Eligible air traffic controllers will receive a 2.8% pay raise under an agreement between their union and the Federal Aviation Administration, the Transportation Department said Friday.
The increase takes effect Oct. 18 and is retroactive to the beginning of the year, the department said. The agreement also changes how facilities track working hours, plan shifts and reassign controllers.
Controllers will be required to badge in and out at air traffic facilities. Local managers and union representatives will set shift guidelines based on expected traffic and operating needs.
Reassignments will give priority to facilities with the most severe staffing shortages. The department said earlier changes had directed significantly more controllers to facilities with relatively small shortages.
Congress required the FAA to tie the raise to measurable improvements in operating efficiency, according to the department.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association confirmed the agreement in a separate announcement Friday, describing it as a pay-parity increase for eligible controllers.
The FAA continues to face a controller shortage, with many controllers working mandatory overtime and six-day weeks, Reuters reported. The department said the staffing changes are intended to make better use of the existing workforce.
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