Canadian air traffic controllers send pizza to U.S. colleagues working without pay

It's the fourth week of Donald Trump's government shutdown, with around 800,000 federal employees working without pay since Dec. 22.

That includes air traffic controllers, like those working in the New York Air Traffic Control Center, who, while they're still waiting for their paychecks, received a tasty symbol of solidarity from their colleagues across the Canadian border.

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Canadian air traffic controllers from the Atlantic province towns of Gander and Moncton ordered pizzas for the crew working at the control center in Ronkonkoma, Long Island on Friday, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).

Pointed out by the news outlet, a notice was posted up in the hallway of the centre heralding the arrival of 32 pies courtesy of the Canadian Air Traffic Controller Association (CATCA). 

An image of the notice was posted to Reddit by David Lombardo, a former air traffic controller at the Long Island center, and was posted by other employees on Twitter.

This wasn't the only U.S. air traffic control center to receive some cheesy goodness from their Canadian counterparts. 

Ever since controllers in Edmonton reportedly ordered pizzas for their colleagues in Anchorage, Alaska on Thursday, Canadian control centers have sent pizzas to 35 U.S. units including those in Boston, Seattle, Minneapolis, and Cleveland.

The best bit? The initiative came directly from Canadian employees themselves, something Ron Singer, spokesman for Nav Canada, which owns and operates Canada's civil air navigation industry, congratulated them on while talking to HuffPost Canada.

"We are very proud of the thoughtfulness that our controllers have shown to their colleagues in the U.S., proud but not surprised," he told the news outlet.

Doug Church, deputy director of public affairs for the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) in the U.S. told CBC there are 14,000 controllers currently working without pay.

In fact, on Friday, NATCA announced it is suing the federal government for its members working without pay thanks to Trump's shutdown over funding for his border wall. 

The association had already joined other aviation groups in penning an open letter to officials, urging the government to resolve the shutdown.

So, while an actual paycheck what U.S. air traffic controllers really need, a show of support and solidarity in the form of pizza is a solid "hang in there" from across the border.

"It's just a really good shot in the arm of positive energy and positive emotion to know that, 'Hey they've got our back,'" Church told CBC. "On behalf of the entire NATCA and air traffic control around this country, we extend our thanks and our gratitude."

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