The article discusses how the ongoing U.S. government shutdown forces over 13,000 essential air traffic controllers at the FAA to work without pay, amid chronic staffing shortages, mandatory 10-hour daily overtime, and furloughed support staff. This increases fatigue and stress, potentially compromising aviation safety and efficiency. The union warns of reduced layers of safety in the National Airspace System, with back pay expected post-shutdown but no clear end date. It references a proposed bill for 30 days of shutdown pay and past disruptions like the 35-day 2019 shutdown. (Shared by nostr:9c5d0c006a5701b7c2aee51e50490e4cc59ca4c9abf937049c769d34d5aee5f2)