NY Air Traffic Control Mgr. Alleges Union Workers Watch Movies, Text During Work
- Posted on February 6, 2011 at 12:30pm by
Jonathon M. Seidl
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A manager at a major air traffic control center in New York has called or an investigation after alleging some of his union employees work only three hours a day and regularly engage in chatting, texting, and even movie-watching while on the job.
The New York Post reports:
Evan Seeley, a frontline manager at the New York Air Route Traffic Control Center in Ronkonkoma, LI, fired off complaints last month to the Federal Aviation Administration and the Office of Special Counsel, a federal agency that probes whistleblower claims. The Post obtained copies.[...]
Seeley’s OSC filings allege that union controllers operate with little oversight at the center, which coordinates high-altitude flights through the Northeast, including from JFK, La Guardia and Newark airports, and is best known for having handled the hijacked 9/11 planes.
Instead of focusing on their monitors, some of the barely supervised controllers socialize, gaze at photos on their phones and sit with their feet up on desks, claims Seeley, 26. A few play movies or solitaire on their laptops, despite FAA rules banning electronic devices.
On-duty controllers also are allowed to disappear for breaks that can last more than an hour, the whistleblower alleges, and workers pressured him to “close positions” — or shut down posts — so they could lollygag.
“Closing positions could potentially create dangerous air-traffic situations where one controller was working too many aircraft,” Seeley’s OSC complaint states. “Most controllers were working just three hours out of an eight-hour shift.”
Read the full story from the Post.
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Comments (142)
booger71
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 1:03pmA manager should be able to fire any employee that is derelict in duty
Report Post »Daniel4
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 1:02pm“Always Look For The Union Label”… And then RUN AWAY!!!
Report Post »The Gooch
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 12:56pmAnother example of the “excellence” unions encourage. And yet the union and it apologists will shamelessly continue to defend the indefensible.
Report Post »Can you imagine if hunting dogs or race horses had the presence of mind to unionize? “Go get your own damn bird! I’m on break!“ ”I’ve ran a race this month! Get off my back!”
Seems to me the task at hand would require an expected dedication to detail and safety. Three hours?!? And that time is spent on banned activity!?! Let’s see how Obama handles this. I’m quite certain he will not be Reaganesque: Do your job or lose it.
cykonas
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 12:54pmReagan got it half right when he fired all the recalcitrant schmucks. He should have gone the other half way and privatized the whole damn thing. Union or no union; government employees, for the most part, would never make it in the private sector in a position of any appreciable responsibility. That’s why when they retire, if they go to another job, they become advisers or lobbyists. They move from one side of the public trough to the other. Oink, oink!
Report Post »1776Federalist
Posted on February 7, 2011 at 1:39pmYou know not of what you speak. Many controllers left successful jobs in the private sector to become controllers. They do it for various reasons. Our retirement is not so great anymore either. The did away with the Civil Service Retirement System. Now we get a lot less and pay for a lot more. I don’t know any rich controllers.
Report Post »Steve Martin
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 12:54pmGet rid of unions
Report Post »Old Truckers
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 2:30pmI used to belong to a union. They did nothing for me. Even my pension money is somehow unavailable for me now that I am retired. Bunch of gangsters!
Report Post »Dale Nick
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 12:53pmThis is why I drive where I want to go.
Report Post »GeorgieJo
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 1:25pmI agree Dale I plan on NEVER flying again
Report Post »TSA soon to be in the Union ? THAT’s enough for me
WhiteFang
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 1:41pmThis old bear joined the No-Fly-Club last year. I’ve had it with the airlines and the government.
Report Post »Larry Notes
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 12:53pmRonald Reagan fired them all when they went on strike.
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 12:50pmI’ll be saying something, too, Spawny!
Report Post »Who’s paying these leeches? We are!
Reagan fired them one time. Am thankful my Congressmen’s numbers are already in my phone!
DSN397
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 12:49pmAs I said earlier, I’ll bet President Reagan could get their attention, or he‘d get new air traffic controller’s who would keep their eye‘s on the screen and head’s in the game.
Report Post »Crewbot
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 12:49pmProud to be NON-union!!!
Report Post »Crewbot
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 12:48pmI’m proud to be NON-Union!!!!!
Report Post »DashRipRock
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 12:48pmNo wonder the Bars are always packed at airports
Report Post »and thats just the Pilots
jim1flyer
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 12:47pmThink this is bad wait until the TSA is unionized. Airlines should start privitizing security so there’s no chance of a unionized TSA.
Report Post »912828Buckeye
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 12:55pmHeard/ saw something on news this am.
Report Post »TSA is unionized or will be soon.
mcpbob
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 12:46pmI give Evan Seeley a lot of credit to stand up to those he works with, takes some guts and we need more just like him, what he is saying is correct and i live in new york and i see first hand how union workers work, they all have the same, “I CAN’T BE FIRED” attitude, SAME AS THE POST OFFICE WORKERS, my father worked their till his retirement, you have one out of every ten workers who actually work, the rest can’t be fired, and the supervisors go after the ones that actually do the work to squeeze as much out of them as they can. Unions are no longer good for society, they have been obsolete for years, it is time to clean up these unions get them back into the main stream otherwise we are going to look like Greece very soon.
Report Post »Echad
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 1:31pmPost office workers are some of the absolute worst! For an example I know a letter carrier that has been put into rehab for heroin three times. Guess who’s paying for this we are. Anybody else would have bee fired the first time but unions make them keep losers like this.
Report Post »mcpbob
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 3:08pmYeah, i know a handfull of those examples, and there are so so many more… it really is a joke, everyone knows if you want a job that you don‘t have to do and can’t get fired from, become a postal worker, thats why they are billions of dollars in the hole.
Report Post »1776Federalist
Posted on February 7, 2011 at 1:34pmAir Traffic Controllers can, and do get fired. One DUI gets you into a forced alcohol abuse program, two is automatic bye-bye. We have to report every aspirin or Tylenol we take. Most Rx drugs and over the counter medicines are off limits, even though they may not affect us at all. If you take a pain killer with codeine, expect to be off the boards for 4 days after your last dose. Cough syrup is usually 12-48 hours depending on the medicine in it. We are held to a higher medical standard than pilots. If you get Diabetes, even if it is very well controlled, you might still lose you medical. If you get depressed or have any mental illness, no matter how minor, you will be fired. Controllers work a compressed rotating shift schedule that is hard on your health. You have higher risk factors for many health issues, that will likely shorten your life. You have to retire by age 56, so you better have something else in mind to bridge the gap to age 62, when you are eligible to start tapping your savings and such. The adrenaline rush you get from the busy periods is not good for you either, even though you feel good for a short time. This story sound nearly impossible to be true. I should know, I have been a Center Air Traffic Controller for 23 years.
Report Post »lostpassword
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 12:46pmTake that damn NEXT STORY TAG off the web site !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know what I’m Looking for .Damn Annoying!
Report Post »WhiteFang
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 1:33pmI’m with you on that! I hate that next story box.
Report Post »1776Federalist
Posted on February 7, 2011 at 1:21pmAmen!
Report Post »UlyssesP
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 12:46pmOn this 100th birthday of R. Reagan…Fire Them!
Report Post »DSN397
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 12:46pmI’ll bet Reagan could put a stop to it.
Report Post »bikerr
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 12:45pmIf Ronald Reagan were alive these workers would be fired.
Mdems
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 12:43pmThis is what happens when workers know it will be difficult to fire or reprimand them because they are protected by their union. It starts with just a few mins here and there and because there are no consequences to their actions they take more and more.
Report Post »DashRipRock
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 12:42pmAlleges?
please….
Report Post »Phreedom
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 12:40pmYou mean these union workers aren’t dedicated, hard working and committed to their jobs? Wow who would have seen that coming!
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 12:37pmThe TSA should be watching the traffric controllers instead of molesting Americans!
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 12:39pmThis is OUTRAGEOUS!!! I mean, I don‘t fly and I’m pissed!
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 12:43pmThe instructions say, “SHOWTIME, SPEAK YOUR MIND”
No, I think I’d better keep my thoughts to myself. I’ll put out the fire under my collar instead!
Report Post »(You got my drift?)
Robert-CA
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 1:52pm3 posts instead of putting all of this in 1 post , you’re acting like Unions .
Report Post »:) :) :) :)
kentuckypatriot
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 12:37pmShould we be suprised? I just hope this kid who was the whisleblower doesn’t suffer any consequences from unions or their thug bosses. I also hope there will be an investigation, but won’t hold my breath.
Report Post »Robert-CA
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 1:55pmwow everybody is shocked @ this story , who saw this coming ?
Report Post »sayittomyface
Posted on February 7, 2011 at 12:05pmWhat the story doesnt tell you is that this same whistleblower was demoted for falsley claiming he worked overtime. That my friends is stealing.He also was unable to successfully pass the training program in NY and therefore as a form of revenge sought to get back at the people who went out of there way to train him. Also keep in mind that this is one disgruntled employee looking for revenge. The air traffic controllers work thousands of flights daily keeping you people safe and get little thanks. Its funny how when you hear one story about someone taking an hour break you all rush to judgement. If the job was so easy it wouldnt be on the most stressful list. You should get the facts before you open your mouth
Report Post »Balladeer
Posted on February 7, 2011 at 12:58pmHey sayittomyface…and I will…so your premise is that NONE absolutely NONE of these charges are true??? NOW who is rushing to judgment….the UNION mindset is ” I want something for nothing..and my union rep says I get Time and a half for talking to you”…remember these are the same mopes that went ON STRIKE in the 80′s Personally I can easily believe Union parasites are doing just what the man described…it would be typical of ANY union parasite..and I mean ANY. By the way chicken or the Egg did our whistle-blower be as bad as you say…or is he paying the price for blowing the whistle???
Report Post »1776Federalist
Posted on February 7, 2011 at 1:20pmThe “whistleblower” wasn’t a kid, he was a manager. With a manger to employee average ratio of between 5:1 and 7:1, I don’t know how these people can be so unsupervised, unless the managers are not doing their jobs. I work at the Air Route Traffic Center in Denver, and that type of crappola doesn’t happen here. We even get yelled at if we place a drink on our consoles.
Report Post »sayittomyface
Posted on February 7, 2011 at 2:24pmI’m sure theres times when you can see a union air traffic controller sitting around not working for a short period of time during the day. The same as you would see a cop, or fireman not working every second of every shift. After all, if there‘s no fire there’s no work right?? It‘s the time when there is a fire or there are 100’s of flights arriving and departing that you need a professional in there to do the job. And that’s why we get paid well…Because we do the job!! Not stop bitching and complaining about what we get and what you don’t. Let’s put your job under a microscope and see what flaws we can find. This whistleblower should be embarrassed. Pointing the finger at everyone else because of his lack of character and ability. Anyone who supports this type of behavior is probably a mirror image of this skirt
Report Post »mccspqr
Posted on February 7, 2011 at 4:25pmThis is to all the posts on this item. As a Front Line Manager at an FAA Air Traffic Control Tower since 2005, and an Air Traffic Controller since 1979, I have to say that it is MY responsibility to manage the operating quarters in a manner that promotes safety and efficency. If the Controllers are doing anything they should not be doing, it is the Manager’s responsibility to correct the behavior. I‘m sure one of the FAA’s first resonses to these accusations will be to inquire of the complaining Manager as to why he didn’t correct the behavior on the spot, as we are empowered to do.
As to the questions of the value of the work from the Controllers for the investment of the taxpayers, I will staunchly defend the integrity and professionalism of ALL of the Air Traffic Controllers that I know and manage. It’s true that the stress meter is not constantly pegged at full, but these dedicated men and women ALWAYS perform any task, under any condition for as long as I ask them to.
I understand the need to prove our “worth” to the taxpayer, and as a taxpayer, I know unquestionably that the US Air Traffic Controllers are the best in safety and efficiency. Consider that the aviation industry in the US contributes (directly or indirectly) approximately 5%-8% of the US GDP, and there are only 17,000 Air Traffic Controllers safely and efficiently managing the safest aviation system in the world every day.
There will always be the individual case(s) of people without a conscience, but you will find that the dedicated men and women of the FAA constantly perform far above the accepted norms in any other field.
grandmaof5
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 12:36pmOf course they do and when the work doesn’t get done because they slow down or disappear, they hire more workers to get the job done. It is a racket that has been going on for many years and is endorsed by the boss’ to garner more money and votes.
Report Post »912828Buckeye
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 12:35pmWhat else did he think they were doing?
Report Post »912828Buckeye
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 12:42pm20 years ago they would have been playing cards or napping.
Report Post »Spiny Norman
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 1:08pmExactly. Is this a surprise to anyone?
Report Post »what4
Posted on February 6, 2011 at 1:49pmJust imagne the Chrysler workers that were busted….same thing most likley!
Report Post »randomtaxpayer
Posted on February 7, 2011 at 10:50amNot only postal workers and air controllers are in a union, but so are the nurse’s at the V.A. Our brave men and women have to deal with the same types for their medical care. Now that is scarey and dangerous too!
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