Air Traffic Controller Union Thanks Veterans This Weekend While the FAA Plans to Lay Off Hundreds

WHEATON, Md., May 27 -- The National Association of Air Traffic Specialists (NAATS) would like to thank and honor our men and women currently serving their country and veterans on this Memorial Holiday weekend. The dedication and sacrifices you and your families have made over the years for our safety and freedom does not go unnoticed, thank you just doesn’t seem enough and is certainly not said often enough.

Unfortunately, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) does not share our appreciation and respect for the veterans that we have the honor of working with. The FAA plans to lay off hundreds of veterans this October. This is the result of the largest government out-sourcing process ever done and almost 60 percent of affected employees are military veterans. Nearly 2400 Air Traffic Controllers across the nation have been informed that their federal jobs will be eliminated effective Oct. 4.

The elimination of these jobs will have a devastating affect on many of the employees who are just a few weeks or months from retirement. The ability for Veterans to “buy-back” military time for credit towards a federal retirement has long been an option for employees entering federal service after their military commitment. The termination of their federal status will deny these veterans the ability to collect all their retirement benefits.

The National Association of Air Traffic Specialists, NAATS, is supporting a bipartisan House bill (H.R. 1474) introduced by Congressman Sanders, LoBiondo and Congresswoman Sanchez and o- sponsored by a number of other House representatives. An identical bill, S.776, has been introduced in the Senate by Senator Tim Johnson and it also has bipartisan support. The effect of the bills would be to reinstate inherently governmental protection for this group of air traffic controllers and to stop the February 1 outsourcing award to Lockheed Martin. Both bills are gaining support from both Democrats and Republicans.

For more information on Flight Service Stations and the services provided please visit http://www.naats.org or contact:

The National Association of Air Traffic Specialists

Attn: Kate Breen

11303 Amherst Avenue, Suite 4, Wheaton, MD 20902, Phone: 301-933-6228, Fax: 301-933-3902

Contact Information

Kate Breen

Media Contact

National Association of Air Traffic Specialists

Contact via E-mail