N90 CTLR EXPERIENCED OPERROR AT 12000 FT WITH CONVERGING TFC AT THE SAME ALT.

Narrative

THE G4 AND B717 WERE ON CONVERGING HDGS BOTH LEVEL AT 12000 FT. THE RADAR AND HDOF CTLR NOTICED THE PROB AT THE SAME TIME WHEN THE ACFT WERE ABOUT 4 1/2 MI APART. THE G4 WAS ISSUED A CLB AND THE B717 WAS ISSUED A TURN OF APPROX 70 DEGS TO THE R TO AVOID THE G4. SEPARATION WAS LOST FOR A PERIOD OF ABOUT 15 SECONDS. RADAR DATA SHOWED PROXIMITY OF 2.92 NM AND 0 FT AND 1.82 NM 800 FT. THIS OCCURRED AS THE RADAR AND HDOF CTLR WERE TRYING TO STOP DEPS FOR 2 DEP ROUTES TO ZNY BECAUSE OF VOLUME AND A 15 NM IN-TRAIL RESTR IN EFFECT. ZNY HAD ALSO REQUESTED THAT THE ACFT BEING FED ON THOSE 2 ROUTES BE RESTR TO 250 KIAS THUS ADDING TO THE COMPLEXITY. COORD WAS ALSO BEING MADE TO HOLD 2 ADDITIONAL ACFT FROM ENTERING THE AIRSPACE DUE TO VOLUME. EXCESSIVE VECTORING IN ORDER TO PROVIDE IN-TRAIL SPACING REQUIREMENTS; HVY VOLUME AND EXTENSIVE COORD DISTR THE 2 CTLRS FROM THEIR PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY OF SEPARATING THE ACFT. IN ADDITION; THE FOLLOWING ARE BELIEVED TO BE CAUSAL FACTORS: 1) N90 MGMNT; SEVERAL WKS AGO; IMPLEMENTED A MANDATORY POS STAFFING POLICY. 70% OF CTLRS ON DUTY MUST BE ON A POS; REGARDLESS OF THE LEVEL OF TFC. THIS HAS DRASTICALLY REDUCED BREAK TIME DURING SHIFTS. IN ADDITION; MGMNT IS NOT PROPERLY BALANCING SHIFTS. SOME SHIFTS HAVE TOO MANY PEOPLE WORKING; OTHERS DON'T HAVE ENOUGH. THERE HAS BEEN A VERY NOTICEABLE INCREASE IN FATIGUE AND REDUCED AWARENESS OF CTLRS AT N90. MISTAKES ARE BECOMING MORE COMMON. 2) ON SEP/XA/06; THE FAA IMPOSED NEW WORK RULES ON CTLRS. THIS IS CAUSING A MAJOR DISTR TO THE WORKFORCE. THIS HAS DESTROYED MORALE AND IS INTERFERING WITH CTLRS' ABILITIES TO PERFORM THEIR JOB SAFELY.