer at CFS or convention while their brothers and sisters work the boards six days a week for 110k/year.

In solidarity

Never let a good crisis go to waste.

 

[KP-ATC]

Literally says the change is possibly due to the union's change in leadership.

Reading is hard. That's why this job only requires a high school diploma. Enjoy that 1.6% because you won't get anything else.

This job does not require a high school diploma

 

[ClearanceClarence]

It’s a sad day when co-signing someone else’s letter is the best we can ask for from our union. Why can’t they push this stuff on their own?

 

[32andBelow]

Nick did ask to go on Joe Rogan!

 

[bravounite33]

It’s a sad day when co-signing someone else’s letter is the best we can ask for from our union. Why can’t they push this stuff on their own?

34 unions representing the aviation sector or NATCA standalone…I wonder which one would have more of an impact on congressional committees? Pressure from an entire industry is entirely different than pressure from a single union in an industry.

 

[Shikaka]

34 unions representing the aviation sector or NATCA standalone…I wonder which one would have more of an impact on congressional committees? Pressure from an entire industry is entirely different than pressure from a single union in an industry.

The union doesn't do anything other than ride tailcoats, that's the issue.

 

[Soul_Controller]

This job does not require a high school diploma

In all fairness, studies about it show that having a high school diploma increases chances of checking out. Anything past that has no effect.

 

[32andBelow]

In all fairness, studies about it show that having a high school diploma increases chances of checking out. Anything past that has no effect.

What studies? Are there actual studies or is just bs that has been passed from controller to controller? Why are checkout rates so much worse now?

 

[Mike Kilo]

What studies? Are there actual studies or is just bs that has been passed from controller to controller? Why are checkout rates so much worse now?

Damn, getting awfully defensive. You trying to justify that college degree?

 

[DOD4Life]

Damn, getting awfully defensive. You trying to justify that college degree?

Why would anyone need to justify higher education, and to whom would it need to be justified?