NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF AIR TRAFFIC SPECIALISTS
11303 Amherst Avenue, Suite 4
Wheaton, Maryland 20902

Phone: (301) 933-6228
Fax; (301) 9333902

October 24, 2001

Mr. Raymond B. Thoman
Deputy Assistant Administrator
For Human Resource Management, AHR-2
800 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, D.C. 20591

Dear Mr. Thoman:

I am in receipt of the September 14 letter to me regarding pay negotiations between the FAA and NAATS. Frankly I am surprised to see your signature on this letter.

NAATS has several concerns with your response to my meeting and follow-up with Administrator Garvey on August 17. As you acknowledge, your team's offer of record is a 0% increase. Saying that you are hopeful of reinstating a previous offer that you have withdrawn is tantamount to negotiating in bad faith; stating that you have no firm offer on the table is a misrepresentation of fact.

As you well know, your previous offer of 5.5% over five years does not address comparability with the other FAA air traffic controllers in series 2152. Per the information your team previously furnished NAATS, the increase should be 13.2%, not including the 4.1% ATRA roll-in. To reinstate a previously unacceptable offer does not constitute meaningful negotiations and does not alter the fact that the Parties are at impasse.

You further state "if the Government wide increases average 4 percent a year for the 5-Year term of the agreement, the general pay increase for FSS would be 25 1/2 percent over that period". This seems to be pure speculation unless you are now negotiating for the White House.

I assume the 8 percent average increase for performance that you mention relates to your previous SCI offer that you now state doesn't exist. In any case, you are well aware that NAATS rejected that offer as benefiting the few at the expense of the many.

You incorrectly state that you offered to upgrade lower level FSS's in Alaska to the GS-12 equivalent level. In fact you only offered to convert FG-9/10/11 unit members to specialized job Category G, Level 2. Your proposal on existing FG-12 unit members was a conversion to Category H, Level 3. The inequality in your proposal amounted to approximately $12,000 annually.

I would remind you that the mediators assigned to our case have stated they have no intention of calling us back to the negotiating table. Their opinion is based on your previous offer of 5.5% and not your current position.

Obviously someone at FAA Headquarters has made a decision to undervalue FSS contributions to air traffic and the aviation public. That person or persons should step forward and acknowledge their responsibility for this decision. Misrepresenting the fact of the pay impasse is a continuing disservice and insult to the Air Traffic Controllers in the Flight Service option.

As I've briefed both the FAA Administrator and Deputy Administrator, unless the FAA is willing to negotiate true pay comparability for our bargaining unit, further meetings are pointless. As you and I have previously discussed and agreed, addressing the few remaining work rules will do nothing to resolve the impasse over pay.

Sincerely,

Walter W. Pike President

AOA-1
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