Date: 201502
Local time of day: 1201-1800
Location: ARR.Airport, IL
Light: Daylight
Reporter organization: Government
Reporter function: Other / Unknown
Reporter qualification: Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Human factors: Distraction; Situational Awareness; Training / Qualification
Anomaly: ATC Issue All Types
Contributing factors: Human Factors; Procedure; Staffing
Primary problem: Staffing

Narrative: The following scenario occurred as a result of Aurora ATCT being severely understaffed.  Presently; there are only 4 qualified/ Certified Professional Controller's (CPC) total and only 3 CPC's were scheduled to work the entire; following day (well below our minimum staffing requirements).[Date removed] was scheduled with 1 CPC opening; me as the CPC on a middle shift and being held over for a mandatory 2 hours of overtime; and 1 CPC on the closing shift.  With the staffing below our minimum staffing requirements; the Controllers In Charge (CIC) were focused on maintaining safety and allowing sufficient breaks to ensure if/when traffic was heavy and complex; we would be able to staff the positions properly.  Breaks were shortened to 45 minutes long for the CPC's.  Training was an after thought behind maintaining safety due to staffing being at dangerous levels.The traffic became very complex and heavy in the morning.  With as few CPC's and many job tasks being required including phone calls from Chicago TRACON supervisors; controllers; helping to find aircraft/tag aircraft on the radar; assisting the very busy local controller; as well as staffing the operational positions; training was not performed during the first part of the morning shift.  Once the CPC arrived for his shift; training was able to be more of a priority with sufficient staffing and safety having been the focus of the CPC's during the morning.I was made aware this afternoon that ARR ATCT management had deemed the shift was run poorly; training should have been the priority; and that even shorter breaks should have been enforced to accomplish training thus possibly compromising safety.  ARR ATCT management was not present during this morning shift and was not aware or understanding of all of the complexities; concerns; and events of the morning.  When the supervisor arrived; the CPC's explained what had happened that morning and expressed our concerns about being below minimum staffing requirements.  Training was accomplished for all 3 of the trainees at some point during their shifts as well. A supervisor;  who did not work on [date removed]; issued a false and misrepresentative Performance Record of Conference this afternoon stating that the CIC's had 'poor management of resources; fails to provide for the OJT needs of the facility; and reduces the margin of safety in order to provide long breaks.'  The longest break any controller received all day was 46 minutes; an appropriate break amount even stated so by ARR ATCT management.Safety; efficiency; and proper staffing should; in my opinion; be the foremost concerns at Aurora ATCT.  Evidently; this is not the case.  I received a total of 2 hours and 10 minutes of break time during my entire 10 hour shift but was told breaks should be shorter; thus fatiguing controllers working (with some on overtime); and quite possibly compromising the safety of the operation.Staffing is at dangerously low levels and have reached a critical tipping point at Aurora.  Aurora ATCT management should; in my opinion; have a focus on safety instead of trying to focus solely on training.   We do not have the proper personnel to accomplish training all of the time; and though I recognize training is important to help alleviate our staffing shortage; I do not believe it should be enforced to a level that compromises safety and introduces risk into the ARR ATCT operation.




Synopsis: An ARR Tower Controller reports of staffing issues at the Tower. Reporter sites a specific day where he thought they did a good job with the short staffing; but management thinks they did not.