Only 776 of the more than 10,000 air traffic controllers who had to work without pay during the shutdown will receive the $10,000 bonuses that President Donald Trump suggested because the Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday that only controllers with perfect attendance will get the checks.
A number of controllers started calling out of work as the shutdown dragged on longer than a month as they dealt with the financial pressure of working without a paycheck. Some of them got side jobs, but others simply couldn't afford the child care or gas they needed to work. Their absences forced delays at airports across the country and led the government to cut some of their flights at 40 busy airports.
Trump suggested the bonuses for those who have stayed on the job in a social media post, but he also suggested that controllers who missed work should have their pay docked. FAA officials haven't publicly announced plans to penalize controllers.
