Canadian air traffic controllers gift U.S. colleagues affected by gov't shutdown with slice of solidarity

American air traffic controllers suffering from the U.S. government’s partial shutdown that began on Dec. 22 have been gifted stacks of pizza pies from their Canadian counterparts in an industry-wide show of support.

I'm sure there are more facilities helping out where they can. To every last one of you helping out with such a wonderful gesture:

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

— Lew W (@atclew58) January 11, 2019

Peter Duffey, the head of the Canadian Air Traffic Control Association, said many union members had been looking for a way to show solidarity with their American colleagues, who have been working without pay due to the partial government shutdown.

The initiative began in Edmonton’s control centre on Thursday when employees mustered funds to buy pies for controllers in Anchorage, Alaska.

What started as one gesture of #solidarity from YEG ACC controllers to those in ANC, is now a pizza wave with CATCA ACC and Tower members sending pizzas all over the US. Our CATCA members stand with our @NATCA brothers and sisters!

— CATCA (@CATCA5454) January 13, 2019

Since then other facilities have adopted the idea and sent their own support in cheesy, triangular form.

“The next thing we knew, our members were buying pizzas left, right and centre for the colleagues in the U.S,” Duffey said in a phone interview Sunday afternoon.

“As it stands right now, I believe we’re up to 36 facilities that have received pizza from Canada, and that number is growing by the hour.”

Duffey estimates that as of Sunday afternoon, approximately 300 pies have been received by American controllers in 36 facilities around the United States, many of whom took to social media to express their gratitude.

My friend & colleague, @J3rMcG, has suggested we, as controllers, show our appreciation by taking some vacation time to Canada next year. I think he's damned right! Let's pump some tourist cash into the Canadian economy!

— Lew W (@atclew58) January 12, 2019

Thank you to @CATCA5454 for your generosity! We all appreciate you standing side by side with us. The Air Traffic Family world wide is amazing. pic.twitter.com/bwI69MPZWy

— Joseph lanzetta (@TinPusher688) January 12, 2019

One controller was even so ecstatic with the act of philanthropy that he considered changing his opinion on Canadian hockey teams.

I'm extremely grateful of @CATCA5454 for the extremely kind gesture of buying us pizza while our own government isn't paying us. I might have to cheer for a Canadian hockey team (as long as they aren't playing the Coyotes 🤣) #ThankYou #Day21 pic.twitter.com/d6IYBWbGdz

— 🏳️‍🌈Call Me Myke🇺🇸 (@jimmyphx) January 12, 2019

Duffey said one anonymous Canadian donor contributed $500 to the pizza fund, while another single-handedly bought lunch for two facilities in Phoenix, Arizona, to thank them for “taking care of all the snowbirds from Western Canada who go down for the winter.”

Ron Singer, the national media manager for Nav Canada, which manages the country’s civil air navigation, says Canadian and American air traffic controllers interact “on a daily basis” as they manage North American airspace.

“There’s a bond there, automatically,” he said in a phone interview.

Thank you @CATCA5454 for sending our brothers and sisters at Boston Center pizza! We appreciate your support during our #GovernmentShutdown pic.twitter.com/7umefjrikq

— NATCA New England (@NATCANewEngland) January 12, 2019

He said that as of Sunday afternoon, Nav Canada employees from all of Canada’s seven control centres and many of its towers have bought lunch for their U.S. counterparts.

Some 10,000 air traffic controllers in the United States have been working without pay since late December due to the ongoing government shutdown.

Their union filed a lawsuit in federal court in Washington on Friday, asking for an order compelling the government to pay them what they’re owed.

With files from The Canadian Press