CLEVELAND, Ohio – Air traffic controllers from airports throughout Ohio will greet passengers on Tuesday at Cleveland Hopkins airport, handing out fliers to travelers in hopes of hastening an end to the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
William Gentry, an air traffic controller at the Cleveland Air Route Traffic Control Center in Oberlin, said the skies are currently safe. But the longer the shutdown continues, the greater likelihood that training, system updates and other important functions will go unfilled.
He noted that although air traffic controllers are considered essential personnel and must report to work, others in his office – including trainers, technicians and administrative support – are on furlough, leaving important duties unfilled.
Gentry, a controller for the past 17 years, has been through past shutdowns – but none that lasted this long, and none that encompassed a missed paycheck.
Federal workers will be paid when the shutdown is over, but in the meantime, workers are worried about paying their bills, said Gentry, president of the union that represents nearly 400 workers at the Oberlin center. “People are angry. They’re upset. They’re scared,” said Gentry.
Informational leafleting by the air traffic controllers union started Monday at several airports, including Minneapolis, Dallas and Atlanta, and will expand to other facilities, including Cleveland, on Tuesday.
Gentry said he expects several dozen controllers from airports throughout Ohio to greet Cleveland Hopkins passengers at the baggage claim and ticketing levels from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, handing out information and talking to travelers. Passengers will be asked to contact members of Congress to urge them to resolve the dispute.
Gentry’s union is one of several in recent days to file suit against the government, alleging that being required to work without pay is a violation of workers’ rights.
One incident in recent days did lighten the burden facing Gentry and his colleagues: Air traffic controllers in Cleveland and across the country on Friday enjoyed free pizza courtesy of their fellow controllers in Canada.
Air traffic controllers in Toronto sent their colleagues in Cleveland dinner from Lorenzo’s Pizzeria in Oberlin. “That made everybody smile for a while,” said Gentry.