• Curious Canid@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    76
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    6 months ago

    The air traffic control system has never entirely recovered from what Reagan did to it in 1981. He fired a lot of them to bust their union, at the cost of public safety. In the short term, there weren’t enough controllers to cover the losses. That lasted for around a decade. Since then, the problem has been that the pay is no longer good enough to attract the number of people needed. Air traffic control is one of the most stressful jobs in existence and, without a union, the pay has lagged. We can thank Reagan, and all of the tight-budget conservatives who followed him, for our current problems with air safety.

  • BigMikeInAustin@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    27
    arrow-down
    3
    ·
    6 months ago

    Don’t worry, everybody. The ultra rich have private airports and aren’t at risk like us plebeians.

    • Donjuanme@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      18
      ·
      6 months ago

      Private runways might help alleviate the issue, but those aren’t common, especially in the areas the rich fly into. ATC control all the skys, not just the commercial airline skys.

  • Car@lemmy.dbzer0.com
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    5
    ·
    edit-2
    6 months ago

    More of a meta comment, but I’m noting that on this thread and on the nursing home staff one, a lot of people are shitting on these solutions with little in the way of constructive criticism.

    I think that most of us agree that the current situations are not ideal and that they are dangerous, but these measures are making tangible steps forward. These changes will not immediately increase safety, but its required for long-term health of the profession and traveler safety. I’d love to read about some alternatives that aren’t just complaints about how politicians aren’t doing enough.

    “We need more X and this doesn’t do anything about that!”

    Yes, these bills don’t directly make vital qualified job personnel out of thin air, but they pave the way towards bringing us out of the red and into the yellow. ATCs are already burnt out. Enforcing rest has a direct impact on cognitive function and safety (see: US Navy ship collisions). It also increases job morale and reduces turnover. This will lead to a healthier workforce and increase appeal for those thinking of getting into the field.

  • teuto@lemmy.teuto.icu
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    3
    ·
    6 months ago

    Doesn’t really help when control facilities are so short staffed that they have controllers working ridiculous amounts of mandatory overtime. Might well make the problem worse when they need even more overtime shifts to make up for increased rest. They need to hire more and pay way more.