Do any of you think that this is something that has only been happening recently or has it been going on for some time but has only recently been brought to our attention?
A long-term problem that's finally getting some overdue attention. Pilots, truckers, and railroad employees also have severe fatigue issues. Let's say you're a railroad engineer. You start at 12pm and work your 12 hours maximum until 12am. At 0600, they can call you back to work, and you must report within 2 hours of being called. This goes on 24/7/365.
A lot of pilots have to fly the back of the clock, and commuter pilots really get abused. They are supposed to get 8 hrs off, but after post-flight paperwork, the trip to the hotel, they're lucky to get 4 to 5 hrs of sleep. Try sleeping in a hotel room with all of the noise surrounding an airport, or try sleeping days after being up all night can really destroy your ability to fly and adversely affect decision-making.
Truckers are often forced to fake logbook entries and drive well over their 10 hours to make tight schedules or deal with bad weather. We've all heard of drivers who take uppers so they can drive for 2 or 3 days straight without sleep. I drove nights for many years between 2 FedEx hubs, and there were many times where I'd just have to pull over for a few minutes a take a catnap or get out of the cab for some coffee. Most UPS Feeder Drivers work brutal overnight hours too. Ever try sleeping on a Saturday morning after getting home at 7am? Kids, lawnmowers, and everyday noise make it very hard to get proper rest. Nobody understands until they've done it themselves.
The decision to grant ATC employees a rest break is a good solution to a real problem.