November 2023 New England Bi-Monthly Regional Update #2
From Bryan Krampovitis, NATCA New England ARVP
As we all begin or finish up the 2024 leave bidding, I want to inform everyone that the NATCA Academy class schedule for next year is now available.
NATCA has tasks in various areas that cater to multiple interests. The success of this union is attributed to the members who volunteer their time and effort to represent it in different capacities.
One crucial area, and in my opinion one of the most important, is our legislative efforts. NATCA will host legislative training three times next year, with only one session scheduled before NATCA in Washington. Our legislative efforts yield the most impact when it comes to persuading Congress to pass legislation that enhances our working conditions. You don’t have to be interested in politics to participate in this area. We need well-informed, passionate members who can articulate our interests to Congress. Every state in this region can benefit from more assistance in our legislative efforts, especially with a significant election approaching next year; we will need all the help we can get!
Another available class is Safety Advocacy Training. We recently hosted this training locally in New England. Thank you to Seth Myers from ZBW for coordinating that. All attendees provided positive feedback. This training covers all aspects of safety in your local facility. Does your facility have an active local safety council? Could you getting involved in your LSC help bring it to the next level? If being involved in the safety aspects of this job interests you, this is the class for you.
The third class I’ll touch on is OSHA training. We need more people in the field trained on OSHA issues. Many OSHA-related problems go unchecked in a building because people are simply unaware that they are violations. It sounds cliché, but I believe everyone is an OSHA representative. We are all responsible for calling out OSHA violations and protecting each other from injury and harm at work. Having our members in the field trained on these issues is the only way we can ensure our workplace remains safe.
Lastly, we are planning on hosting a full Representative Training 1 class in the New England region early next year, February 5-9, 2024. The class will be held in the southern New Hampshire area and will be open to about 40 attendees. If you will be a new representative next year or think that being a representative may be in your future, this is a unique opportunity to take RT-1 in the local area without having to travel all the way out to Las Vegas, where the class is normally held.
Below are the dates for the mentioned classes, along with some other classes available next year. Please take a look at the classes, and if any of them interest you even a little, sign up and take the training. We need an informed, active membership, and these courses are how we get you started down that path. Also, the dates for NATCA in Washington, CFS, and NATCA ATX are listed below; please consider bidding some leave to attend these events as well.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Collaboration
From Curt Fischer, Collaboration Facilitator, Eastern Service Area North, A90
The very first sentence in the Collaboration Article in the CBA begins with a recognition that challenges will need to be addressed in our changing industry. This past month has had its fair share of challenges too long to list. Staffing woes, scheduling negotiating difficulties, and lack of governmental funding are a few of our many current challenges. This first sentence continues that to face these challenges we must harness the collective strength of our employees.
When challenges arise, collaboration should not be allowed to be pushed aside with a dismissive hand. We must recognize that moving away from the broad deep well of “collective strength” towards a narrowing of the field of decision-makers often is the weakening choice. Collaboration takes time, commitment, courage, and trust as well as a knowledge of the contract and the rules that guide us.
As Collaboration Facilitators, we have seen collaboration viewed as an impediment or obstacle to doing what I want or what I’ve been instructed to do. It is here where your CF team brings awareness to the shift towards positional behavior as opposed to approaching the issue from an interest-based perspective. Engage your CF team as needed for assistance. Dismissing the valid interests of others for expediency or ego usually ends up with a lesser product, that takes longer to implement or will need to be reworked as a result.
Regional Financial Statement
An update on NNE’s spending and remaining budget as of Nov 1, 2023.
Training
From Karen MacCrate, NATCA New England Training Rep, ZBW
As we are winding down from the summer, it feels like a time we can breathe. We are doing a fantastic job as a region in keeping training a priority. The system for reporting training impediments for the National Training Initiative (NTI) has crashed and it does not look like it will come back up. The NTI is still in effect and at the trainee/OJTI level, the process for reporting impediments is the same. ATMs/TAs have to report to the district differently. I expect something to change as a result of this crash, but I will keep you all updated if and when it does.
The implementation of FAA Order 3120.4S has been delayed, most likely until after the new year.
I’d like to take the opportunity to talk about the “what, why, how” teaching process when completing block 13, comments section, of FAA Form 3120-25. This is taught in the Basic OJTI Techniques course that was developed around 2017, but many OJTIs throughout the district took the class prior to 2017. It can also be found in FAA Order 3120.4R, Appendix B, paragraph 2l:
(1) What. Clearly describe what occurred during the session (e.g., did not restrict deviations, did not ensure aircraft separation, did not use positive control, did not inform pilots of weather, did not have sufficient focus to stay engaged during the session).
(2) Why. Clearly describe why the event occurred (e.g., inexperience with weather, insufficient vectors to ensure separation, failure to comprehend speed control techniques.)
(3) How. Include recommendations on how the trainee could correct and improve in the events described (e.g., did not listen to instructor – review the fact that you must listen to the trainer; did not ensure aircraft separation – be sure the vector is sufficient to ensure separation and adjust the vector as necessary to maintain a safe and efficient operation; did not use positive control – explain how “deviation approved” does not maintain control by ATC).
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to contact me anytime at [email protected] or 402-651-9900. I’m always happy to help in any way I can.
Impending Shutdown
Note: The U.S. House passed a Continuing Resolution last night. The U.S. Senate must now pass the Continuing Resolution to avert a shutdown. If the Senate passes the CR, the following information can be disregarded.
From Steve Brown, NATCA New England Government Shutdown Coordinator, PWM
Unfortunately, we again find ourselves in familiar territory and facing another government shutdown. Although the uncertainty is jarring for us all, one silver lining is we’ve been here before, and NATCA is as prepared as we’ve ever been.
AJ Garcia and I from PWM have been tasked with assisting Mick Devine (RVP) and Jamie Green (NNE NLC Chair) in organizing and disseminating information as it pertains to a shutdown. Since a few weeks before the last continuing resolution was passed back in September, your leaders both locally and nationally have been working behind the scenes to mobilize and develop a clear and calculated message for NATCA members, and our members of Congress.
Regionally, questions you’ve asked were compiled and sent to the National Executive Board to develop a Q&A. Frequent telcons involving your local and regional leadership are taking place to keep up-to-date information flowing down to you. Regional activists are reaching out to your members of Congress to urge them to end a shutdown as soon as possible, and plans are being put into action involving media outreach, rallies, leafleting campaigns, and lobbying on the hill. Your leaders are working tirelessly to do what we can to end the possible shutdown the right way, and as soon as possible.
You can help, too. Stay involved, keep your focus, answer the calls to action, and most importantly be there for each other. Please keep your questions and ideas coming, and reach out with any issues or concerns to me at [email protected] or AJ at [email protected].
Dates of note:
November 28 – First Partial Paycheck (missing one day of pay)
December 12 – First $0 Paycheck
Legislative
From Jamie Green, NATCA New England Legislative Chair, PVD
On November 7, 2023, Democrat Gabe Amo won the special election for Rhode Island’s 1st Congressional District. The special election was only to finish the rest of Cicilline’s term, so Amo will be up for reelection again next year. Congressman Amo is a great ally and supporter of organized labor. Congressman Amo was sworn in on November 13, 2023.
Prior to the election, NATCA members volunteered for multiple phone banking events. We were able to build a relationship with the newly elected Congressman and his campaign. Thank you to all who took time to help! Pictured below are NATCA members Tom Lefevre (ZBW), Caitlyn Valeri (ZBW), and Nick Monohan (BED).
OSHA
From Matt Murray, NATCA New England OSHA Rep, ZBW
11 Murphy Drive is an FAA building located in Nashua that houses about a dozen different lines of business like the Regional Medical office, Fire Life Safety Engineers, and equipment testing labs. In September, this facility was completely flooded with more than six inches of water inside and upwards of four feet of water around the exterior. The flood was caused by a combination of things but mainly a beaver dam that blocked the drainage culvert.
The building was immediately shut down while they worked to assess the damage and prepare for remediation.
I was contacted by some NATCA members who work inside Murphy Drive because they were concerned. Even though everyone else from Murphy Drive was teleworking, these employees were told they “could” go into the building and work if they needed to. I raised their concerns to my counterpart in the Eastern Service Center. We discussed the situation with Enviromental and Occupational Safety and Health (EOSH) managers and specialists to determine if they truly could continue working in the building.
EOSH specialist conducted multiple tests and we agreed that will some general precautions these specific employees could access the building for short periods until the full remediation begins.
Since this meeting, NATCA has been working with the agency to ensure that they are meeting all of the requirements set forth in the FAA Indoor Air Quality order. With any luck, all of the employees at 11 Murphy Drive will be able to get back to their offices in around six months.
If you ever have any OSHA-related questions, please contact me at [email protected] or 603-494-3095.
