--- title: PASS President discusses FAA funding and workforce challenges description: The America’s Work Force Union Podcast is the nation’s premier daily labor program. Dave Spero from PASS National joined us on today’s show. image: https://awf.labortools.com/hubfs/AWF-blog-image-template_PASS_blue.jpg --- 1 min read Season 6, Episode 126 # PASS President discusses FAA funding and workforce challenges [ awfblog ](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/author/awfblog) June 25, 2025 [America's Work Force Union Podcast](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/tag/americas-work-force-union-podcast) [AWF](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/tag/awf) [PASS](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/tag/pass) ![AWF-Blogo-Logos-Template-400x400_PASS](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AWF-Blogo-Logos-Template-400x400_PASS.jpg?width=400&height=400&name=AWF-Blogo-Logos-Template-400x400_PASS.jpg)   Guest Name: --- Dave Spero Guest Website: --- [PASS National](https://www.passnational.org/)  Guest Social Media: --- [ Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/PASSNational) [ Twitter](https://x.com/passnational) [ LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/professional-aviation-safety-specialists-pass/) Supportive Documents: --- Dave Spero, National President of the [Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS)](https://www.passnational.org/), joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the proposed $22 billion in Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) funding, the need for more technicians and the challenges of upgrading the national airspace system. The proposed $22 billion in FAA funding is a significant investment, but Spero questioned whether it would be sufficient for the extensive upgrades needed. He highlighted the complexity of the air traffic control system, which includes 21 centers, seven large terminal radar approach controls, 400 airport control towers and approximately 70,000 pieces of electronic equipment. Spero stressed that while funding is crucial, having enough skilled technicians to implement the upgrades is equally essential. Spero noted that the message about the need for more technicians is finally getting through to policymakers. The FAA has created a workforce plan, estimating a need for an additional 800 technicians, though Spero believes this number may increase. He emphasized the importance of dedicated funding for hiring technicians instead of using a general operations budget that could be reallocated to other priorities. The timeline for implementing these upgrades is ambitious, with plans to install 500 new radars and six air route traffic control centers in just four years. Spero expressed skepticism about this timeline's feasibility, given the projects' complexity and the lack of precedent for such rapid implementation. He stressed the importance of starting the process and making progress, even if the complete upgrades take longer than initially planned. Listen to the full episode above for more from Spero on FAA funding and aviation safety. --- America’s Work Force is the only daily labor podcast in the US and has been on the air since 1993, supplying listeners with useful, relevant input into their daily lives through fact-finding features, in-depth interviews, informative news segments and practical consumer reports. America’s Work Force is committed to providing an accessible venue in which America's workers and their families can hear discussion on important, relevant topics such as employment, healthcare, legislative action, labor-management relations, corporate practices, finances, local and national politics, consumer reports and labor issues. America’s Work Force Union Podcast is brought to you in part by our sponsors: AFL-CIO, American Federation of Government Employees, American Federation of Musicians Local 4, Alliance for American Manufacturing, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes-IBT, Boyd Watterson, Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, Communication Workers of America, Mechanical Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust, International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Local 50, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Crafts, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 6, Ironworkers Great Lakes District Council, Melwood, The Labor Citizen newspaper, Laborers International Union of North America, The National Labor Office of Blue Cross and Blue Shield, North Coast Area Labor Federation, Ohio Federation of Teachers, United Labor Agency, United Steelworkers. - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ##### SUBSCRIBE ON: --- [![Group 342](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AmericasWorkForce/podcast%20logos/Apple%20Podcasts%20Button-Dark.png?width=171&name=Apple%20Podcasts%20Button-Dark.png)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/americas-work-force-union-podcast/id1511224946) [![Group 341](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AmericasWorkForce/podcast%20logos/Spotify%20Button-Dark.png?width=100&name=Spotify%20Button-Dark.png)](https://open.spotify.com/show/0GzkHxFSBxiXvuX0lZpQBn) [![Group 343](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Group%20343.png?width=135&name=Group%20343.png)](https://www.iheart.com/podcast/americas-work-force-union-podcast-62567752/) [![Group 339](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Group%20339.png?width=110&name=Group%20339.png)](https://www.pandora.com/podcast/americas-work-force-union-podcast/PC:47979) [![Group 397](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Group%20397.png?width=125&name=Group%20397.png)](https://americasworkforceradiopodcast.podbean.com/) [![Group 397](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/YouTube_button.png?width=125&name=YouTube_button.png)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuQo1PAtRAel1_tS7-PQOkA)   #### [Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen on the Union Pacific Merger Threat](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/brotherhood-of-railroad-signalmen-on-the-union-pacific-merger-threat) : July 6, 2026 # Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen on the Union Pacific Merger Threat Brandon Elvey, Secretary-Treasurer of the [Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen](https://www.brs.org/),... [Read More](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/brotherhood-of-railroad-signalmen-on-the-union-pacific-merger-threat) #### [AFL-CIO's Fred Redmond on the Convention, AI and America at 250](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/afl-cios-fred-redmond-on-the-convention-ai-and-america-at-250) : July 3, 2026 # AFL-CIO's Fred Redmond on the Convention, AI and America at 250 Fred Redmond, Secretary-Treasurer of the [AFL-CIO](https://awf.labortools.com/), joined the [America's Work Force...](https://awf.labortools.com/) [Read More](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/afl-cios-fred-redmond-on-the-convention-ai-and-america-at-250) #### [C/COBCTC's Dorsey Hager on Drones, Data Centers and Growth](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/c/cobctcs-dorsey-hager-on-drones-data-centers-and-growth) : July 2, 2026 # Dorsey Hager on Drones, Data Centers and Central Ohio's Building Boom Dorsey Hager, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the [Columbus/Central Ohio...](https://columbusconstruction.org/) [Read More](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/c/cobctcs-dorsey-hager-on-drones-data-centers-and-growth) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "awfblog", "url" : "https://awf.labortools.com/listen/author/awfblog" }, "dateModified" : "2025-06-25T18:20:20.195Z", "datePublished" : "2025-06-25T18:20:20.000Z", "headline" : "PASS President discusses FAA funding and workforce challenges", "image" : [ "https://awf.labortools.com/hubfs/AWF-blog-image-template_PASS_blue.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://awf.labortools.com/listen/pass-president-discusses-faa-funding-and-workforce-challenges", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://awf.labortools.com/hubfs/labor-tools-logo-white.png" }, "name" : "BMA Media" } } ```