Cheesy Surprise: Canadian Air Traffic Controllers Send Pizza to US Peers Amid Shutdown
Canadian air traffic controllers showed support for their American peers who are working during the partial US government shutdown by sending them pizza.
The Canadian Air Traffic Control Association units in Newfoundland and New Brunswick ordered 32 boxes of pizza for their counterparts in the New York Air Traffic Control Center in Long Island on Friday (Jan. 11).
It was a welcome gesture of cheesy goodwill. The gesture snowballed.
As of Monday (Jan. 14), Canadian air traffic controllers have sent pizzas to 35 different units in the US.
“It’s nice to see that there’s solidarity out there,” former air traffic controller David Lombardo told the CBC .
There’s people out there who are just saying, ‘Hey, I work with you as a friend or a colleague and here’s a nice gesture of friendship.’
‘Hey Canada, Thank You!’
Lombardo shared an image of the notice on Reddit . “Hey Canada, THANK YOU!!!” the note read.
Lombardo says aviation workers are a “really tight-knit group,” so the good deed reaffirmed those warm feelings. Moreover, the pizza was awesome.
It’s really good pizza. And this is Long Island. Believe me, we are pizza perfectionists.
20 Prior US Government Shutdowns
The US air traffic workers enjoyed the pizza, but said they loved the good vibes even more.
“It’s a really good shot in the arm of positive energy,” says Doug Church, a rep for the USA National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA).
On behalf of the entire NATCA and air traffic control around this country, we extend our thanks and our gratitude.
Importantly, there are 800,000 federal employees who are affected by the shutdown, which began on December 22, 2018.
They will receive back pay once the shutdown ends — as happened during the 20 previous shutdowns.
Showdown Over Border Wall
Notably, the shutdown started after President Donald Trump asked the Democrat-led House of Representatives for $5 billion to build a wall along the US-Mexico border.
Trump says the wall is needed to stem the tsunami of illegal immigration, illicit drugs, and human trafficking.
For decades, Democrats like former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton insisted that a border fence was necessary to curb illegal immigration. When President Trump took office, the Democrats changed their tune. They now say the wall is unnecessary and too expensive.
Meanwhile, illegal immigration costs US taxpayers $113 billion a year , according to the Federation for American Immigration Reform. This is part of the reason why the US national debt now tops $21 trillion.
Featured image from Shutterstock.
