NWP 2009 End of Year “Hot Sheet”
NWP Reps/Members:
After focusing on the implementation of our new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and resolving potential impasses with watch schedule/leave negotiations, etc, etc…..I finally have some time to jot down a few words to share with you as we ring in the New Year. Please take this time to reflect on all the hardships that we have endured not only in 2009, but all the way back to 2006 and the imposition of draconian imposed conditions of employment. Please thank your families and friends for enduring this hardship with us and being there for us. Also, please take the time to put things in proper perspective. While the rest of the country struggles with some of the most difficult economic times that we have ever witnessed as a nation, our membership will finally begin to prosper after three years of draconian pay cuts.
I know that our membership and our profession is used to having things done instantly just like a clearance to a pilot but, outside of the control room, things just don’t happen that way. As evidenced by our 2009 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), it took us three (3) years to fight our way back to a fair process and a ratified agreement. Our battle to achieve this new agreement stands proof to the fact that we must remain united and we must persevere in the face of tremendous odds and adversity to achieve what some had labeled as unachievable. As Winston Churchill once said, “Never, never, never give up!" In addition, “Never give up” on YOUR Union. Have faith in your Union and your leaders and that they will never give up on your behalf and they will continue to fight for the entire membership.
I am extremely happy that many of my friends and fellow NATCA members who were harmed by the imposed pay rules will finally begin to see some pay parity in January 2010. Many of you endured a difficult training program, endured a difficult three (3) years filled with adversity and animosity, and you deserve every cent that you are about to earn in 2010, 2011, and 2012. Thank you for believing in NATCA and standing strong, even when many of you were doing the same work for over 30% less than the controller who certified a few months before you in August 2006.
Now is the time for us to come together and work as one Union to uphold the terms of our new Collective Bargaining Agreement. Make no mistake that the past three years were difficult. We all knew, however, that management was just going to deny every grievance or impose every watch schedule or impose changes to technology and procedures; it was quite easy to just file a grievance and move on. Now, with an outstanding Contract, an outstanding grievance process, and a process that requires management to work with us on technology, procedures, training, etc.; we can no longer just file the grievance and move on. We must fight to ensure that FAA Management upholds and complies with every Article, every Section, every word, and every letter in our new Contract. This will undoubtedly cause more work for our Crew reps, Area reps, Facility reps, LR team members, Alternate Regional Vice Presidents, Regional Vice Presidents, and so on. We can’t let up now that we have a new Contract, we must work even harder than before to uphold the Contract. For this, each and every NATCA member must step up and help us achieve all that the Contract provides for….
Happy New Year to all of my sisters and brothers…..I am very proud to be representing you as your Regional Vice President and wish you all a very safe and prosperous New Year.
In Solidarity,
Ham
NWP RVP
Since our new Contract has many new provisions, it’s imperative that our Facility Reps work with their NATCA LR (Labor Relations) reps assigned to their facilities in order to keep them up to date on what’s transpiring at their facilities. If you don’t know who your LR Rep is, just visit our NWP website at:
http://nwp.natca.net/Documents/LR_Stuff/LR_Team_Contact_Info_1.7.10.pdf
Needless to say, if there is an urgent issue or you just feel the need to talk to Mike Hull or myself, you are still welcome to contact us. My preferred mode of communications is still via email as it provides me with instantaneous documentation and means to follow up on an issue if I don’t have the time to immediately respond to it.As I mentioned earlier, a new Contract means more work for our local facility reps. For you to be successful at your facility, you should consider the following:
• Get your membership involved and delegate some authority in getting contractual and local issues addressed
• Communicate with your membership via email, bulletin boards, NATCA binders, Facebook, Twitter, or any other means that ensures that your membership is well informed.
• Sign your members up for the regional members listserve
• Hold regular Local E-board meetings and involve the E-board in the running of the local. E-board members also need to understand that they are officers of the local and have a voice in the direction of the local
• Hold General membership meetings as required by the Local constitution. Let your membership provide feedback to you and get them to understand that the local belongs to them and they play a vital role in ensuring its success
• Schedule weekly meetings with your ATM in order to address issues before they rise to the level of a grievance or an impasse. It’s imperative that we don’t give our local Managers a free pass by elevating an issue to the regional level before they have had an opportunity to make a decision for which they can be held accountable
• Document all your negotiations, conversations, meetings, etc with management. Require your managers to respond to you in writing; either via email or via a memorandum. If they don’t, draft a record of conversation and give your manager a copy and have them sign for its receipt
• Review the LR Chronicles on the NWP Website (http://nwp.natca.net/LR_Chronicles_Search.htm) so that you can provide the most effective representation to your membership
• Think, before you act. Don’t feel compelled to immediately respond to a manager. Take some time to come up with the best possible decision
The HNL 2010 Convention Committee continues to work very hard on making our Convention in Honolulu one of the most memorable Conventions in NATCA’s history. We are also striving to ensure that the Honolulu Convention is less expensive than our previous Convention. I would like thank the entire Convention Committee and I look forward in working with you to make the HNL Convention a huge success. Our Convention Committee Chair, Scott Sorenson, has just posted a new update on the HNL 2010 Convention on the website, stop by and take a look:
I would like to end by thanking my entire regional team. I wouldn’t be able to do my job without all of your hard work and dedication to NATCA and the Western Pacific region. I look forward to working with all of you in the New Year; thank you.
