Proposal Shifts Command of ATC Workforce to the Military.

This sounds like a bad idea to me:


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AVflash Volume 9, Number 44a October 26, 2003
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With the House and Senate (not to mention Republicans and Democrats)
still wrangling over language about privatization in that FAA funding
bill, a bit more fuel was added to the fire last week. Rep. John Mica
(R-Fla.), chair of the House Aviation Subcommittee, proposed shifting
command of the air traffic control workforce to the military. Mica
plans to hold a hearing Nov. 6 to discuss the possibility. National
Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) President John Carr said
Mica's idea "recognizes the inherently governmental function of air
traffic control, although we believe the military's priority should be
military air traffic control, not civilian," Congress Daily reported
last Wednesday. However, such a move would prevent air traffic
controllers from joining a union, according to Congress Daily. Carr
also expressed concern that a military currently fighting the war on
terror in Iraq and Afghanistan may already be spread too thin to take
on the responsibility of the domestic air traffic control system. Of
course, it goes without saying that NATCA would oppose any move that
would eliminate union representation for the controllers. "We think we
should stick with the system we have now," NATCA spokesman Doug Church
told AVweb over the weekend. "It's the best system in the world."