Vol. 11-9 October Part 3

October 1997, Volume 11, Issue 8

Legislative Update

NATCA's Legislative Team efforts to make Capitol Hill decision makers more receptive to the union's position are paying off.Recently, Legislative Team Lead Ken Montoya and Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System Representative Rick White conducted a briefing for members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate on the STARS program. They expressed concerns regarding the equipment's operational suitability. As a result of NATCA's briefings, the Department of Transportation inspector general and the General Accounting Office are looking into the program.

NATCA Executive Vice President Mike McNally and Montoya met with new Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Jane Garvey to discuss reclassification. The meeting went well, according to Montoya.

The team also keeps track of legislation moving through Congress. The transportation appropriations conference was held in late September to discuss the House and Senate appropriations bills determining fiscal year 1998 funding. (The bills were expected to pass, but results were not known at time of publication.) The reauthorization for FAA technology programs also took place in September.

NATCA members will help push the union's legislative agenda by building relationships with members of Congress. "Take a proactive role in making things happen for the profession," said Montoya. "If there is no time to meet with your representatives, write a letter about the dangers of the FAA's contract tower program or another issue directly affecting facilities. It only takes a few minutes to make a difference." Call the Legislative Team at the national office with questions about NATCA's position on certain issues.

Newswire

News reports following the settlement of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters strike against United Parcel Service credited the labor movement with a huge victory, but critics say the nature of the country's new workforce is not conducive to traditional labor unions.

According to The New York Times, the labor movement is at its strongest point in nearly a generation and is in a position to increase membership after a 20-year decline. Skeptics believe the expansion efforts won't take hold because more people are working at home, part time or as temporary or independent contractors. The traditional union focuses on full-time temporary employees. Labor leaders say these trends are the reason organizing drives will be successful. Employers tend to exploit these types of workers this is why the public supported the UPS strikers. Harry Katz, professor of labor relations at Cornell University, told the Times employees are skeptical about the motives of management, stagnant wages and the rise in CEO pay and are beginning to realize union's are a better alternative to corporate executives.

Teamsters President Ron Carey and AFL-CIO President John Sweeney both told the Washington Post the UPS strike was the "antidote" to the defeat suffered by labor when members of the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization went on strike and were fired in 1981. Public support of the UPS workers was overwhelming and because of union efforts, the company will create 10,000 new full time jobs for current part-time workers.

NATCA's Election Committee released a report upholding the integrity of the August ballot count in elections for the union's National Executive Board. Although several difficulties occurred in the election process, both the Election Committee and national office officials agree they were dealt with appropriately as they arose.

Allegations made by one candidate were taken under consideration at a hearing Sept. 10. He presented his arguments and was asked to produce evidence to substantiate the charges. The committee weighed the evidence and determined whether or not a violation occurred, and if so, whether or not it affected the outcome of the election. The findings were presented to the NEB the following day in accordance with the NATCA Constitution. The board unanimously adopted the committee's decision and denied the challenge to the elections.

In response to member concerns about the information gathering process for NATCA's 10-year commemorative directory, Harris Publishing temporarily suspended telephoning members to provide additional training and instituted several new procedures to help customer service representatives serve members more efficiently.

Calling resumed in early September. Harris also set up an inbound toll free number for members to call and verify information themselves, rather than receiving inconvenient phone calls at home or at work. To verify membership information, or to order a directory, call 1-800-927-7236. For more information, log onto the Communications Update page on the members' only area of NATCA's web site.

The Federal Aviation Administration continues to put a price tag on the safety of the flying public. The agency refused to take action against a manager at the New York TRACON who forced controllers to work aircraft above and beyond a level they felt could be safely handled. The supervisor ignored the request of one controller to be removed from position and threatened disciplinary action if he did not continue to accept additional aircraft. U.S. Rep. Peter T. King, R-NY, wrote a letter to the Eastern Region Administrator Arlene Feldman expressing his concern over the incident and demanding action on the matter.

The state of Washington D.C.'s airports-the airports used by foreign and domestic officials-is not as stable as Federal Aviation Administration officials make it out to be. National Airport is continually plagued with radar outages, and controllers working in the Dulles TRACON must deal with noxious fumes entering the facility. The Dulles facility was evacuated at least six times in September. Controllers made numerous complaints about jet exhaust and aircraft engine emissions to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, but the authority discounts the severity of the issue and will not rectify the problem. The Federal Aviation Administration has been supportive to date. The regional air traffic division manager met with MWAA officials and demanded it put a halt to aircraft parking at the base of the facility. NATCA sent the authority a letter requesting information on how it will permanently address the situation.

Several questions regarding compensation for union representatives on detail in Washington, D. C., have been asked recently. Federal Labor Relations Authority guidance prohibits union members on agency work groups from being evaluated, disciplined or rewarded for participation. It further states that awards interfere with the right of non-union employees. In a memorandum on the subject, Federal Aviation Administration Director of Air Traffic Ron Morgan compares the situation to a policy where agencies only promoted union members. Both policies would be violations of statutes.

Laurel Pearson-Lloyd (Ft. Lauderdale Executive) has suffered serious health problems due to pregnancy complications and must remain on bed rest until the baby is due in January. She has exhausted all annual and sick leave, and is eligible for the leave donation program. Pearson-Lloyd has held various local executive board positions since becoming a NATCA member seven years ago and is currently a member of the Critical Incident Stress Debriefing Team. To donate leave time, please contact the Miami NATCA local at 305/869-5421.

Labor relations expands resourcesThe national office established a legal research department. It will be administrated by Amy Gourley and is equipped with computerized research materials such as Lexis-Nexis, LRP Publications and the Internet. These sources allow access to decisions from state and federal courts and the Supreme Court; Federal Labor Relations Authority, Merit Systems Protection Board, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and comptroller general decisions; arbitration awards; federal travel regulations; code of federal regulations; United States Code, Federal Register; public laws; and executive orders.The research department maintains the labor relations section on the members-only area of NATCA's web site. NATCA members may find updates on current issues being handled by the labor relations staff, NATCA/Federal Aviation Administration memoranda of understanding, guidance from the FLRA general counsel and an arbitration database containing all decisions and appeals where NATCA has participated.

Annual medical exams arbitration

The arbitration regarding the frequency of annual medical exams has been withdrawn. The national office determined medical exams every two years for controllers 39 and younger does not cause irreparable harm to the bargaining unit. Controllers may, however, request physicals in intervening years.

Contract tower negotiations continue

NATCA continues to meet with management of the contract towers it represents. In September, negotiations were held with Midwest ATC Services, Inc. and Robinson Van Vuren Associates. The union is in the initial meeting stages with Barton ATC International. Negotiations will begin shortly.

National office takes aggressive approach against FAA contract tower program

Advertising, coalition building and grassroots action are all part of an initiative launched by NATCA to make the public, media, Congress and other aviation organizations aware of the dangers of the Federal Aviation Administration's contract tower program.

The campaign began after the tragedy at Meigs Field in Chicago. Congressional staffers and reporters flooded the national office with questions about contract towers and where they are located. The sense of urgency accompanying the incident presented an opportunity to take the issue and use it as a platform to shine the spotlight on the air traffic control profession, while making people aware of the negative impact of privatizing air traffic control towers.

Since late July, a team from NATCA's national office have worked together developing and carrying out a strategy incorporating member input. Controller participation in the initiative is essential to its success.

The first step in the campaign was a call to action for FAA controllers to write their congressional members, urging them to stop contracting out of air traffic control services. At the same time, members were asked via NATCA's e-mail alert list and facility representative mailing for documentation to support the organization's stance. Information supplied by members assisted the committee in crafting three key messages-the most important points conveyed when speaking about contract towers.

These central ideas are the cornerstone of the campaign. All activities surrounding this initiative will be focused on proving that cost savings from contracting out are made at the expense of the contract controllers, allegiance to the bottom line compromises safety, the contract tower initiative must end and all privatized facilities should be brought back into the FAA. The team has been very careful not to attack the professionalism or competence of contract controllers, but focus on working conditions, lack of training provided by employers, staffing levels and accountability of both the FAA and the private firms.

Since the campaign began, the Contract Tower Initiative Team has taken advantage of every opportunity to promote air traffic controllers by feeding off this issue. A press release publicized that both towers in Oshkosh and Appleton Wis., were contract towers and required FAA controllers during the Oshkosh Air Show. As a result, several reporters interviewed Great Lakes Region Vice President Jim Poole. A letter submitted to Airport Magazine under Barry Krasner's signature will appear in the publication's "letters" section this fall and also in the next issue of the United States Contract Tower Association newsletter. The team is currently exploring the possibility of polling questions for a public survey and advertising in hometown media markets of aviation subcommittee members. Most recently, NATCA mailed its Privatization booklet to all members of Congress and national reporters covering aviation. In addition, the team is still soliciting information from members and will continue to approach them for ideas and support.

"This is a multi-faceted campaign. It relies heavily on coordination and cooperation between all the various components of the organization," said NATCA Communications Team and Future Planning Team Lead Sherrod Shim. "The legislative, communications and labor relations teams are working together to make this a success. But, Congress listens to its constituents before anyone else. We will also count on NATCA's members to provide the grassroots support and carry the message to decision makers in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate."

The Contract Tower Team includes Shim,Tara Taffera and Kelly Kennai of the Communications Team; Ken Montoya and Stacy Trigler of the Legislative Team; David Sandbach of the Labor Relations Team; and Rich Phillips of the Organizing Committee.