This podcast is supported in part by the New England Innovation Academy in Marlborough, Massachusetts,

where today's students become tomorrow's innovators by discovering their passions and purpose while preparing for what's next,

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Learn more at NEI Academy.org. Roughly 750,000 federal employees were furloughed on Wednesday when

the government closed its doors, not included in that number the more than 10,000 air traffic

controllers nationwide who will continue to work without pay as long as

the shutdown continues. And that has raised concerns about the strain on an already understaffed

and overworked cohort responsible for the safe transit of 3 million American air travelers every day.

For more, we're joined by Nick Daniels. He's president of the Air Traffic Controlers Union. Thanks for being here. Thank you for having me. I appreciate it. So what kind of stress and strain are air traffic controllers under, and how is this shutdown making it worse? Air traffic controllers are known in this country of having one of the most demanding and one of the most high-consequence jobs in the entire world. They go to work day in and day out, and five days is difficult enough.

They go to work six on most occasions, having to work 60 hours in a week, six days in that week,

and then ultimately only having four days off in a month, and then you add in the uncertainty

of when you're going to get paid again and a government shut down on top of it,

it's an unnecessary distraction that shouldn't be bare by the controllers that are doing an amazing job for the American people.

And few people can afford to miss a paycheck.

You've warned that air traffic controllers are having to pick up second jobs.

I mean, how real a concern is that?

American workers are the same across.

Air traffic controllers fall right in that same

vein as all the other American workers. Most people are young, starting families, and they don't have

that residual income. Or when you know your stream of income isn't going to be there, you have to start

making very difficult decisions. Now, I want to make sure it's completely understood. Air traffic

...