Government Shutdown - March Edition

Dr. Rumack said:

So, when the Government is fully funded, controllers complain that they are overworked, being forced into O.T. sometimes 6 days a week 10 hours a day. So 20 hours of OT a week and these people haven't stashed away any of this money? They can't miss a paycheck or two? Really? How are people banging out because they haven't received a paycheck? Do you really expect me to believe that they are out driving for Door Dash/ Uber? Make it make sense? I see that the controllers are being used as pawns to fight Trump. Bang out to apply pressure that the Dims need to improve their "look" in this shutdown that they have caused.

go back to lurking man, horrific takes

Really weird conspiracy that the government never shut down under Biden but is going to endure the two longest shutdowns under Trump. It almost seems like Republicans are just really incapable of leadership and only persist because they can get people angry enough to vote.

Phillytroll69 said:

You took an oath tho

DOD4Life said:

There really needs to be case law in which the courts rule it unconstitutional to force federal workers to show up & work without pay. There should be no “essential” vs “nonessential.” If the government gets shut down due to a lapse in funding, it should truly be shut down. Let the American people see what a TRUE shutdown really means where we all go home until they have the money to pay us.

Better hit that food bank then dude. I hear Uber Eats pays better than Door Dash.....Just sayin'

Dr. Rumack said:

Better hit that food bank then dude. I hear Uber Eats pays better than Door Dash.....Just sayin'

I work on a military base. I’ll just show up at the mess hall & ask them to give me the leftovers they were gonna throw out. Maybe I can convince the base commander to authorize giving out MREs to all his civilian controllers & their families. I could swing for the fences & ask him to let us temporarily move into base housing while we rent out our actual homes on Airbnb???

I am frustrated! I have tried to remain positive and I am struggling with it daily. Regardless of politics, this sucks! I am trying my best to hang in and do my part while the government figures itself out but it's reaching the end of my ability to give a shit. Maybe one day we will all agree that this shit sucks. Probably not but whatever y'all keep being who you are.

AW

ATCJoe85 said:

The problem with these arguments is not only that it conveniently assumes financial equality across the board, but that it's a path to things being things worse.

I.E: so I can weather 4 or 5 checks missed, and somehow that makes it ok that we've missed 2. Why ever bother trying to pay us on time if it doesn't matter to us, right?

You can’t have it both ways. Controllers love to talk about how critical and high-stress their job is, how thousands of lives depend on them every day—and that’s true. But then, in the same breath, some want to say it’s perfectly fine to just bang out, call in sick, or sit it out when things don’t go their way. Which is it? Is this a vital responsibility or just another 9–5 you can walk away from when it’s inconvenient?

Nobody is saying a missed paycheck doesn’t hurt. Everyone feels it. But this idea that “I can afford to miss a few checks, so it’s no big deal,” or that showing up is optional because it’s unfair—you’re missing the point. The flying public doesn’t get to pause gravity because someone’s mad at payroll. The lives in those planes don’t get put on hold because you’re frustrated. You signed on to a mission-critical job, not a retail shift.

You say your job matters? Prove it. Show up. Do the work. Hold the line like the professionals you claim to be. Because if the job is as important as you say, then the responsibility doesn’t disappear just because things aren’t perfect.

So yeah—suck it up, do your part, and maybe save the speeches for after you’ve actually done the job you say no one else can do.

Dr. Rumack said:

You can’t have it both ways. Controllers love to talk about how critical and high-stress their job is, how thousands of lives depend on them every day—and that’s true. But then, in the same breath, some want to say it’s perfectly fine to just bang out, call in sick, or sit it out when things don’t go their way. Which is it? Is this a vital responsibility or just another 9–5 you can walk away from when it’s inconvenient?

Nobody is saying a missed paycheck doesn’t hurt. Everyone feels it. But this idea that “I can afford to miss a few checks, so it’s no big deal,” or that showing up is optional because it’s unfair—you’re missing the point. The flying public doesn’t get to pause gravity because someone’s mad at payroll. The lives in those planes don’t get put on hold because you’re frustrated. You signed on to a mission-critical job, not a retail shift.

You say your job matters? Prove it. Show up. Do the work. Hold the line like the professionals you claim to be. Because if the job is as important as you say, then the responsibility doesn’t disappear just because things aren’t perfect.

So yeah—suck it up, do your part, and maybe save the speeches for after you’ve actually done the job you say no one else can do.

Bro, do you even staffing trigger?

Dr. Rumack said:

You can’t have it both ways. Controllers love to talk about how critical and high-stress their job is, how thousands of lives depend on them every day—and that’s true. But then, in the same breath, some want to say it’s perfectly fine to just bang out, call in sick, or sit it out when things don’t go their way. Which is it? Is this a vital responsibility or just another 9–5 you can walk away from when it’s inconvenient?

Nobody is saying a missed paycheck doesn’t hurt. Everyone feels it. But this idea that “I can afford to miss a few checks, so it’s no big deal,” or that showing up is optional because it’s unfair—you’re missing the point. The flying public doesn’t get to pause gravity because someone’s mad at payroll. The lives in those planes don’t get put on hold because you’re frustrated. You signed on to a mission-critical job, not a retail shift.

You say your job matters? Prove it. Show up. Do the work. Hold the line like the professionals you claim to be. Because if the job is as important as you say, then the responsibility doesn’t disappear just because things aren’t perfect.

So yeah—suck it up, do your part, and maybe save the speeches for after you’ve actually done the job you say no one else can do.

You sound soft

Soul_Controller said:

You sound soft

Naturally I would expect that response from a crybaby.

Dr. Rumack said:

You can’t have it both ways. Controllers love to talk about how critical and high-stress their job is, how thousands of lives depend on them every day—and that’s true. But then, in the same breath, some want to say it’s perfectly fine to just bang out, call in sick, or sit it out when things don’t go their way. Which is it? Is this a vital responsibility or just another 9–5 you can walk away from when it’s inconvenient?

Nobody is saying a missed paycheck doesn’t hurt. Everyone feels it. But this idea that “I can afford to miss a few checks, so it’s no big deal,” or that showing up is optional because it’s unfair—you’re missing the point. The flying public doesn’t get to pause gravity because someone’s mad at payroll. The lives in those planes don’t get put on hold because you’re frustrated. You signed on to a mission-critical job, not a retail shift.

You say your job matters? Prove it. Show up. Do the work. Hold the line like the professionals you claim to be. Because if the job is as important as you say, then the responsibility doesn’t disappear just because things aren’t perfect.

So yeah—suck it up, do your part, and maybe save the speeches for after you’ve actually done the job you say no one else can do.

The moral high ground is not a safe space when flooded with neglect.

Things that are of importance are required to be maintained, this is universal. Our career field is not an exception to this concept, neglect erodes that ability of it to function. Perhaps, if it was important to the public then we would not be neglected as much as we have.

Shikaka said:

The moral high ground is not a safe space when flooded with neglect.

Things that are of importance are required to be maintained, this is universal. Our career field is not an exception to this concept, neglect erodes that ability of it to function. Perhaps, if it was important to the public then we would not be neglected as much as we have.

You’re not wrong that neglect erodes any system—but saying “if it was important to the public, we wouldn’t be neglected” lets the people actually responsible for maintaining it off the hook and shifts the blame onto everyone else.

Plenty of critical things are neglected—bridges, power grids, veterans’ care—yet we don’t say those things aren’t important. Importance doesn’t vanish because leadership is complacent or the public doesn’t fully understand what goes on behind the curtain.

But here’s the flip side: if we argue the system is vital, that lives depend on it, then it can’t collapse the moment it’s mistreated. You don’t protect something important by abandoning your post—you make it more fragile, and then claim that shows how broken it is.

Neglect is real. Frustration is valid. But responsibility doesn’t disappear because the system is unfair. If we want to prove this job really matters, we don’t do it by walking away from it—we do it by showing exactly why it can’t function without people who still give a damn.

Dr. Rumack said:

Is this a vital responsibility or just another 9–5 you can walk away from when it’s inconvenient?

You say your job matters? Prove it.

So yeah—suck it up, do your part, and maybe save the speeches for after you’ve actually done the job you say no one else can do

You sound like my teenager arguing points. These aren't mutually exclusive ideas. Why cant this be a vital job AND one we can walk away from? Why can't this job matter AND sometimes not want do it? Why can't controllers rant about the added stress of a shutdown AND decide not to take on additional workload during it?

Why do we suddenly need to prove our job matters? Is it not abundantly clear to you? If not, maybe you're in the wrong field.

Dr. Rumack said:

The lives in those planes don’t get put on hold because you’re f̶r̶u̶s̶t̶r̶a̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶ not at work.

Actually, they do.

Dr. Rumack said:

If we want to prove this job really matters, we don’t do it by walking away from it—we do it by showing exactly why it can’t function without people who still give a damn.

So, to show how important it is we *checks notes* do the same thing we've been doing? Yeah man...maintaining the norm will show 'em!

buffalochickenqueefadilla said:

You sound like my teenager arguing points. These aren't mutually exclusive ideas. Why cant this be a vital job AND one we can walk away from? Why can't this job matter AND sometimes not want do it? Why can't controllers rant about the added stress of a shutdown AND decide not to take on additional workload during it?

Why do we suddenly need to prove our job matters? Is it not abundantly clear to you? If not, maybe you're in the wrong field.

Sounds like you need new NATCA representation.

Dr. Rumack said:

You say your job matters? Prove it. Show up. Do the work. Hold the line like the professionals you claim to be. Because if the job is as important as you say, then the responsibility doesn’t disappear just because things aren’t perfect.

You know what else doesn’t disappear? The cost of our children’s daycare, the mortgage payment, student loans, car payments, grocery store trips, and utility bills. None of which I will be able to afford very soon if we continue missing checks for work I should’ve been compensated for no later than the second Tuesday after the pay period.

AnyTrafficPleaseAdvise said:

You know what else doesn’t disappear? The cost of our children’s daycare, the mortgage payment, student loans, car payments, grocery store trips, and utility bills. None of which I will be able to afford very soon if we continue missing checks for work I should’ve been compensated for no later than the second Tuesday after the pay period.

What’s the alternative—just quit? Take your ball and go home? Or keep showing up like the professionals you say you are? If this job really matters as much as you claim, then prove it. Show up. Do the work. Hold the line. Because responsibility doesn’t disappear just because things aren’t perfect or fair.

And you know what else doesn’t disappear? Daycare costs. Mortgage payments. Student loans. Car payments. Groceries. Utilities. All of it keeps coming, paycheck or no paycheck. So yeah, I’m frustrated that we’re still missing checks for work that should’ve been paid out by the second Tuesday after the pay period—but walking away doesn’t fix that, and it sure won’t pay the bills.

Dr. Rumack said:

You’re not wrong that neglect erodes any system—but saying “if it was important to the public, we wouldn’t be neglected” lets the people actually responsible for maintaining it off the hook and shifts the blame onto everyone else.

Plenty of critical things are neglected—bridges, power grids, veterans’ care—yet we don’t say those things aren’t important. Importance doesn’t vanish because leadership is complacent or the public doesn’t fully understand what goes on behind the curtain.

But here’s the flip side: if we argue the system is vital, that lives depend on it, then it can’t collapse the moment it’s mistreated. You don’t protect something important by abandoning your post—you make it more fragile, and then claim that shows how broken it is.

Neglect is real. Frustration is valid. But responsibility doesn’t disappear because the system is unfair. If we want to prove this job really matters, we don’t do it by walking away from it—we do it by showing exactly why it can’t function without people who still give a damn.

This thinking is why people don't think federal workers do anything. The system still works because of "duty" despite whatever neglect becomes us.

People voted, the say has been said, those individuals in power have deemed what they believe to be important as so. Oaths have been broken all across congress, acceptable political norms have been shattered, people's livelihoods and rights are being snuffed.

It's our expertise that has floated this system for decades, despite the neglect and lack of care and we've been abused for it. Our union is mum and our leadership is incompetent.

Yet you think the rowers should keep rowing while the navigator is blind and the captain is incompetent.

Fuck it.

Dr. Rumack said:

What’s the alternative—just quit? Take your ball and go home? Or keep showing up like the professionals you say you are? If this job really matters as much as you claim, then prove it. Show up. Do the work. Hold the line. Because responsibility doesn’t disappear just because things aren’t perfect or fair.

And you know what else doesn’t disappear? Daycare costs. Mortgage payments. Student loans. Car payments. Groceries. Utilities. All of it keeps coming, paycheck or no paycheck. So yeah, I’m frustrated that we’re still missing checks for work that should’ve been paid out by the second Tuesday after the pay period—but walking away doesn’t fix that, and it sure won’t pay the bills.

You say walking away won’t fix that, but If even half of all air traffic controllers held the line and walked off the job today, politicians would reopen the government within 24 hours.