NATCA Departmental Overview: Labor Relations
NATCA is incredibly fortunate to have staff at our National Office that exemplify dedication and excellence in support of the goals of our Union. Each day, they deliver unparalleled service and representation to NATCA’s members. To give NATCA members more information about the work they do, we will be sharing articles that provide an overview of the work done by each department to support our Union. Today, we are presenting the first of this series of articles – an overview of NATCA’s Labor Relations Department – spotlighting the work the department’s team members perform.
NATCA’s Labor Relations Department currently has a team of ten employees including: a director, two deputy directors, five attorneys, and two administrative professionals. NATCA’s Labor Relations staff is passionate about advocating for the aviation safety professionals that NATCA represents and is proud to be a part of the labor movement.
Our Union’s Labor Relations Department’s work focuses on representing the interests of NATCA and its members, and these staff members perform a wide range of duties. These duties generally fall into several categories: bargaining, contract enforcement, representation, and miscellaneous labor and employment law matters.
The bargaining duties include negotiating both term agreements, such as the 2025 Indigo Book collective bargaining agreement, and mid-term bargaining resulting in memoranda of understanding (MOUs) on a wide variety of issues. Labor Relations’ contract enforcement work involves supporting all aspects of the grievance process, including assisting Regional Labor Relations teams with determining whether a grievance is the best course of action, preparing responses to proposed discipline, drafting written analysis of grievance cases, and eventually representing NATCA in arbitration hearings. In the past year, the Labor Relations Department has seen an increase in arbitrations and has frequently prevailed at hearing. These wins have helped return NATCA bargaining unit employees to federal service, overturned unjust disciplinary actions, and mitigated excessive disciplines to more appropriate penalties.
In addition, Labor Relations staff represent members and the union before administrative bodies, including the Federal Labor Relations Authority and National Labor Relations Board. This work also includes supporting the National Organizing Committee in adding new units, particularly federal contract towers, to the NATCA family via elections or voluntary recognition. NATCA Labor Relations may also represent NATCA members in NTSB investigations, EEOC investigations, or MSPB hearings. Finally, the Labor Relations Department works on a variety of miscellaneous labor and employment law issues. This work includes analyzing changes to state and federal labor and employment laws, regulations, or Executive Orders to determine whether they affect our members.
