FAA's $10,000 bonuses for perfect attendance during shutdown go to 4% of workers

"A number of controllers started calling out of work as the shutdown dragged on longer than a month and they dealt with the financial pressure of working without a paycheck. Some of them got side jobs, but others simply couldn't afford the child care or gas they needed to work. Their absences forced delays at airports across the country and led the government to order airlines to cut some of their flights at 40 busy airports."

"The National Air Traffic Controllers Association union said only 311 of its more than 10,000 members will receive the bonuses. The union said these workers with perfect attendance deserve recognition but so do the others. We are concerned that thousands of air traffic controllers who consistently reported for duty during the shutdown, ensuring the safe transport of passengers and cargo across the nation, while working without pay and uncertain of when they would receive compensation, were excluded from this recognition. More than 311 of these dedicated professionals were instrumental in keeping America moving, the union said in a statement."

Seven hundred seventy-six air traffic controllers and technicians with perfect attendance during the 43-day government shutdown will receive $10,000 bonuses, while nearly 20,000 other FAA workers will not. Many controllers missed shifts as the shutdown extended, facing financial strain without pay; some took side jobs, while others could not afford childcare or fuel. Those absences caused delays at airports nationwide and prompted the government to order airlines to cut flights at 40 busy airports. President Donald Trump proposed bonuses and suggested docking pay for missed shifts; the FAA has not announced penalties. The controllers' union said only 311 union members will receive bonuses and expressed concern about excluded workers who consistently reported for duty.

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