TPA CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING MGMNT'S POLICY OF UTILIZING CTLRS TO STAFF TWR SUPVR POS IN LIEU OF SUPVR CTLRS.

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TAMPA ATCT IS USING CTLRS INSTEAD OF SUPVRS TO STAFF THE TWR CAB SUPVR AND CAB COORDINATOR POS. THIS OCCURS ON A DAILY BASIS; EVEN WHEN THERE ARE 3 OR MORE SUPVRS ON SHIFT. MOST INTERESTING IS THAT WHEN 2 FAA OFFICIALS FROM THE EASTERN TERMINAL SVCS UNIT WERE VISITING THE TPA ATCT LAST MONTH; A SUPVR WAS IN THE CAB (BUT ONLY DURING THE VISIT). ONCE THE VISITORS LEFT; THE SUPVR LEFT THE CAB AND DIRECTED A CTLR TO STAFF THE CAB SUPVR POS. 2 DAYS LATER; WHEN ANOTHER ACFT WAS MOVING THROUGH THE TPA; NO SUPVR WAS IN THE CAB. THIS PRACTICE; ALLOWED BY THE AIR TFC MGR; ROBS DESPERATELY NEEDED CTLRS FROM THE FLOOR TO STAFF A SUPERVISORY POS. CTLRS ARE REGULARLY WORKING 2 HRS STRAIGHT ON POS WITH MINIMUM BREAKS; WHILE SUPVRS ARE WORKING A '1 HR ON; 2 HRS OFF' ROTATION AT THE TRACON SUPVR POS. THE STRESS IS APPARENT AT TPA; WHERE OPERATIONAL ERRORS HAVE SKYROCKETED IN THE LAST 18 MONTHS. TPA ATCT'S FAA-MANDATED NUMBER OF CTLRS IS 67. AT PRESENT; THERE ARE ONLY 60 CTLRS WORKING TFC; WITH NO TRAINEES 'IN THE PIPELINE.' OF THOSE 60; 10 ARE ELIGIBLE TO RETIRE; WITH 5 ALREADY ANNOUNCING THEIR RETIREMENT BY YR'S END. YET; ON A DAILY BASIS; CTLRS ARE STAFFING WHAT EVEN THE 'IG' SAID WAS A SUPERVISORY FUNCTION. I'VE BEEN AT 2 OTHER (THEN) LEVEL V ARPTS. TPA IS THE FIRST TWR AT A BIG ARPT WHERE SUPVRS ARE RARELY; IF EVER; IN THE TWR. SAFETY-RELATED? YOU BET.