A Closer Look - NATCA's new generation
NATCA members, in their quest to obtain adequate staffing at their facilities, often remark that air traffic control is “a young man’s game.” As veteran controllers begin to retire, the face of the union and the business has become noticeably younger, with many new NATCA members born in the late 70’s and early 80’s. Fortunately for the union, these new controllers bring a fresh enthusiasm and sense of urgency to the membership.
Sarah Humphreys is a controller at Washington’s Paine Field Tower. Humphreys was born in 1978 and has spent five years working for the FAA. “I love being a controller,” Humphreys says. “I’m currently in a VFR [Visual Flight Rules] tower and, while I do miss working approach and radar, I’m getting used to it here.” Despite her love of the profession, however, Humphreys — like many other NATCA members — is frustrated by the FAA’s recent attitude towards controllers.
“I do feel the FAA is changing, and not for the better,” she notes. “Our facility is pretty sheltered from most of what’s going on as far as day-to-day disputes with management, but the larger issues such as staffing, treatment of controllers and trying to take away our rights as a union cannot be ignored.”
Twenty-five-year-old NATCA member Adam Humpal is a controller at Chicago’s Midway Tower. Like Humphreys, he enjoys the job and atmosphere at his facility, but finds himself frustrated with the FAA’s stance towards him and his fellow controllers. “I love the job. It’s fast-paced, always changing and challenging,” Humpal says. “We have a great manager here who works with us, not against us. But what we’re hearing from national managers and administrators is demoralizing. What employer treats its employees like the agency is treating controllers? This is the first job I’ve had where upper management is actively pursuing an adversarial goal, one that diminishes our job, professionalism and integrity.”
Humpal’s NATCA membership means a lot to him and he considers it an important component of his air traffic control career. “I leapt into organized labor headfirst. I was selected as the Midway legislative representative before I was even certified to work here,” Humpal commented. “I am a staunch supporter of workers’ rights and enjoy the ability to interact with others who feel the same way, in addition to having the ability to lobby Congress on these issues. I have been to two NATCA in Washington events and will hopefully attend my third in January. Joining the union gave me a way to channel my views and beliefs in a way that will hopefully effect positive change in the future.”
NATCA member Brian Dubois was born in 1979 and is currently NATCA’s facility representative at New Hampshire’s Manchester Tower. He considers NATCA essential to making the country’s air traffic control system the safest in the world. “I think of NATCA as professionals standing together for employees’ rights,” Dubois says. “We were instrumental in ensuring safety and technology advancement until the FAA decided they no longer needed our help. I have learned a lot as facility representative and participated in last year’s NATCA in Washington event. I think all NATCA members should attend the conference at least once to see their union at work on Capitol Hill.”
Jacksonville Center Controller Luke Alcorn agrees that NATCA is crucial in protecting the rights of controllers. “NATCA is an absolute necessity in the FAA, and they do a wonderful job protecting the employees without getting involved in the games most private unions play,” Alcorn observes. “I am already active in NATCA and have become a liaison to new hires, helping them when they first arrive at the facility. After I am checked out for a year, I will probably become more active.”
