GEOFF BENNETT: 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 three# million American air travelers every day.

For more, we're joined by Nick Daniels.

He's# president of the air traffic controllers Union.

Thanks for being here.

NICK DANIELS, President, Nati.. me.

I appreciate it.

GEOFF BENNETT: So what kind of st.. are air traffic controllers under and# how is this shutdown making it worse?

NICK DANIELS: 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 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 shutdown on top of it, it's an# unnecessary distraction that shouldn't be## beared by the controllers that are doing# an amazing job for the American people.

GEOFF BENNETT: And few people can afford# to miss a paycheck.

You have warned that## air traffic controllers are having to pick up# second jobs.

I mean, how real a concern is that?

NICK DANIELS: 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 controllers are going## to show up and do their job that Americans want# every single day, which is keeping them safe.

But,## yes, when we had a 35-day government shutdown and# you saw that zero dollar paychecks were rolling## in and you needed to think about your family,# taking care of medical bills, making sure that## food was going to be on the table, some did# start having to drive for Uber on the side.

And that's something that Americans have said# we don't want our air traffic controllers## doing a side gig.

We want them doing their# primary job, and that's keeping people safe.

GEOFF BENNETT: Especially if they're# working 60 hours a week already.

NICK DANIELS: Especially if they're working 60# hours a week, because that means they're going## to their primary job in the day and having to pick# up a side job at night and then try to get rest.

And the government spent millions# of dollars to help with fatigue,## to help with unnecessary distractions.# We get regular training on these things,## yet a government shutdown# introduces every single one of them.

GEOFF BENNETT: The FAA says it's going to halt# the field training and the hiring during the## shutdown.

There's an academy in Oklahoma that# will stay open, but using last year's funds.

What's that mean for the# pipeline of new controllers?

NICK DANIELS: Air traffic controllers go# through a rigorous training at Oklahoma## City.

And I do commend Secretary Duffy,# Administrator Bedford.

They have come up## with a way that's never been done in the past to# ensure that Oklahoma City Academy does stay open.

Right now, we're only operating the system with# 10,800 controllers.

This shutdown exacerbates## and showing the issues of being critically# staffed, having unreliable equipment.

But,## ultimately, we have training that# goes on at our facility levels,## that 2,350 people are furloughed that usually help# conduct that training for air traffic controllers.

So, some training will get done.

All# the training won't.

And this example is## why these issues continue to rise in our# career field.

This stop-and-go funding,## government shutdowns, it just keeps putting# us further behind and the issue further out.

GEOFF BENNETT: And beyond the shutdown, we# have seen several safety lapses this past## year.

There was that deadly crash at Reagan# National.

There have been near misses.

There## was a runway collision just the other day# at La Guardia, repeated outages at Newark.

We know the system needs an overhaul, but is# enough being done to actually put fixes in place?

NICK DANIELS: For the first time in my# career, I have seen an actual investment## in air traffic control, $12.5 billion.# It's going to take about a $31 billion## investment to eventually get it done.# But we cannot slow down.

We cannot have## pauses like this that are going to# keep this problem going on longer.

We need the investment now.

We need to keep# the government open.

And that's our call.

So,## open the government, let us do the job# and let us get everybody to work so we## can truly bring the system up to the gold# standard that American people deserve.

GEOFF BENNETT: Can Americans feel safe flying# right now and if this shutdown drags on?

NICK DANIELS: People can feel safe flying,# but that's because of the men and women that## I represent, the air traffic controllers that# are shouldering this burden day in and day out.

They will go to work, they will do the amazing# job, they will move 35,000 flights a day,## three million people, the cargo associated# with it.

And every single day that this goes,## it's more stress on their back, it's an# unnecessary distraction that needs to end.

GEOFF BENNETT: We likely will, though,# see delays and some cancellations?

NICK DANIELS: Delays and cancellations happen# every day on a fragile system that's already## there right now.

And I think the hyper-focus# will be from the media during the shutdown,## and we will get to see, not because# of just the shutdown itself,## how fragile our system really is and# why we need to continue investing in it.

GEOFF BENNETT: Nick Daniels, president of the air# traffic controllers union, thanks for being here.

NICK DANIELS: Absolutely.

Thank you for having me.