this post was submitted on 27 Feb 2025
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Summary

Elon Musk called on retired air traffic controllers to return to work, citing a shortage amid heightened scrutiny of the FAA under Trump's second term.

With DOT Secretary Sean Duffy's support, Musk's DOGE attempts to "upgrade" aviation systems despite recent FAA job cuts.

The AP reports fired employees included radar and navigational aid maintenance personnel, though Duffy insisted no "critical safety personnel" were terminated.

Musk's appeal comes amid increased public concern over recent aviation incidents, though experts consider the uptick an anomaly.

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[–] houstoneulers 7 points 9 hours ago

I'm curious what the terms are going to be to get them back. Him just bloating the salaries b/c he's a moron would be on point for him.

[–] [email protected] 36 points 14 hours ago

The shortage is his own damn fault. I wouldn’t want to work any government job right now.

[–] [email protected] 35 points 15 hours ago

Fucking clown show

[–] arin 48 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

Pay more wages, the way of a free market is supply and demand

[–] [email protected] 16 points 13 hours ago

There's no such thing as a labor shortage.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 14 hours ago

What a joke…

[–] Treczoks 40 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

Time to renegotiate salary!

[–] [email protected] 10 points 15 hours ago (2 children)

time to sing l'international!!

[–] [email protected] 6 points 13 hours ago

Yes, the ask is treating ATCs as a collective; they should do some collective bargaining.

[–] DMCMNFIBFFF 2 points 12 hours ago
  • Flying Lizards - Money REACTION *

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7qsikAVx-k

5:54

"I want money

That's what I want.

That's what I want."

FLYING LIZARDS Money EXTENDED VERSION

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_ld0WWvQ4o

5:35

[–] [email protected] 139 points 1 day ago (1 children)

"There is a shortage"

ah damn i love that language. reminds me of the boss that abused my mother back when she was still in employment. "there is a shortage, you need to come over on your day off, otherwise we can't handle the workload". how about employing more people? no? maybe because you can't find another fool who will do the work with these bad working conditions?

[–] [email protected] 10 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

There has been a shortage for a decade, and the post is literally Musk trying to hire early retirees to fill staffing shortages.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 13 hours ago (2 children)

There's no such thing as a labor shortage, especially if it's been long enough to train more ATCs. If the pay is high enough, then people will come out of the woodwork.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 12 hours ago (3 children)

The work is difficult, and the expectations and stress are high. They 100% need to pay better, but the pool of qualified candidates is already fairly small.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 10 hours ago (2 children)

Sounds like they need to increase pay and reduce the number of hours worked while still getting a salary and benfits to entice more people to the position and make the stress more bearable for those they can get to fill the position. It's not a matter of how many people are qualified it's a matter of how many people want to make the tradeoffs to work there and be upskilled to meet the requirements. If your deal is not enticing enough, you need to restructure how the position works in order to entice more people for the position.

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 12 hours ago

Yet it's larger than the number of people required.

[–] andros_rex 3 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago) (1 children)

It’s also difficult to qualify for. As I recall the civilian route to become an ATC is at least six months of full time training (also - usually you need to have already had some work experience/college background) and the test has at least a 50% failure rate.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

You need a college degree only to be qualified, but you are only put into groups 2 or 4. Veterans and people who do to college for atc or aviation safety go to groups 1 or 3. That’s just to then do the minimum 6months of atc training. They also just started direct hiring from colleges with approved programs.

[–] andros_rex 1 points 8 hours ago

I got to tour the FAA training facility and it’s kind of difficult to convey how intense that atmosphere and the training seemed to be in text. Just walking past the guys eating lunch felt stressful.

I got to do a simulation where they even gave me a script with timing and fucked it up.

I think they give you a stipend to live on when you’re in training at least. It would really suck to fail though.

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[–] Jumpingspiderman 3 points 12 hours ago
[–] Lanske 5 points 14 hours ago

Bloody hell!

[–] [email protected] 225 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (20 children)

Well if it isn't the consequences of his own actions.

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[–] Leviathan 73 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Fucking beg, fascist bitch.

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[–] [email protected] 95 points 1 day ago (1 children)

How about you just increase the pay and benefits you’re offering? if you love the efficiencies of the free market so much why don’t you fucking act like it

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[–] JBar2 101 points 1 day ago (4 children)

US law mandates retirement at 56 for Air Traffic Controllers due to the high stress and fast-paced multi-tasking nature of the job

It's considered one of the most mentally challenging jobs there are.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/5/8335

[–] [email protected] 14 points 14 hours ago

We should have this same law for politicians.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 19 hours ago (3 children)

Interesting.

The EU & UK would consider that age discrimination and illegal. You can't be forced to retire at a given age.

Strange that America uses it - especially given the age you allow your presidents to be.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 15 hours ago

Age discrimination is illegal in the US for almost every job, there are a handful of exceptions.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 14 hours ago

It would be in America as well, except ATC is classified as a secure role like the military or police so they get away with stuff like this.

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[–] [email protected] 126 points 1 day ago (4 children)
  1. Claim a federal agency is inefficient
  2. Fire employees and defund agency
  3. Agency performs worse than before
  4. Point finger at the agency showing how it is incompetent
  5. Move to privatize agency
  6. $$$$$$$
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