1-866-I-FLY-SAFE

We need to generate a large amount of calls to the above number.  Not only calls from every member, but their non-member or non-bargaining unit co-workers, friends etc.  That number (1-866-435-9233 for the spelling challenged) will, after giving some brief information and asking your zip code, connect you to the office of your Congressman or Senator that NATCA is specifically targeting for help with the FAA flight 100 bill.  Please pass this on.  The process is very simple. You will most probably talk to a secretary who will ask you your name and address to verify you are a voter in their district, then you tell them you want that representative to oppose any legislation which allows any privatization or contracting out of ATC including the flight 100 bill.

The importance of your action on this cannot be overemphasized.  This is NATCA’s top priority and the outcome will directly affect your future. And dealing with congress in this fashion really does work if we can get enough participation.  So please call.  Then grab a reluctant coworker and have them call.  Talk about it in the break room, email it to your friends, do whatever you can to spread the word like your career depends on it.  Because it does.

In the last update I was going over some of the greatest hits in FAA appropriations and authorization bills on the floor. While the whole morass of the Washington is terra incognito for most of us, Congress is ultimately our boss and their actions concerning us are worth perusing in order to have an idea of what sort of threats and activities are out there concerning your job.

Controllers on work groups.--According to the FAA, the agency has an estimated 400 work groups established by memoranda of understanding with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. In addition, there are approximately 400 controllers on detail, representing 55 staff years, providing support to modernization and routine operating activities. While the work of these groups and details may be important, it is not clear that all of them are worthwhile when there is a stated need to put more resources to the task of controlling air traffic. This year, the FAA stated `it is possible that we can achieve this very important part of the procurement process with fewer individual employees involved'. The Committee encourages the agency in this regard, and directs FAA to submit a report, not later than December 31, 2003, on the number and type of work groups, the number and estimated staff years of controllers on detail, and its estimates of how those resources can be minimized without harming critical modernization activities.

(Well this is basically an attempt to limit controller and union influence on technology projects.  These programs have been remarkably successful compared to past attempts at getting useful, useable equipment deployed to the field.  The agency cynicists don’t like it because it often ends up highlighting their lack of knowledge when real live controllers are making sure the products end up as something we can really use.  You can also read in this that some  look to  put a Band-Aid on the staffing issues by throwing all the article 48 types back into daily staffing.  The substantive gains of this highly successful program be damned.)

National airspace redesign- The Committee directs that, of the funds provided for national airspace redesign, not less than $6,500,000 shall be allocated to airspace redesign activities in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area. The Committee also directs FAA to submit, not later than April 1, 2004 a report to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations on the New York/New Jersey airspace redesign effort. This report should include details on all planned components and elements of the redesign project, including details on aircraft noise reduction and any ocean routing modeling that has been conducted.

(If you recall, there is an attempt to drastically reduce the funding for NAS.  This once top priority program is to be cut just as gains are starting to be seen.  The New York legislative contingent are going to make sure they get full funding for their part.  I guess the rest of the country doesn’t matter.)

Here are some more tidbits from the authorization bill.

 SEC. 221. CONTROLLER STAFFING.

(a) ANNUAL REPORT- Beginning with the submission of the Budget of the United States to the Congress for fiscal year 2005, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall transmit a report to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure that describes the overall air traffic controller staffing plan, including strategies to address anticipated retirement and replacement of air traffic controllers.

(b) HUMAN CAPITAL WORKFORCE STRATEGY-

(1) DEVELOPMENT- The Administrator shall develop a comprehensive human capital workforce strategy to determine the most effective method for addressing the need for more air traffic controllers that is identified in the June 2002 report of the General Accounting Office.

(2) COMPLETION DATE- Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall complete development of the strategy.

(3) REPORT- Not later than 30 days after the date on which the strategy is completed, the Administrator shall transmit to Congress a report describing the strategy.

(Now isn’t this just a hoot.  Last update I showed where the appropriators declared that there was no upcoming crisis in ATC retirements, that the comprehensive GAO report was just hooey, traffic is down slightly so we must actually have an overage of controllers, and since a person can get checked out on one sector in as short as 4 months, they should be treated as an FPL for staffing.  In fact, on the advice of our illustrious Administrator, all funding for new hires was removed!  Now here they are saying that this GAO report is for real and what are you going to do about this obvious staffing/retirement crisis. So which one is it?)

SEC. 226. AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER RETIREMENT.

(a) AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER DEFINED-

(1) CIVIL SERVICE RETIREMENT SYSTEM- Section 8331 of title 5, United States Code, is amended--

(A) by striking `and' at the end of paragraph (27);

(B) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (28) and inserting `; and'; and

(C) by adding at the end the following:

`(29) `air traffic controller' or `controller' means--

`(A) a controller within the meaning of section 2109(1); and

`(B) a civilian employee of the Department of Transportation or the Department of Defense who is the immediate supervisor of a person described in section 2109(1)(B).'.

(2) FEDERAL EMPLOYEES' RETIREMENT SYSTEM- Section 8401 of title 5, United States Code, is amended--

(A) by striking `and' at the end of paragraph (33);

(B) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (34) and inserting `; and'; and

(C) by adding at the end the following:

`(35) `air traffic controller' or `controller' means--

`(A) a controller within the meaning of section 2109(1); and

`(B) a civilian employee of the Department of Transportation or the Department of Defense who is the immediate supervisor of a person described in section 2109(1)(B).'.

(3) MANDATORY SEPARATION TREATMENT NOT AFFECTED-

(A) CIVIL SERVICE RETIREMENT SYSTEM- Section 8335(a) of title 5, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: `For purposes of this subsection, the term `air traffic controller' or `controller' has the meaning given to it under section 8331(29)(A).'.

(B) FEDERAL EMPLOYEES' RETIREMENT SYSTEM- Section 8425(a) of title 5, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: `For purposes of this subsection, the term `air traffic controller' or `controller' has the meaning given to it under section 8401(35)(A).'.

(The definition of an air traffic controller for purposes of retirement is being changed with this.  What was left of the FAA chapter of the FMA lobbied to get basically anyone who ever had ATC anything in their job title at one time to be forever eligible for ATC retirement regardless of what management or staff hole they had crawled into since.  And all this without having to plug in!  The good news is this was restricted to the supervisor’s supervisor meaning the ATM or OPS manager etc.  The bad news is that it exists at all and doesn’t even help with those that really do have to maintain currency such as staff.  But you can’t expect the FAA Managers Conference to give a rip about them.  As an added bonus, the mandatory retirement won’t apply to the additional folks now covered.  What was meant as an incentive for a controller to stay a controller and acknowledge the stresses and strains of that profession has now been turned in to pork.  Very expensive pork.  Frankly, if we weren’t fighting for the survival of our system, as we know it, we would be actively opposing this wasteful drain on the budget.  Not enough PAC dollars or activists to fight everything.)

Please remember to call 1-866-I-Fly-Safe.  Remember that your future depends on it.  We also need your help with the PAC to support the campaigns of those who help us with this.