David Hartwick

xitter.gq/globeandmail/sta… I’m not sure if Ashley Nunes wrote his opinion piece from his Harvard office after strolling into work at 9 am or from the comfort of his home. While I appreciate some attention and dialogue on this issue, I must take exception to some of his remarks. This piece is not a constructive addition to the discussion on this issue. While I work in Canada, we are facing many of the same issues and challenges as the US and many of the other Air Navigation Service Providers around the world. Most come down to short staffing. While serious efforts to address staffing are underway in Canada, and elsewhere, the demands of the job and training present obstacles to resolving the problem quickly. Scheduling in a 365/24/7 environment is not quite as straightforward as Mr. Nunes might think; more so, when attempting to do this in a safety-critical environment while balancing life and fatigue considerations. Many different approaches have been tried, each with benefits and drawbacks. A simple review of the ‘science’ would have revealed that to him. More to the point, the 3 days of ‘paid’ time off he refers to are quite often – most often – largely consumed by overtime. Overtime work that is required, and has been required, to keep the system operating and the skies safe. Some fact checking would have revealed that. Some expression of gratitude and respect for the additional work that ATCs have been doing for years on an ongoing basis would have been more appropriate and appreciated than casting aspersions as to their motives. Yes, they get paid for the overtime. No, that isn’t time off. It’s time away from friends, families, hobbies and a healthy lifestyle. The implications for mental and physical health and well-being are significant. What Mr. Nunes misses when he speaks about the negotiated number of ATCs needed, is that once determined, that number has not been achieved. In Canada that number is not negotiated but is unilaterally defined by the employer. We are also short. As is every ANSP in the world. Again, fact checking by Mr. Nunes would have helped. For sure the ATC system, like all, contains competing interests, and that is precisely why a negotiated agreement might be the best way to determine what the ‘correct’ number of controllers is. However, regardless of the process, the point is that the answer is not definitive, and requires some understanding of the complexities of the system and the challenges of the work. Two things Mr. Nunes clearly lacks. Mr. Nunes, if you would like me to direct you to some relevant reading, I would be happy to do so. I’m sure you could find the time. Nick von Schoenberg President, Canadian Air Traffic Controller’s Association