I can't speak to the first question, but as to the second, correct, US air traffic controllers are not currently being paid.

[1]: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/07/travel/shutdown-air-traff....

[2]: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/20/us/politics/shutdown-air-....

[3]: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/28/air-traffic-...

▲

hdgvhicv a day ago | parent [-]

Why are they turning up for work?

▲

ezfe a day ago | parent | next [-]

Because they will be back-paid when the government reopens and if they stop showing up then they will be fired. Now, you could ask: won't they be able to get a job back later, who knows.

	▲	Tadpole9181 19 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Actually, the administration has cast doubt on if they will actually provide backpay. It's now anybody's guess.

▲

fujigawa a day ago | parent | prev [-]

People of high integrity generally hold these jobs.

Not Googlers threatening a general strike because they took onion bagels off the cafeteria menu.

▲

hdgvhicv a day ago | parent [-]

People of high integrity don’t work without paying wages.

People of high integrity don’t work for people of low integrity.

▲

dh2022 a day ago | parent | next [-]

Maybe you want to rephrase your last sentence because right now it reads as an insult to all federal workers.

	▲	hdgvhicv 17 hours ago \| parent [-]
		If you’re meekly doing your job rather than actually using your power to end this then yes.

▲

Covenant0028 a day ago | parent | prev [-]

I guess the people in this instance realise they're an essential service for the economy and that without them, a lot of people could actually die. So they probably see their role as being more than simply working for the people of low integrity.

▲

hdgvhicv 17 hours ago | parent [-]

In which case it’s their duty to end it. But I don’t see a million people marching in Washington, I don’t see food deliveries failing to reach the White House. I don’t see airports simply close down.

	▲	Covenant0028 4 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Again, there's probably a sense of responsibility towards the people moving through the airports who otherwise would be facing much greater risk to their lives. As a non American who's having to transit the country during this period, I've nothing but respect for the individuals who're actually doing their jobs and keeping everyone (including me) safe without getting a penny for this vital work. They could go on a strike and bring all airlines to a halt, but as a brown skinned person, I would then be risking a visit to "Alligator Alcatraz" or some other demented place because I failed the leave the country on the day I was supposed to. So again, glad they're not doing that.