National Association of Air Traffic Specialists

Aviation Safety is Our Business

Bulletin #19

From

Don McLennan

A small subgroup of the NAATS and FAA contract negotiation teams met at NAATS Headquarters on Tuesday, July 11 to discuss what still needs to be accomplished before reaching a contract agreement and the best way to accomplish that work. The two teams identified the primary subject areas that need immediate resolution before being able to move ahead with compensation talks and agreed upon a strategy to try and resolve those issues. Identified were four key areas where the teams have not been able to reach agreement. There was also agreement that the teams would divide themselves into several smaller groups, meeting as often as necessary, to identify and resolve specific areas of concern. Team members listed below will work the following issues, with help from the remaining team members:

•     Facility part timing         Kurt Comisky
•     Facility levels                Craig Campbell
•     Pay rules                       Don McLennan
•     Non TAU work rules   Ron Maisel

It will be the responsibility of the above team members to keep us posted on their progress while working towards a completion date of September 1.

Wally Pike and Ray Thoman will continue to discuss contract issues while the team members are meeting in their smaller groups to resolve their specific areas of concern. If the smaller groups are successful in reaching agreement, within the stated time frame, the last element of the contract negotiations will be to finalize pay for our bargaining unit members. To insure all contract issues and articles are reviewed for content, consistency and compatibility, nothing will be finally agreed except by Mr. Pike and Mr. Thoman.

Mr. Randy Barber also attended the meeting in Wheaton as our expert on the identification and development of the necessary elements to accurately determine the costs associated with implementing a new compensation system. The "costing data" function is a very important aspect of contract negotiations. Here, the Agency and NAATS need to be able to agree on final decisions concerning what "efficiencies" will result in cost benefits to the Agency that translate into funds available to the bargaining unit to implement a pay increase. We have already discovered the Agency and NAATS do not agree on how much funding is available and how it is calculated. Agreements on staffing are also an integral component of funding. It is an imperative that we reach agreement with the Agency on what number of bargaining unit employees we will continue to operate the FSS system with.

Much work is yet to be done with the Parties still very far apart on their proposals. NAATS' latest position retains reclassification with the different pay levels graduated at 5.5%, 10%, and 18% . The management offer is somewhat less than the PASS agreement. Both are 5 year proposals.

Back to Bulletin List.

Walter W. Pike, President

This page was last updated on 16 July, 2000