2186 Votes Yes for NATCA
Thursday, October 21, 2010

In what has been a long time coming, today in San Francisco, the FLRA counted ballots that ultimately affirmed NATCA as the exclusive representative for 2186 Series employees assigned to ATO Service Centers in Atlanta, Ft. Worth and Seattle. With 62 percent of the vote, NATCA won the right to represent approximately 100 employees who are now performing work that was previously accomplished by the NATCA Staff Specialists and Engineers & Architects bargaining units.

In 2007, shortly after ATO Reorganization Phase 1 was implemented, it became clear that the FAA wanted to inject the 2186 series into the ATO Service Centers. The agency claimed that the new 2186 designation was created to separate the 2152 Staff Specialists and the 2101 (PASS-represented) folks into a new series separate from the ATCS. The only problem with that was the agency was also converting engineers who were forcibly relocated to the Service Centers also. Due to complications with certifications, NATCA and PASS met to discuss the representation situation at the Service Centers. As a result of that meeting, PASS agreed not to pursue the 2152 or 2186 series, as it was agreed they were in fact doing work that was previously reserved for NATCA units.

In October 2009, the NATCA National Executive Board approved Region X Vice President Mike MacDonald's request to proceed with organizing the 2186s. Due to two separate petitions involving Service Center units, it wasn't until June 2010 that NATCA filed a petition with the FLRA requesting an election be held "to represent all Series 2186 Technical Systems Specialists working in the Renton, WA; Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX; and Atlanta, GA Service Center locations of the Federal Aviation Administration." The FLRA determined there was a significant show of interest and ordered an election be conducted. 

Ballots were mailed after Labor Day and counted in San Francisco today.

“We are very pleased to represent these dedicated professionals and welcome them into the NATCA family,” says NATCA Executive Vice President Trish Gilbert. NATCA plans to move swiftly to secure an Interim Agreement for the newest unit in the NATCA family.


Click here for the Sept. 7 press release regarding the election.