Brothers and Sisters,

REGIONAL STUFF

Another week has passed and a busy one it was.  Of course there are always the last minute grievances that need to be elevated.  ZKC wins the prize with ten grievances elevated this week.  Guess what, they were mostly pertaining to the credit hour issue. 

Now my opinion of credit hours is quite different than most.  Believe me I understand wanting to work for credit hours and use it like additional annual leave.  That is all fine and good while the facility will allow for reoccurring credit hours.  But once the manager takes any advantage away from the controllers then I believe we should say alright "I no longer volunteer to work for credit hours".  Every time you hear a supervisor tell a controller they are short and have credit hours available we should file a grievance.  If the facility management does not want to cooperate let them pay overtime.

Lot of information and miss-information about the ATO this week.  I filed a regional information request to get some information no the ATO.  This is so I can better determine the impact of the ATO on the work force.  The Agency has been pretty secretive about the ATO and in a lot of cases NATCA is finding out on the back side what is going on.  One of the funniest documents I read this week pertained to our ATX Liaison.  This document stated they were extending the ATX Liaison on a 30 day basis and would re-evaluate each thirty days.  Must not have anything else to do except re-evaluate.

There has been a lot going on in the Region.  In fact things are pretty quite from regional management.  I think most of them are trying to figure out if they need to bail off the ship now or wait to see if any life vests will be thrown their way.  Almost feel sorry for them because they have chosen a path in their career that appears to be impacted by change.  Unlike the operational change we see they are not used to it.

Of special note, a lot of our members participated in a fax campaign to Sam Graves and in less than eighteen hours we had made some head way.  I am sure Grant Anderson will mention this in his update so I will not go into great detail.  I would like to thank everyone who participated in our democratic process at work.  Thanks.

I will close right there and I hope everyone has a safe week.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

Here is Grant Anderson's update for the week.

Well another week passes in the "tropical” Central Region (Congress appropriated something like $50 million dollars for a rain forest habitat in Iowa so I could say that) and the Agency is continuing its backwards march to ensure that they make the FAA the most hostile workplace they can.  Ya’ gotta’ love their powers of focus combined with their lack of reason and morality.  Oh well, at least they’re being consistent enough that we don’t have to suspect them of productive motives.  More on this later.

Sups and OE’s

Last week I mentioned the letter that Congressman Sam Graves (R) MO and Congressman Jim Shuster (R) PA co-authored and were circulating throughout Congress for signatures.  It demanded the FAA hire more supervisors based on the FAAMA’s justification that the increase in OE’s was due to not enough sups and an implied failure of the CIC program.   Obviously this was ridiculous and we launched a Central Region grassroots effort to educate Cong. Graves about this with phone calls, emails, and lots of documentation disproving the FAAMA’s absurd claim and culminating in a fax campaign that started Tuesday night.  I’m happy to say that by early evening Wednesday we got word that they would talk with us, rescind and/or reword the letter and try to make things right if we would just “call of the dogs”.  What sweet words those were.  Apparently all of the Congressman’s staff didn’t capitulate at the same time, but eventually all were on the same sheet of music.

Hopefully Congressman Graves and his staff will meet with John Carr early this next week and with any luck we will have this issue resolved and the good Congressman back in our good graces.  Sam is really a good guy (I sure can’t say that about some of the people in Congress) and I will be personally thrilled if we can salvage our relationship.  It took us all by surprise that he would have acted so prematurely and without consulting us about such unsupportable statements, but I have high expectations that very soon that will all be just water under the bridge.

The real story though, is you.  We called upon just the Central Region to take a stand and make our voices heard.  And boy howdy did we!  In a remarkably short period of time we turned things around and all I can say is WOW! ...THANK YOU! What a great example of members of a Union acting in a unified manner to achieve a result.  And that’s what Union power is all about now isn’t it?  The whole effort is a wonderful paradigm of democracy at work.

If just the Central Region operate this well and achieve all that, what do you think would happen if all the regions acted together on an issue?  Well guess what?  We’re about to find out because a nationwide grassroots effort on a different subject is about to be launched.

Contract Negotiations

NATCA has been trying for some time to negotiate contracts for our other bargaining units in aircraft certification, aerospace medicine, financial services etc. (there’s a bunch of them).  The Agency for its part has been busy trying to obfuscate, inhibit, ignore and occasionally just refuse to show up for these negotiations.  After their complete unwillingness to bargain in god faith the issue was brought before the Federal Services Impasse Panel (FSIP).  Unfortunately the existing FSIP members were basically fired by the Bush Administration and replaced by administration cronies.  When our issues came before them they ruled that they were unsure if they had jurisdiction (huh? A federal agency at impasse puts the issue in front of the federal impasse panel and they’re not sure if they have jurisdiction?) and remanded it back.  This is clearly ridiculous and NATCA and PASS have filed suit against the FSIP to make them rule on this.  This may be absurd you say but what does this have to do with a legislative update?

Well the FAA is trying to invoke a clause in the original authorization language that initiated reclass back in the mid 90s.  This said that if the parties were unable to reach agreement they could put their dispute before Congress to resolve.  But if Congress did not act within 30 days the last management proposal would be the binding agreement.  The problem is that the wording applied to the original establishment of reclass and not future negotiations.  The FAA is banking on the fact that Congress will neither call them on this nor act within 30 days and they can get EVERYTHING they want since they basically never bargained over anything.  We need to ensure congress takes the right steps.

Why should you care?  Well for one these are our NATCA bargaining unit brothers who will be screwed over in a terrible way if this should come to pass.  Still not motivated?  Then consider this; if this stands, in a year or so when are own contract is renegotiated the agency could take most everything back, using  this as precedent The contract you enjoy today will be a thing of the past and your rights and working conditions will whatever the “benevolent” FAA wants to give you. 

We will be activating the grassroots activism network similar to last week and requesting you make the few mouse clicks it will take to request action from your Representatives and Senators.  We will ask them to rule that what the agency is attempting to do is inappropriate or at the very least instruct the FAA to wait until the resolution of the FSIP lawsuit. Look for this to start soon and folks remember, this one is of gargantuan importance to your future! 

I will get you more info in the coming updates.  If you have questions, please feel free to contact me.

Grant Anderson

Pin# 50501

ganderson@natca.org

417-894-6887

DENTAL PLANS INC UPDATE

On January 9, 2004 NATCA filed suit against Dental Plans, Inc. (DPI), Mike and Debbie Davenport (the officers of DPI), and others for claims stemming from the dental plan marketed to NATCA and its members by DPI and the American Association of Orthodontists.  DPI and the Davenports have consistently denied any liability for the deficiencies of this dental plan and have refused requests by NATCA that they and/or their company contribute the funds necessary to pay off all of the eligible dental claims that are pending.

It has been recently learned that DPI and/or the Davenports have been willing to financially sponsor dinners, golf tournaments, and/or other activities put on by the locals.  The willingness of DPI and/or the Davenports to financially support these local activities (support which ostensibly is rendered in hopes of enhancing their business prospects in those areas) stands in complete contrast to their steadfast unwillingness to remedy the financial injury suffered by NATCA members as a result of the dental plan deficiencies. 

Locals and members should not seek sponsorship of activities and not attend events sponsored by DPI and/or the Davenports; any other course of action sends an inconsistent message to this company and its principals.  The position that DPI and the Davenports have taken in the pending litigation is an affront to NATCA and its members.  NATCA's unwillingness to continue to voluntarily associate with this entity and its principals should be a message that DPI and the Davenports receive loud and clear from all organizational components of NATCA.

FAA CONSOLIDATIONS

NATCA has recently discovered the FAA is planning on consolidating the OEAAA functions from the regional offices to a central location in the Dallas regional office. OEAAA is basically obstruction evaluation of objects that effect US airspace from Cranes at an airport to transmission towers in the middle of nowhere. This function is performed in some of the regional office by covered by 2152's. This is not the case in all regions. 

Apparently the FAA did not believe there was any impact to bargaining unit members.  Rumors are that the FAA had numerous closed door meetings pertaining to this issue.  With the formation of the ATO and the lack of respect from current administration (Administrator) these types of activities will most likely continue.  If you hear any rumors about this type of activities please let me know.

ATX UPDATE

The agency has produced a floppy disc to NATCA regarding our previous Information Request regarding the total number of TMCs nationwide.  We are currently reviewing the disk to verify that it meets our needs per our Information Request.

NATCA has submitted U-1 regarding the National Air Traffic Professional (NATPRO).  POCs are Kim/Hull/King/Gancel.

The Parties have agreed to and signed an MOU regarding DSR Software Change BCC-23.  LR POC is Kim, S&T POC is Troy.

NATCA has notified the agency that we have withdrawn grievance number NC-LR-04-0005-NAT, regarding the voluntary leave donation program.  POC is Taylor.

NATCA has filed a national grievance regarding the agency's failure to comply with existing upgrade MOUs and process the upgrade for Atlanta Large TRACON (A80) to ATC-13.  POC is Kim.

NATCA has submitted an Information Request regarding the ATO Reorganization.  POC is Levine.

NATCA has requested an Article 7 meeting regarding the agency's intent to implement RVSM between FL 290-410 (inclusive).  LR POC is Rosario, S&T POC is Entis.

The agency has written a letter to NATCA regarding consolidated TRACONs. The letter states that since the number of these TRACONs has increased in recent years they are considering the development of a formula to determine a consolidated TRACON staffing standard to each facility's unique situation and circumstances.  They state that they are sending a team to the New York TRACON to observe the operation and to interview NATCA leadership and members of the BU to gain necessary perspective.  The tentative date for this visit is Wednesday, April 14.  They further state that upon completion of this effort, the team may deem it necessary to conduct additional fact-finding visits to other consolidated TRACONs.

The agency has notified NATCA that they are going to implement immediate changes to FAAOs 7110.65 and 7210.3 due to National Security Concerns.  The changes will address phraseology, notification procedures and contingency plans during a threat or attack from Man Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS).

The agency has notified NATCA that the ATS Management Board has been reviewing the cost and effectiveness of the use of ATS personnel as union liaisons and representatives.  The letter states that pending completion of this review, the decision has been made to extend the NATCA liaison position to ATX for an additional thirty days.  They further state that this position may continue to be extended on a month-by-month basis.

NATCA has notified the agency that Mr. Alan Weaver, the current Article 48 representative for the User Request Evaluation Tool (URET), will be returning to his facility on March 19, 2004.  NATCA will not be backfilling this position at this time.  The letter further states that after the March 19 date, the URET POC will be Jim Ashe, the AOZ Liaison.  POCs are Fralick/Hull.

The agency has agreed with my request to have the printer provide a complete "proof" of the CBA prior to them printing it in book form.  When the "proof" is received from the printer, we will review it again for correctness and clarity prior to us giving them the go ahead to print it in book form.  POC is Hull.

The following meetings/briefings were scheduled this past week: 1.  On Monday, there was a meeting regarding our Arbitration on Stand Alone Weather Sensor (SAWS).  This meeting was cancelled by the agency.  LR POC is Ryan, S&T POC is Walton/King. 2.  On Tuesday, there was a meeting scheduled to continue the word-by-word review of the CBA prior to it going to the printer for the contract extension.  The agency's designee called in sick, therefore the meeting did not take place.  POC is Hull. 3.  On Wednesday, the Parties met to continue the word-by-word CBA review. POC is Hull.

Next week the following meetings/briefings are scheduled:

1.  On Tuesday and Wednesday I am scheduled to meet with the agency's designee to continue the CBA review.  We expect to conclude sometime Wednesday afternoon provided there are no further unforeseen circumstances. POC is Hull.

NEXT WEEK

I will be in Washington D.C. next week.  If you need assistance please page me PIN#12001, email me jtune@natca.org or call 913-294-2861.  Have a safe week.

In Solidarity,

John R. Tune