Air traffic controllers, Bush administration at odds over jobs [View All]

Air traffic controllers, Bush administration at odds over jobs

LESLIE MILLER, Associated Press Writer Friday, August 22, 2003

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(08-22) 22:20 PDT WASHINGTON (AP) --

Air traffic controllers once again are fighting a bitter battle with a Republican administration, this time over a proposal to privatize some of their jobs.

The union representing 15,600 controllers says the plan to expand a program that contracts with private companies to run control towers at smaller airports is a step toward privatizing air traffic control everywhere. The Federal Aviation Administration says it has no such plans and only is looking to save money.

The dispute is the most heated since 1981, when President Reagan fired more than 11,000 controllers on grounds they violated a national security provision in their contract by striking.

The FAA in 1982 began contracting air traffic control at about 60 small airports that could not reopen after the strike because of a controller shortage. Now 219 of the 484 public airports in the United States with towers have "contract towers."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2003/08/22/national1507EDT0615.DTL

Bush is out Union Busting again.