Kate Breen
President
NAATS

February 1, 2005


Kate,

It was a pleasure to talk with you this afternoon and again, good luck with the MEO. The agency is wrongheaded in their privatization initiatives and you are on the pointy end of that spear. I want you to know that your brothers and sisters in labor support you and the men and women you represent. Air traffic control in ALL it's manifestations is an inherently governmental function which is intrinsically linked with the public's interests. The system is eroded when cost trumps decisions grounded wholly and solely on the safety and best interests of the flying public.

As I described in my conversation with you, NATCA has been advocating for additional staffing for several years. We strongly believe that the agency should make opportunities available to you and your members in the bargaining units we represent. We do not believe your employees should displace the employees we represent but rather be afforded the many, many opportunities which exist now and are eminent in the National Airspace System.

NATCA's position is that your workforce should be afforded the opportunity to transfer into air traffic controller positions consistent with our existing agreements with the agency. These agreements include but are not limited to hardship transfers, promotions, and voluntary applications we have pending with the agency. We also believe the agency should abide by the Memorandum of Understanding we have with them concerning transfers into higher level facilities. Our MOU states that no personnel should be placed into an ATC nine (9) or higher level facility without that facility first having issued a nationwide bid and exhausted it's supply of internal candidates.

We view these steps as prudent and fair. Your employees deserve the right to continue their employment in our bargaining units to the extent that their knowledge, skills, abilities and health will allow. They have earned and deserve at least that much, and if your employer will not guarantee you fair treatment my Union certainly will. By the same token, the employees I represent deserve the right to the promotional opportunities their years of service and technical skill level have earned them. We believe the agreements we have with the agency are in the best interests of the agency, her employees and the users.

Again, good luck with the MEO. I believe the end result of this horribly misguided scheme will be the displacement of hundreds of hard working employees, the erosion of the margin of safety in the National Airspace System and the furtherance of the folly of privatization. I want you to know that your employees have a friend in NATCA, and we look forward to welcoming your employees into our ranks. I hope this email clears up any confusion for the men and women you represent. You are free to distribute it as you see fit.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to give me a call.

Very Best Personal Regards,

John S. Carr
President
NATCA
AFL-CIO
202-285-0758