NATCA Update: From the desk of NATCA Executive Vice President Andrew LeBovidge

Sisters and Brothers,

I am excited to have begun my term of office as NATCA’s eighth executive vice president, and to have the opportunity to continue to serve our great Union in this new capacity. Serving alongside NATCA President Rich Santa, all the members of this National Executive Board, and all of our local representatives, committees, and activists, I know that with hard work and continued dedication we will elevate our Union to even greater heights.

NATCA has grown to be a powerful voice – in the aviation industry, and in the labor movement as a whole – and that is a testament to the passion and dedication of all of our activists, and most especially to the leadership and vision of Paul Rinaldi and Trish Gilbert, who have guided us through so many challenges throughout the last 12 years. They have been an inspiration to many, and have set the highest bar for our Union’s success.

NATCA’s strength has always rested with the talents of our membership at so many levels of our organization from FacReps, to legislative activists, safety and technology reps to OSHA reps, from Professional Standards reps to Organizing, Union Synergy, and Reloaded Committee members. The list goes on and on. All of you bring talents to the table for the benefit of all. As we move forward together, we will continue to develop new leaders and bring even more talent to the fore.

To emerge from this global pandemic and to find our new normal, we will have many challenges ahead of us. We have worked hard to establish new relationships with the Office of Aerospace Medicine that we must continue to foster so we can tackle the wide spectrum of medical issues that face our membership even beyond the COVID-19 crisis. We must revitalize our involvement in the safety and technology projects, many of which have been stalled throughout the last 18 months, so as to remain a clear and influential voice in the modernization of the National Airspace System. We must continue to remain vigilant and deeply engaged in our legislative activism – from the grassroots involvement at the district levels to the halls of Congress – and continue to be the credible and reliable voice on issues involving aviation safety. And just as critically, we must continue to find ways to stay connected as a membership and to always find ways to reinvigorate activism in our Union.

I look forward to seeing all of you again, to the open dialogue and two-way communication that fosters innovation and creativity and establishes a culture of support throughout our membership, and to the hard work that lies ahead and will propel us forward.

NATCA is strong. The talent is deep. The months ahead will continue to bring challenges, internally and externally. But I have no doubt that together we will continue to work to improve the lives of our members, elevate our professions, and bring our beloved Union to even greater heights.

We all stand as one, united to serve.

In solidarity,

Andrew LeBovidge
NATCA Executive Vice President