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!
