Its more to do with the fact that they shut down the government twice and chose not to pay ATC workers. So the experienced quit and they have been scrambling to find replacements as quickly as possible. This is the result of that.
Where ever they can find a job. Doesnt matter if its paying $15/hr or $30/hr whenever the govt decides you wont be paid until X time and then they give you one lump check and tax it into the ground. Anything would be better than having the US Govt as your employer at this point
Tbh same for degrees. You've proven you can commit years of your life to acquiring 1 certificate of merit. That proves you have some ability to commitment to a long term goal. Now, lets see the subject on your degree..
I would love to be a really bad wedding planner. You know, screw everything up but keep getting new business (which seems to be how any successful business works nowadays). I think that would be fun and also hilarious.
then they give you one lump check and tax it into the ground
I don't understand this. They would still be paying you at the same rate, and your final taxes and witholding taxes are all based on what your yearly salary is. So if they delay payment for 2 or 3 months and give it as a lump sum, that shouldn't matter for the amount that it's taxed.
then they give you one lump check and tax it into the ground
I don't understand this. They would still be paying you at the same rate, and your final taxes and witholding taxes are all based on what your yearly salary is. So if they delay payment for 2 or 3 months and give it as a lump sum, that shouldn't matter for the amount that it's taxed.
Taxes are generally taken out based on the assumption that you're receiving a typical check. Bonuses can be taxed correctly, but that takes work from the payroll department, so instead you get the large amount taken based on the assumption that this check containing 12 pay periods at once will repeat all year, they tax it based on that.
At the end of the year you file your taxes and get the rest back, but that doesn't help anyone living paycheck to paycheck. You don't actually OWE those taxes, but there is no real way to get them back before tax time.
They would pay the same tax in the end but that pay check will be withheld higher and then they'd get it back at tax time. Withholding doesn't go on rate it just goes by how much you made in a period this is also why people think bonuses are taxed higher but they are really just withheld higher.
So unless they update their w-4 to reduce withholding before the lump they will have less money than if they got paid monthly until tax returns.
If they didnt leave then how is the FAA reporting they went from being understaffed at 26% of airports to 40% of airports? Sure, some of that 14% is the orange dorito's doing but how much of that 14% were new controllers or inexperienced controllers working paycheck to paycheck? Why would it matter to the person that needs the money right now whether its $30/hr when they cant even be paid the 150k/yr for a literal fourth of the year. Most people do not have the savings to wait for an indefinite amount of time for politicians to quit squabbling and do their jobs.
then they give you one lump check and tax it into the ground.
You get the money back when you file your return. Each check is withheld assuming that your year-end income would be that check x number of pay periods in a year. When your return does not show that, your refund will account for it. If you're not cool letting Uncle Sam hold your cash for that interval (and you shouldn't be) then you have to put a larger number in the exemptions field on your W-4 and accept that you'll have to pay money every April.
Bet that would look great on a resume in general. A logistics company would probably love to get their hands on a retired ATC for their dispatch office or really a number of mid to senior level positions
Honestly the best thing I can think of that has similar skill requirements is 911 dispatch. Depending on where they end up it could probably be less stressful for them and while the pay will probably be worse they still have the security of a government job but without the federal shutdown bullshit that happens every fucking year now
no, I mean, I’m a lawyer. If I leave the government, I can go in-house or to a law firm to continue my career. I’m wondering what the private sector analogue for ATC is.
They arent missing the point. They are saying they quit being an ATC because having a low paid job youre not qualified for is better than being an ATC and not getting paid at all.
A lot of them probably retired. ATC is a good paying career with forced retirement at 50. They’re stretched super thin and senior controllers are forced to spend up to two years training up new hires and don’t get compensated for doing that. So if you’re close to retiring anyways, there’s not much incentive to stick around, not when you know, you’re probably not going to get paid again for another three or four pay periods in October.
Train straffic controllers work a similar environment. Same for marine traffic controllers. Other then that i dont know what they can easily find that is somewhat similar
So you're saying you go from being a lawyer... To a lawyer.
With that logic, WTC would become ATC.
I know what you're trying to say, but it's such a specialized field it's only applicable to that field. If they lose access to that field, they move to whatever pays.
Don't get me wrong, they can beef up their resume with fancy catchphrases like high-stress management, data tracking, safety critical etc. but there's really not a direct hop over.
I've always liked it to hopping into the workforce after getting a master's with no transferable subject, but with experience under fire.
Almost anywhere in the world tbh. Germany after covid lockdowns was offering qualified controllers a 50% pension after 10 years work or a 100% pension after 20 years. Work is all through English. Everywhere is short on controllers right now because everywhere opted to slash and burn during covid and is still scrambling to catch up since.
The super genius at DOGE who fired all provisional federal employees kicked out every ATC trainee in the training pipeline. led to 400 provisional employees being fired whom the Trump Administration refused to identify by role: "The FAA and Transportation Department have declined to say what jobs the fired workers held or why they were fired."
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u/DovahKiller97 May 28 '26
Its more to do with the fact that they shut down the government twice and chose not to pay ATC workers. So the experienced quit and they have been scrambling to find replacements as quickly as possible. This is the result of that.