jetcareers - View Single Post - Some miscellaneous questions including pay

ABP52380 · October 15th, 2007, 19:18

You'll start at 32k plus locality. Under the new contract you'll be lucky if you EVER make the top of the pay band. Here's the thing; the controllers were given a HUGE pay raise when the old contract was imposed under Garvey, the pendelum swung waaaaaay in favor of the controllers. Basically, the FAA just bent over and and gave the union every thing they wanted. Last year, under the current adminstration, the FAA sought to swing the pendulum back in their favor - and they did in a big way. Does moral suck right now? Yes. Are controllers pissed off? Yes. Will there be a new contract? Most definately. That said, I think it will be some where in between previous contract and the newly imposed non-tract.

I don't know. The grass is always greener. I just resigned my ATC position (at a center that is known as one of the best in the country) to get BACK into flying. Yeah, some may think I'm nuts. Hell, I've had the thought cross my mind once or twice too. However, I really couldn't see myself doing that job for 25 years. I want to fly, always have.

I can tell you this. There is NO guarentee that you'll make the cut. Since I resigned my old center has had several people washout and several more resign (because of pay, work conditions, and/or lack of passion and motivation for the amount of crap you have to deal with.) Is it a great job? A lot of controllers say so. But just know that if you do switch careers making it past the academy in OKC (about 90% pass rate right now) is far removed from actually checking out at your facility.

In the end, you have to do what YOU think will make you happy. For me, that's flying.

October 15th, 2007, 19:18	#3
ABP52380 Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 62	Re: Some miscellaneous questions including pay You'll start at 32k plus locality. Under the new contract you'll be lucky if you EVER make the top of the pay band. Here's the thing; the controllers were given a HUGE pay raise when the old contract was imposed under Garvey, the pendelum swung waaaaaay in favor of the controllers. Basically, the FAA just bent over and and gave the union every thing they wanted. Last year, under the current adminstration, the FAA sought to swing the pendulum back in their favor - and they did in a big way. Does moral suck right now? Yes. Are controllers pissed off? Yes. Will there be a new contract? Most definately. That said, I think it will be some where in between previous contract and the newly imposed non-tract. I don't know. The grass is always greener. I just resigned my ATC position (at a center that is known as one of the best in the country) to get BACK into flying. Yeah, some may think I'm nuts. Hell, I've had the thought cross my mind once or twice too. However, I really couldn't see myself doing that job for 25 years. I want to fly, always have. I can tell you this. There is NO guarentee that you'll make the cut. Since I resigned my old center has had several people washout and several more resign (because of pay, work conditions, and/or lack of passion and motivation for the amount of crap you have to deal with.) Is it a great job? A lot of controllers say so. But just know that if you do switch careers making it past the academy in OKC (about 90% pass rate right now) is far removed from actually checking out at your facility. In the end, you have to do what YOU think will make you happy. For me, that's flying.