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Today’s most important news still remains www.flyussafe.org and the phone# 1-877-Fly Us Safe (1-877-359-8723). Every NATCA member needs to both go to the website and complete the easy process to send an email to Congress and then call the toll-free phone number to give your views of the FAA to your Senators. This is not optional, or a one or the other prospect … you need to do BOTH. The FAA has launched a full scale assault upon you and your profession, job, and livelihood depend upon a large response. Have you completed these two small tasks yet? If no, do it now for your careers sake. If yes, thank you … please check that your coworkers have and then pass the word on to your friends and family as well.
Last week the Senate passed its version of transportation appropriations by a vote of 93-1, which now goes to conference to iron out a joint House/Senate version The FAA operations budget was funded at $8.2 billion, an increase in funding of about $463 over the administrations initial request, with the intent being to have the Agency to hire more air traffic controllers … finally. NATCA fought hard for this funding and if the increase is included in the final bill signed by the President, we’ll have to ensure that the FAA uses it as intended.
Also include is 3.1% pay raise for civilian federal employees, much more than the Presidents request of a mere 2%. Amazingly, the White House issued a veto threat if the bill included language that doesn’t even exist yet! Look at the bold print in the following article … this certainly implies the Administration never intended to bargain in good faith on our contract (as suspected) and wants nothing to stand in the way of their plan to go to impasse, throw it to Congress for probable inaction, and then ram their last “best” offer down our collective throats. This is a disingenuous bypass of bargaining and the final “collective bargaining agreement” wouldn’t be much more than an FAA employee rule book. What a wonderful world … have you called 1-877-Fly Us Safe or logged in to www.flyussafe.org yet? Look in this article for the White House’s view of “fair” job competition as well.
Washington Post: Spending Bill Draws Veto Threat From Bush Administration
By
Stephen Barr The Bush administration took a stern approach yesterday to a $141 billion spending bill being debated in the Senate that would finance large parts of the government and would provide federal employees with an average 3.1 percent pay raise next year.
In a policy statement, the administration said the president's senior advisers would recommend a veto if the bill "were to significantly erode" the White House's management agenda for the government.
The administration objected to a provision that it said would require all but the smallest competitions between in-house teams and private contractors to be decided on the basis of lowest cost rather than the best value for taxpayers. The statement also expressed support for a Federal Aviation Administration decision that has allowed a large contractor to perform general aviation flight services once provided by 2,500 FAA employees.
White House aides also would recommend a veto if the Senate tacks on an amendment that would revamp how disputes between unions and the FAA are decided, the statement said. The White House said that impasses over contracts should go to Congress and that it would oppose any amendment that would put some other third party in charge of resolving disputes over pay and workplace rules at the FAA.
The White House did not issue a veto threat against the federal pay raise, but pointed out that a raise of 3.1 percent would cost about $1 billion more than what President Bush proposed. The government is not having recruitment and retention problems, the policy statement said, and predicted that the raise "would be very difficult for agencies to absorb."
The House approved the bill, and a 3.1 percent federal raise, in June. The bill provides funds for the departments of Transportation, Treasury and Housing and Urban Development, the judiciary and other agencies for fiscal 2006. The Senate plans to vote on the bill by week's end, a Senate Appropriations spokeswoman said. |
