NATCA shall prioritize the use of all legislative resources to address the negative effects of the Federal Employees Pay Comparability Act (FEPCA) and other statutory frameworks that impact compensation for NATCA-represented employees. This includes advocating for the elimination of the President’s discretionary authority to determine or alter cost-of-living adjustments (COLA). Additionally, NATCA will seek to either raise the federal pay cap or secure an exemption for NATCA-represented employees to ensure their compensation reflects the critical nature of their work and responsibilities.

Rationale: The Federal Employees Pay Comparability Act (FEPCA) imposes significant limitations on achieving fair and equitable compensation for NATCA-represented employees. The President’s discretionary authority to alter cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) introduces uncertainty and often results in insufficient pay increases, leaving federal employees vulnerable to economic fluctuations and inflation. The federal pay cap further restricts compensation, preventing NATCA-represented employees from receiving pay that reflects the critical responsibilities they shoulder in maintaining the safety and efficiency of the National Airspace System.
By addressing these statutory barriers, NATCA can ensure that compensation frameworks are more stable and equitable, reflecting the importance of its members’ work. Eliminating discretionary authority over COLA would provide predictability and fairness in annual pay adjustments, while raising or securing an exemption from the federal pay cap would allow NATCA-represented employees to earn salaries commensurate with their responsibilities. These changes would empower NATCA to negotiate for meaningful compensation improvements within a stronger and more equitable legislative framework, helping to recruit and retain the highly skilled professionals essential to the success of the federal workforce.

This was not voted on