The Honor Roll

NWP “Hot Sheet” for the Weeks of 06-22-09 and 06-29-09

NWP Reps/Members:

 

This past Friday July 3, 2009, I had an opportunity to meet with DOT Secretary La Hood during his visit to LAX Tower.  Also in attendance for NATCA were LAX Facility Rep Mike Foote, SCT Facility Rep Mel Davis, and NATCA Airports National Representative/EWP Local President Sam Samad.  Congresswoman Laura Richardson (CA-37), Senator Boxer’s staff, and Congresswoman Harmon’s staff (CA-36) were also present for our meeting with the secretary. 

 

NATCA had initially heard about the Secretary’s visit by word of mouth at LAX Tower.  I began coordinating with our Governmental Affairs Director Jose Ceballos to confirm the visit as well as to determine the purpose of the visit.  We determined that one of the reasons behind the visit was the recent DOT-IG report that Senator Feinstein had requested regarding the state of staffing and training at LAX, NCT, and SCT.  Secretary La Hood’s staff mentioned to Jose that the Secretary wanted to specifically meet with our local NATCA reps to discuss the recent DOT-IG report, and that we would have thirty minutes to discuss our issues with him.  Jose made sure to advise the Secretary’s staff that NATCA had not been notified by the FAA on the Secretary’s visit to LAX.

 

Mike Foote, Mel Davis, Sam Samad, and I met before the meeting and organized the presentation of the information so that we could maximize our time with the Secretary and ensure that we covered all of the necessary information.  Here is a brief synopsis of what was discussed with Secretary La Hood during the meeting at LAX Tower:

 

 

1.    The role of HR in the FAA has to be changed- FAA HR (Human Resources) needs to provide counsel and provide support to managers and not dictate what they can or cannot do.  HR should not be an impediment or obstruction to ATO management trying to manage the operation.  I followed up on an example that I had given him months ago in Phoenix when I compared ATO COO Krakowski to the Queen of England because of the flawed structure of HR in the FAA; he remembered it.  The Secretary asked for some examples, so Mel and Mike both jumped in with examples.

 

2.    Status quo in the FAA- The appearance in the field that even though President Obama’s FAA Administrator had been confirmed that there had been little to no change in the FAA.  The current FAA seems to be operating under the same Blakey era policies/principles in dealing with employees and perceiving us as the problem rather than the solution.  I made it a point to thank the Secretary and President Obama for getting us back to the table in an attempt to have a fair contract.  I advised the Secretary that close to 5000 retirement eligible controllers were watching the NATCA/FAA mediation very carefully and weighing their options whether or not to retire based on the outcome of the talks.  Several times during our thirty minute conversation we brought the “Status Quo” up again.  Finally, the Secretary asked us to be a little patient since FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt had been in office for just about a month. 

 

3.    Importance of NATCA participation on NextGen- I advised Secretary La Hood that we realized that the Air Traffic Controller contract and NextGen were his two highest priorities.  We also understood that NextGen is a priority for President Obama.  We advised the Secretary that even though we had the “know how”, the intelligence, the experience, and the ability to help shape NextGen that NATCA had been completely left out of the NextGen equation.  I advised the Secretary that NextGen needs to be so much more than just ADS-B.  It needs to be realistic and attainable short term initiatives such as CDA’s (Continuous Descent Approaches), RNAV arrivals/departures, National Airspace Re-design, and more.  Mike Foote and Mel Davis gave the Secretary examples and then discussed the successes that we had enjoyed when we were involved in National Airspace Re-design.  At this point, the Secretary turned to us and said: “Give me five names”!  (NOTE- Jose will be talking with the Secretary’s staff to follow up and determine how and in what capacity the Secretary plans to use these five individuals)

 

 

4.    Staffing and Training- Mike, Mel, and I discussed and provided examples of the current staffing method that the FAA uses and how it is not based on any science and instead is completely based on ATO-Finance’s outlook of what a facility needs.  We discussed the most recent change to ATO staffing in that they now count all personnel in determining whether a facility is fully staffed or not.  Previously, the ATO would only count certified controllers and not developmentals.  Yet another change brought about by ATO-Finance that is not based on any scientific data and is purely budget driven.  We discussed the absolute necessity to ensure that new hires are placed in facilities where they will have an opportunity to succeed.  New hires should not be placed in complex facilities such as LAX, SCT, and NCT.  Mel and Mike gave the Secretary some examples and Mike further elaborated on this point during the tour that he gave to the Secretary after the meeting.    

 

5.    Facility Consolidation/Re-Alignment- There has to be a “BRAC” (Base closure and Realignment Commission) like process set up for the FAA to look at each and every consolidation/re-alignment and see whether there is measurable safety and cost benefits in consolidating a particular facility.  We can NOT approach consolidations/re-alignments with a one size fits all mentality.

 

Finally, Sam Samad had an opportunity to discuss, with the Secretary, the state of the multi-units imposed work and pay rules and the recent cyber breach in Western Pacific.

 

In closing, Secretary La Hood advised us that the next person that would be coming out West to discuss the recent DOT-IG report would be Administrator Babbitt.  Overall, we were very appreciative that Secretary La Hood took the time to listen to us and more importantly engage us on our issues.  This is certainly a first for me in nineteen years of service in the FAA to have a one-on-one type meeting with the Secretary of Transportation.

 

 

In Solidarity,

 

Ham

NWP RVP

 

I would like to congratulate the new Honolulu Control Facility (HCF) Executive Board:

.

Thom Gurule, HNL VP

Jimmy Lake, Island VP *

Shawn Lorenzo, Secretary *

Steve Olson, Treasurer *

Scott Sorenson, President

The * indicates new

 

SJC Facility Rep/NWP LR Rep Rich Burton, Mike Hull, and I work with HWD Facility Rep Shane Foskey regarding the training program at HWD.

 

The DOT-IG comes out with yet another critical audit of the FAA.  This time, it’s about the FAA not accurately reporting training failures.  You can read the entire report by going to the NWP website at http://nwp.natca.net and clicking on the news clicker at the bottom of the home page.  Here are some highlights of the report:

 

“According to FAA, the training attrition rate for all controllers in FY 2007 was approximately 7 percent.  However, we found that this rate does not reflect actual training failures among newly hired controllers for four reasons:

 

 (1) FAA does not track training failures among the new controllers as a separate metric;

 (2) FAA’s current rate is based on FY 2007 training failures and will likely increase as FAA hires more new controllers between FY 2009 and FY 2017; (3) FAA does not have a uniform definition of training failures and other types of attrition; and

(4) FAA’s training failure data in the NTD were incomplete, inaccurate, or understated”   

 

NWP Safety Lead Eric Carter worked with SBA Facility Rep Gordie Thompson regarding VFR practice approaches at SBA and our separation responsibility.  Eric will be discussing this with ATO-Safety.

 

LAX Facility Rep/NWP LR Rep Mike Foote and Mike Hull worked with LGB Facility Rep Paul “Boogie” Bugarin regarding some representational issues dealing with a “Go around” and the subsequent meetings in which management denied our members representation.  Here is the guidance that Mike Hull provided Boogie:

 

“They are absolutely required to notify the employee of their right to representation. If they do not, I would file a grievance.  However, if they consider this a "performance" discussion, then the employee has no right to a rep even if they request one.

 

If the employee was told the scope of the meeting ahead of time, and they specifically stated that it was for the non-reporting of a go-around, then that is NOT a performance discussion because disciplinary action may result.

 

You need to have the employees write up records of conversation, specifically stating what was said in the meetings and by whom. They need to date it and sign it.

 

Mike Foote, Mike Hull, and I also worked with Boogie and LGB VP Joe Alvarado on the two power outages that affected LGB.

 

A good brother from the Central region asked us a question regarding what rule or order allows the FAA to NOT bump a controllers pay immediately after certification.  Here is what Mike Hull had to say:

 

“It is because of the language in Article 36, Section 1 of the CBA and the white book.  They both contain the same language and it states "Promotions to positions within the unit including those resulting from facility classification changes shall be effected on the beginning of the first full pay period after the employee becomes fully eligible.”

 

This is the link to the pay setting rules:

https://employees.faa.gov/employee_services/pay_perf/pay/atspp/media/atspp/ATSPP.pdf

 

Chapter 6 covers new hires and the pay path from the Academy to CPC

 

Chapters 7, 8 & 9 covers internal movement.”

 

I am extremely proud to announce that the very first NATCA web-based training class has begun with our first twenty-five enrollees.  I would like to thank Tony Yushinsky (ALB Facility Rep), Mike Hull, and Bob Taylor for their hard work on this excellent project.  This is just the beginning for NATCA web-based training.  We will be working on other web-based training classes in the very near future.

 

Mike Hull and I worked with NATCA Safety Committee Chairman Steve Hansen to resolve some issues at SFO with NWP Safety Lead Eric Carter being released for ATSAP duties, and problems with ATSAP cadre training at LAX and RNO.

 

Well, it’s official!  Juan Serna-Spuler has been briefed and brought up to speed by outgoing NWP Hardship Lead Bob Guerra.  I would like to thank Juan for stepping up as our new NWP Hardship Lead.  Once again, I would like to thank Bob for his dedicate service to our members.  Bob is an absolute credit to our organization and I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to have worked with him as the ZLA Facility Rep and now the Regional Vice President.  A job well-done Bob…..

 

NWP Finance Lead Eric Hughes continues to do a phenomenal job of helping our locals by auditing their local finances.  Most recently, he conducted an audit of SMF.

 

Mike Hull worked with POC Facility Rep/NWP LR Rep John Paiva and PSP Facility Rep Curtis Cannon regarding a proposed 14 day suspension.

 

Since most NWP Facilities are in the process of ATSAP training, here are two important questions and answers that I would like to share with you:

 

Can the ERC recommend “no action” if an individual is involved in an Operational Error?

 

Yes, and this might well be the response. The ERC will consider what the individual submits in the ATSAP report regarding the situation, what contributed to it, what caused it, and what recommendations are made to prevent a reoccurrence.

 

Can a Manager disregard the ERC recommendation or assign additional training?

 

No, a manager can offer his/her own recommendations to the ERC, but must abide solely by what the ERC determines.

 

Mike Hull continues to work as the NATCA designee at RNO to resolve the poor Labor Relations climate in RNO.  As soon as the service area announces their new temporary acting District Manager (Del Meadows, the permanent DM suffered an on the job injury and may be out of commission for an undetermined period of time) we will be looking at a meeting to discuss the state of affairs at RNO.

 

Mike Hull worked with FFZ Facility Rep Chris Brazys and Western Terminal regarding the new SOP at FFZ.

 

We have a new Western Enroute Director and his name is Chris Metts.  Chris and I had an opportunity to talk last week.  Chris was previously involved in the implementation of VSCS, DSR, and DRVSM.

 

I worked with Acting ZLA Facility Rep Chad Geyer to address a recent OD between ZLA and ZAB in which our controller was placed on the package. 

 

Mike Hull worked with VGT Facility Rep Mark Knabel regarding a grievance and how to properly file and elevate it.

 

I worked with my Marine at MYF, Maliesa Swinson, regarding a construction project that was not properly negotiated with her.

 

Our HNL 2010 Convention Committee conducted a telcon and worked on a comprehensive spreadsheet of everything that needs to be addressed in the coming months.

 

Kevin Sherwood worked on the convention website and added a link for hotel reservations:

 

http://alohanatca2010.natca.net/reservations.htm

 

Please note that reservations cannot be made until one year prior to the convention!!

 

Kevin added two buttons - one when clicked takes you to reservations for Hilton Hawaiian Village the other takes you to a virtual tour of HHV.

 

Mike Hull and I conducted a telcon with Western Terminal.  We discussed an AWOL situation at TOA, Labor Relations at PHX, STS mold/asbestos remediation project, GCN housing and the possibility that GCN airport may be closed (we were advised during the telcon that the state would NOT close the airport due to budget shortfalls.  However, they were seriously looking at it as an option), removal of a probationary employee at SCK, 14 day suspension at L30, ERR for a developmental at HCF, and the DOT-IG report regarding LAX, NCT, and SCT.  Acting Western Terminal Director Rich Belmonte will be working to set up a meeting to discuss the IG report with our three facility reps and their counterparts.

 

Mike Hull worked with Western Terminal to postpone a “Weingarten Meeting” (investigatory meeting) at TOA until our Facility Rep was back from his vacation.

 

I worked with U90 Facility Rep Mike Ragucci regarding the sick leave approval process at U90.

 

SCT Facility Rep Mel Davis requested that we set up a retirement seminar for the San Diego area.  I worked with our Membership Director Lew Zietz to set up the meeting.

 

Mike Hull and I worked with BFL Facility Rep Joe Segretto regarding the process to follow for an on the job injury.

 

Reps, please remember that if there are any changes to your local executive board to please complete the “Local Update Worksheet” which is available on the NWP website under the “Forms Library” tab and fax it to Mickela.  You do not need to fax the form to the National office.

 

Mike Hull, ZOA Facility Rep/NWP LR Rep Scott Conde, Kevin Sills, and I continue to work with Western Enroute to resolve a dispute on an ATOP Training delay issue before the scheduled arbitration.  I am happy to report that we signed a settlement agreement for our member and ensured that he not only received backpay but also had his pay setting set in accordance with the pay rules in effect prior the imposed pay rules on September 3, 2006.  Congratulations to Scott, Mike, and Kevin for a job well done.

 

Everyone should have received their ballots for the NATCA elections by now.  If there are any problems, please contact myself or Mickela and we will assist you.  We are at an important crossroads for the future of our profession and our organization.  Please take the time to vote, and if possible vote electronically and help us save some money.  You will need your NATCA member number to vote electronically.  If you don’t have access to your member number, please contact your local NATCA leadership, Mickela, or I and we will get you the number.

 

In closing, as most of you know by now, NATCA and the FAA concluded their presentation on pay, rights of union officials, position descriptions, annual leave, and duration on Monday July 6^th before the three arbitrators who also acted as our mediators.  The parties are free to resolve their issues and come up with a voluntary agreement right up until the arbitrators arrive at their decision.  The arbitrators will have up to thirty days to render a decision.  During the coming days and weeks, I will continue to do my best to get you the most up to date information since I know many of you are quite anxious and have many questions. 

NWP “Hot Sheet” for the Weeks of 06-01-09 and 06-08-09

NWP Reps/Members:

I would like to dedicate this update to the memory of a man I never had the pleasure of meeting.  However, I know from friends such as Domenic “The Wiz” Torchia and Bob “The Pres” Butterworth that he was a giant of a man for the Labor movement.

Jack Henning, a longtime leader in California's labor movement who served in the administrations of Gov. Pat Brown and Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, died at his San Francisco home on June 4, 2009; Jack was 94 years young.

"Jack was a lion of a man and a great labor leader," said Art Pulaski, head of the California Labor Federation. "His vision and his magnificent oratory inspired several generations of union activists."

In addition, I would also like to take this opportunity to extend my deepest condolences to my friend and brother, LAX FACREP Mike Foote, who lost his father most recently.  May God bless Mr. Henning and Mr. Foote.

In Solidarity,

Ham

NWP RVP

 

·       ZOA Facility Rep/NWP LR Rep Scott Conde shared a very nice article 65 template that he created for the ATOP “Advanced Technologies and Oceanic Procedures” refresher training.  It’s truly a shame that the FAA who is responsible for the safety of the National Airspace System agrees to field so many hardware and software issues with so many flaws.

 

·       Scott also briefed me on the unacceptable flaws with ERAM.  Scott is one of our representatives on the ERAM negotiations workgroup.  Once again, it appears that the FAA is in a rush to field a safety critical piece of equipment with numerous flaws.  The FAA plans to roll out ERAM at ZLC on the mid-shifts that began last night!

 

·       Congratulations to new BFL Facility Rep Joe Segretto and VP Michael Pernick.  They will begin their terms effective July 15, 2009.  I would like to thank outgoing BFL Facility Rep Tambra Embry for her service to BFL local and NATCA.  Tambra will be transferring to SCT.

 

·       As I read some of the financial audits of our locals, I noticed some common mistakes that I would like to share with you:

 

o   Keep copy of canceled checks. If it’s available online, please download them and keep them in your files with the appropriate year’s financial information.

o   Ensure that you have double signatures on all checks as per SRF-21(NATCA Constitution Standing Rule F-21)

o   Ensure that all expenses are documented on a voucher with appropriate receipts for each expense.

o   Develop an inventory asset list with associated year end values.  Fixed assets like computers and other equipment depreciate in value over time.  Be sure to reflect this depreciation on each succeeding year’s inventory asset list.

o   Conduct regular meetings as per your local constitution.

 

·       If you have any questions regarding local finances, please contact NWP Finance Lead Eric Hughes at air.rock@sbcglobal.net

 

·       NWP Comm/Tech Lead Kevin Sherwood disseminates his first “Tech Talk” in which he talks about keeping your PC in tip top shape.  You can access Kevin’s “Tech Talk” by going to http://nwp.natca.net and clicking on the “Regional Leads” tab and then “Kevin’s Tech Talk”.

 

·       NATCA Executive Vice President Paul Rinaldi and I attended the ZLA solidarity party with close sixty (60) members from ZLA, BFL, CNO, etc. On the way up to ZLA, we visited LGB Tower and also met with our Region X folks at the regional office in Lawndale.  Sam Samad was a gracious host at the FAA regional office and provided a most excellent luncheon following the local meeting.

 

·       The following day, Paul and I drove down to SCT for a luncheon.  As you can imagine, most of the member’s questions focused on the mediation process.  We did our best in answering all questions based on the information that we had.

 

·       Both Paul and I attended the SCT Solidarity party along with approximately 130 members from SCT, LGB, MYF, SEE, LAX, CRQ, SNA, etc.  I think LGB stole the show when they showed up with a van full of eleven (11) members to attend the meeting; congratulations to my Marine buddy Paul “Boogie” Bugarin and the entire LGB local.

 

·       I worked with acting ZLA Facility Rep Chad Geyer on an issue dealing with representation and differential pay.  If the managers code the representation as anything other than incident/accident investigation then the representatives lose out on differential pay or Sunday pay while they represent our members.  This FAA interpretation is based on an October 22, 2007 memorandum by Melvin Harris.  I made sure that our mediation team had a copy of this memorandum for their discussion with the mediators.

 

·       I also worked with Chad on a sick leave letter, operational deviation, security investigation, training failure, etc.  Chad is doing a great job keeping up with the myriad of issues that are coming up.

 

·       A member at NCT asked us to include a link to the NCT Local website.  As a result of his suggestion, we have created links to some of the websites of our locals.  You can access these links by going to the regional website and clicking the “Links” tab.  If you would like to have a link to your local website, please send an email to Kevin Sherwood at ksherwood@natca.net

 

·       I worked with NWP Hardship lead Bob Guerra and Mike Hull regarding several hardships.  As many of you know, Bob would like to take a much deserved break from his duties as NWP Hardship lead.  It has been my honor to have worked with someone of Bob’s integrity and strength.  Bob has been there for our members when they have needed him the most.  Bob, I thank you from the bottom of my heart and I am very proud of your service to our membership.

 

·       If anyone is interested in being considered for the NWP hardship lead position, please submit your name along with a brief narrative of your background and experience to me (hghaffari@natca.net) no later than Friday June 19th.

 

·       Mike Hull and I worked with Acting Western Terminal Director Rich Belmonte on some hardships, ERR’s, adverse action, GCN housing issues, and ATSAP.  So far, it appears that Rich is open to discussion and is willing to roll up his sleeves and make the tough decisions.

 

·       POC Facility Rep/NWP LR Rep John Paiva worked with PSP Facility Rep Curtis Cannon regarding a potential disciplinary action.

 

·       On June 4, 2009, a federal judge denied a motion seeking an award of attorney fees from NATCA that had been submitted by FAA manager John Gilding in his defamation suit against NATCA, NATCA Local PHX officers, former Western Pacific RVP Bob Marks, and former NATCA President John Carr.

 

·       The plaintiff manager had asked the federal court to order NATCA to pay $34,710 to cover his attorney fees in contesting NATCA's removal of the case from federal to state court.  Although the federal judge had granted the plaintiff manager's motion to have the case remanded back to state court in April 2009, the court held in its June 4 decision that NATCA "had an objectively reasonable argument on which to seek removal" and consequently denied the manager's motion for an award of any attorney fees from NATCA.

 

·       NATCA is currently seeking review of the federal judge's remand decision in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, on the grounds that, in remanding the case back to state court, the judge committed substantive errors of law with regard to the merits of the case and NATCA's preemption defenses.

 

·       Please register to vote online for the upcoming NATCA elections by going to the NWP Website and clicking on the icon “2009 Election of Union Officers” or click on this link: https://www.esc-vote.com/natcareg/

 

·       You do not need your membership number and it only takes about one minute to register.  Help us save money and help us with the environment by signing up to vote online.

 

·       Mike Hull worked with Kevin Sills to prioritize our NWP arbitration list.

 

·       PHX Facility Rep Steve Palmer shared his local update with me; thanks.  Steve and Jerry Johnston recently met with PHX management, offsite, in an attempt to improve Labor Management relations at PHX.

 

·       Chuck Chamberlain over at ATO-T advised NATCA that the agency should come out with a notice this week regarding the weight classification of a B752.  Until then, the Safety and Technology Department advises controllers to treat the B752 as a heavy jet when #1 and as a large when #2.  This will ensure you have the required separation regardless of the weight class of the B752.  Of course if a controller verifies a B752 is NOT a heavy, then they should use the separation outlined in the 7110.65.

 

·       If there are any questions please do not hesitate to contact the Safety & Tech department via email dwright@natcadc.org.

 

·       I worked with P50 Facility Rep Steve Hadley, VP Mark Wojtulski, and the Regional Flight Surgeon regarding a medically incapacitated member.

 

·       Please be sure to use the new/revised expense voucher for NATCA Members.  These forms are effective immediately but there will be a slight modification to these forms to add mileage back to the form.  They can be accessed by going to the NWP Website and clicking the “Documents” tab.  Please print off and make copies for any future business expenses with NATCA that you or any of your members incur.  Your member number is now required on the form, so if anyone needs their member number, they can email Mickela at mickela@natca.net)

 

·       I worked with CNO Facility Rep Kyle Vercautren regarding an OE at CNO.

 

·       Mike Hull and NWP Safety Lead Eric Carter worked with LGB Facility Rep Paul Bugarin regarding a recent evaluation.

 

·       NWP LR Rep Chad Geyer, Mike Hull, and I worked with SNA Facility Rep Chris Schaefer to answer some of his questions regarding the training review process.  Chris made us proud when he told us that he had read Mike’s LR chronicles #22 dealing with Training Review Boards.  Chris advised us that Management representatives at the review board were apparently trying to decide whether the member in question could be successful at other facilities as part of the review boards’ deliberations.   This is a great opportunity for us to address this issue.  This is what I sent back to Chris:

 

“Sometimes it's difficult for all the parties involved to be focused on the task at hand at a review board. The sole goal of a review board is to determine whether every opportunity to succeed was utilized or not. The board is NOT there to determine the individual's fate in the FAA or whether he'll ever make it at another facility. There are only two things that can come out the TRB; 1. Continuation of training or 2.Termination of training. Neither has anything to do with our members future.  Nice job preparing for your TRB and asking questions.”

 

·       Mike Hull continues to work with RNO Facility Rep Rich Ferris and RNO management in order to improve Labor Management relations at the facility.

 

·       Mike Hull and I worked with Service area management to address some problems with scheduling training for ATSAP at LAX and RNO.

 

·       Mickela will be taking a much needed and much deserved vacation.  She will not be in the office July 1 to July 7 inclusive.

 

·       Lastly, there are many questions out there regarding the mediation process.  The best advice I can offer you is to engage your facility rep or RVP and see if they have the answers to your questions.  I can personally attest to the fact that I don’t have all of the answers since I am not the Chief Negotiator for our Union.  However, I will continue to answer questions that are posed to me to the best of my ability and as soon as I get information from our chief negotiator/President Pat Forrey.

NWP “Hot Sheet” for the Weeks of 5-11-09, 5-18-09, and 5-25-09

NWP Reps/Members:

 

This update is dedicated in memory of our two fallen brothers from SCT and ZLA.

 

SCT San Diego Area NATCA member Chris Kloman passed away in an unfortunate aircraft accident.  While I personally did not know Chris, I knew his wife Sally from when she was a NATCA Rep for the San Diego area at SCT.  One of Chris and Sally’s friends, Bob Marks, wrote the following about Chris:

“Chris is a union brother, a pilot, a controller, and a friend.  He was quiet and reserved, but always had a smile on his face.  He was an excellent instructor, and loved all things related to aviation.  I will miss him, and as is always the case when a life is cut short, I feel a huge sense of loss.  Sally, carry on, we all love you and are there for you.”

I would like to thank ZSE Facility Rep Jim Ullmann for flying down on a moment’s notice to act as the Critical Incident Stress peer de-briefer at SCT.  This was no easy feat due to the fact that HR didn’t want to approve the funds or the duty time for Jim to fly down as this wasn’t a work related incident.  As such, I would like to also thank incoming Acting Western Terminal Director Rich Belmonte for stepping up and assisting in this matter.

ZLA Area B NATCA Rep. Bill Galarneau passed away from an unfortunate motorcycle accident on his way home from a swing shift.

 

Bill hired into the FAA directly from George Air Force Base in 1984. He was assigned to the High Desert Tracon from 1984 to 1991 and was one of High Desert Tracon’s first NATCA facility representatives.

 

Bill moved to ZLA in 1991 and subsequently served as the ZLA Vice-President while I was serving my first term as ZLA Facility Representative.  Bill was a good friend and a strong NATCA activist and wore black everyday as one of his many statements against the IWR's that he was fighting to overturn.  Bill had 155 days to go before he was going to retire!

 

Following Bill’s very well attended funeral, I had the opportunity to visit Bill’s wife Mary and pay my respects to her and their children at their home in Victorville.  When I was getting ready to leave, Mary wished us the best of luck in resolving our contract dispute and said that she would miss the various work/Union stories that she would hear from Bill about our fight to restore a fair contract for our members.

 

ZLA NATCA is in the process of collecting funds to help defray the cost of the funeral for Mary and the kids.  If you are interested in helping, please see any NATCA rep at ZLA or go to Kevin Sherwood’s site and donate via paypal (http://kevin.thesherwoods.org/)  ZLA is trying to cover all of the funeral expenses (approximately $8,000).  We only need another $1000 to hit our goal.

 

I would like to personally thank Paul Rinaldi for taking time out of his very busy schedule to call me to convey his heartfelt condolences on behalf of our two fallen brothers in the Western Pacific Region.

 

May God bless our brothers Chris and Bill and give strength to their families to deal with the loss of a loved one.

 

In Solidarity,

 

Ham

NWP RVP

 

·       I attended NATCA in Washington during the week of May 18th and was very pleasantly surprised at the turnout from our younger members who attended Lobby Week for their first time.  Many of them have a new understanding of how things work in the Federal Government and the absolute importance of relationships with members of Congress.  Our future rests on the shoulders of many of these young folks that were in Washington for the first time in their careers.  I believe in this process so much that I took annual leave on one day so that I could delegate my RVP time to a first timer from Los Angeles Center.

 

Here are some of the photos taken from NATCA in Washington 2009:

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/timsphotosite/sets/72157618341939047/

 

·       Our future can be very bright if we can all join in and work together for the betterment of our members and the national airspace system.  We need to learn from our history and ensure that all of our members are engaged in some fashion to help craft our future and avoid the mistakes of the past.  We can no longer afford to sit back.  Other than probationary employees (those with less than one year of Federal Civil Service), everyone else should be stepping up to help their local and their Union.  Please get involved at your local level and/or the regional level. The time is NOW!

 

·       Following Lobby Week, I attended our National Executive Board meeting at the NATCA National office.

 

·       As most of you are aware, NATCA is actively engaged in mediation with the Federal Aviation Administration.  As is typically the case, NATCA and the FAA have signed a ground rules agreement which doesn’t allow the parties to discuss the mediation proceedings or the process.  As soon as I get information from our Chief Negotiator, Pat Forrey, I will be sure to share them with you.  The fact that we are not hearing from the FAA in the media or through their FAA website is also indicative that the mediators are keeping a very tight lid on the negotiations.

 

·       The following week, I was on jury duty.  Lucky for me, I wasn’t called in for any service.

 

·       I wanted to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you in the Western Pacific Region for your support and encouragement during the past three years.  Nominations for National office have closed and I was the sole individual nominated for the position of NWP Regional Vice President.

 

It is with great pride and tremendous humility that I accept the nomination to be your Regional Vice President for another three years.  I am deeply honored to be given the opportunity to be at the helm as we steer our region into the future.

 

·       Since I was the sole person nominated and the sole person who has accepted the position, my name will not be on the ballot in July 2009.  My next term will begin on or about September 1, 2009.

 

·       While our Region is not in play, we still have a say in electing our National Officers for President and Executive Vice-President.  It is imperative that we encourage and assist all members to participate in one of the most important NATCA elections to date.  Please take a minute to sign up online for an electronic ballot and simplify the whole election process and keep our costs down.  If there are any questions regarding the process or elections in general, please feel free to email (hghaffari@natca.net) me or call me on my cell (661)-400-2496.

 

·       Here is how to sign up online:

 

HOW TO REGISTER FOR AN ELECTRONIC BALLOT?  If you wish to vote electronically, you must register with Election Services Solutions (ESS) by logging on to https://www.esc-vote.com/natcareg.  Please note that if you choose the electronic ballot option, a mail ballot package will NOT be sent to your home.  The registration page is secure and you will only be able to register once.  After registering, you will also be requested to provide your name, address, region and personal e-mail address (where the electronic ballot is to be sent), as well as answer a few security questions, which will be used for verification purposes during the voting process.

If you register to receive an electronic ballot, you will be sent an e-mail on June 30, 2009 with a randomly selected log-in number.  The e-mail will also include a link that will automatically direct you to the secure voting site.  The e-mail will be sent fromnatcahelp@electionservices.corp.com.  Please adjust your spam filter accordingly so as to receive this e-mail.  If you register to receive an electronic ballot and you subsequently change your personal e-mail address, please e-mail ESS the change atnatcareg@electionservicescorp.com.

If you register to vote electronically and your vote is not received by July 25, 2009, you will be sent an e-mail reminding you to vote prior to the polls closing at 11:59 on July 30, 2009.  Please note that, prior to the mailing of the ballots on June 30, 2009, if any e-mails are returned to ESS from registered members as undeliverable, these members will be sent a mail ballot package instead.

If you do not register to receive an electronic ballot before June 30, 2009, a mail ballot package will be sent to your home address.  However, even if you receive a mail ballot package, you will still have the opportunity to vote on-line using a unique log-in number that appears on the perforated top section of your ballot.  The mail ballot package will contain detailed instructions for voting on-line in this manner.

 

·       I worked with ZOA VP Mike Ward to clarify a seniority question for a member returning from a non-bargaining unit employee position.  Here is the particular section of the seniority policy that impacts this member:

 

Section 3. Any bargaining unit member who accepted a supervisor/management job after June 6, 2006 and returns to the bargaining unit will have his/her cumulative seniority date set to the day they return.

 

·       Check out www.natcacfs.net for the latest on “Communicating for Safety 2010” in Orlando, Florida.  Start making plans to attend CFS 2010.

 

·       Mike Hull continues to work with RNO Facility Rep Rich Ferris to resolve issues at RNO.

 

·       SCT Facility Rep Mel Davis, NCT Facility Rep Steve McCoy, and I have a telcon with Jose Ceballos and Frank McCarthy regarding some language that Senator Boxer wants to introduce in FAA Re-Authorization to address the problems identified in the recent DOT IG report of LAX, NCT, and SCT.

 

·       Mike Hull and I work with L30 LR rep Bryan Baker and L30 Facility Rep Sara George regarding a proposed termination case.  We have all worked long and hard on this case and this past Friday, our affected member was back in the facility and will not be terminated as the agency had hoped!  Great work to Bryan and Sara for helping Mike and I deal with this great injustice at L30.  We are still waiting to hear what the agency will decide for a penalty, but the great news is that our member will not be terminated.

 

·       I continue to work with NWP Pay Lead Jeff Tilley and ZOA Facility Rep Scott Conde on a lingering pay settlement issue dealing with the implementation of ATOP at ZOA.  Our settlement agreement was signed over two years ago and the agency has yet to make one of our member’s whole at ZOA.  I will continue to personally work this issue to fruition.

 

·       I continue to work with HCF Facility Rep Scott Sorenson, Mike Hull, and Kevin Sills regarding an arbitration for a member at HCF who was adversely affected by the ATOP implementation at ZOA and who subsequently transferred to HCF.

 

·       I would like to take this opportunity to welcome the new Facility Rep at P50 (Phoenix Tracon) Steve Hadley and the new Facility Rep at PSP (Palm Springs) Curtis Cannon.  The NWP website at http://nwp.natca.net Facility Rep tab has been updated with their information.

 

·       The FAA has notified us that they plan to disconnect all NON-FAA internet connections at all facilities.  We are not only addressing this issue via the normal channel of Labor Relations, but also plan to address it as part of the ongoing mediation talks.

 

·       FFZ Facility Rep Chris Brazys and SFO Facility Rep Dave Caldwell shared their local updates with me; thanks.

 

·       I would like to wish a speedy recovery to our very own SMO Facility Rep Pam Choi who recently underwent some hand surgery and is now recuperating nicely and even typing with her left hand!

 

·       Here are some of the upcoming ATSAP (Air Traffic Safety Action Program) training dates in the Western Pacific Region:

 

Ontario Area ATSAP Training - SNA/POC/CNO/LGB/ONT/PSP/CRQ/TOA/E10 - June 23-24^th

 

Los Angeles Area ATSAP Training - ZLA/LAX/BUR/EMT/SMO/ CMA/VNY/SBA/BFL - June 23-24

 

·       We have yet another close call at KOA (Kona International Airport on the Big Island of Hawaii).  On 5/19/2009, a BE99/A was issued a departure clearance by the Kona Contract Tower, to take-off on Runway 17.  The controller at Kona Tower had attained an approval for release, for runway 17, from Honolulu Control Facility.  At that time, Honolulu Control Facility had a commercial airliner, a CRJ2/R, on final approach to runway 17.  The Honolulu Control Facility Controller had released the BE99 aircraft for departure on Runway 17 with reference to the arriving CRJ2.  The Kona Controller issued the clearance to the BE99 to take-off from an intersection on Runway 17.  The Pilot of the BE99 took the runway and departed opposite direction Runway 35 into the CRJ2 that was on short final.  The pilot of the Regional Jet made a maneuver to avoid the departing BE99 and landed without incident.

 

KOA is operated by a contractor whose contract is coming to an end this year.  The contractor, Airservices Australia, is a government-owned corporation that operates 26 air traffic control towers at airports across Australia and six towers at United States territories in the Pacific, including airports in Kona, Lihue and Molokai.

 

When the company initially took over air traffic control services in Kona in 2000, there were about 88,000 takeoffs and landings a year by airliners, cargo and corporate planes and other "instrument flight rules" aircraft. Since then, planes have used the airport more frequently, with the number of takeoffs and landings rising to a high of 154,000 in 2005.

 

Here is a link to the full news story that appeared on KITV in Honolulu, Hawaii:

 

http://www.kitv.com/news/19596379/detail.html

 

·       Brothers and Sisters, I received the following email from our NATCA brother at SCT Don Magley.  Please do everything you can to help our brother and sister by donating some leave to them through the provided link at the bottom of his letter.  Please keep in mind that the link will only work if you use it on the FAA intranet.  Log onto a FAA computer and follow the link to donate some leave to Ronda Magley.

 

Good Morning,

My name is Don Magley, my wife Ronda and I have been in the FAA for a little over 2 years.  We both transferred from the Salt Lake City facilities (Ronda the TRACON, Me the Center) to SCT and SAN, about 7 months ago on a hardship transfer for our son Roman who was born 4 months premature.  Weighing just 2lbs at birth he was born with many medical problems, struggling with Chronic Lung Disease was the primary cause for our relocation based off his doctor’s recommendation for a climate change.  We have since relocated our family here where there are better hospitals and a vastly improved air quality over SLC.  Since moving here our son has had a tremendous improvement with his Chronic Lung Disease and has been able to discontinue his oxygen requirements.  Unfortunately that was not the end of hurdle's to be jumped for him, many other underlying medical problems have surfaced and he is now is need of multiple surgeries to correct exotropia of the eyes, and has neurological and developmental issues to overcome.  Roman meets with a Physiotherapist/Occupational therapist two times a week to help address some of his delays, he also has weekly medical evaluations/appointments at Children's Hospital to evaluate and assess his overall progress.  Roman is now scheduled to have his 2nd eye surgery at the end of June and with his medical background and susceptibility to infection his recovery is expected to take quite some time and this will not be his last eye surgery for this year.  My wife who works at Lindbergh Tower has had to miss many days and weeks of work to try and accommodate Roman's medical schedule.  She has now expended all of her sick and annual leave balances plus some advanced leave.  My wife and I are at our wit's end with the ongoing medical, nursing/nanny, and therapist bills and the loss of work to accommodate all of the appointments.  My wife is now on the Voluntary Leave Donor Program and we are asking for help from our fellow union brother's and sister's as it is our only hope.
https://webapps.awp.faa.gov/ovltp/new_enter_donorapp.cfm?here=nat&RecordID=4598

NWP “Hot Sheet” Weeks of 4-6-09, 4-13-09, and 4-20-09

NWP Reps/Members:

Last week, I was in Phoenix for a meeting to improve the working relationship between Labor and Management at PHX Tower.  The meeting took all day and a host of issues were discussed by both sides.  I am hopeful that we will be able to transform the current demoralizing relationship and unhealthy work environment to a very productive relationship and a healthy work environment.

Following the all day meeting, Mike Hull and I met with close to thirty members from PHX and P50 for a general membership meeting and a local establishment.  Once everyone had an opportunity to eat, we opened the floor up to questions and comments.  Some of our younger controllers expressed serious concerns about the “B” scale and possible contract negotiations.  I reminded our younger controllers that they are the future of our profession and our Union.  The reason that we are still fighting for a ratifiable contract 969 days after the imposed work rules is because of the younger controllers on the “B” scale.  I am very proud of the fact that our Union didn’t sell out the future of the profession by agreeing to a two tier pay system that would reward veterans and punish our new controllers.  This fight is about our future.  This fight is about our “B” scaler’s who do what we do, but for 30% less pay.

I firmly believe that President Obama will take concrete steps to resolve our disputes with the FAA.  However, as I have previously stated, I do not see any major changes until the new FAA Administrator (Randy Babbitt) is confirmed by the Senate.  We are hearing that the Senate will confirm Mr. Babbitt as early as May 2009.

Meanwhile, please keep the faith and continue to provide the superior service that you provide to the American flying public 24/7.  We are a Union and Unions fight for what they believe in.  In this case, we are fighting for a fair process that results in a ratifiable agreement for all of our members.

Thank you for everything that you do to keep our system safe . . .

In Solidarity,

Ham

NWP RVP

 

·       NWP Safety Lead Eric Carter sent out a report from the ATSAP (Air Traffic Safety Action Program) ERC (Event Review Committee).  All of the safety information contained in this briefing sheet has come from actual ATSAP reports.

The Event Review Committee reviews every ATSAP report and extracts valuable causal factor data.  In many cases, reports are closed with a simple electronic response from the ERC indicating no further action is required on the part of the submitter. This does not mean that no action is taking place with the information that was supplied.  The ERC notification simply advises the report submitter that their report has been accepted into the system.

 

·       Mickela has the following at the Regional Office if you need to stock up:  2009 Pocket Calendars, NATCA Recruitment Packages (for non-members interested in joining NATCA), Black/Yellow Retirement Lanyards, NWP Regional Shirts to order ($30+), Miami Convention Shirts (Free/XL to 5X, quantities vary).  Please email her at Mickela@natca.net if you need any of the above.

 

·       Mike Hull and Kevin Sills work with PHX Facility Rep Steve Palmer to prepare a disciplinary action case for expedited arbitration.

 

·       NWP LR Rep/SJC Facility Rep Rich Burton works with outgoing HWD Facility Rep Karin Guerra on some issues at HWD.

 

·       I would like to thank Karin Guerra for her service to the HWD Local and NATCA and wish her the best as she begins her new job as a Traffic Management Coordinator at ZOA.  I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome the new HWD Local Facility Rep Shane Foskey.  Shane will take over as the new effective May 11, 2009.  Meanwhile, Felix Rivera HWD VP is the acting Facility Rep; thanks Felix.

 

·       I have asked SCT Facility Rep/NWP Media co-lead Mel Davis to begin building relationships with members of AAAE (American Association of Airport Executives).   Mel has reached out to all of the WP major airport operators on behalf of NATCA and we are starting to see some responses.

 

·       Mike Hull and I work with Mel Davis, Ron Geyer, and Jeff Young on an OWCP issue out of SCT.

 

·       ZLA Facility Rep/NWP LR Rep Garth Koleszar worked with VGT Facility Rep Mark Knabel regarding a form sick leave letter issued to a member at VGT.  Mike, Garth, and I are working with Kevin Sills as this sick leave template may have national implications.

 

·       I worked with Mike Hull and Kevin Sills regarding an upcoming arbitration that deals with one of our members at HCF.  The FAA has dragged their feet repeatedly on this case and has caused our member tremendous financial harm.  I had discussions with our good brother out of HCF and have asked him to let us know what he needs to ensure that his wife and young children are not uprooted from their home and their schools as a result of this never ending delay with the FAA.  I am hopeful that the FAA may settle the case, but if not, these constant delays may cause our member at HCF to have to uproot his family.

 

·       HCF Facility Rep Scott Sorenson, Paul Rinaldi, and I discussed some questions regarding quarterly dues rebates.

 

·       I worked with Mickela and Dave Caldwell regarding some planning for the HNL 2010 Convention.  I am constantly amazed at the energy of the HNL 2010 Committee members; thanks guys and gals.

 

·       Mike Hull and I worked with NGL RVP Bryan Zilonis regarding long delays for AOV to respond to return to duty plans at SCT and elsewhere in the region.  AOV is supposed to respond within 48 hours.  Apparently, AOV never thought that they would be dealing with this many decertification’s.  Now, it’s taking AOV nine (9) to ten (10) days to respond to a return to duty.  NATCA national has filed an Article 7 notice regarding this matter.

 

·       ATSAP (Air Traffic Safety Action Program) training is coming to the Western Pacific Region.  Here are some of the dates for the upcoming training:

 

o   LAS, L30, and VGT- Week of May 18^th

o   ZOA-Week of June 8^th

o   HCF, ITO, OGG, and ZUA- June 9-11 in Honolulu

 

https://atsapsafety.com

 

·       VNY Facility Rep Rich Velasquez gave us some terrific news; VNY is a 100% NATCA Facility.  Rich has really stepped up as the Facility Rep at VNY and I am very proud of his activism and efforts on behalf of the membership at VNY; thanks Rich.

 

·       Mike Hull, Eric Carter, and I worked with ONT Facility Rep Melanie Washington regarding a new interpretation that prevents the tower from being able to issue headings to departures.  Eric will discuss this with his counterpart in ATO-Safety.

 

·       Mike Hull and I work with the SFO Hub and MRY Facility Rep Eric Fleming regarding some problems with a recent CRM class in OAK and a CIC certification.

 

·       L30 Facility Rep Sara George and P50 Facility Rep Tim Krieger share their local update’s with me; thanks.  These local updates are a great opportunity for me to understand what the important issues are at various facilities in the region.

 

·       NWP Safety Lead Eric Carter, NWP Runway Safety Lead Elliot Brann, and I work with LAS Facility Rep Troy Verville regarding some problems with ramp control and a recent LOA signed between the FAA and Clark County.

 

·       NWP Finance Lead Eric Hughes and I work with ZUA Facility Rep Will Scott regarding the use of local NATCA funds.  Please remember that any time your E-board votes to spend money that you should document the motion in your E-board minutes and attach a copy of the minutes to the voucher.  All your local expenses should be receipted and vouchered with dual signatures.  If you have any questions on your local finances and good documentation, please contact Eric Hughes at: air.rock@sbcglobal.net

 

·       NWP OSHA Lead Garth Koleszar worked with SCT Facility Rep Mel Davis, Mike Hull, and I regarding a problem with the water at SCT.  After the laboratory analysis, it appears the water is safe for drinking.

 

·       NWP Finance Lead Eric Hughes shared the results of his most recent financial audit of MYF.  Please remember that ALL of these audits are done in preparation of any potential DOL audits and also because our National constitution requires them.  Please follow through on all of the recommendations and learn from the audit.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Eric or have your treasurer ask a question on the NWP Treasurers listserve.

 

·       If you get injured at work, please be extremely wary of FAA representatives that call you at home or your cell and claim to want to help you.  You are under no obligation to deal with these individuals.  Most of these individuals are there to ensure that your claim is controverted.  Just recently, one of my good friends at ZLA experienced a traumatic situation at ZLA.  I was just notified by ZLA Facility Rep Garth Koleszar that a FAA representative has been repeatedly calling our brother and harassing him.  Here is an excerpt of Garth’s letter to this FAA Representative (I will xx out their name and our member’s name).  Please contact your facility rep, your LR Rep, Mike Hull or myself if you are ever placed in this situation:

“Ms. XXX,

My name is Garth Koleszar and I am the Los Angeles Center NATCA representative and I, not you, represent Mr. NATCA member.

This letter is to inform you that I request that you immediately cease your harassing phone calls to Mr NATCA member regarding his recent OWCP claim.  Mr. NATCA member has informed the FAA at Los Angeles Center of his return to work date and has complied with every request of the DOL.  It is well known that the FAA has recently begun an overt practice of harassing phone calls, home visits and other means of attempting to force individuals into revealing information that may be used against them as they exercise their Federal entitlement to workers compensation benefits.  If the facility management wishes to plan for Mr. NATCA members return, I am sure that the facility manager, Ms. Kathryn Hughes, has the ability to contact Mr. NATCA member on her own volition.

Your written contact to Mr. NATCA member’s attending physician was, in the Physician's own words "very condescending and arrogant".  Mr. NATCA member’s attending Psychiatrist finds your attempts to pass yourself off as a representative of Mr. NATCA member and your constant phone calls to be "blatant harassment".  I will have no difficulty getting statements from these professional regarding their opinions of your actions.

Your cleverly disguised attempts to gather information from his physicians, in spite of what your knowledge should be regarding patient client privilege and the rights of Mr. NATCA member, borders on fraud and in my opinion is a violation of Federal law.  You clearly represent the FAA and your goal is simply to reduce the amount of workers compensation claims filed against the agency.  Mr. NATCA member has informed all his care givers of your duplicitous actions.”

 

·       VNY Facility Rep Rich Velasquez discovers the power of relationship building with members of Congress.  Rich recently began having dialogue with Congressman Sherman’s office about the aging Tower at VNY.  One of Congressman Sherman’s aide’s even visited the tower.  The result was a letter to the Acting FAA Administrator asking for VNY to be prioritized on the agency’s “waterfall list” for new towers.

 

·       Late last week, the service area notified me that FAA Finance has decided to change the way they count staffing.  Previously, the FAA wouldn’t count new hires in the minimum-maximum staffing range.  Now, FAA finance has decided to change that since it made too much sense.  The ATO is now required to count everyone in their staffing number.  This will have a negative effect on any new hires that are unsuccessful in the training program, since most facilities will be within or above their staffing range.  The FAA has yet to brief NATCA on this initiative.  Pat will be discussing this with ATO COO Hank Krakowski.

 

·       NWP LR Rep Bruce Bates answered a seniority question for TOA Facility Rep Victor Morales.  The question was:

“When we get a new hire from the FAA Academy, does their cumulative bargaining unit time start when they report to the facility? Apparently, a few of the new hires thought that they were covered by the Union while at the academy for the purposes of seniority.

Victor, academy time in this case would not count towards seniority since new hires at the academy are not represented by NATCA.  It’s only when they report to their first FAA facility that there NATCA bargaining unit time begins”.

 

·       Last week, Mike Hull was in RNO to meet with the RNO NATCA Local and RNO Management.  Mike has been acting as the NATCA designee for RNO to deal with some of the problems the local has been experiencing with RNO management.

 

·       Mike Hull works with SCT VP Ron Geyer and SCT Facility Rep Mel Davis to prepare a disciplinary case for expedited arbitration.

NWP “Hot Sheet” Week of 3-30-09 and 4-6-09

NWP Reps/Members,

Wow, what an amazingly fast-paced several weeks with Communicating For Safety, ATSAP Briefings in Los Angeles and Oakland, LR Class in San Diego, as well as the awesome five-region membership meeting in San Diego.  Things have been very hectic for the past several weeks.  I finally have an opportunity to sit down and write you an update that encompasses much more than just two weeks.

To start with, I would like to dedicate this update to all of the professional air traffic controllers who keep the skies safe 24/7.  In addition, I would like to give special recognition to our two Archie league winners from NCT; Tom Gallagher and Neil Irvin.  Together, these two gentlemen have a combined 56 years of air traffic control experience.  I was very proud to recognize these fine men as the Western Pacific Region, Archie League Medal of Safety Award winners.

I would also like to give a special thanks to John Charlton from Lake Charles tower for adding a whole new meaning to the term ‘Air Traffic Service.’  For complete information on John Charlton and the other Archie League Medal of Safety Award winners, please go to:  http://www.natca.org/mediacenter/ArchieLeagueJan06Main.msp

Last but certainly not least, I would like to recognize and congratulate the Western Pacific Archie League Medal of Safety Honorable mentions:

·        Gina Eckert-SEE (Gillespie Tower)

·        Ken Moen & Mike La Grange- RNO (Reno Tower)

·        Jason Hughes-ZLA (Los Angeles Center.  Jason also won the AOPA Flight Assist Commendation award for the Western Pacific Region)

As far as I am concerned, each and every one of you is a winner for providing the safest and most efficient service possible to our users and the American flying public; thank you.

In Solidarity,

 

Ham

NWP RVP

 

·        For those of you in the Western Pacific region who missed the five region membership meeting, you missed an absolutely fantastic meeting.  The Western Pacific Region had well over 90 members in attendance which is an all time record for our membership meetings!  In all, approximately 220 members attended from the five regions.

 

·        I would like to thank Mickela for the tremendous job she did in organizing this meeting along with Sallie (NEA), Laurelle (NGL), and Pam (NNM).  I know Mickela had many sleepless nights stressing out about the meeting (I would get texts from her in the middle of the night).  I would also like to thank Dave Caldwell, Mike Hull, and Kevin Sherwood for the work they did leading up to the meeting.  This was absolute team work at its finest; from the agenda to the audio/video plan to the room set up to the catering to the terrific dinner in Old Town San Diego and to the candidate’s forum.  Everything was planned in advance and everything came together quite nicely.

 

·        I also had an opportunity to recognize the hard work and dedication of some of our activists.  It gave me great pleasure to recognize NWP Safety Lead Eric Carter, NWP LR Rep and outgoing L30 Facility Rep Bryan Baker, NWP Runway Safety Lead Elliot Brann, and last but not least our attorney at the national office, Kevin Sills.  I would like to thank all of these fine men for their support of our great Union.

 

·        As soon as the membership meeting ended at noon on Wednesday, the National Executive Board meeting started.  Thursday morning, I was on the first flight out of San Diego to meet DOT Secretary La Hood in Phoenix.  The Secretary was in town for an aviation summit and planned to visit the PHX Tower and Tracon during his stay.  I had an opportunity to speak with the Secretary while we were walking into the facility.  He seemed very down to Earth and very approachable.  Once inside, the Secretary reiterated what he has been saying when he visited Miami Tower/Tracon and FAA Headquarters.  He reiterated the priorities of the administration:

 

1.     a quick fix to our contract situation, and

2.     NextGen.

 

·        The Secretary then opened the floor up to questions.  I asked the Secretary whether he would commit to working with the current administration to start affecting some changes while we wait for the new FAA Administrator.  The Secretary was very up front and frank with his response.  In essence, he stated that they would not make any changes until they had their Administrator confirmed and in place at FAA Headquarters.

 

·        Mike Hull, Garth Koleszar and I continue to work with L30 Facility Rep Sara George on the myriad of issues that have been plaguing the Las Vegas Tracon as a result of the new “Go it alone” management style of the ATM.  Just about a year ago, the Las Vegas Tracon was a model facility for Labor Relations.  One year later, there is word that there are nine (9) disciplinary actions on the ATM’s desk waiting to be handed out!

 

·        NATCA National Safety Committee member and ATSAP Training Team member Gini Briggs shared an email with me regarding the ATSAP (Air Traffic Safety Action Program) program.  Please take a minute and read all about the ATSAP program and what it’s all about (ATSAP should be coming to the Western Pacific Region by Late May or early June):

 

“Dear NATCA Brothers and Sisters:

 

As the next region to be covered under the ATSAP umbrella, I thought maybe I should send out something short and sweet to assuage some of the concerns and misconceptions I've heard about the program lately.

 

First of all, ATSAP is all about safety.  It's not a "get out of jail free" or snitch on your neighbor program.  The whole idea in a nutshell is that we learn from our mistakes and that, as the perfectionists we are, we are basically self-correcting.  No one beats up a controller more after an OE or OD than the controller him or herself.  All the CBI's, training and viewings of the "Break the Chain" video in the world won't improve the level of safety in the NAS.

 

So in order to categorize and quantify the causes of and potential solutions to safety issues, we've got to get people to step forward and report problems within the system.  Contrary to the premise of the current QA process of quantifying aviation errors, not all mistakes are caused by "human error." Ineffective policies and procedures, airspace problems, fatigue, poor scheduling practices and equipment malfunctions all contribute to errors.  If we cover up our issues, we never gather the data necessary to learn from them.  In the punitive environment to which we've become accustomed, we learn to avoid reporting problems due to fear of reprisal.  Our current culture within the Agency is one of blame and punishment.  The purpose of ATSAP is to instigate a shift to one of a just culture.

 

One of the main obstacles to open reporting is the issue of trust.  This is the number one reason why so many members are opposed to the ATSAP program.  Rest assured, your NATCA brothers and sisters on the ATSAP training team are well aware of the lack of trust between the Union and management.  We are not going to stand in front of you and tell you to place all of your trust in the Agency to do the right thing.  We're not telling you that this program is going to make all of the bad managers in the field stop trying to punish us if something goes wrong.  The trust simply isn't there yet, even for us.

 

What we do trust in is our Union leadership.  We trust that those who wrote and signed this MOU on our behalf will do the right thing by us.  We trust that they won't allow the Agency to hijack this program and turn it into a witch hunt.  We trust that they will hold management's feet to the fire and make them comply with every single letter of every single word in the agreement, or they will pull our cooperation and participation in it immediately.

 

I'd like to ask my NATCA brothers and sisters to keep that healthy skepticism of the ATSAP program.  Contact your fellow members who are already covered by the program and ask them how it's working.  Attend an ATSAP training briefing or go to the ATSAP website to find out more about it.  All I ask is that, until you have received the briefing and seen the program in action, you keep an open mind.  Feel free to contact me, any other of NATCA's ATSAP training team or an ERC member with any questions you may have.”

 

·        SBA Facility Rep and NWP LR Rep Gordie Thompson worked with Mike Hull and TOA Facility Rep Victor Morales to assist with some local issues at TOA.  I would like to thank Gordie for making the time to help our brothers and sisters at TOA.  This is exactly what the NWP LR Team is all about.

 

·        NCT Facility Rep and NWP LR Rep Steve McCoy works with Mike Hull, RNO Facility Rep Rich Ferris and I to help the RNO Local.  Together, we have decided to designate Mike Hull as our official designee at RNO to deal with local management and resolve a myriad of issues plaguing the local.

 

·        I worked with SCT Facility Rep Mel Davis and ZLA Facility Rep Garth Koleszar to discuss some issues of mutual importance for both facilities.  Garth and Mel are consummate professionals and I am very proud of both of them and what they have done for their respective locals.

 

·        Mike Hull and I worked with BUR Facility Rep Cau Hau regarding a medical issue at the local level.

 

·        As a reminder, all new hires are entitled to excused absence for making pre- and post-moving arrangements.  The interpretation that was sent out from HR in October 2008 stated that students at the academy are hired as temporary appointments while attending the Academy.  As temporary employees, they are ineligible for excused absence to make pre and post-moving arrangements.  However, upon successful completion of the Academy training (they have one travel day to report to their facility) they are converted to permanent employees.  As permanent employees, they are eligible to receive up to sixty-four (64) hours of excused absence to make pre and post moving arrangements relating to reporting for duty to a new, official station in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement and HRPM LWS 8.8.  In addition, excused absence may be granted up to two (2) years after the effective date of reporting for duty at the first official station.

 

·        Mike Hull, Tony Yushinsky, Bob Taylor and I are putting the finishing touches on the initial Web-based class on Basic Labor Relations that will be available for all very soon.  This first class is the prelude to completely transforming training for our membership.  Whether it’s legislative training, PAC training, ASI Training, CISM Training, Arbitration training, etc.  Web-based training is the future and the future is looking very bright for NATCA training.

 

·        I will be leaving the family on Easter Sunday to head out to Phoenix for a meeting with Western Terminal early Monday morning April 13, 2009.  Mike Hull and I will be meeting with Western Terminal Management, PHX Hub Management, and NATCA PHX/P50 to discuss some issues of concern at Phoenix and the Hub in general.  Following our meeting, there will be a combined PHX/P50 membership meeting hosted by the Western Pacific Region.  The meeting will start at 630pm at Aunt Chilada’s located at 7330 N. Dreamy Draw Drive, Phoenix.  Members from the surrounding facilities are also welcome to attend this event.  Please contact Mickela if you plan to join us at the membership meeting.

 

·        The following morning, Tuesday April 14, 2009, Mike Hull and ZLA Facility Rep/NWP LR rep Garth Koleszar will be conducting a basic LR class at the Hilton Squaw Peak Hotel.  The training will be conducted from 8am to 430pm and lunch will be provided.  It’s not too late to attend this terrific class.  The class is great for new Facility Reps, activists, new hires, and members in general.  If you would like to attend the LR Class, please contact Mickela at mickela@natca.net

 

·        I had an opportunity to talk with many of you in San Diego regarding what I perceive as how things will change in Washington, D.C. and what will happen with our contract.  I do not believe that there will be any substantial changes in the FAA until the U.S. Senate confirms President Obama’s nominee for FAA Administrator; Randy Babbitt.

 

·        Once confirmed, I firmly believe that the new FAA Administrator will bring about some radical changes to the FAA.  The current organization of the FAA is seriously flawed.  HR/LR should not trump the ATO COO.  There is no need for so many senior level managers in the ATO.  I could go on and on, but needless to say, the system set up by Marion Blakey and Russ Chew has failed miserably and has created an absolute mess.

 

·        With respect to our contract, I would anticipate that it will be the number one priority of the new administrator.  I firmly believe that there will be some disagreements with the new administration, but I do believe that the process to settle our issues will be fair and there will be no imposed work/pay rules.  I also firmly believe that each and every one of you will have an opportunity to give your stamp of approval to any agreement reached between the parties by ratifying the new contract.

NWP “Hot Sheet” Weeks of 2-9-09, 2-16-09, and 2-23-09

NWP Reps/Members:

This past week, Mike Hull and I visited Honolulu for a Basic Labor Relations Class on Sunday February 22, 2009 followed by visits to Hilo Tower (ITO), Maui Tower (OGG), and Honolulu Combined Facility (HCF).

Sunday morning started with Mike and I working with close to twenty (20) members from HCF, OGG, and ITO in attendance for the basic LR class.  This was an absolutely amazing site to have this many members want to learn more about their rights and their Union.  Most of the members in attendance were new to the FAA and some were still serving their probationary period (first year of Federal Civil Service).

The class promptly started at 9am and we covered issues such as:

Introduction to LR and the Importance of Documentation

·        Meetings with Management

·        Training Review Boards

·        Security Investigations

·        Probationary Employees

·        Know Your Rights

·        Reporting Requirements

·        Think Before You Act

Class participation was fantastic and it appears that we have a very bright future ahead of us with such bright and energetic members such as these fine women and men.

On Monday morning, Mike and I boarded a Hawaiian Airlines flight over to Hilo Tower to meet with ITO Facility Rep Josh Cooper.  Josh was on annual leave and left his family to show us around the tower and Hilo.  We got to see the sole apartment complex in Hilo that rented rooms for close to $750 a month.  Unfortunately, the apartment complex is nothing to write home about.  Most of our new members who are not from the Hawaiian Islands have a difficult time making ends meet with ATC-7 pay.  While at ITO, we discussed working conditions and general Labor Management Relations (LMR) with several members, our Facility Rep Josh Cooper, and the ITO ATM.  At lunch, we got the folks who were working some Pizza.  That afternoon, Mike and I boarded our flight back to HNL.  I would like to thank ITO Facility Rep Josh Cooper for his terrific hospitality and his dedication to NATCA and the ITO Local.

Monday evening, Mike and I met up with close to 40 members from HCF and the Honolulu Convention Committee for dinner.  The Convention Committee is very busy making arrangements for the NATCA HNL 2010 Convention.  The Convention will take place September 12-14, 2010 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.  We are trying to be extremely fiscally responsible with the upcoming convention in Honolulu and believe that costs will be very comparable with Miami.  Unfortunately, we were missing two very important members of the Convention Committee; Adell Humphreys and Sallie Sullivan who had come in December 2008 to meet with the hotel and some of our Committee members.

Based on the level of energy from our folks on the Convention Committee (Scott Sorenson, Thom Gurule, Poliala Lorenzo, Richard Coppola, Mickela, and Dave Caldwell), this is going to be a fantastic convention.

Tuesday morning, Mike and I boarded a flight for Maui to visit the tower in Kahului.  We were met by OGG Facility Rep Marcus Jackson who grew up in the Islands.  On the way into the facility, we stopped by a local restaurant to pick up some chicken “Katsu” for the BBQ luncheon that the fine folks at OGG had set up.  Currently, Maui is staffed with eight (8) CPC’s and eight (8) developmentals!!  One of the newest developmentals came to Maui from North Dakota.  Most of the developmentals are from the mainland.  The FAA must do a much better job of hiring locally for places such as Hawaii, Guam, Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.  Otherwise, we will always have staffing imbalances in these locations due to “Island Fever.”

As in Hilo, it’s not easy to make ends meet in Maui with the ATC-7 level pay that has been cut by 30 % when the FAA implemented its imposed work/pay rules on September 3, 2006.  I was truly impressed by the family atmosphere at Maui.  I would like to thank Marcus, Wojo for BBQ’ing, and the entire Maui local for their most fantastic hospitality.

Upon returning to Honolulu late in the afternoon, Mike and I met up with the Convention Committee, minus Adell Humphreys and Sallie Sullivan, to look at some of the venues for the Local party, regional dinners, and have some discussions about the Convention in general.  Our goal is to make sure that we have a memorable convention while at the same time keeping the costs comparable to Miami, if not cheaper.

On Wednesday morning, Mike and I drove to HCF which is on Hickam Air Force Base.  The speeds on base vary from 20 to 35 miles an hour.  It takes a good 15-20 minutes to get to the facility from the main gate.  There are times when our members arrive with plenty of time to get to work and are held up by base security or some form of a security lock down.  HCF Controller Rosa Serai was nice enough to meet us at the guard shack and guide us to the facility.  We were met at the facility by ATM Bob Rabideau, OM Robert Hong along with NATCA Facility Rep Scott Sorenson and HCF Legislative Rep Jimmy Lake.  Scott, Mike, and I met with Bob Rabideau for about forty five minutes before we took a tour of this absolutely beautiful facility.  Just as in the case of Hilo and Maui, it’s quite expensive for new developmentals to make ends meet in Honolulu.  We have had several new hires resign since they could not afford to live in Honolulu.  Yet another very strong argument why there is an absolute need for a solid local hiring program for the Hawaiian Islands, Guam, etc….

After our tour of HCF, we returned to the hotel and packed up for our red eye flights back to the mainland.  I am very impressed by the enthusiasm and energy of our Convention Committee members; thank you guys and gals.

I will be in Las Vegas this week attending the Communicating for Safety conference.  I will be driving back to lovely Palmdale on Thursday morning and then getting my currency at L.A. Center on Friday.

In Solidarity,

Ham

NWP RVP

·        We are up to 250 attendees for our March membership meeting in San Diego.  Close to 90 of the attendees will be from the Western Pacific Region; WOW!  The Hilton hotel is fully booked.  As such, if you are still interested in attending the meeting on March 23-25, 2009, please contact Mickela and she can let you know about the overflow hotel.

·        I worked with NCT Facility Rep Steve McCoy, Legislative Rep Chuck Vogel, LAX Facility Rep Mike Foote, and SCT Facility Rep Mel Davis on a report for Senator Feinstein on the state of training and staffing at NCT, LAX, and SCT.  Here are just a few interesting facts from our report:

Total Terminal employees hired in last 3 fiscal years that have not left the FAA	2628
Certified	520
Still in training	2108
Percent still in training	80%

Total Enroute employees hired in last 3 fiscal years that have not left the FAA	1,852
Certified	198
Still in training	1,654
Percent still in training	89%

·        Needless to say, the current hiring/placement program that the FAA is using is an absolute failure.  You can’t expect a CTI or off the street hire with no ATC experience to certify at the busiest Tracon’s and Towers in the country (I.E. SCT, LAX, NCT).  Unfortunately, the FAA still sees this as a big numbers game.  They will plug any developmental, regardless of their experience level, into any facility as long as it will make the overall numbers look good.

·        ZLA Facility Rep/NWP LR Rep Garth Koleszar and Mike Hull work with the BFL local regarding some election questions, official time, and sick leave for an employee.

·        Mike Hull works with the BFL Hub Manager regarding the denial of sick leave for a member at BFL.

·        NATCA Safety and Technology advised that ATO-S (Safety) has now determined that when ever there is a pilot deviation the controller must also have a deviation or error!  This is a direct result of the D10 management team filing pilot deviations when they were allegedly controller deviations.

·        NCT Facility Rep/NWP LR Rep Steve McCoy shares the local update with me; thanks brother.

·        Steve McCoy and I work with service area management to advise them of a shortage of Raytheon contract instructors at NCT.  As a result, NCT is detailing controllers without FIT (Facility Instructor Training) to instruct developmentals and then backfilling them with overtime.  In response, the Western Terminal Director has stated that it was never their plan to not use controllers in some fashion in the training department.  Meanwhile, from the national level, the FAA stated that NCT has a difficult time finding qualified instructors.  Steve advised me that there are several retirees who are interested in working at NCT, but they have been told that Raytheon is not hiring!!

THE NATCA CHARITABLE FOUNDATION AND NATCA RELOADED WILL BE HOLDING A GOLF TOURNEMENT ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, AFTER THE COMBINED REGIONAL MEETING IN SAN DIEGO.

THE FLYER IS POSTED ON THE NWP WEBSITE (http://nwp.natca.net) UNDER THE "MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS" TAB.

ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE EMAIL ROB REDDEG/SCT AT Thereddegs@sbcglobal.net.

·        I worked with BUR Facility Rep Cau Hau and Western Terminal regarding a new supervisor that was scheduled to stand watch without having any certifications in the Tower.  FAA Order 7210.3, 2-3-3, states that in order to directly supervise the operation, front line managers must be operationally current.

·        Mike Hull and I worked with P50 Facility Rep Tim Krieger regarding the changes to the mid-night shift staffing at P50.  Tim will be working with one of NWP legislative reps, Mark Wojtulski who also works at P50 in order to bring this issue to the attention of our law makers.  While the FAA has advised us that their FLM will be working side by side with our controller, they have refused to reduce this to writing.  As such, there is no guarantee that the FLM gives our sole controller on the mid-watch a 20 minute break and then works on his paperwork for the rest of the night.

·        The Air Traffic Safety Action Program (ATSAP) is coming to your neck of the woods.

o   L.A. briefing will be held on March 11th.

o   Oakland briefing will be held on March 12th.

·        These briefings are to familiarize the Facility Reps and ATMs with the ATSAP program.  The actual training for ATSAP will not begin until the end of May.

·        Interesting fact for NWP; we have 45 SRF-12 facilities.  These are facilities that receive $4000 or less in annual dues rebates.  There are a total of 56 facilities in the Western Pacific Region (including our DOD Facility in Hawaii-JRF).  Here is what SRF-12 states:

SRF-12 Reimbursement for Training/Meetings (9/04, 4/06, 9/08)

For any local receiving $4,000 or less in annual dues rebates, transportation and lodging expenses required to attend NATCA training courses or regional meetings will be paid by the region or department hosting the event, in accordance with NATCA’s expense reimbursement policy.  All such expenses require pre-approval by the individual responsible for the budget before costs are incurred.

·        Mike Hull and I worked with HWD Facility Rep Karin Guerra regarding a developmental at her facility who did not receive an OSI since they had failed the training program at another facility.  Here is what the FAA had to say:

The OSI guidance advises that employees who received a suspension, reduction in grade or pay for conduct or performance, or issued a removal decision letter during the performance year are ineligible for an OSI.

HRMD's interpretation and application of the aforementioned:  Employees that are unsuccessful at one facility, and subsequently placed at a lower level/less complex facility, are considered to have received a reduction in grade/pay for performance; therefore, making them ineligible for the OSI.

·        Based on this interpretation, we advised Karin to file a grievance on behalf of our member at HWD.

·        ZLA Facility Rep/NWP LR Rep works with VGT Facility Rep Mark Knabel regarding some LR and operational issues.

·        Any facility needing a copy of their local constitution can email Mickela (Mickela@natca.net) or they can view them online via Unionware.

·        Mike Hull and I worked with two facility reps that have been advised that they can NOT conduct their Facility Rep official time offsite.  Here is what their White Book interpretation has to say:

1.        It is the intent that, as a general rule, FacRep time should be scheduled between the Rep and the Manager in advance of the posting of the watch schedule as described in Article 32 Section 3, in order to better ensure the granting of such time. Such time takes precedence over non vacation/spot leave requests.

3.        Under the terms of Section 14, there is no requirement that the FacRep report to work (including sign in/sign out) prior to pursuing official time away from the facility. This does not eliminate other provisions as outlined therein.

·        Mike Hull worked with FAT Facility Rep Mike Farrell regarding a problem with a FERS employee who had submitted retirement paperwork effective on December 31, 2008.  The employee was on the schedule and actually came to work after that date and worked.  After the fact, the FAA claimed that since he had retired on December 31, 2008, that the hours worked would not be compensated, even though the employee was scheduled to work, reported to work, and actually performed work!

Mike Hull worked with Western Terminal and HR to resolve this issue for our member at FAT.

·        NWP LR Rep Bruce Bates and Mike Hull worked with BUR Facility Rep on a response letter to a training failure at BUR.

·        I worked with RNO Facility Rep Rich Ferris and Steve McCoy regarding the design of the new RNO Tower, the consolidation to NCT, and the horrendous staffing at RNO.

·        On February 13, 2009, a national grievance was filed on the OSI/SCI payouts.

·        Reminder- The national office must RECEIVE all Convention subsidy requests (for the Miami convention) not later than March 11, 2009.

·        I was advised by SDL Facility Rep Kimi Cooley of a bat problem at SDL.  Apparently, there was a bat cave below the tower cab.  The entrance to the cave was sealed up which resulted in the smell of decomposing bat bodies coming up through the tower shaft and the elevator to the tower.  Our NWP OSHA Lead Garth Koleszar is working with Kimi to make sure there is no health risks associated with this bat problem.

·        FFZ Facility Rep Chris Brazys shares his local update with me; thanks.  I always appreciate reading your local updates.

·        NWP Finance Lead Eric Hughes sends out some information regarding the financial report deadlines.  If you have any questions regarding the timelines or what you are required to fill out and when, please contact Eric Hughes at air.rock@sbcglobal.net or his cell (650) 784-3906.

·        Mike Hull and I are working on setting up a meeting with Western Terminal management to discuss the working conditions and the current state of LMR (Labor Management Relations) at PHX, P50 and the PHX hub in general.  We will also be discussing the recent review of TUS by Mike Hull and an operations manager from the PHX Hub.

·        Mike Hull and I worked with L30 Facility Rep Sara George regarding a host of LR issues and operational issues at the Las Vegas Tracon (L30).

·        I worked with Western Terminal regarding jury service for one of our members in PHX.  In the PHX court system, they initially call you up for one day of jury service.  If you are selected to serve on a jury, they immediately extend your service.  The FAA has advised us that if jury service happens on the employees regular days off that the FAA will NOT change their schedule to attend jury duty on duty time.  We rectified the situation for our member in PHX, but continue to deal with this issue on a national level for those states that our members are initially called up for only one day.

·        Effective March 1, 2009, our good friend and brother ZUA Facility Rep Steve Costa will be stepping down as the Facility Rep in preparation for his move to Rhode Island.  Steve has done a fantastic job in Guam and I could not be prouder of his service and commitment to the ZUA Local and NATCA.  I would like to thank Will Scott for stepping up to be the next Facility Rep at ZUA.

·        P50 Facility Rep Tim Krieger shares yet another terrific local update with me; great work in keeping your members informed Tim.

·        NATCA President Pat Forrey has been invited to testify before the Aviation Subcommittee regarding ATC Modernization and NextGen on Wednesday March 18, 2009.

NWP “Hot Sheet” Weeks of 1-19-09, 1-26-09, and 2-2-09

NWP Reps/Members:

I began writing this update from the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C.  Change is in the air and this town seems a little brighter as a result of the recent historical election of President Obama.  While every department of the Government seems to be taking steps to change and reverse the old policies of the Bush administration, the FAA seems to be stuck in a time warp.  The FAA continues to move forward on all projects with an isolationist/go it alone type attitude that has crippled this agency for the past eight years.  Unfortunately, it appears that this type of behavior has become ingrained in the culture of the FAA!  They continue down the path of performance management through intimidation, fear, retaliation, etc. and the path of squandering tax payer dollars on equipment and procedures without involving the true experts of the system; Air Traffic Controllers, Traffic Management Coordinators, Staff Specialists, Engineers, and the rest of the Bargaining Unit Professionals that NATCA proudly represents.

In our corner of the country, the Western Pacific Region, it’s rumored that one facility manager is preparing to hand out close to nine (9) suspensions to help with performance management!  Operational errors have resulted in decertifications AND suspensions.  Poor performing managers who don’t understand the DOT/FAA policies on sexual harassment continue with business as usual.  A facility that was left without ANY management oversight for close to eight days continues with business as usual.  New Towers are being designed that will immediately have a lack of space as soon as the building is completed.  It truly appears as if there is ZERO accountability in the FAA.  Hopefully, this will change when a new Administrator is selected and confirmed by the Senate.

During a recent visit to the FAA Headquarters building in Washington, D.C., DOT Secretary LaHood talked to a large crowd of FAA employees.  At this town hall meeting, DOT Secretary LaHood specifically mentioned the substandard relationship between the FAA and its Air Traffic Controllers.  While most government organizations would jump at the opportunity to listen and follow through on direction from their superiors’; not the FAA!

It is extremely disappointing that FAA management didn’t pay close enough attention to what the DOT Secretary had to say about the FAA/ATO relationship with its employees and begin taking immediate steps to correct the dysfunctional relationship with their most prized commodity; their employees.

Unfortunately, what has transpired over the course of the past eight years is great disdain for the employees.  Rather than view us as part of the solution, they see us as the problem.  This type of behavior didn’t happen overnight.  It took several years of all hands briefings (brain washing) such as the infamous St. Louis briefing and the follow up surprise visits to field facilities by managers to ensure strict adherence to their draconian work rules.  It will not be an easy task to change the mentality of some of these managers, but it is something that must be done if the Air Traffic system is going to keep pace with the changes that are required to keep up with an economy that can NOT be straddled with delays, poor procedures, ill-conceived and poorly designed equipment as well as a mass exodus of experienced NATCA Bargaining Unit Employees.

It’s time for the FAA to embrace change and begin taking immediate steps to once again respect its workforce as part of the solution and NOT part of the problem.  The days of performance management through intimidation and fear must end.  The sooner the FAA can change, the sooner we can come together to help rebuild this great country by developing the next generation Air Traffic Control system.

Here are some facts for the folks over at the FAA to consider in deciding whether or not to change course:

·         In the two fiscal years following the imposed work rules (IWRs) 2,626 air traffic controllers left the FAA workforce through attrition (excluding promotions and transfers).

·         Less than 2% of those that left had reached the mandatory retirement age of 56.  A staggering 98% left the FAA before they were mandated.

·         In FY2008 there were 947 retirements and 307 resignations. Prior to the implementation of the IWRs, the FAA predicted there would be 708 retirements and 66 resignations in FY2008.

·         As of the end of FY 2008, there were 11,990 fully certified controllers, twenty-four percent lower than scientifically-determined level of necessary staffing determined in 1998.

·         After the first fiscal year under the IWRs, the FAA had the lowest number of fully certified controllers in over 16 years.

As a once infamous member of the other side once said: “Facts are stubborn things” . . .

In Solidarity,

Ham

NWP RVP

·         I continue to work with L30 Facility Rep Sara George, L30 LR Rep Bryan Baker, and Mike Hull regarding a host of issues at the Las Vegas Tracon.  Just last year, L30 was a model facility for Labor and Management relations.  They were able to address and resolve a myriad of issues.  I will do everything that I can to support our reps and members at the Las Vegas Tracon.

Mike Hull and I have begun working with the National level to address a very poorly designed “Dual Downwind” procedure at the Las Vegas Tracon.  It is mind boggling to think that procedures are designed without ANY input from the professional air traffic controllers that provide ATC services every day of the week.  Just because a “Dual Downwind” (left and right downwinds) is used at ORD or PHL or TPA, doesn’t mean that it will work in the Las Vegas area.  The Las Vegas airport is in a bowl surrounded by high terrain which, in turn, causes a very high minimum vectoring altitude.  Our members at Las Vegas have designed an alternative which is safe, simple, and efficient.  Unfortunately, the ATM has no interest in our alternative plan.  As such, I have forwarded this issue to the national level for resolution.

 

·         Meanwhile, Frank Haelle and I discussed the ‘Dual Downwind’ and the state of affairs at the Las Vegas Tracon with Senator Reid’s staff.  Frank also brought Senator Ensign, Congresswoman Berkley, and Congresswoman Titus’ staff up to speed on all issues affecting the Las Vegas Tracon.

 

·         I attended an AFL-CIO rally on behalf of the “Employee Free Choice Act” at upper Senate Park. While it was very cold outside (less than 20 degrees and why I am sick now), the many union activists attending generated the required heat to keep the all of us focused and energized.

 

·         I, along with several of our very dedicated and talented activists such as Sam Samad (Region X), Mel Davis (SCT), Chuck Vogel (NCT), and Mike Foote (LAX) attended a meeting with Senator Feinstein’s staff.  Senator Feinstein is very concerned with the state of training in the FAA, especially at SCT, NCT, and LAX.  As soon as Senator Feinstein was done speaking on the floor of the Senate, she joined us for some discussion on the state of ATC in California.  Chuck Vogel has done a terrific job in building a very strong relationship with Senator Feinstein’s office.  The Senator was very aware that we sent her flowers when she recently hurt herself.

 

·         Mel Davis, Mike Foote, Sam Samad, and I met with Senator Boxer’s staff.  Senator Boxer has been absolutely amazing with her support for her Air Traffic Controllers.  It’s very obvious that she truly cares about us and our current plight with the FAA.

 

·         SJC Facility Rep/NWP LR rep Rich Burton shared his local update with me; keep those local updates coming.  They are an excellent way for me to find out what’s going on in your facilities and an excellent way to keep your membership informed.

 

·         Mike Hull, Kevin Sills, and PHX Facility Rep Steve Palmer worked very hard to edit some settlement language provided to us by the agency in regards to a suspension at PHX.  Once we had finalized the language, the FAA advised us that they were retracting the settlement offer!!

 

·         Should the FAA propose a suspension on one of your BUEs, there are a few things that you should do immediately.  Notify Mike Hull and I by sending us a copy of the proposal.  The next thing you need to do is request an extension of timelines to respond to the proposed action.  You also need to request “all information relied upon” that they used to propose the suspension, as well as an Information request in accordance with 5 USC 7114(b)(4).  Also, the employee and the NATCA representative are authorized up to sixteen (16) hours of time in order to prepare the response.  The employee receives excused absence and the NATCA representative receives official time.

 

·         I talked to P50 Facility Rep Tim Krieger regarding an upcoming accountability board investigation.  Please remember to brush up on LR Chronicle number seven (7) “Weingarten Meetings” before the investigation.

 

·         RNO Facility Rep Rich Ferris briefed me on the flawed design of the new RNO Tower.  Apparently, there will not be enough space in this new tower to house a NATCA office, PASS office, AF manager’s office, etc.  A brand new FAA building with no space; absolutely amazing! We are discussing this issue with the Nevada Congressional delegation.

 

·         Mike Hull and Kevin Sills worked with SFO Facility Rep Dave Caldwell regarding an adverse action case out of SFO.

 

·         POC Facility Rep/NWP LR rep John Paiva worked with ONT Facility Rep Melanie Washington regarding mandatory training.  John continues to do an excellent job as the LR rep for his facilities.

 

·         NWP Safety Lead Eric Carter is working with his counterpart in ATO-S (Safety) to discuss some issues out of PHX, low altitude alerts on visual approaches, and a myriad of other issues that seem to be popping up on an almost daily basis out of Western Terminal.

 

·         I was recently advised by one of our Facility Reps that we have some members in the field who are not aware that ANY Federal Service is creditable towards Annual Leave Accrual.  As such, I have cut and pasted the following from the FAA HRPM.  Please make sure that all of your developmentals are aware of the leave accrual standards, since on several occasions the FAA has not credited our members for their military service.

Accrual of Annual Leave: Usually annual leave earned is based on years of Federal service and/or honorable military service. A change in the annual rate of accrual is effective at the beginning of the next pay period following the effective date that an employee completes the required years of service. Eligible employees earn annual leave at the following rate:

 

1.    Full-time employees with:

o   Less than three years of service earn four hours of leave each full biweekly pay period (annual accrual of 104 hours [13 days]).

o   Three or more, but less than 15 years of service earn six hours each of the first 25 full biweekly pay periods and ten hours for the last full biweekly pay period (annual accrual of 160 hours [20 days]).

o   Fifteen years or more of service earn eight hours for each full biweekly pay period (annual accrual of 208 hours [26 days]).

 

·         ZUA (Guam) Facility Rep Steve Costa sent me a copy of their quarterly local meeting.  I would like to applaud the fine NATCA members at ZUA.  The fact that they had 9 out of a possible 11 members show up to the meeting says a lot about their membership and their interest in our union!

 

·         If you are a SRF-12 facility (Any local receiving $4,000 or less in annual dues rebates) and want to attend the Communicating for Safety conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, be advised that the region will pay your reasonable travel expenses to attend the full conference.

 

·         Mike Hull worked with Kevin Sills on filing a regional grievance regarding the Service area wide policy entitled “Best Practices”.  The agency continues to implement new policies and procedures without fulfilling their obligation under the statute for notification and the opportunity to negotiate proposed changes to our working conditions.  NATCA has since filed a national grievance on this issue since it has been implemented nationwide among all terminal facilities.

 

·         I continued to work with our National office regarding a credit card fiasco created by the agency for a member at SBA.

 

·         Mike Hull visited TUS Tower with a staff manager from the PHX hub to investigate the numerous complaints regarding the TUS work environment and the effect it is having on morale.

 

·         Mike Hull and I work with PHX Facility Rep Steve Palmer regarding numerous changes at PHX, OE/OD’s, disciplinary actions, etc.  Unfortunately, this has led to very low morale at the facility.

 

·         Yet, another issue out of the PHX Hub is the unilateral change to the midnight shift staffing at P50.  Due to the recent split of the Tracon, management has already used close to half of its allotted overtime for the fiscal year.  As a result of the massive spike in overtime, management at P50 has decided to move a controller off of the mid watch and onto the day watch and work the mid watch with just one certified controller and a first line manager.  Management claims that they have no duty to bargain this change AND that the change does not pose a safety risk and thus no need for a SRMD (Safety Risk Management Document).  I have discussed this issue with Western Terminal to no avail.  As such, I have elevated the issue to the national level to be discussed with the COO.

 

·         NCT Facility Rep/NWP LR rep Steve McCoy worked with us regarding some peculiar Operational Error calls from AOV (Safety Oversight) regarding the recent hypothetical “Wake Remnants” interpretation.  Here is one of those peculiar calls as told to me by Steve McCoy:

Large following heavy.  Large told to "maintain visual separation", pilot acknowledges.

Controller turns large 20 degrees to pair up with another aircraft.

Controller asks Large if he still has heavy in sight.  Pilot says, "No, I lost him in the lights". At this time they had lost wake turbulence separation even though the pilot was told to maintain visual separation.

Controller cancels approach clearance and takes the Large out just like he's supposed to do.  The aircraft were never closer than 2000' vertically.

Everything’s perfect and by the book.  Right?

Wrong!!!!

AOV came up with another brand spankin' new interpretation which is:

Since you turned the Large, it cancels the visual separation.”

 

·         Mike Hull, Kevin Sills, and I are working with ZUA Facility Rep Steve Costa regarding a recent directive that requires all employees who are calling in while incapacitated for duty to state whether or not they are currently on the island!

 

·         NWP Finance Lead Eric Hughes sent me the results of his recent audit of HWD.  These audits are mandated by our NATCA National constitution, SRF-4 “Local Audits”.  SRF-4 requires NATCA to audit all of its locals at least once every three years to ensure compliance with all DOL (Department of Labor), IRS, and NATCA financial provisions.  These audits are also meant to teach you how local finances should be handled and maintained.

 

·         Mike Hull and I worked with LAX Facility Rep/NWP LR rep Mike Foote regarding an elevator outage, a hardship, and a placement of a recent training failure.

 

·         SBA Facility Rep Gordie Thompson, NWP OWCP Lead Steve Hefley, and I worked with a member at SBA who is having some medical issues.

 

·         RNO Facility Rep Rich Ferris advises that RNO and Las Vegas Hub management will be forcefully directing a certified controller to a temporary first line manager position.  Take a look at Reno’s staffing and let me know whether you believe this decision has anything to do with safety:

1      Air Traffic Manager  (does not work traffic)

1      Staff Specialist       (does not work traffic)

4      Front line managers (1 temporary, 1 not certified on anything, 2 who can work traffic)

 ---  One of the flm's that can work traffic is scheduled to transfer out of the facility in 8 weeks

10     Full Performance Level controllers (CPC)

 ---  One cannot train and is not CIC certified

 ---  Two FPL's are currently eligible to retire

 ---  We have a couple more that will be eligible in 2 years

12     Developmental controllers

 ---  NO radar qualifications for any of them

 ---  Two cannot work ANY position at all (one is still at OKC)

 

·         Convention Subsidies have been going out since October.  If you have turned in expenses from the Convention for a subsidy, and have not received your money or a notice that you did not make the 30% threshold, please email Mickela (Mickela@natca.net).

 

·         San Diego area Fac Reps, please make sure you advise Mickela if you or anyone of your members will be attending the regional membership meeting in San Diego March 23-25 as we need to have an accurate count for meals and handouts.

NWP “Hot Sheet” Weeks of 1-5-09 and 1-12-09

NWP Reps/Members:

 

I would like to dedicate this weekly update to the 44th President of the United States of America, President Barack Obama.

I started the week by traveling to Las Vegas on Martin Luther King Day in preparation for our Basic Labor Relations class the following day.  Mike Hull and Garth Koleszar also accompanied me on this trip as part of the teaching cadre.

The Basic Labor Relations class started promptly at 8am on Tuesday January 20, 2009 with thirteen members in attendance.  We had developmentals in the class along with new facility reps and experienced facility reps.  The class is designed to be educating and informative for all experience levels.  Las Vegas was the third site that we had conducted the Basic LR Class and quite honestly, the classes continue to evolve and get better.

At 9am, we promptly took a break so that we could all get in front of the television and watch history being made in our country.  The 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, was sworn in and he then gave a truly inspirational and amazing speech.  I have asked Kevin Sherwood to place President Obama’s inauguration speech on our regional website.  Meanwhile, if you would like to watch the speech in its entirety, you can access it by going to the White House website:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/inaugural-address/

I would like to suggest that you view President Obama’s speech in its entirety and listen to his words carefully.  After listening to the President’s speech, I had an opportunity to think about his words and what it meant to me.  To me, the President’s words meant that together, the people of the United States changed the history of this great country by electing the first African-American President as our Commander in Chief.  Together, the people will be able to help rebuild this country as we have done so in the past.  We will once again emerge from these trying times as the world’s greatest country.  This will not happen overnight and it will not happen without every American stepping up to help.  This will require sacrifices by all.  I especially liked these simple but yet very powerful words in the President’s speech:

“Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America”.

Following President Obama’s speech, we re-convened the class and had a discussion about our future under the Obama Presidency.  I told the class that we must measure our expectations due to the fact that our country is in crisis.  Millions of American’s have lost their job; millions have lost their homes and will not have adequate food and shelter for their families.  So, as we look to correct the injustice of the imposed conditions of employment, we must also be cognizant of those who are less fortunate than we.  Nationally, we will do everything in our power to ensure that our issues are dealt with great expediency and are not overshadowed by the harrowing news of the worsening economic crisis.

Now, more than ever, we need to join together and make our voices heard.  Now is not the time to relax and sit back, hoping and thinking that our issues will be dealt with by a Democratic Congress and a Democrat in the White House.  We need to ensure that the Congress and the White House understand the economic importance of a fully functioning National Airspace System and how important that is to the overall economic recovery plan.  We need to ensure that the Congress and the White House understand why thousands of experienced veterans are leaving the Air Traffic profession.  We need to ensure that they understand that equipment, programs, and procedures are being developed without the expertise of the very air traffic controllers who are entrusted with public safety and who do the work, every day, with this equipment and these programs and procedures.

As you can see, there is much work to be done to ensure that our issues are not overshadowed by the various issues besieging this country; economy, two separate wars, etc.  As such, I would like to ask you to pick yourselves up, dust yourselves off, and begin the work of making sure our issues are not forgotten and/or overshadowed.

Finally, in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, I would like to close with two of my favorite quotes from Dr. King that certainly apply to all of us as American’s and as members of a great organization, NATCA:

“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity”

“Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals”

In Solidarity,

 

Ham

NWP RVP

 

·        I continue to work on a recruitment incentive that was promised to one of our members at U90.  It’s a shame that you have to constantly remind the FAA to do the right thing.

 

·        I would strongly urge developmentals, veteran members, new facility reps AND experienced facility reps to attend the upcoming Basic Labor Relations class in your area.  If you can’t make a class in your area but would like to attend another class, please coordinate with Mickela.  Here is a list of the upcoming classes:

 

o   Tuesday February 17, 2009- Los Angeles (near the airport)

o   Sunday February 22, 2009- Honolulu

o   Tuesday March 17, 2009- San Diego

o   Tuesday April 14, 2009- Phoenix

 

·        Here are some of the topics that we will cover in the One-Day Basic Labor Relations Class:

 

o   Importance of Documentation and how to properly document meetings

o   Meetings with Management (Union rights and Employee rights)

o   Security Investigations

o   Training Review Boards

o   FAA Reporting Requirements

o   Probationary Employees

o   Information Requests (Union and Employee)

 

·        Mike Hull worked with L30 Facility Rep Sara George on an expedited arbitration request.

 

·        I advised Western Terminal that the working environment and the morale of the employees at the Las Vegas Tracon are rapidly deteriorating.  Just last year, the Las Vegas Hub was the model facility for Labor-Management relations.  As a matter of fact, it won the award for facility of the year!  It’s quite unfortunate that the Las Vegas Hub manager has now decided to abandon a fully functioning Labor-Management relationship and instead revert back to the way things were in 2006; heavy-handed discipline and little to no dialogue with NATCA.

 

·        NWP Pay Lead Jeff Tilley works with LGB Facility Rep Paul Bugarin regarding a pay issue for one of his members.

 

·        Mike Hull worked with VGT Facility Rep Mark Knabel and the national office regarding some changes to the VGT Facility Standard Operating Practices (7110.7E).

 

·        There have been quite a few instances in Western Terminal where it has become apparent that quite a few managers do not understand the DOT/FAA policies with respect to sexual harassment.  Most recently, a First Line Manager thought it was funny to touch a developmental after he had complained to him of a situation where a contract instructor had touched him in an unwelcome manner.  When this situation was brought to the attention of the acting Air Traffic Manager, the manager stated that it wasn’t unwelcome until the individual advised the offending party to not touch them.  The acting manager didn’t believe that this was an accountability board issue and felt that all he had to do was to talk with the contract instructor.  Needless to say, it appears that neither the First Line Manager nor the Acting Air Traffic Manager has any understanding of the DOT/FAA policy with respect to sexual harassment and what creates a “Hostile Work Environment”

 

·        I worked with Western Terminal to address a problem with a mandatory photo board at PHX, an ‘Accountability Board’ issue at MRY and SAN, the STS working environment, etc.

 

·        NWP LR Rep/NCT Facility Rep Steve McCoy traveled to STS along with the SFO Hub Manager to interview the STS controllers to determine the reason behind the severely declining morale at the facility, alleged retaliation towards our facility rep, etc.

 

·        In a recent news report, a gentleman from the Heritage foundation (a very conservative and very Republican think tank) who was commenting on the EFCA (Employee Free Choice Act) had the following to say regarding government mandated agreements:

 

“The EFCA would grant no opportunity to either employees or businesses to appeal the government’s decision, nor would it allow a newly organized union to vote on the deal.  The law also does not allow for unions to strike if they don’t like the government-mandated agreement.

 

Any agreement the government dictates wouldn’t be a contract, said Heritage Foundation labor expert James Sherk, because contracts are negotiated between two parties, not dictated by governments.

 

“You can’t really call it a contract, because a contract is voluntarily agreed to by both parties,” Sherk told CNSNews.com. “They will dictate to the company and the workers the conditions that would have been in a labor contract for the next two years”.

 

·        This is the very same think tank criticizing the EFCA, that has all of a sudden become very concerned about voluntary agreements and that wrote this about our contract situation with the FAA on April 24, 2006:

 

“However, the 1998 contract was not totally one-sided. It provided the government with some remedies in the event that the union became intransigent and abused its privileges as granted under the contract. Specifically, the 1998 contract included a safety valve that allows the FAA to impose a contract on the controllers, subject to congressional action, if good-faith negotiations came to a complete impasse.”

 

·        I must admit that it’s very refreshing to see that a conservative think tank, such as the Heritage Foundation, that just two years ago was supporting and applauding the governments right to impose a contract on its air traffic controllers, is now saying that an imposed contract isn’t really a contract because it wasn’t voluntarily agreed to by both parties; truly refreshing!

 

·        Mike Hull and I worked with LAX Facility Rep Mike Foote regarding a representation issue concerning a member at LAX.

 

·        I worked with L30 Facility Rep Sara George and L30 LR Rep Bryan Baker regarding a very ill advised airspace project being devised by Las Vegas management.  Management wants to create a dual downwind for the Las Vegas airport.  This will increase workload and complexity and result in an increase in close calls.  I am currently working with Senator Reid’s office to brief them on this ill conceived project that will not work with the very well thought out Las Vegas Optimization plan that is supposed to be implemented within two years.

 

·        Acting Administrator Bobby Sturgell’s last day was January 16, 2009.  Lynne Osmus is now the Acting Administrator until President Obama nominates a new FAA Administrator and the Senate confirms his choice for a five-year term.

 

·        Mike Hull will be visiting Tucson Tower on Monday January 26 and Tuesday January 27, 2009 with a staff manager from the PHX Hub to interview controllers and staff to determine the reason behind the sub standard working conditions and low morale at TUS.  I would like to encourage all TUS Controllers to participate in the interview process.

 

·        I received the following update from our NATCA Safety and Tech department in Washington, D.C. regarding the closure of some more flight service stations (FSS):

 

“Today, NATCA Safety and Technology met with representatives of Lockheed Martin concerning FSS issues.  LM is in the process of closing five more stations in February.  These are San Diego, Oakland, Macon, Denver and Albuquerque.  There will probably be more closing in the future but this will take them down to 13 facilities including their 3 hubs.

 

At the meeting a question was asked about what are the major issues for controllers at the facility level reference FSS.  I am asking for input from the field on FSS issues so we can get them addressed.  Please email your issues to me at dwright@natcadc.org.  We will assign tracking numbers to each issue and report back what we hear from Lockheed.”

 

·        PHX Facility Rep Steve Palmer asked us to check into how a PHX-20 “Retired Military Controller” could become a permanent employee.  Here is all the information about the PHX-20 program:

 

https://employees.faa.gov/org/staffoffices/ahr/policy_guidance/hr_policies/hrpm/emp/emp-1-20_ATS/

 

·        SFO Facility Rep Dave Caldwell, P50 Facility Rep Tim Krieger, L30 Facility Rep Sara George, and PHX Tower Facility Rep Steve Palmer share their local updates with me, thanks.  It’s vitally important that we keep our members well informed on all issues, especially during these trying times.

 

·        NWP LR Rep/ZLA Facility Rep Garth Koleszar, Mike Hull and I work with BFL Facility Rep Derek Kooren regarding a proposed removal for a training failure.  The FAA has now decided to rescind the termination and place our member back in the training program at BFL.

 

·        ZLA Facility Rep Garth Koleszar and SCT Facility Rep Mel Davis attend the AAAE (American Association of Airport Executives) conference in Hawaii.  Based on all accounts, having an Enroute and Terminal air traffic controller at the conference, who could readily answer questions for this very influential group, was a huge success.

 

·        ZUA Facility Rep Steve Costa works with Congresswoman Bordallo’s office to highlight serious flaws with the FAA’s policies with respect to moving expenses for controllers assigned to Guam CERAP.

 

·        Mike Hull and I work with NWP LR Rep/SBA Facility Rep Gordie Thompson regarding a wage garnishment issue related to a Government Credit card issue at his facility.  Apparently, all correspondence regarding the credit card issue was sent to our members’ old address (which was updated six months earlier) and to his FAA email address which we are not required to check.  As such, the FAA felt very comfortable that they gave our member plenty of notice, or so they thought, in taking care of the debt!  I have elevated this issue to the national level.

 

·        As a reminder, if you are planning to attend the Combined Regional Membership Meeting in San Diego, March 23-25, please make your room reservations ASAP.  With 5 Regions attending, rooms are filling fast.

 

Call 1-800-HILTONS and tell them you want to book the room block code NATCA at the "San Diego Hilton Resort/Mission Bay."  Room rates are $139/night.  The agenda and hotel information can be found on the NWP Website at http://nwp.natca.net

 

·        Congratulations to Oma Viles who is the new Facility Rep at SMF.  I would also like to thank outgoing Facility Rep Lee Schenck for his service to his local and to NATCA.  Lee will be staying on as the local Vice President.

 

·        Congratulations to Melanie Washington who is the new facility rep at ONT.  I would also like to welcome Sylvia Ramirez, ONT VP along with Niccole Castellanos, ONT Secretary-Treasurer.

 

·        Here is a link to a news story on Air Traffic Control done by Aerochannel.  It’s a pretty comprehensive piece on the state of the Air Traffic Control system.

 

http://www.aerochannel.com/features/10167466

 

·        Here is an update from NATCA Safety and Tech regarding the new FAA UCR Order:

 

“The FAA has started briefing the new UCR (Unsatisfactory Condition Report) Order.  NATCA was not involved in any discussions concerning changes made in the order.  The agency felt there were no changes that required negotiations and turned away our offers to provide input for the controllers.

 

Once you are briefed the agency will expect you to follow the order when filing an UCR.  The old carbon form will no longer be accepted after January 31st.  There is a one page form that can be completed and forwarded to your supervisor for review.  The supervisor will make a determination on whether the report meets the requirements to be filed.  The areas of consideration have been changed and staffing is no longer an issue which can be filed.

 

Supervisors will expect you to enter your information into the Safety Information Management System (SIMS) but you can complete the paper form and the supervisor will enter the information.  When you file a UCR please remember to fax a copy of it to us at Safety and Technology Department using the fax number 678-391-4831.  This puts the fax directly into email.”

NWP “Hot Sheet” Weeks of 12-22-08 and 12-29-08

NWP Reps/Members:

 

I would like to start out by wishing all of you a very happy and prosperous New Year filled with positive change and prosperity.

I would like to dedicate my first update of the New Year to our friend and brother from ZLA, Matt Keffer, who passed away on Friday December 26, 2008 after a long battle with brain cancer.  Matt is survived by his wife Carolyn and their three (3) children Brandon, 16, Megan, 13, and Natalie, 11. Matt began his career in the Navy and continued his love of Air Traffic Control at ZLA for his entire career.  Matt hired into the FAA in 1989.

Matt was one of the nicest guys you could ever meet.  He was our election rep at ZLA and also helped out with maintaining our computers and our server.  Matt and Carolyn will always be a part of our family.  ZLA VP Chad Geyer has done a terrific job as the conduit between us and Carolyn and I am very grateful for all of his work in coordinating fundraisers, food delivery, etc. for Carolyn and the kids during this past year.  Together, we were able to raise a total of $4552 to help Carolyn with the costs associated with the funeral.

Here is a little piece from what Chad sent out to the ZLA membership on December 29, 2008:

“I would like to thank each and every one of you for the generous donations of time and money. With the time that all of you donated we were able to get Matt’s family the maximum amount of money they would be entitled to.  Also with your financial donations we were able to ease the stress that Carolyn was facing trying to work full time and raise a family alone while caring for Matt.

I spoke with Carolyn this afternoon and she wanted me to pass along how all of you have made this stressful time easier to endure.  I have spoken to her several times over the last year and I know how much the love and support that you have shown towards someone that most of you did not even know personally means to her. I want you all to know that I truly admire the way that this facility has come together to help one of our brothers in need. The fact that people will come up to me and offer money for the family without even asking shows the amount of compassion we have here at ZLA. I hope that this never happens to anyone here again, but it is wonderful to know that if it does that we can count on the people of ZLA to help.”

I attended the funeral for Matt Keffer in Lancaster, California on Saturday January 3, 2009 and helped as a pall bearer.  ZLA Facility Rep Garth Koleszar spoke very eloquently and with tremendous passion on behalf of Matt’s co-workers at the funeral.  Matt will be missed by all of us.

I would like to thank everyone at ZLA and across the country that were so generous to Carolyn and the kids and made them feel as a member of OUR family; thank you!

In Solidarity,

 

Ham

NWP RVP

 

·       Recently, we have had several problems with management at several facilities not accepting the paper Unsatisfactory Condition Report (UCR) form.  Local management should be accepting the UCR forms and then inputting the data into the SMIS database via the FAA Intranet.  If you have any issues with management not accepting your UCR, please email me or NWP Safety Lead Eric Carter.

 

·       The FAA is currently moving towards implementing FAA Order 1800.6B concerning electronically filing of  UCRs, effective January 30, 2009.

 

·       We received a split decision on a 10-day suspension case dealing with one of our former Facility Reps.  As a result of the award, Arbitrator Philip Tamoush concluded that the Agency inappropriately issued discipline in one of the two alleged specifications, and reduced the discipline to a 5-day suspension.  We will be removing this arbitrator from our panel based on some other recent decisions.

 

·       Mike Hull is working with the PHX Hub to visit TUS Tower with PHX Hub Staff Manager Phil Freed in order to interview the controllers as well as management in order to determine the reasons behind the extremely low morale.  They will be at the facility the week of January 26, 2009.

 

·       SCT Facility Rep Mel Davis continued his work with Senator Feinstein’s office to discuss the results of the upcoming DOT-IG report on SCT and LAX.  Apparently, the IG had given Senator Feinstein a heads up on their report and as a result, the Senator’s office put out a press release on Monday December 29, 2008.  The entire press release can be read on the NWP website, http://nwp.natca.net  here are a few snippets from the release:

 

“Senator Feinstein Raises Safety Concerns Over Air Traffic Controller Shortage in Southern California, Urges Swift Action to Boost Staffing

Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today warned President-elect Barack Obama’s nominee for Transportation Secretary that a chronic shortage of air traffic controllers in Southern California poses an alarming risk to air safety in the region.

Senator Feinstein’s letter to Rep. Ray LaHood (R-Ill.) specifically cites staffing shortages at Los Angeles International Airport and at the Southern California Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) facility in San Diego.

In her letter, Senator Feinstein recommends that the Federal Aviation Administration take immediate steps to boost staffing levels, including incentives to retain veteran controllers and to attract certified controllers from other regions.

Senator Feinstein has previously raised safety concerns over air traffic controller staffing levels at both facilities. Earlier this year, she asked the Department of Transportation’s Inspector General to investigate staffing levels; the results of the investigation are expected in early 2009.”

·       I worked with a member at a Northern California Tower regarding a potential hardship.  If you believe that you have a condition which qualifies for a category I, II, or III hardship then it’s incumbent upon you to get as much supporting documentation as feasible in order to prove your case.  The more solid the documentation, the greater the likelihood that your hardship will be approved.  If you have any questions regarding a hardship and the appropriate documentation, etc., please contact our NWP Hardship Lead Bob Guerra at bguerra@pacbell.net

 

·       One of our Northern California Tower Facility Reps asked a question regarding a CPC-In-Training’s pay status if they are unsuccessful in training.  Here is the response that I gave him from the FAA’s Q&A document:

 

Q4. How do I set pay for a CPC-IT training failure at the ATC-11 going back to the same ATC- 8 level that they came from?

 

A. The pay manual states CPC-IT's as of September 3, 2006 who fail to certify at their current facility and are retained by the ATO may be transferred to the same or lower level facility. If their pay was previously set under AT Pay, their pay at their new facility will be set as if they never left their original facility. In this case, pay will be set using the previous AT Pay. If this pay exceeds the maximum of the ATSPP pay band, it will be capped at that AT Pay.

 

Steps:

 

1. Determine base pay at the level 8 facility as if the ATCS were still under ATC-8 level AT Pay (as if they never left their original facility).

 

2. Compute OSI's and SCI's they would have received for the ATC-8 level and add to the ATC 8 AT Pay.

 

3. Review the pay against the new ATSPP pay band. If it falls within ATSPP pay band, this is the new pay. However, if the pay exceeds the ATSPP pay band, that will be the new base pay. And if exceeded, pay is capped and future OSI's and SCI's are paid in lump sum.

 

·       We received word that the agency may be looking at eliminating the currency requirements for Traffic Management Coordinators (TMCs).  To date, there has been no formal notification to NATCA regarding this matter at any level.

 

·       January 1, 2009 marked a new day for many facility reps across the region.  Please make sure that Mickela has a copy of your local officer update form and the pertinent contact information for your local.

 

·       I would like to welcome the new Las Vegas Tracon (L30) Facility Rep Sara George.  Sara is highly motivated and very eager to represent her local to the absolute best of her ability.  I would also like to thank one of the harder working facility reps in our region, outgoing L30 Facility Rep Bryan Baker.  Bryan has always focused on serving the members of Las Vegas Tracon.  He helped to transform the very dismal Labor/Management relationship through his hard work and dedicated leadership.  Bryan will continue to serve the L30 membership as the facility’s Labor Relations Lead. (NOTE- As I write you this update, unfortunately, it appears that the Labor/Management relationship at L30 is headed in the wrong direction...AGAIN!  Mike Hull and I will be meeting with the Las Vegas Hub manager in the very near future to see if we can get everyone on the right track once again)

 

·       Next week, Tuesday January 13th, we will be conducting a one-day Basic Labor Relations class in Sacramento.  We will be conducting these basic LR classes for new Facility Reps, veteran Facility Reps, and interested members.  Some of the topics covered will be:

 

o   Effective Documentation

o   Meetings with Management

o   Probationary Employees

o   Security Investigations AND Weingarten Investigations

o   Training Review Boards (Time Permitting)

o   And lastly, “Think Before You Act”

 

·       We are planning to conduct these Basic LR classes all across the region.  Our goal is to educate the membership about their rights and bring essential training to the local area.  The next class after Sacramento will be Las Vegas on Tuesday January 20, 2009.  If you have any questions regarding these upcoming classes and/or are interested in attending the class, please contact Mickela at Mickela@natca.net.

 

·       A Local VP from one of the San Diego Towers asked me an interesting question regarding seniority.  He was wondering about someone’s NATCA seniority who wasn’t a NATCA member.  Seniority determinations have nothing to do with someone's Union membership status. Even though our seniority is referred to as "NATCA Seniority", it's predicated on when you were eligible to be represented by NATCA and not whether you are a “dues paying” member of NATCA.

 

·       SCT VP Ron Geyer conducted an interview with Channel 10 News in San Diego, in response to the press release from Senator Feinstein.

 

http://www.10news.com/video/18385414/index.html

 

·       Mike Hull disseminates LR Chronicles number 26 dealing with “Cooperation and Participation in Official Investigations”.

 

·       NWP Constitution Lead and LAS Facility Rep Troy Verville disseminates yet another terrific issue of “Robert’s Rulez Review”.  In this issue, Troy discusses the motion to “Postpone Indefinitely” and how it can be used strategically to determine the level of support for a particular motion or to eradicate the motion all together.  All of Troy’s “Robert’s Rulez Review’s” can be found on the regional website, http://nwp.natca.net under the “Regional Leads” tab.

 

·       Troy Verville has requested to step down as a LR rep in order to focus on being the Constitution Lead and the LAS Tower rep.  I would like to thank Troy for doing an outstanding job as a LR rep.  Both Mike Hull and I will miss him on the LR Team dearly.  Troy never hesitated to assist a member in need in the LR Arena and is one of the most dedicated and conscientious Activists.  Thank you very much Troy.

 

·       Mike Hull and I conducted a telcon with outgoing L30 Facility Rep Bryan Baker and incoming L30 Facility Rep Sara George about the state of Labor Relations at the facility.

 

·       I talked with ZLA Facility Rep Garth Koleszar and SCT Facility Rep Mel Davis about brushing the dust of some of the old National Airspace re-design initiatives and getting the two facilities talking about the future of the NAS in Southern California.

 

·       I worked with the regional flight surgeon’s office regarding a medical issue out of U90 and ZLA.

 

·       Gretchen McMullen (gmcmullen@natcadc.org) at the National office would like the names of any BUES from our region who have returned to the ATC bargaining unit after a detail to a staff specialist position and were denied the SCI award.

 

·       A familiar name is back as the SDL Facility Rep.   Kimi Cooley, welcome back.  I would like to thank outgoing SDL Facility Rep Joel Petrone who will be moving to Dallas.

 

·       I worked with Rick Ducharme at FAA HQ regarding a new hire at U90 who was promised a recruitment incentive and has since been told that she was no longer eligible.  It appears that we will be able to resolve this issue and the employee will, in fact, receive this long-promised incentive.

 

·       I worked with outgoing MRY Facility Rep Todd Bray regarding a medical issue and a potential accountability board issue at his facility.  Todd has done a terrific job representing his members.  Todd has already reported to his new facility, SJC.

 

·       NWP LR Rep and SFO Facility Rep Dave Caldwell and Mike Hull worked with STS Facility Rep Jana Pitre regarding some potential hostile work environment issues and retaliation issues at STS.  Dave Caldwell is working with the SFO Hub Manager and is scheduled to visit STS to interview the controllers.

 

·       As we get closer to one of THE most historical dates in this country’s history, January 20, 2009, it is becoming more and more apparent that there is very little leadership in the FAA.  As such, some managers have taken this opportunity to do as they please with little or no recourse.  Most notably, a manager approved her own six weeks of annual leave along with her sole supervisor’s leave and left the facility with ZERO oversight for close to eight days.  Another front line manager leaves the facility well before the end of his shift and when confronted about this discrepancy, asks the CIC to sign him out as if he was still at the facility.  An acting Traffic Management Officer approves his own overtime, credit hours, compensatory time off, annual and sick leave with zero oversight and/or accountability.  January 20th and a new administration with some accountability CANNOT come soon enough!

NWP “Hot Sheet” Weeks of 12-8-08 and 12-15-08

NWP Reps/Members:

I would like to start out by wishing each and every one of you a very safe and happy holiday season.  Please take the time to cherish your family and re-energize yourself for the coming New Year and the challenges that lay before us.

This past week, Mike Hull and I traveled to Tucson at the request of our LR Rep Allen Bieber.  Allen did exactly what an LR rep should be doing by keeping a very close eye on the state of affairs at TUS Tower as well as the other facilities for which he is responsible.

On Tuesday December 16, 2008, we met with close to twenty (20) members from TUS and U90 (Tucson Tracon).  For the most part, our visit focused on the state of affairs at TUS, since U90 appeared to be doing quite well under the leadership of an excellent FACREP, Mike Schrock and VP, Mike Ragucci.  I talked to young CPCs and veteran twenty year CPCs and one theme was quite common; the poor morale and hostile work environment at the Tower.  As one young CPC told me, “I have never been treated like such a child.”  “There appears to be no trust in the Controllers.”  Meanwhile, the twenty year veteran advised me that, “They need to change their philosophy of ‘us’ against ‘them’ and that this had been the worst working conditions he had seen in any tower during his twenty year career with the FAA.”

The sole first line manager in the tower (24 hour operation) spent the vast majority of his time doing paperwork.  When he did come into the tower, it was to yell at the controllers.  The only workplace where this type of behavior would be effective is “Boot camp.” Our professional members do not need to be treated as children, belittled, badgered and threatened; they just need a little oversight and a friendly reminder to use good operating practices.  This type of hostility will do nothing to improve the operation at TUS and instead serves to create a distraction for those who are entrusted with public safety.

This type of FAA mentality is seriously flawed and contradictory.  It was Bobby Sturgell who stated in a recent speech that we need to focus on our employees.  It’s Hank and the ‘CRM’ (Crew Resource Management) training which talks about team work among all of us in the operation.    Employees should be the most prized commodity of any successful company/organization.  The principles of CRM will never work when this type of behavior is allowed to flourish in places such as TUS.  This does not promote a team atmosphere.  CRM will not flourish in a dictatorship.

While waiting for my flight in TUS, I received several calls and emails about the rumor circulating about President-elect Obama’s pick for DOT Secretary.  No one in the Aviation industry had even contemplated or considered Congressman La Hood for the position.  As such, I think everyone was just as surprised as NATCA that he was the nominee for DOT Secretary.

My initial thought was “Why?”  As I began to look into this and read more and more about Congressman La Hood, I began to understand why President-elect Obama had chosen him for the position.  I have been extremely impressed by the organization and speed by which our President-elect has planned his Presidency.  I think that his nominee for DOT Secretary was a very strategic move.  He realizes how important this job will be to the success of his economic recovery plan.

If you recall, the President-elect plans to use investments in infrastructure (Transportation) as a catalyst to economic recovery.  Congressman La Hood knows all of the players on the Hill, he is very familiar with the appropriations process, and he can reach out to both Democrats and Republicans in order to push the multibillion-dollar surge in infrastructure spending and design a new system for funding transportation projects.

I think many of our members were and continue to be very weary of Congressman La Hood’s less than favorable voting record on Labor issues.  I personally do not see this as an issue.  The second the former Congressman agreed to accept the nomination for DOT Secretary, he agreed to serve under a Labor friendly President who has his own agenda for Labor and for middle class America.  I think Congressman La Hood said it best during a news conference on Friday December 19, 2008:

“Good afternoon. I’d like to thank President-elect Obama for his confidence in me and his commitment to working across party lines for this country. President-elect Obama and I share the same philosophy on infrastructure. His agenda for the Department of Transportation is my agenda for the Department of Transportation.”

As you can see, even though Congressman La Hood did not support many issues that were important to Labor and NATCA, he has now stated publicly that the President’s agenda is his agenda.  His voting record is now just a matter of history.

Here is what one of our greatest allies on the Hill, Congressman Oberstar, had to say about Congressman La Hood:

Oberstar said “LaHood may be the ideal choice to engage in the bipartisan give-and-take that will be needed in the months ahead.

“I don’t know what other motivation the president and his team had, but he said during the campaign that he intended to reach across party lines,” Oberstar said. “I think he picked the right guy to move ahead with that.”

During this holiday season, I am very grateful for the work that each and every one of you does every day of the week.  You keep our skies safe and you help bring smiles to the face of family and friends who are flying home for the holidays, thank you.

 

In Solidarity,

Ham

NWP RVP

 

·        There are some very important changes to the FAA Form 8500-8, “Medical Application”.  Some of the big changes include the requirement now to report history of ANY “alcohol or substance-use related arrests” not just convictions. There is also a requirement now to report any disability benefit even those such as a minor disability rating when separating from military service.  The NATCA LR Department has created a terrific document on the changes to the Form 8500 on the NATCA National website, members only, Labor Relations, under “Know Your Rights”; http://www.natca.org/laborrelations/KnowYourRights.msp

 

·        NWP Constitution Lead Troy Verville, Mike Hull, and I worked with SMO Facility Rep Pam Choi regarding a tie in seniority and whether to attach the policy on the lottery to the local Constitution or have a stand alone document.  It’s best to incorporate your Seniority lottery policy into your local constitution and keep it simple.

 

·        Troy Verville also provided some guidance to NCT VP Ron McAulley on whether a “run-off” election is considered a new election for the purposes of an election notice or a continuation of the original election.

"If the original election notice contains the required information about a possible runoff election, a separate 15-day mail notice is not necessary for a runoff election. However, members must still be notified in some manner, such as posting at the work site(s), if it becomes necessary to conduct a runoff election for any office(s)."

 

·        NWP Hardship Lead Bob Guerra advised me of two hardships that have been approved out of LAX and BFL.

 

·        It’s that time of year again when the quota driven SCI is determined.  Some members of management are advising developmentals that they are not eligible for the SCI since they are in a training status.  This is complete garbage, just like their SCI program.  Developmentals are absolutely eligible to receive a SCI.

 

·        Effective January 1, 2009, the new NCT Facility Rep will be Steve McCoy.  I would like to welcome Steve back as the NCT Facility Rep.  I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Steve Hefley for his service to the NCT Local and NATCA.  Steve Hefley will remain on as our NWP OWCP Lead and as a member of our NWP LR Team.

 

·        I would also like to congratulate Chris Brazys as the new Facility Rep at FFZ and thank outgoing Facility Rep Jaime Torres.

 

·        Effective January 1, 2009, Thomas E. Thomas will be the new Facility Rep at CMA, welcome aboard Thomas.  I would like to thank outgoing CMA Facility Rep Don Hiebert for doing a terrific job as the CMA Rep.

 

·        In a sign of changing times, we FINALLY received a good decision from the FLRA (Federal Labor Relations Authority).  Congratulations to the NATCA LR department especially Gretchen McMullen.  Here is what they had to say:

“The  Federal Labor Relations Authority summarily denied the Federal Aviation Administration's Exceptions to an Administrative Law Judge's ruling that the Agency violated the law when it issued a letter of reprimand to a FAC rep which was issued in retaliation for his union activity.  Complaint issued on this matter and the FAA failed to respond.  Their failure to respond resulted in a finding of the violation.  The FAA appealed that determination for several reasons.  First, they said that the complaint, which indicated that an answer was required, had been lost among the thousand of grievances filed by NATCA.  The FLRA rejected this argument saying that misplacing a document is not a sufficient reason to not answer the complaint. Moreover the FLRA said that the Agency had provided no evidence to support its claim.  Another specious argument raised by the FAA was that the Notice posting would violate the Privacy Act as it mentioned the name of the NATCA FAC rep.  As with the first exception the Agency provided nothing more than a bare assertion and, as such the Authority rejected this claim.  The next argument raised by the FAA is that a grievance had been filed over the same matter and thus barred the ULP.  The FLRA denied this claim for two reasons- the FAA had not raised the matter previously and they provided nothing more than a bare assertion.  The final argument raised by the Agency is that the matter was moot since the Reprimand had been rescinded.  The FLRA stated that even if the Reprimand was removed a cease and desist and Notice posting are still viable remedies.  It was on that basis that the FLRA rejected all of the FAA's claims and ordered that the FAA comply with the Order and including a posting”.

 

·        Mike Hull and I worked with LAX Facility Rep Mike Foote regarding the unilateral change to the working conditions of staff specialists at LAX.

 

·        Effective January 1, 2009, there will be a new NATCA expense voucher.  Kevin Sherwood will post the new voucher on the NWP website, http://nwp.natca.net.  Please use this new voucher for any expenses incurred in 2009.

 

·        I spoke with ZLA Facility Rep Garth Koleszar about some disturbing news about possible abuse of authority by the acting manager of Systems Operations at ZLA.  Apparently, the acting TMO has been approving overtime (more than 100 hours), credit hours (more than 40 hours), and compensatory time off for himself.  Apparently, he has also been approving his own sick leave and annual leave.  This is not an isolated issue within the FAA these days.  In another case out of HWD Tower, it was discovered that the ATM had approved herself for six weeks of leave and had given her sole supervisor a week off also.  Meanwhile, there was no management present at HWD for over a week.  This issue is currently being worked by NWP LR Rep Dave Caldwell and the SFO Hub Manager.  There appears to be very little accountability in the FAA these days.  Have no fear, change is right around the corner!

 

·        Mickela worked with P50 Facility Rep Tim Krieger to correct a membership application issue for one of the P50 prospective members.  Mickela has done a terrific job this year supporting all of us; please thank her the next time you speak with her.  She absolutely loves her guys and gals.

 

·        Flight standards had finally made the determination that ALL DH8’s are to be considered as large aircraft.  This issue first came up at P50.

 

·        There are only a few days left before the Dec. 31 deadline for nominations to be received in the National Office for the fifth annual Archie League Medal of Safety awards.  All flight assist events that have occurred in 2008 are eligible. Any NATCA member may nominate another NATCA member. Please submit all nominations to Courtney Paquette at cpaquette@natcadc.org. You can also reach Courtney by phone at 202-266-9844.

Added bonus: This year’s winners for each region will receive an all-expense-paid trip for two to Las Vegas for the awards ceremony, which will be held in March at Communicating for Safety.

 

·        I would like to congratulate the following members for completing the Basic Arbitration course: Mike Ward (ZOA VP), Bryan Baker (Outgoing L30 Facility Rep), Thom Gurule (HCF Terminal VP), and Mark Knabel (VGT Facility Rep).

 

·        I would like to recognize P50 Facility Rep Tim Krieger for doing an outstanding job of keeping his members informed via frequent updates; great work Tim.

 

·        While I was getting some currency, Mike Hull dealt with a member from LGB, had several conversations with our STS Rep Jana Pitre, discussed an air traffic incident at RNO with RNO Facility Rep Rich Ferris as well as an agency plan to forcefully promote two CPC’s to temporary supervisory positions (RNO is so short staffed that they have been working six-day work weeks for many months), discussed the RNO-NCT Consolidation with ZOA Facility Rep Scott Conde, worked with SCT Facility Rep Mel Davis about an employee having ‘shy bladder’, etc.

 

·        I have asked FAA Headquarters to look into why a developmental at U90 has yet to receive her recruitment incentive.  She was constantly reassured by a specialist that her paperwork looked great and that she would see her incentive, for having a prior CTO, when she reported to her first facility.  When she reported to her first facility and inquired the status of her incentive, she was advised that the specialist didn’t submit any paperwork on her behalf and as such she was no longer eligible for the incentive.  Needless to say, this is just plain wrong and no way to treat our developmentals.

 

·        Mike Hull and I worked with U90 Facility Rep Mike Schrock regarding a training review board, the ERR process, and the general working environment at U90.  It was also great to see Mike and some of his members while we were in Tucson last week.

 

·        NWP LR Rep Dave Caldwell worked with the SFO Hub regarding some issues at HWD Tower, STS Tower, and some issues with travel for a class at SCK.  Dave has done a terrific job in being there for the facilities assigned to him as LR Rep.

 

·        Mike Hull worked with Rick Ducharme at the national level regarding some travel issues for some of our members from TOA and SCK.  The FAA initially wanted our members to attend a class in ONT and NCT for several days without any offer of lodging or per-diem.  Mike worked with Rick to resolve these issues for our members.

 

·        I would like to congratulate the new officers at PRC Tower:

 

o   Noel Kingston - Facility Representative/President

o   Geoff Kusel - Vice President

o   Whitney Johnson - Secretary/Treasurer

 

·        Geoff Kusel has graciously designated Noel as the Facility Representative for the remainder of the year.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank Geoff for his service to PRC and NATCA.

 

·        In yet another sign of changing times, NATCA received a favorable decision from Arbitrator Kathy Eisenmenger who reduced a 10-day suspension to a Letter of Reprimand and ordered back pay with interest.  The Arbitrator found that the grievant did violate the Agency’s policy regarding unauthorized transmissions on the frequency, but found that the violation was relatively harmless.  The grievant was accused of making unauthorized transmissions on the frequency when he engaged in friendly conversation with pilots unrelated to air traffic control instructions during early morning hours when there was no other traffic in the airspace of the tower.

However, the Arbitrator reasoned that the 10-day penalty was excessive based on several factors, including that the nature of the violation was not serious but was technical and inadvertent and not done maliciously.  The Arbitrator stated that “in the relative scheme of things, the Grievant’s infractions constitute minor violations of the Agency’s policy goals.”  The Arbitrator chastised the Agency for enhancing the penalty simply because this was the grievant’s second offense, even though the first offense was unrelated.

The Arbitrator noted that the guidance in the Table of Penalties counsels supervisors to use common sense when enhancing a penalty based on previous disciplinary action, and that “to use the second offense penalty range when the offenses are not related may lead to an unfair, if not absurd, result.”  The Arbitrator reasoned that the Agency has the burden to show that the first offense had some relationship to the second offense in order to enhance the penalty.  The Arbitrator found that the evidence did not support enhancing the penalty based on the first offense since the facts were completely unrelated.  Treating this as a first offense, the Arbitrator reasoned, a Letter of Reprimand was sufficient to correct the grievant’s behavior.   Congratulations to Gretchen McMullen and Kris Koke (ZFW) for this victory.

 

·        NATCA reached a settlement with the FAA concerning a five day suspension for failure to report an operational error.  The Parties were able to agree to reduce the suspension to what equates to a paper suspension.  The five day suspension will be reduced to a two day suspension, which will be treated as having been served on his regular days off and the employee will be made whole for the three days.  Any record will be removed from the employee's personnel files effective January 1, 2009.  I would like to congratulate Kevin Sills for doing an excellent job with this settlement.