NATCA Assists in Haiti Relief Efforts

As you all know, the conditions in Haiti are devastating due to the 7.0 earthquake that hit their area on Tuesday of this week. Since then we have been working with our contacts from IFATCA (International Federation Air Traffic Controllers’ Associations)  in the neighboring Dominican Republic – ADCA (Asociacion Dominicana de Controladores Aeros – Dominican Air Traffic Controllers Association) to best figure out how to help our brothers and sisters in Haiti.  First off, they do report that there appear to be no casualties in the Air Traffic Controller workforce in Haiti. As you can imagine, figuring out the best course of action to get them supplies has been difficult as they work out a way to get supplies there. The ADCA has secured a plane that they can get from Punta Cana to Haiti to take supplies to the controller workforce and their families. We will be using some funds from the NATCA disaster relief fund to coordinate the purchase of supplies through ADCA for them to get on the plane to Haiti. We have had many inquiries from our membership wanting to help in some way. Members can assist financially, if they want funds to go directly to the controller workforce in Haiti and their families, by donating to the NATCA disaster relief two ways:

• Via PayPal and include this e-mail address when making your donation: natcarelief@natcadc.org

• Or you can send a check payable to "NATCA relief," to: NATCA Relief, 1325 Massachusetts Ave., NW; Washington, D.C.; 20005.

If you are interested in contributing to an overall effort, we have included links below that the AFL-CIO is circulating. Today the NATCA Charitable Foundation is having its annual meeting and donations for Haiti is on its agenda as well.

We have also volunteered to assist the FAA in any efforts they commit in helping with the AT services in Haiti.  We let them know that we have the means to immediately contact thousands of the recently retired ATCs to send an appeal to them to participate if they are needed. There is also a private company that works AT operations in California in efforts to fight wild fires. That company has been approached and asked some of their temporary controllers to go to Haiti. We are not sure if they are interested in using a controller not in their employment if they are not able to get their own people to go.  If so, we will put that word out. 

Thanks so much to all for your generosity and concern,

Paul Rinaldi, NATCA President
Trish Gilbert, NATCA Executive Vice President
Dale Wright, IFATCA Executive Vice President Finance

Additional Ways to Contribute

Doctors Without Borders

Partners in Health

Red Cross International Response Fund

RN Response Network

Solidarity Center Education Fund

United Way Worldwide Disaster Fund