Narrative:

I understand that NASA is not going to interject itself into the ongoing labor relations problems between the FAA and the union; but I do believe you are interested in how different environments affect safety; so that is how I will address this -- as a degradation of safety issue. The environment the ATC workforce is working under right now is so oppressive and hostile that there is little discussion of anything else during work hours. People are concerned for their jobs currently and for their futures. You can read all about the ongoing strife between the union and the FAA in just about any paper anywhere today; so I won't go into it here; but be advised; it is affecting safety. Everyday I see controllers totally distraction by what is happening. Concentration; which is absolutely required in this job is difficult at best; and almost impossible in the current environment. Someone is going to die as a result. I see people working tower and radar position every day whose minds are everywhere but where they should be. Contrary to the administration's stated position; we are not menial laborers. If we make serious mistakes; the results can be disastrous. And make no mistake; it is coming. And it truly appears to me that no one cares. It actually seems that this administration is so intent on union busting and beating the workforce into submission under the guise of 'running like a business' that they would consider loss of life as a result; just the cost of doing business. I am writing this to be on record -- the workforce is under such an attack that it is becoming more and more difficult to keep focused on the task at hand when signed on a position. We are professionals; but we are also human beings. And are subject to all the frailties of human beings. Small lapses in concentration may be acceptable in just about any other field; but in this one; that small lapse; resulting from external distrs that you just don't turn on and off at whim; could be the difference between catching a mistake that you; or someone else makes which might save lives. The FAA has 'minimum standards' for everything; including separation of aircraft. So when there is a radar outage; or a power failure; or a controller or facility loses all of its frequencys; they (FAA) look to see if there was any loss of separation with any aircraft involved. If they find none; they say 'safety was never compromised.' well; what the public does not understand; in my opinion; is that they have had the benefit of a system that has worked well above the minimum standard. This is the reason we have the safest system in the world. And this is because of the men and women who work in that system. The ATC workforce has been an intrinsically motivated group of people whose sole concern was the safety of the flying public. And they worked so far above the minimum standard that it is taken for granted. So; if (on an arbitrary numerical scale of 1-10) the minimum standard is a 5; but the workforce is working at 10; then there is a great deal of buffer; above the minimum standard; for the system to absorb the described incidents and still meet the minimum standard. And 'safety was never compromised.' now factor in a demoralized; disgusted; distracted workforce who; while they are still concerned about the safety of the flying public; now are worried about; and distracted by; the current environment in which they work. Their income is under attack and has been cut. Their workplace 'quality of life issues' (annual leave; work schedules; sick leave; dress code; etc) have all been decimated. What everyone involved needs to understand is that this is a workforce that is rapidly approaching the point where we are not working at a 10 any more. The norm is going to be working right at the minimum standard. And who can complain. It is the standard that the FAA has set. But; when there is an incident as described above; there is no buffer to absorb the degraded service; and safety will be compromised.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RDU CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING FAA'S NEW MGMNT POLICIES AND THEIR EFFECT ON CTLR'S.

Narrative: I UNDERSTAND THAT NASA IS NOT GOING TO INTERJECT ITSELF INTO THE ONGOING LABOR RELATIONS PROBS BTWN THE FAA AND THE UNION; BUT I DO BELIEVE YOU ARE INTERESTED IN HOW DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS AFFECT SAFETY; SO THAT IS HOW I WILL ADDRESS THIS -- AS A DEGRADATION OF SAFETY ISSUE. THE ENVIRONMENT THE ATC WORKFORCE IS WORKING UNDER RIGHT NOW IS SO OPPRESSIVE AND HOSTILE THAT THERE IS LITTLE DISCUSSION OF ANYTHING ELSE DURING WORK HRS. PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED FOR THEIR JOBS CURRENTLY AND FOR THEIR FUTURES. YOU CAN READ ALL ABOUT THE ONGOING STRIFE BTWN THE UNION AND THE FAA IN JUST ABOUT ANY PAPER ANYWHERE TODAY; SO I WON'T GO INTO IT HERE; BUT BE ADVISED; IT IS AFFECTING SAFETY. EVERYDAY I SEE CTLRS TOTALLY DISTR BY WHAT IS HAPPENING. CONCENTRATION; WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY REQUIRED IN THIS JOB IS DIFFICULT AT BEST; AND ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE IN THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT. SOMEONE IS GOING TO DIE AS A RESULT. I SEE PEOPLE WORKING TWR AND RADAR POS EVERY DAY WHOSE MINDS ARE EVERYWHERE BUT WHERE THEY SHOULD BE. CONTRARY TO THE ADMINISTRATION'S STATED POS; WE ARE NOT MENIAL LABORERS. IF WE MAKE SERIOUS MISTAKES; THE RESULTS CAN BE DISASTROUS. AND MAKE NO MISTAKE; IT IS COMING. AND IT TRULY APPEARS TO ME THAT NO ONE CARES. IT ACTUALLY SEEMS THAT THIS ADMINISTRATION IS SO INTENT ON UNION BUSTING AND BEATING THE WORKFORCE INTO SUBMISSION UNDER THE GUISE OF 'RUNNING LIKE A BUSINESS' THAT THEY WOULD CONSIDER LOSS OF LIFE AS A RESULT; JUST THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS. I AM WRITING THIS TO BE ON RECORD -- THE WORKFORCE IS UNDER SUCH AN ATTACK THAT IT IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT TO KEEP FOCUSED ON THE TASK AT HAND WHEN SIGNED ON A POS. WE ARE PROFESSIONALS; BUT WE ARE ALSO HUMAN BEINGS. AND ARE SUBJECT TO ALL THE FRAILTIES OF HUMAN BEINGS. SMALL LAPSES IN CONCENTRATION MAY BE ACCEPTABLE IN JUST ABOUT ANY OTHER FIELD; BUT IN THIS ONE; THAT SMALL LAPSE; RESULTING FROM EXTERNAL DISTRS THAT YOU JUST DON'T TURN ON AND OFF AT WHIM; COULD BE THE DIFFERENCE BTWN CATCHING A MISTAKE THAT YOU; OR SOMEONE ELSE MAKES WHICH MIGHT SAVE LIVES. THE FAA HAS 'MINIMUM STANDARDS' FOR EVERYTHING; INCLUDING SEPARATION OF ACFT. SO WHEN THERE IS A RADAR OUTAGE; OR A PWR FAILURE; OR A CTLR OR FACILITY LOSES ALL OF ITS FREQS; THEY (FAA) LOOK TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY LOSS OF SEPARATION WITH ANY ACFT INVOLVED. IF THEY FIND NONE; THEY SAY 'SAFETY WAS NEVER COMPROMISED.' WELL; WHAT THE PUBLIC DOES NOT UNDERSTAND; IN MY OPINION; IS THAT THEY HAVE HAD THE BENEFIT OF A SYS THAT HAS WORKED WELL ABOVE THE MINIMUM STANDARD. THIS IS THE REASON WE HAVE THE SAFEST SYS IN THE WORLD. AND THIS IS BECAUSE OF THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO WORK IN THAT SYS. THE ATC WORKFORCE HAS BEEN AN INTRINSICALLY MOTIVATED GROUP OF PEOPLE WHOSE SOLE CONCERN WAS THE SAFETY OF THE FLYING PUBLIC. AND THEY WORKED SO FAR ABOVE THE MINIMUM STANDARD THAT IT IS TAKEN FOR GRANTED. SO; IF (ON AN ARBITRARY NUMERICAL SCALE OF 1-10) THE MINIMUM STANDARD IS A 5; BUT THE WORKFORCE IS WORKING AT 10; THEN THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF BUFFER; ABOVE THE MINIMUM STANDARD; FOR THE SYS TO ABSORB THE DESCRIBED INCIDENTS AND STILL MEET THE MINIMUM STANDARD. AND 'SAFETY WAS NEVER COMPROMISED.' NOW FACTOR IN A DEMORALIZED; DISGUSTED; DISTRACTED WORKFORCE WHO; WHILE THEY ARE STILL CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE FLYING PUBLIC; NOW ARE WORRIED ABOUT; AND DISTRACTED BY; THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH THEY WORK. THEIR INCOME IS UNDER ATTACK AND HAS BEEN CUT. THEIR WORKPLACE 'QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES' (ANNUAL LEAVE; WORK SCHEDULES; SICK LEAVE; DRESS CODE; ETC) HAVE ALL BEEN DECIMATED. WHAT EVERYONE INVOLVED NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT THIS IS A WORKFORCE THAT IS RAPIDLY APCHING THE POINT WHERE WE ARE NOT WORKING AT A 10 ANY MORE. THE NORM IS GOING TO BE WORKING RIGHT AT THE MINIMUM STANDARD. AND WHO CAN COMPLAIN. IT IS THE STANDARD THAT THE FAA HAS SET. BUT; WHEN THERE IS AN INCIDENT AS DESCRIBED ABOVE; THERE IS NO BUFFER TO ABSORB THE DEGRADED SVC; AND SAFETY WILL BE COMPROMISED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.