This is the initial facility update. We plan to send one as often as news warrants and logistics allow, hopefully weekly. Although the Regional Coordinators are tasked with distributing this to their respective facilities, we would still like to have a facility email address on file at NAATS HQ. FacReps, if you haven't done so already, please send us an email address for this purpose.
I'll try to cover the various areas of interest. We won't be providing pay plan information in this email since NAATS Work Group Lead Don McLennan distributes his own pay bulletins to you.
CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS
We finished our sixth week of bargaining with the management team yesterday. No new articles were signed but we did make progress on a very significant article. Hopefully that momentum will continue when we meet with them again the last week of January. We also discussed some philosophical issues and we're optimistic that we've resolved some misunderstandings. Perhaps this will pay dividends in streamlining and accelerating our bargaining process.
APPROPRIATIONS HEARINGS
These start in just a few months with the 106th Congress and are of very significant interest to us. I'm working with our Congressional Representative Hal Gross and I intend to testify about our continuing staffing problems, OASIS deployment and funding and personnel reform issues. I've also tasked Hal with coordinating our efforts, to the extent possible, with his NATCA and PASS counterparts.
FACREP TRAINING
LR Director Mike Doring is conducting a class on January 12-14 in Reno, Nevada for basic labor relations and grievance processing. Please contact your regional representatives or Mike for more details.
More details as they develop.
MID-TERM BARGAINING
We received the Article 9 briefing this week on the following:
FAA Order 7110.10M Change 3,
FAA Order 7210.3P Change 3.
No significant changes were noted nor was any input received from our regional representatives so no bargaining proposals are planned. These changes are scheduled to become effective on July 15, 1999.
GL Regional Director Bill Dolan is handling the interim Aeronautical Information System (AIS) for NAATS nationally in addition to his training responsibilities. Please direct any comments or concerns on AIS to your regional representatives of Bill.
Some questions have surfaced concerning the ACD replacement, particularly the marquee board. How the board will be used is a negotiable item at the facility level.
DCP
I also concurred on a document change proposal concerning tower visibility entries. You may or may not see this in the future depending on what the FAA proposes in final form.
OASIS
A telcon was held Wednesday between our OASIS representatives (Kurt Comisky - overall program lead, Scott Chapman-ARU OASIS representative, Bill Dolan-OASIS training coordinator) our HQ liaisons and our new human factors team representatives. The idea is to get everyone on the same page on this critical program. Expect program updates from Kurt and please forward any concerns directly to him.
STAFFING
Latest information is that the FAA is still planning to hire 60-70 into our bargaining unit next calendar year. While we welcome any bodies from any source, it's clear this isn't sufficient to alleviate our staffing crises. I've tasked our congressional representative Hal Gross to continue to carry this message to the Hill and to work with his NATCA and PASS counterparts on an action plan. This issue has our highest priority.
Happy Holidays to all from NAATS Headquarters
CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS
As mentioned in my last update, we did not sign any new articles during our meeting with the management team in December. Hopefully we did, however, resolve some philosophical differences between the teams that will set the stage for our next meeting later this month. Our interest is in making this time and resource consuming process as efficient as possible while always ensuring that we get the best contract possible for our bargaining unit.
FACILITY EMAIL UPDATES
These are being sent to the respective Regional Coordinators for distribution to the facilities. I hope to use this process to keep you aware of the issues in a more timely manner.
TRAINING
One of our most important concerns is to get our representatives adequately trained. The next class scheduled is a basic LMR course in Reno January 12-14. I encourage those interested to take advantage of these opportunities. Please contact your regional representatives for more details.
ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
At the last meeting the Board of Directors decided to reduce associate member dues to $100 a year and to eliminate the life insurance coverage provision. This change was effective January 1, 1999. Please note � these changes affect associate members only, there are no changes to regular members.
NEW PAY
NM Regional Director Don McLennan is providing regular facility updates on this subgroup�s progress. They are meeting with their management counterparts this week and will meet again later this month. Please direct any comments or suggestions on this matter directly to Don.
CONSOLIDATION PLACEMENT PROGRAM (CPP)
I�ve received some questions on the MPP part of this MOU and whether it is still in effect. Please rest assured that we haven�t waived any of our rights under this agreement. The MPP part kicks in when we identify bargaining unit members for moves from one of our remaining 14 non-automated FSS�s in Alaska to one of our AFSS�s. Both AK Regional Director Mark Boberick and I remain are determined to protect our right to identify bargaining unit members for these MPP moves.
MEMBERSHIP MEETING
The vouchers and comments are all in from our national meeting in New Orleans. Generally the comments indicated that you liked New Orleans as a location but that you didn�t care for the meeting/hotel accommodations. You also prefer better meeting organization and a firm agenda. The most popular part of the meeting was the Q&A with the Regional Directors. So noted and we�ll strive to make the improvements on this year�s meeting at the Tropicana in Las Vegas.
APPROPRIATIONS HEARINGS
These begin shortly and, naturally, are of great interest to us. In my testimony I intend to emphasize our continuing staffing problems and OASIS deployment and funding problems. NAATS Congressional Representative Hal Gross and I are coordinating our efforts with NATCA and PASS to ensure maximum impact.
DETAILS/COMMITTEES/WORKGROUPS
We continually solicit volunteers for the above. The opportunities to participate range from one year details at FAA HQ to membership on workgroups. The workgroups run the gamut from one-time meetings to standing committees. Occasionally the workgroup/committees are short notice � in other words we don�t have time to canvass the membership for interest. We�re attempting to get ahead of the process by maintaining a ready file of volunteers who have indicated their areas of interest. If you are interested in volunteering please send your name and a short resume to NAATS HQ. Please also include the area(s) of interest to you, e.g. automation, operations, equipment, etc. If you have any questions or comments please contact your regional representatives or me.
FIELD VISITS
I would very much enjoy meeting with you at your facilities to discuss your concerns firsthand. If there is interest in this type of communication please contact your regional representatives and me.
Hope you all had great holidays and that �99 is a super year for you.
Kurt Comisky, Scott Chapman, Jim Parris and I met with Air Traffic Requirements Tuesday to discuss preparation for the initial OASIS HF Tiger Team meeting the week of January 25. Kurt will provide you with the details but we spent some time discussing the workgroup charter. The FAA is pushing to get our approval for the 77 deployment critical issues but we're also concerned about the 250 or so other identified problems with the system. Please contact Kurt with any questions or comments.
We only had 17 members attend the LR training in Reno this week. This is very disappointing and we're going to explore ways to make this training more cost effective.
I attended the national SUPCOM meeting yesterday and was on a panel with NATCA President Mike McNally. I received and discussed questions about contract negotiations, pay plans, OASIS and NFP. One interesting note � the center/tower supervisors are very disappointed with the MSS and pay plan in general. They feel there was no compensation increase and that the entire issue has been mishandled. There's still no identified funding for this implementation.
ATX Liaison Jim Parris and I received a national OSHA briefing today at NAATS from the FAA. They are developing a high level committee at the associate/director level with the union presidents. The committee would monitor, recommend and review the regional/facility OSHA committee processes on a semi-annual basis.
We return to contract negotiations on January 25 for a two-week period. We're very upbeat and we expect to make much more progress at this meeting.
Please review Compensation Bulletin #5 for the latest pay plan information from Don McLennan. Feel free to contact Don with questions or comments.
Our thanks to those who have helped us to update our CPP and FAA HQ representative lists. If you have any questions on these please contact your regional representatives or me.
This week and next we are continuing our negotiations on the new contract. Don McLennan is also keeping you updated on the pay/compensation subgroup meetings with the next one scheduled for the week of February 1.
I realize that some of our bargaining unit members are getting reduced per diem at the Aeronautical Center while we negotiate over the new FAA Travel Policy (FTP). L.R. Director Mike Doring and AK Regional Director Mark Boberick have the lead on this and I've asked them to put a priority on reaching resolution so that we can move forward. Please direct any questions or comments on this to them.
The Familiarization Program status, both present and future, is of great concern to all of us. We remain in contact with Air Traffic on this and we'll keep you updated when details warrant. Our goal is to retain a meaningful training program with the air carriers and still satisfy the program's critics.
Hal Gross and I will attend a breakfast fundraiser Wednesday morning for J.C. Watts, Chair, House Republican Conference from Oklahoma. Watts is on the subcommittee on Aviation and is considered one of the rising stars in the Republican Party so we're interested in establishing a good working relationship with him and his staff. I feel it's in our interests to work both sides of the aisle to forward our issues and I've given that direction to Hal.
The following is from NAATS ATO Liaison Donna Holmes:
Attention Facreps:
Air Traffic Operations (ATO) is collecting data on all automated flight service stations that do not provide LAAS . This has come about as a direct result of an independent firm requesting to do LAAS at non-towered/non flight service station airports.
It is NAATS position that we strongly disapprove of this proposal. It is our contention that an AFSS could provide this service to any airport that has a manual or automated wx reporting capability. The only obstacle is the requirements to be on the field and have a direct reading instrument for wind and altimeter. We contend this requirement could be changed. We also contend that there are many AFSS's that currently do not do LAAS that could give that appropriate equipment.
I need the following information from every facility:
Ie: Do you currently have a direct wind or altimeter instrument? If you have ASOS/AWOS on the field do you augment or do you have the OID in your facility?
Regrettably I must inform you that NAATS Office Manager Carole Dubin suffered cardiac arrest this past week. She is in intensive care at Montgomery General Hospital and is unable to take phone calls or receive visitors.
I�ve been in contact with her daughter and she says Carole is conscious and recovering but beyond that details are sketchy. As soon as she is moved form ICU we�ll be able to visit her and she can receive flowers and cards. The address for Montgomery General is 18101 Prince Philip Drive, Olney, Maryland 20832. We all wish Carole a speedy recovery to full health.
We�re in the middle of a two-week negotiations session at Pax River on the new contract. We ask that you contact your regional representatives to the extent possible to help offset some of the workload. The national office will be open and operational; if you do get the voice mail we�ll get back to you as soon as we can.
More details as they develop.
Carole�s Status
NAATS Office Manager Carole Dubin is still recuperating in ICU at Montgomery General Hospital in Olney, Maryland. I�ve talked with both her mother and sister and they will advise us when Carole is moved and can receive visitors, callers, flowers and cards. I asked them to please communicate to Carole that she is in our thoughts and prayers.
Contract Negotiations
We just completed a two-week negotiations session with the management team on the new contract. Initially progress was slow but we finished with a flourish, signing five articles in the last day and a half. We�re working on very difficult and important articles and we�re very encouraged by this breakthrough. We intend to keep the momentum going when we next meet during the two-week period beginning March 22. Please keep sending your suggestions and recommendations to your regional representatives or me.
New Pay
The Pay/Compensation sub group is also moving forward. The latest compensation bulletin is #8 and should be available with this update.
Travel Policy
LR Director Mike Doring has completed a FAA Travel Policy (FTP) Memorandum of Agreement with the FAA. Mike informs me that this ensures equality for our bargaining unit members with their NATCA/PASS counterparts when they attend training at the Aeronautical Center in OKC. If you have any questions on this please contact your regional representatives or Mike Doring.
E.O. 12871
It appears likely that Vice President Gore will soon issue a memorandum to agency heads stressing the importance of complying with Executive Order 12871. The memo will be titled �compliance� and will instruct agency and department heads to bargain with unions over issues usually reserved of agency election or �b� rights. The �b� rights issues are: numbers, types, and grades of employees or positions assigned to any organizational subdivision, work project, or tour of duty, or on the technology, methods, and means of performing work. Naturally we�ll watch this closely and keep you advised.
�99 National Meeting
Please mark your calendars; the national meeting will be held October 6-7 at the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas.
NAATS Office Manager Carole Dubin is home now from the hospital. She is improving and advises that she is anxious to return to work. Some have called wanting to send Carole flowers, cards, etc. Her home address is 12934 Tournaline Terrace, Silver Spring, MD 20904.
On Monday, February 22, Congressional Representative Hal Gross and I met with Congressman J.C. Watts' Legislative Director. We emphasized the critical staffing shortage we're experiencing in our bargaining unit as well as the continued delays in OASIS deployment to the field. We asked that Watts support our position during the upcoming appropriations hearings in March. I intend to meet with as many members of the appropriations subcommittee as possible during the next month.
Our next contract negotiation meeting with the management team will be for the two-week period beginning March 22. Although we have a long way to go (over 120 more proposals submitted by NAATS) we do feel we made significant progress during the later part of the last session. The NAATS team remains committed to obtaining the best labor agreement possible for your consideration.
Don McLennan will be sending out more pay/compensation bulletins shortly. If you have questions or comments on this process please send them directly to Don.
On March 3 the Supreme Court voted 5-4 in favor of allowing federal unions to put new issues on the negotiating table during the term of an existing collective bargaining agreement. This is a major victory for all federal unions. If the court had voted the other way we would not have had the right to initiate negotiations on new issues that occur during the life of our contract. This ruling goes a long way toward evening the playing field
In the March 8 edition of the Federal Times there's an article titled FAA EYES PRIVATIZING SOME FLIGHT SERVICES. It seems that Stanley Rivers, AF-1, and Jim Washington, ARS-1 feel that some portions of flight services might lend themselves to privatization while others are inherently governmental. Rivers is Airway Facilities and he has nothing to do with Air Traffic personnel issues; Washington is head of requirements, however, and I intend to discuss his views with him at the earliest opportunity. I'll keep you advised.
I regret to inform you that NAATS Office Manager Carole Dubin is back in the hospital. Her mother advises that she�s in Holy Cross Hospital and can�t receive any calls. Those are all the details we have right now.
I spoke with ARS-1 Jim Washington about his comments in the March 8 Federal Times concerning contracting out some flight services. He maintains that he was taken out of context and misquoted. Washington says that he actually said that there was no plan by the FAA to contract out flight services. He did say that, upon being pressed, he commented that he supposed there were some services we perform that could be duplicated by private industry but he says that he also stated that he didn�t see anything changing anytime soon.
Of major concern to us is the 2,910 staffing figure for flight service contained in the new budget. This represents a net loss of 90 positions from the previous budget. Congressional Representative Hal Gross and I are discussing this with the aviation subcommittee members and their staffs and we�re trying to persuade them that restore the positions. As a point of interest, the FAA supported the previous 3,000-staffing figure; OMB made the cut so congressional relief is our best recourse.
The March Board of Directors� meeting concluded at the end of last week. Please check the next NAATS NEWS for a summary of issues discussed. At the meeting I recommended, and the Board approved, the following:
selection of Janice Wilson as the NAATS National NFP Coordinator, effective immediately;
selection of Dan Petlowany, RIU AFSS, as the ARS Liaison when Jeff Barnes� detail expires;
continuation of Donna Holmes as the ATO Liaison for a second year.
Kurt Comisky resigned as our national OASIS representative effective June 1. It was decided that Jeff Barnes would replace Kurt and would serve as the focal point for all OASIS issues except training. Jeff will begin his detail when Scott Chapman�s in ARU expires next fall.
I want to express our appreciation for those who submitted resumes and requests for consideration for the NFP coordinator and liaisons. We made the decisions we thought were best for this year given our current situation. Both the Board and I are committed to having the maximum number of our interested members participate.
I deeply regret to inform you that NAATS Office Manager Carole Dubin passed away early Saturday morning. Funeral arrangements are scheduled for 2pm Wednesday afternoon at the Fairview Christian Church in Union, West Virginia. LR Director Mike Doring and I plan to attend the services. If you want to send flowers you can contact Kathy�s Flowers at 304-772-3105. I do not have an address at this time for condolence cards. These are all the details I have.