And replace them with… whom, exactly?

Demanding slave labor by threatening to loose you from your master if you refuse to cooperate is a strange take.

Threatened to be fired from unpaid, highly specialized and stressful work? Sounds like relief rather than a threat.

As of early 2025, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reports that only about 10,800 certified air traffic controllers are actively working, while the industry needs around 14,600 to operate efficiently. Nearly 280 of the 300 air traffic control facilities are understaffed.

This Duffy needs to recognize these people are to be prized not humiliated. What a total TrumpTurd.

Lol go ahead and fire them. That will definately help the shortage of controllers!

FORCING people to Work UNPAID is PROOF that Trump is the MOST Pro Worker president EVER!

Hahahaha ok. Tell that to any employment lawyer.

That is called alavery, or indentured servitude at best. Kinda frowned upon.

Yeah because the US is just swarming with qualified air traffic controllers hoping to get to work in their place if they're fired. /s 🙄

They are desperately short workers, even in the best of times, so their response is to fire the few workers they have from one of the most notoriously stressful jobs on the planet?

What is more likely to happen is that they will fire controllers loudly and publicly, lose every single lawsuit, be forced to rehire them, which they would have done anyway because they need them so badly, except they will also pay all back pay, also significant damages, an enormous fine, and if the employee is smart, they'll demand an enormous raise in pay to return.

And the MAGA Nazis deserve it.

Because firing the controllers worked so amazingly well when Regan did it...

Almost like it’s a bad idea to come out and mass threaten the livelihoods of employees you need. Weird.

Go ahead do it.

Controllers, unionize while fired, what are they going to do, there's already a shortage when you aren't union

Truly one of the highest stress, lowest appreciation, skill-based professions on the planet. What have we become?

Step 1: Fire ATC

Step 2: Rubber stamp plane manufacturing safety checks

Step 3: ATC messes up due to shortage

Step 4: TCAS fails because it never got checked

Step 5: 🛩💥✈️

Step 6: Blame "ANTIFA Terrorist"

Step 7: Martial Law

Like other affected federal workers, controllers are worried about how they will pay their bills during the shutdown when they won’t get paychecks. Duffy and the union’s president have acknowledged the unfairness of their situation, which only adds more stress to their already stressful jobs.

NATCA President Nick Daniels said controllers might have to take time off to work a second job just to make ends meet during the shutdown. But Duffy said that right now, he thinks the controllers who are missing work are “lashing out” in frustration.

“It’s going to eventually be that when people don’t have money, they have time to start making life choices and life decisions. And it shouldn’t be waiting for air traffic controllers to break because of having to take out loans, credit card debt, paying bills, gas, groceries, mortgages. Those things aren’t going to stop,” Daniels said.

So... What if they are actually sick...? I mean not getting paid and still having to show up let alone the stress of being a air traffic controller seems likely to make people prime candidates for low immune systems. Oh, but that's right sickness doesn't exist under RFK, right?

Rich guy logic

That'll make them show up for no pay! What's the worst that could happen with a bunch of disgruntled air traffic controllers?

Any politician making decisions to not pay working citizens shall be expired

oh no what will they do without all that non existent money. Bet they are super worried about getting work with their hyper specific skill set that fewer and fewer people are able to perform

Ah yes, my employer is playing this game as well. Recently after a decade of working loyally for my company, they decided to insult everyone in my department.

We're an important department.

This is the guy from The Real World, ya'll.

The Blue States should hire them, alongside the rest of the RIF'ed personnel of the Trump Regime. During a civil war, those extra traffic controllers will help keep air travel moving smoothly and let the workers have reasonable working hours.

Also, it is the right thing to do. The Trump Regime is hurting people for the sake of a tantrum.

Bold move, Cotton, let’s see how this plays out.

So.. slavery then?

It's already illegal for them to strike. This comes as no surprise.

Just ground all planes until the stupid circus is resolved. That should out some pressure behind it.