The House will vote tomorrow on a bill that would have Congress intervening in a collective bargainning dispute and force the FAA to continue negotiating with air traffic controllers on compensation. Although the bill requires a vote of 2/3 of those present and the White House is expected to issue a veto threat this afternoon, Republican defections could hand the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) a big win. Reductions in wages and benefits for new hires would save $1.9 billion over the next five years that the bill’s opponents argue is badly needed for airport modernization. The FAA claims that its offer would allow new controllers to make as much as $127,000 a year in salary and benefits in the first five years; the union counters that the highest wage package would be $92,166, but would average between $64,000 and $69,000. Opponents recognize that air traffic controllers perform a critical job in a high stress environment but argue that even the union’s figures amount to a good wage for a job that requires a high school education and two years of training. The salary of a military air traffic controller in a combat zone is $35,919. Lawmakers are being told how controllers’ wages compare to others in their states. Ohio: Compensation for air traffic controllers, who work 5 1/2 hour shifts, ranges from a low of $77,000 to a high of $132,000. Ohio nurses have an average salary of $45,000.