Duckworth Takes On 'Divisive' Air Traffic Controller Bonuses

The Trump administration's decision to award a $10,000 bonus to just a sliver of air traffic controllers who worked through the government shutdown isn't sitting well with Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth. In a letter to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Duckworth insists that the Trump administration expand the bonus to all air traffic controllers and FAA technicians who worked without pay during the shutdown. Currently, the bonus is limited to those who didn't miss a single day of work during the 44-day shutdown—a group that represents only about 4% of the workforce, or fewer than 800 individuals, reports CBS News.

Duckworth, the ranking Democrat on the Senate's aviation subcommittee, called the policy "unfair, divisive, and disrespectful" to the more than 20,000 employees who kept the National Airspace System running. She argues that excluding the vast majority of controllers—many of whom missed work for reasons such as illness or child care—amounts to punishing and alienating a critical workforce at a time when the FAA is already understaffed by 3,800 certified controllers.

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association echoed Duckworth's concerns, pointing out that only 311 of its members qualified for the bonus. While the union supports recognizing the work done during the shutdown, it questioned why thousands who reported for duty under difficult circumstances were left out. Duckworth and other Democrats warn that the policy could create dangerous incentives, with employees feeling pressured to work while sick in order to qualify for future bonuses.

"These dedicated professionals must be at their best when on the job, but your policy encourages [them] to show up regardless of their health," Duckworth wrote. "That is incredibly dangerous. Sick leave exists for a reason." In a November meeting on Capitol Hill, Duckworth questioned why President Trump didn't pay ATC workers during the shutdown like he did members of the military, reports the AP. The Transportation Department has said the bonus payments will be made by Tuesday, per CBS. Similar bonuses are being offered to TSA officers by the Department of Homeland Security.