{"id":363186,"date":"2025-11-07T22:50:17","date_gmt":"2025-11-07T22:50:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/363186\/"},"modified":"2025-11-07T22:50:17","modified_gmt":"2025-11-07T22:50:17","slug":"unpaid-faa-workers-picket-at-sky-harbor-airport","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/363186\/","title":{"rendered":"Unpaid FAA workers picket at Sky Harbor airport"},"content":{"rendered":"

PHOENIX \u2014 As the government shutdown causes flight cancellations and delays, the human cost of the fight underway in Washington is being felt directly by federal employees at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.<\/p>\n

FAA workers, who are furloughed or required to work without pay, took to the sidewalks to demonstrate how the shutdown is impacting their ability to feed their families and maintain the nation\u2019s air safety system.<\/p>\n

A few members of the local chapter of PASS (Professional Aviation Safety Specialists), the union for aviation safety specialists, handed out flyers urging travelers to call Congress and demand an immediate end to the shutdown.<\/p>\n

These employees \u2014 who include inspectors, technicians, and other specialists \u2014 have been working without compensation for more than a month, missing multiple paychecks and struggling to pay their bills and mortgages.<\/p>\n

PASS representative Ashley Cioffi, an active FAA technician, said she came to picket so she can help speak for her colleagues who are burnt out, can\u2019t afford gas, and are visiting food banks to feed their families. She said many of them wanted to show up on Friday to raise awareness, but struggled to make that happen.<\/p>\n

\u201cThoughts and prayers are great, but we still need to eat,” said Cioffi, when asked about people and politicians who are saying they support federal employees. “I am just going around my house… Trying to empty out my freezer and not spend money to eat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cioffi warned that the strain can quickly turn into a serious safety issue, saying the operational stress will soon exceed employee endurance.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt some point, people are going to stop showing up for work… Equipment will fail eventually if people don\u2019t come into work,” she warned.<\/p>\n

Andy Branigan, a PASS member and aviation safety inspector, said that the public often overlooks their critical, safety-focused roles outside the control tower.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are the people who make sure the plane is safe to fly. We are the people who make sure the pilot is safe to fly,\u201d Branigan explained. \u201cWe are not out looking at our planes, we are not out looking for pilots, we are busy trying to justify our existence.”<\/p>\n

The FAA has said they are reducing flights at busy airports like Sky Harbor to maintain safety as the shutdown continues.<\/p>\n

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