NATCA Recognizes Scholarship Winners: Kyle Buchan 

Kyle Buchan, child of Deborah Buchan (Grand Rapids ATCT, GRR) is among this year’s 20 NATCA Scholarship winners. Every year, NATCA offers a scholarship program for spouses, children, stepchildren, and legally adopted children of active, retired, and deceased members in good standing for at least two consecutive years. This scholarship is for full-time attendance at accredited colleges and universities within the United States and its territories for an undergraduate degree program. 

This year’s prompt asked candidates to examine the factors that can either strengthen or weaken labor unions. Read the essay that Kyle submitted below:  

Unions are formed with the goal of collective strength, although achieving this is never an easy accomplishment. In the majority of unions members come from different backgrounds, hold diverse perspectives and value different priorities. This diversity, while advantageous, can cause issues when the goal is a unified front. Understanding the causes of this division in unions can help develop strategies that can strengthen the solidarity of an organization. 

Perspectives are bound to be different with the diversity of a group. A rather large contributor to division in a group is the difference in valued priorities. In the field of air traffic controllers, there are very high stakes, intricate work schedules, stress to the job and safety concerns which can make it hard for members to see eye to eye on any or all decisions. In another example, senior employees would prioritize job security and retirement pensions, especially considering the mandatory retirement of 56 forced by the government. On the contrary, younger and eager members would focus on career advancement and development of their craft. 

Facing these challenges requires leadership within unions to foster a sense of solidarity and build a wall of trust between unions, as a key role is unity. One strategy is to create open and inclusive channels of communication as communicating is a massive pillar in the strength of a collective group. Leaders should encourage regular dialogue among members to make sure everyone feels heard and valued. Regular meetings, surveys and suggestion boxes are great channels of facilitating dialogue. Ensuring transparency among the group is crucial as a leader of a union as members are more likely to act when they feel understood and safe within group feedback. 

Emphasizing common goals and ideas that resonate with the group’s feedback is an effective way to unite members despite differences. Leadership should try to focus on identifying shared concerns. While individual priorities may differ, there are often overarching objectives like fair wages, safe work conditions, and collective benefits. Collaboration across different groups within the union is essential to create an understanding between challenges faced by different demographics of the group. 

A critical approach that would be useful to continuing unity is promoting mentorship and cross-generational collaboration. Pairing experienced members with newer ones, unions can bridge the gap between differences and create mutual respect within the Union. Senior members can offer guidance to younger members on navigating career advancements, while younger members can offer fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to strengthen the union’s sense of belonging. 

Additionally, recognizing and celebrating union victories, regardless of size, can be a massive moral boost to the union in entirety. Celebrating victories by the group or by a member fosters a sense of pride and thorough engagement from the union members. Social events, team building activities can be a great way to easily bond the group in pursuit of collective success. 

Ultimately, a union’s core lies in its ability to unite its members despite the discrepancies. Fostering open communication, emphasizing shared goals, and building trust a union leader can create a collaborative and resilient organization. When members feel cared for and valued, there is more of a motive to stand by a fellow member to protect everybody on the way to collective union success.