#46, September 11, 2002

Following are the details regarding the contractor help NAATS is using through the A76 process. All of our A76 efforts will be coordinated through these individuals.

TASK REQUIREMENTS

Consistent with NAATS Leadership direction, AccureIT  is prepared to provide consulting and analysis support to assist NAATS in responding to the FAA�s competitive sourcing program. AccureIT  has identified the functions detailed in paragraphs 2.1 below as fundamental to success.

Technical Support

Strategic Planning and policy support

• Develop road map with time phasing and recommendations for prioritization of tasks based on a review of the existing environment.

• Recommend organization wide policy and procedures.

• Interface with other related organizations to keep abreast of related initiatives.

• Support to �grass roots� support development.

Research, Assessment and Analysis Support

• Conduct vulnerability assessments and recommend protective measures.

• Provide recommendations and referrals for additional subject matter expertise.

• Perform multi-disciplined threat analysis of the systems and provide recommendations for threat mitigation.

Subject Matter Expert Support

• Day-to-day advice and support.

• Track and disseminate threats and opportunities.

• Participate in and contribute to leadership meetings and activities.

Response Preparation & Coordination Support

• Independent assessment (Red Team) of proposed response documents

• Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) analysis

• Performance Work Statement (PWS) analysis and review.

• Most Effective Organization (MEO) analysis and review.

Staffing and Organization.

Staffing may vary due to the size, complexity, mission, and activity. AccureIT envisions two consultants and one Senior Technical Analyst available in this effort. Specifically:

John J. Barrass: Mr. Barrass is experienced in all aspects of corporate operations including its activities and the relationships between the corporation and its customers, employees, community, government and industry. Directly responsible for P&L, new business development and performance of existing and potential contracts. Develops operating policies and procedures and directs the work of all department managers. Develops implements and monitors the budget, monitors the quality of the corporations products and services and ensures maximum customer satisfaction. Mr. Barrass has participated in numerous commercial activities studies IAW OMB circular A-76. Current clients include major elements of the US Government including DOD, US Department of State, White House, CAIO, US House of Representatives, and other civil agencies of the government. Mr. Barrass has a Bachelor�s Degree in Economics from the University of Florida, and a Master�s in Business Administration from Golden Gate University.

Dennis B. Boykin IV: Mr. Boykin is a 24-year veteran of military and government operations, with specific industry and government experience in contracting, acquisition, and systems development. Mr. Boykin has worked in, and led, several commercial activities studies IAW OMB circular A-76 from both the government and contractor viewpoint. Current clients include the United States Army, the Department of Energy, the Defense Logistics Agency, National Intelligence Organizations, and the National Guard Bureau. Mr. Boykin has a Bachelor�s degree in Business Administration, majoring in Labor Relations, from the University of Arizona, and a Master�s in Business Administration, focused on Organizational Development, from Webster University.

Frank Bryce: Mr. Bryce has more than 30 years of executive management experience with an extensive background in Proposal Management positions. Mr. Bryce is fluent in the Federal proposal preparation, contract/project management, and acquisition processes. During the last five years, Mr. Bryce exercised Senior Proposal Manager responsibility on 74 federal proposals -- winning 53 of them. Mr. Bryce is certified to teach (by Shipley Associates) the Writing Winning Proposals training course and has independently developed short proposal writing courses for delivery immediately prior to the start of major proposals. Recent experience as Proposal Manager includes principal author of Basis of Estimate, Management and Staffing tables on eight (8) separate US Army Director of Information Management (DOIM) A-76 proposals, Proposal Manager on DISA ACC A-76 proposal, architect of the Basis of Estimate and Staffing Plan, Lead Writer for Newport News Shipbuilding Computer Assistance A-76, and Proposal Manager for DFAS, DRAS A-76 proposal for SAIC. Developed training manuals and materials, and taught field training packages in the areas of Security, User Assistance, Word Processing, Database Management, and Trouble Reporting.

I have approximately 20 meetings with congressional members or their staffs during the next three weeks. Obviously A76 and the pay impasse are the big items for discussion. I also have meetings w with senior FAA management, the results of which I�m to brief to Don Young. Add to that the meetings with the other union presidents and you can see it�s a busy time. As soon as I have more details I�ll pass them along to you.
 

Wally Pike

#47, September 20, 2002

EA Regional Director Donna Holmes, ATP Liaison Scott Malon and I met with ATS-1 Steve Brown, ALR-1 Ray Thoman, ATX-1 Bill Ellis and ATP-1 Mike Cirillo yesterday. Items discussed:

FAA funding for NAATS Directors to attend facility A76 meetings.

Conclusion: Agree in concept, perhaps training the FacReps would be a better option; matter will be addressed in MOU.

• A76 letter on union rights and negotiated agreements.

Conclusion: Letter delivered to NAATS, will be posted on our website.

• Discussion of A76 MOU,

Conclusion: NAATS Chief Negotiator Bill Dolan will meet with Agency representative within next few weeks to finalize.

• TAU's, will the FAA agree to implement if ratified by NAATS membership,

Conclusion: ATS must check with new Administrator first but no problem has been noted in implementation by ATS or ALR.

• Is there common agreement on the FMCS decision and can we work toward an agreement on it.

Conclusion: General agreement that dollar for dollar cost offsets aren't required by legislation but are OMB/FAA preference, retroactivity must be addressed; comparability was not fully endorsed by FMCS. We will meet again Thoman in the next few weeks to put specifics into possible agreement.

I'll now have the discussion with Don Young's staff next Tuesday to see their feelings and level of commitment on the comparability issue.

It's extremely busy now with congressional meetings and this will continue for the foreseeable future. This week I talked with Cramer, Solis, Obey, Hayes (staffer), Cummings, Pascrell (staffer), Sabo and Sanchez on the A76 issue. Next week it's Young, Brown, Lipinski, Pascrell, Velazquez, Oberstar, Lampson, Cramer and Clinton so far. Bottom line of these meetings is that the congressional leadership is the key again. For us the House is key, these representatives are Young (AK), Oberstar (MN), Lipinski (IL), Mica (FL), Young (FL), Obey (WI), Rogers (KY) and Sabo (MN). If you're a constituent of these representatives please make a special effort to contact them.

We're receiving several pledges of support and there are indications that the FAA is starting to feel the pressure of their ill-considered decision to conduct this study in the first place. Now is the time to step up our pressure on all fronts. We'll keep working it here, and by now you should have received A76 Representative Kate Breen's correspondence regarding our grassroots effort. Please contact your congressional representatives as soon as possible.

We've been published in Avweb, Federal Employees News Digest and the Federal Times so far. I'm giving weekly updates to Avweb and I'm scheduled to have a commentary published in next week's Federal Times. We're also talking with the Washington Post, New York Times and USA Today.

Congratulations to CE Regional Director Mike Terry and Nancy Batye for their arbitration victory. The case was a removal and resulted in a clear win for grievant and NAATS. A copy will be posted on our website.

Wally Pike

 

Following is an OASIS Update from National Representative Jeff Barnes.

09/17/02 - I have sent the questionnaire we developed to ATP for their comments and for them to send to the regions and facilities that have had OASIS Console Site Surveys or more. The question is simple. Are you satisfied with the placement of the equipment in your consoles (as installed or planned, depending on how far you are in the process)? If yes, cool. If no, then we want to know what problem(s) you have, how many and what type of consoles they affect, and why it's a problem(s) for you. There is a signature block on the form for ATM and FacRep so we'll know that everyone had input. These will come back to Air Traffic at headquarters who will send them over to Requirements (where I do most of my work) who will identify the requirements to address the problems. They will send the requirements to the Program Office who will determine cost and a schedule to implement the fixes. Isn't bureaucracy grand? Anyway, this will follow the proper procedure so no one will be able to use that as a roadblock anymore. I will stay on top of this so that it will get to you as quickly as it can work through the chain.

For those of you who have not been site surveyed yet this should no longer be a factor. I'll beat on the dead horse one more time (I've become somewhat of an expert at that on this program)... In accordance with the NAATS/FAA MOU on OASIS consoles and Human Factors Team decisions there are only two requirements for equipment placement in the OASIS consoles at this time. 1) In the standard preflight console equipment can only be placed to the left of the monitors (This is a no brainer since there is no console to the right of the monitors in this type of console). 2) In the standard inflight console Litton frequency switches can only be placed to the right of the monitors. This is because of the physical dimension of the Litton panels. They are too deep to go to the left. That's it. No other requirements for equipment placement. If someone tells you otherwise tell them they're wrong, show them the MOU, and give me a call immediately. Remember... equipment placement is a decision to be made at the local level!

As I've reported before, OASIS is facing a money crunch for the next fiscal year. We were shorted five million dollars and there was no significant effort put out to get it back as far as I could see. Doesn't mean it didn't happen, just that I certainly wasn't in the loop on any such effort. Anyway, what that means is that the equipment moving that needs to be done may take a while to complete due to money. We won't know anything for sure till we get the surveys back and are able to analyze what needs to be done. I'm sure that safety issues such as moving the Denro frequency selectors from the right side to the left side will be given our highest priority. The moves that are not safety related will come after, but again it could take some time. I am here to make sure it happens, but I can't promise it'll get done tomorrow. Only that I will do everything in my power to get it done as soon as it can be.

When the new fiscal year gets here we are going to start coming to facilities that haven't seen it yet to demo OASIS. The Human Factors Team has two laptops that can hook into SEA or AND remotely so we can use one of them and a projector to give demonstrations. The initial plan is for a member of the Human Factors Team to hit two AFSS's per month to demo the system. We have not begun to work on a schedule yet, although I hope we can put together something soon, at least for this coming year. However, the Human Factors Team is extremely busy now working with Harris to identify the fixes and enhancements that will go into the next software drop after STL so I'm not sure when we will do the demo schedule. We're looking at some pretty neat stuff right now that I expect to see in that next software drop. Of course, due to the hard work of the Human Factors Team and the Harris engineers, EVERY drop has had neat new stuff in it.

In addition to showing you OASIS, it's time to show it to the world. Dennis Detrow and Dave Hoover were at NBAA in Orlando demoing the system. We will also be at AOPA in Palm Springs and ATCA in Washington, DC coming up soon. An interesting bit of information came from NBAA...Uniformly, after seeing the system the question asked was "When do we get interactive briefings? I want to look at this stuff while you are briefing me on it." Jim Perkins and I will be making sure this is heard when we are discussing the integration of DUATS into OASIS. We are continuing to look at more events where we can demo OASIS to our customers. I expect us to be at Sun 'n Fun and Oshkosh next year, and several other events are being looked at. Feel free to send me any suggestions.

And speaking of the next drop after STL...by the MOU it is supposed to be the tenth site, BUF. However, it may be moved back a couple spots to CXO. If this happens it will be to migrate the OASIS onto a new operating system...either Windows 2000 or .Net Server depending on how confident we and Harris are as to the stability and security of the .Net Server at that time. The reason we have to do this is because Microsoft will not be supporting Windows NT any more, which is not acceptable in the OASIS operating system. The operating system OASIS uses has to be supported so that problems will be resolved when created or discovered in OASIS due to the operating system. The timing on this could also necessitate some slip in the CXO installation. This is by no means a sure thing, and if it happens there will be no shuffling in the waterfall. It just means that CXO could be installed up to a few months late to ensure the system is fully tested before being released to our world. This should not impact the remainder of the scheduled installations. In current thinking there is enough room between CXO and the next installation (again due to the budget shortfall in FY2003) that no further impact will be inflicted on us because of the delay at CXO. I do not want to see a delay at any of our facilities. However, I am absolutely insistent, and this is supported by the test organization, that the OASIS be thoroughly tested on the new operating system to make sure nothing is broken by it (this is in addition to the testing of all the new fixes and enhancements we do prior to taking any new software drop to the field). I will keep you advised on this and will make sure to get the Human Factors Team decision regarding this out to you as soon as I can after it's been made.

As always, feel free to call me or e-mail me any questions/news/rumors/suggestions you have. I'll give you whatever answers or support I can to see that the OASIS deployment to your facility goes as smoothly as I can make it. Also, and this is especially important. FacReps...if you are not being listened to or engaged in every bit of the process of OASIS and the consoles at your facility, let me know! At headquarters everyone understands that the FacReps have to have an equal voice in this. If your management is not engaging you let me know so we can get to work on fixing that immediately!

And finally. As of right now we are finding that the integration of OASIS into the AFSSs goes smoothest when there is a single point of contact for the union and for management at each facility for OASIS issues. This can be the FacRep, or someone designated by the FacRep in the case of the union point of contact. This helps by letting the program know who they should be talking to. This should be someone who will become the local subject matter expert on OASIS at your facility as it goes through the installation process. I would recommend that this person be someone who will be part of your local training cadre also. This person will be given exposure to OASIS as soon as possible prior to it coming to your facility so that he or she will have a better understanding of what the needs are for the program, and will be able to effectively communicate the needs of the facility to the program. I think the setup at AND is ideal with the union and management empowering both the management and union points of contact to make decisions for the facility regarding OASIS. It would be nice to see that done everywhere, but it's hard to imagine that kind of progressive thinking in very many management offices. Regardless, this person will be treated by the program as a partner in this process. This is an opportunity to keep the membership informed on what is ahead for them as OASIS gets closer to deployment at your facility. The directors may wish to formalize this process. That will of course be their call. When a decision has been made I would like the name and contact information for the person so I can pass that to the program. We're already behind the power curve on this for some facilities, so I'd like to try to get this done soon so we don't slip any further.

Fraternally,
Jeff Barnes

703-582-6616 (this is my cell phone. I travel so much I won't even bother listing my office phone)
 

#48, September 23, 2002

As some of you know, NAATS Office Manager Gretna DeStefano passed away last Saturday afternoon after a long fight with cancer. Gretna was a tireless worker for NAATS and an extremely professional, competent employee. More than that she was a personal friend. She will be sorely missed by all of us.

There will be a viewing on Tuesday from 2-4pm and again from 6-8pm at Fort Lincoln Funeral and Cemetery, 3401 Bladensburg Road, Brentwood, Maryland 20722.

The family address is 5309 Riverdale Road, Apt. 111, Riverdale, Maryland 20737.

Our thoughts and sympathies are with the family during this time of loss.

Wally Pike

 #49, September 27, 2002

The De Stefano family expresses their thanks for the many flowers, contributions and cards with condolences on Gretna�s death. The wake and funeral were well attended and Gretna will be missed by all of us.

Note -- NAATS will have a full-page ad in the USA Today Monday, September 30, addressing the A76 issue. We would appreciate your thoughts and comments. Thanks to NE Regional Director Kurt Comisky for all his work on this.

This from MCN FacRep Karey Hall - In a recent conversation with one of the congressional representatives, we (the PASS rep and myself) were told that due to computer viruses that many e-mail messages never reach the intended elected officials. Also, snail mail results in late delivery due to volume and special security handling due to the anthrax worries. A follow up contact with one of our Senator's staffers confirmed this. We were told the best way to ensure message receipt is to fax any messages intended for elected representatives.

In response to a request the White House fax number is 202-456-2461.

We had many congressional meetings again this week with continuing pledges of support. Particularly encouraging were the Sabo, Oberstar and Lipinski meetings. One of out objectives is to sensitize congress to the fact that they need to act affirmatively to stop the A76 study. It�s nice to hear them say that they won�t allow contracting out but they have to realize that the conclusion of the A76 will not require congressional approval.

The meeting with Don Young is now set for next Tuesday. I�ll discuss his feelings on comparability and also ask him to intervene on the A76 study.

I�m encouraged by this week�s congressional meetings. We have a tough fight ahead but we�re making progress. We�ll just have to work a little harder. Next week�s schedule is busy again with these meetings.

I�m still trying to see Administrator Blakey but she�s swamped right now and not taking many meetings with anybody. We do expect to hear from the FAA next week regarding the TAU implementation.

I�ve more to say on the subject of the TAUs and their ratification. I also have some things to say regarding other matters. I probably should have said something before now but it�s been a little busy lately.

Let me begin by saying this is my last term. To quote a civil war general "if nominated I won�t run, if elected I won�t serve." Now before someone tries to assign a motive behind this, I want to state categorically that I�m not burned out or beaten down by the FAA. Not nearly. I also feel that I�m a more effective and knowledgeable representative than previously and I enjoy what I do.

I�ve served as a NAATS representative in some capacity continuously since 1979. I�ve always considered this a privilege and an honor and I�ve never taken the membership confidence for granted. There�s no group of people I�d rather be around than NAATS members; it always recharges my batteries to visit the facilities and interact. I�m committed to resuming these facility visits just as soon as time allows.

Fact is, I�ll be 56 in two years and it�s time for me to move on. I don�t have any plans and I don�t know what I�ll do. The reason I state all this now is to remove any political considerations from what I�m about to say.

The part that I don�t have a lot of patience for is destructive, internal union bickering. I�m not talking about honest disagreements or constructive criticisms. I�ve had sincere disagreements, sometimes adamantly, with several members over the years - Mike Puffer, Margaret Ames, Al Osborn, Mike Ramsey, Andrea Chay, Phil Brown, Kyle Pitts, Mike Sheldon, Margaret Hamilton all come to mind but there have been many others. These have always been issued-based and I�ve always respected and appreciated their input. I�ve never doubted their motivation. They perform a very necessary task of ensuring facility membership opinions are expressed and addressed. The overwhelming majority of our membership is and has been endlessly supportive and patient.

My problem is with that miniscule minority that, for whatever reason, seems to enjoy creating turmoil by misrepresenting facts. It can be disheartening to have to stop working on significant membership issues and to have to deal with people who deliberately confuse the issues.

These are the facts.

1. The BOD decided to separate the work rules from the pay rules. I agree with that decision.

2. I negotiated the "compelling need" provision in Article 9 of the red book. I also negotiated the "necessary functioning" provision in the TAU. There is no question that "compelling need" is the higher standard but "necessary functioning" is the standard used by the FLRA to preclude unilateral implementation by management. For our purposes this is a difference without a distinction and "necessary functioning" works fine. I don�t know of any other federal sector union that has "compelling need" as their standard, including NATCA.

3. The BOD has not forced me to do anything against my will. Quite the contrary, I�m the one who�s responsible for our approach on pay, A76, etc. It is true that I don�t have a vote but I�m not lobbying for one either. This BOD, as did the last one, generally defers to my advice on national matters and continues to address all the myriad issues in an efficient and effective manner. We have an excellent working relationship.

4. It�s ridiculous to suggest that Chief Negotiator Bill Dolan would misrepresent facts because he "works for the BOD". As one Director quipped, "we only wish Dolan would respond to orders". Seriously, I asked Bill to write a pros/cons without any spin and I believe that�s what he did.

5. It�s likewise ludicrous to allege a constitutional violation on the ratification. Over 90% of the TAUs have been available to the membership for years. We sent hard copies to all FacReps and offered to send electronic copies to any member who so requested. To say that the members don�t know what they are voting on begs credibility.

6. I strongly recommend ratification. I�m confident in stating that this is a better body of work than the red book and represents the best achievable product. Refusing to ratify will not result in improvements.

I will certainly acknowledge that the TAU ratification wasn�t marketed to the membership as well as it should have been. That�s my responsibility and I accept it. No excuses.

One last matter -- emails. I try to respond to each email but there are exceptions. I�ve had emails that have gone beyond the pale. One guy said that he was not only going to whip me (cleaned it up a little here) but also everyone on the pay hearing team. Seems his reasoning was that we had accepted a pay increase he didn�t like. Another one said that I was some kind of "moroon", whatever that is, and that I belonged in an "aslum". When the criticism gets personal I don�t suffer fools, I just delete. It�s my observation that some people say things in emails that they won�t say in person.

No doubt some will use this message to generate more email traffic but they�ll have to do it without me. There are bigger, more important issues to attend to.

Wally Pike

A-76 Update 9/26/02

Before I begin on the update, I would like to take a few minutes of your time to talk about someone very special. The NAATS family lost a great employee and true friend this week, Gretna DeStefano the NAATS office manager. In my years of working with and meeting people, I have never met anyone with more courage and grace than Gretna. She worked as hard as she fought the cancer that took her and loved her family and friends even harder if that's possible. I will miss her terribly and if you call the NAATS office for something, please offer your condolences to her daughter-in-law Denise and her friend of many years Shirley.

For those who don't know, let fill you in on a little tidbit, management reads the WebPage and newsletter so if this seems a little watered down, please contact your regional director or me for further details. That said, here is what I have for you all after my meetings on the communications plan this week. The last regional briefing was held this week in New York, other briefings to be done are to the FAA headquarters staff in Washington, Congress/Senate, and user groups. The briefing in New York went almost 4 hours and was said to be a little more lively than the briefing in Southern Region last month. According to the Ron Page the ABU (financial) focal on the project, the government employs people to take care of law enforcement and military issues, but should not be in the "business of being in business." Another piece I found out this week is that the duties people perform in Human Resources (HR) are considered "inherently governmental," no not because of privacy issues surrounding personnel records, it's because they issue an oath of office when needed. I put these two pieces in to get you all to see how screwed up this whole process is and the urgency to stop it now. Excuse me Mr. Page but we keep the military moving and aid law enforcement with INS and Drug Enforcement issues!

Let me spell it out for you all, the agency is pushing ahead with the A-76 study and if you haven't gotten the urgency or seriousness of that piece yet, wake up and smell the coffee before you start serving it!

You should all know by now what it is you need to be doing in our first step, if you've been living in a cave or the FacRep in your facility has not been forwarding information to you please let me or your regional director know ASAP. There will be no in-person briefings at the facilities in the field, providing the communications plan gets approved by the management working group this week, the field will get a taped briefing if they chose to watch it and a binder to include the slide presentation, feasibility study, frequently asked questions and answers, and a monthly update of the progress.

There has been no movement yet on developing the team for the Performance Work Statement (PWS) or the Most Efficient Organization (MEO). The next thing for the agency to do is get the communications plan in place and then decide how to handle the rest. I suspect in the next couple of weeks I'll be able to provide you more information on the set up of the teams. Bill Dolan and I met with the agency counterparts on the MOU for this and Bill will discuss it at the BOD meeting next week with a counter offer to the agency by 10/18/02.

So far the agency has only been getting inquiries from what they consider the 3rd level of the news media, first levels of the news media are papers like USA Today, New York Times, or Washington Post. They (agency) feel if they get out to brief the hill first it puts them on a better footing and they won't have to defend themselves as much. I hope your pens have been busy and you're trips to the post office have been frequent. Now is the time, whether you have 10 days or 10 years to retire, your professionalism and caring for the pilots safety and security over the years should not end with the agencies misguided attempts to save money and make them look good in the politicians eyes.

One last thing, it seems that some bargaining unit members are not logging/counting the work they are doing.....why.....please log the briefs you do. As it stands right now the agency does not count everything we do, please please log/count the things they allow us to. As the process continues to unfold, it could be very important. Thanks for your time, let me know if you have any questions.

Kate Breen
BDR AFSS
NAATS A-76 rep

#50, October 4, 2002

Results of the work rule ratification vote:

Total Votes Received: 844

Voting in favor of ratification: 723
Voting against ratification: 111
Votes received with no box checked: 3
Votes received with both boxes checked: 1
Votes from non-members: 6

Work rules are therefore ratified. My congratulations to all of you.

We should know Administrator Blakey�s position Monday on implementing these work rules. Thus far no problems have been noted.

Regarding A76, there have been many congressional meetings again this week. Talks are continuing today. Of particular note is Chairman Don Young�s strong support for our cause. I�m working with his staff now to address this matter.

As Curt Lasley, DCA AFSS, has noted, snail mail can take 30 days to reach congress. It�s better to fax your letters as well as send via regular mail. Of course, personal meetings are best if at all possible.

I received a call this week from APA-300 Bill Shumann. He agrees that we�re air traffic controllers and states the mistake won�t be made again. Fair enough.

The BOD meeting is next week. Details will be provided in accordance with our policy and as soon as possible.

Wally Pike

#51, October 18, 2002

The following is from NAATS Treasurer Marc Lackman:

Volunteers requested for Finance Committee - One more person is needed to serve on the NAATS Finance Committee. The Committee is responsible for preparing the proposed budget annually. The Committee also reviews the organization's financial records maintained at NAATS HQ. The Committee normally meets twice a year a NAATS HQ for those purposes. All expenses are paid but members may need to travel on their own time for those meetings. If you are interested please send a resume or letter of interest to
 

Marc Lackman PO Box 6809 Great Falls, MT 59406

or

Marc Lackman, Treasurer

We are also soliciting volunteers for the following representative positions:

• Air Traffic Satellite Operational Implementation Team

• Critical Incident Stress Management

• Drug/Alcohol

• EEO

• MWE

• CRU-X

• FSDPS Coordinator

• Gulf Of Mexico Program

• GPS

• OASIS Human Factors/IOT&E

• OSHA

• Weather and Radar Processor

All of the above are workgroups, not details. Occasional travel is required but no relocation. If you are interested in one of these you must send your name and resume to NAATS Headquarters as soon as possible. If you already have a resume on file please contact us and advise which position you are interested in and that your resume is on file. A current resume (within the past year) is necessary for consideration.


Work Rules
It appears that Air Traffic will agree to implement the work rules but no firm effective date at the time of this writing. I expect to hear within the next few days and we will probably sign a written agreement of some sort. We�ll finalize the FacRep training on the new agreement as soon as we sign the agreement.

Pay Discussions
The FAA has some internal coordination to complete and is not yet ready to begin these discussions. When the discussions are held they will be kept at "high level", perhaps one on one, and will not require bargaining teams. There is general agreement on the following from the FMCS:

• Retroactive pay must be addressed in some form;

• NAATS did not establish "comparability" with the other air traffic controllers;

• The personnel reform legislation does not require dollar for dollar cost offsets.

Anything other than the above is speculation at this point. As soon as I have more details I will let you know.

A76
We are continuing to work with Congress, particularly appropriations, to stop this study. This could take some time and we may have to wait until after the elections but we�re not conceding anything at this point. A76 Representative Kate Breen will provide more details in her updates. We will again meet with AOPA President Phil Boyer on October 30.

BOD Meeting
In accordance with our policy, a summary of the above is available on the NAATS WebPage. Please feel free to contact your Regional Director or me with any questions or comments.

Wally Pike

#52, October 24, 2002

Work Rule Implementation
In my discussions with the FAA this week I�ve been told to expect a MOU proposal from them next week. We�ll examine this and respond accordingly.

One thing I�ve heard is that Air Traffic will agree to a first part of March implementation date. Considering that, any FacRep training on the TAUs will be held in the January/February timeframe.

Pay Impasse
The FAA says they will be ready to make a proposal sometime within the next few weeks. Hopefully they�re using this time well and they�ll be serious when we next meet.

Congressional
Although congress is technically in recess, we�re continuing to meet with staffers on both the A76 and pay issues. We haven�t given up on this session but it could be that we�ll have to wait until the new congress takes office. Your efforts are very much appreciated and necessary for our success.

I want to especially thank GFK FacRep George Kelley for his work in getting published in the Grand Forks Herald. His Viewpoint article on A76 and its ramifications was excellent. We also appreciate the Pac fund contribution and the invitation for me to visit the membership in GFK. I�ll work with GL Regional Director Jack O�Connell to coordinate this visit.

Media
We�re continuing to work with both the print, online and radio outlets to publicize our issues. Avweb, Federal Times, Federal Employees News Digest, WTOP Radio, Washington Post and the New York Times. Indications are that the FAA is starting to feel the pressure so now is the time for us to work harder.

No doubt some of you are aware of the recent AOPA position on A76. It�s available at the following link - http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/air_traffic/a76_process?PF.
NAATS A76 Representative Kate Breen is formulating a response and our meeting with AOPA President Phil Boyer is firm on October 30.

More details as I get them.


Wally Pike

#53, October 30, 2002

Latest on work rule implementation MOU - Looks like it will be the first part of next week before we receive it. Air Traffic can�t coordinate it before that. As soon as I hear anything I will let you know.

We�ve had a number of congressional meetings again this week with more to follow. As in the past, we�re receiving several statements of support but it�s uncertain whether Congress will act on much of anything prior to the elections and the new session after the first of the year. All we can do is keep working the issues.

GA Summit Representative Ward Simpson, A76 Representative Kate Breen, our A76 contractors and I met with AOPA President Phil Boyer and other AOPA representatives today. It was a fairly successful meeting and we briefed them on aspects of the A76 study that they previously hadn�t known. While it would have been great to get a pledge to co-lobby and stop the study, maybe that isn�t practical at this time given the current congressional situation. Depending on developments, the new congress may be another matter.

Kate Breen will be updating you on more A76 specifics including our targeted audience.

Wally Pike

#54, November 8, 2002

We�re still anxiously awaiting the management MOU proposal on the work rules. I met with ATS-1 Steve Brown this week and we discussed this as well as the continuing delay in setting a time to resume the pay discussions. He will research the problems and I should hear something in the next few days. We�ll examine the MOU closely once we finally receive it and make the call on whether to sign at that time.

As I mentioned, nothing new on the pay discussions but we�re supposed to talk sometime in the next two weeks. Once can guess that the FAA was waiting to see how the elections turned out before sitting down with us again but it�s all speculation. I�ve expressed our concerns to Congress about these continuing delays.

Of course we�re continuing to talk with Congressional representatives and their staffers about the A76 study. We�ve had some limited success - Senate appropriators are going to require the FAA to explain their reasoning and methodology for the study as well as how it�s being funded. Considering the election results it will now probably be the next congressional session before much more can be accomplished but we�ll continue to meet and brief everyone possible. Please see A76 Representative Kate Breen�s update for more details on A76.

Probably most of you are familiar with Mike Causey and his articles on the federal workforce and their issues in the Federal Employees New Digest. Of course he worked for the Washington Post for 30 years before moving to WTOP Radio for Feds. I had lunch with Mike this week to discuss the A76 study. He will run a story on their website federalnewsradio.com. I highly recommend this excellent free resource site. Mike will also be visiting NAATS HQ and we will stay in touch as we work through this process. As a point of interest, Mike used to publish an article for NAATS in the early 60s. Small world.

NAATS Chief Negotiator Bill Dolan has completed an MOU on the performance Management System (PMS). Copies should be available at your facility and on our website. Please contact Bill with any questions or comments.

I�m pleased to announce the selection of Alvin Robinson as the new NAATS FSDPS Coordinator. Alvin will be overseeing the FSDPS transition plan and coordinating with FAA HQ. Alvin can be contacted at 440-365-2393 or email .

Under the heading of Rumor Control - no information on FAM trip resumption, buyouts or furloughs. We�ll keep you advised of any developments on these or any other issues of interest.

GA Summit Representative Ward Simpson has been on top of the breaking story on FAA's Advisory Circular, AC NO. 00-62, Qualified Internet Communications Provider (QICP). Following is his update.

Wally Pike


QICP
Qualified Internet Communications Provider

The FAA's Advisory Circular, AC NO. 00-62, was issued November 1st with the subject being "Internet Communications Of Aviation Weather and Notams". The Circular explains how companies can be a source of aviation weather for a civil aviation user. These companies will be called Qualified Internet Communications Providers (QICPs).

Bill Dolan (Chief Negotiator), Art Finnegan (ARU Liaison), Scott Malon (ATP Liaison) and myself (GA Summit Rep) are all aware of the circular, and of course frustrated. Bill has been working with Art who has been in contact with Dave Whatley, the affected Staff Director in ARS. Whatley said this bulletin only pertains to the security of the internet connection itself. The internet connection is supposed to be free from any outside source changing, altering or deleting the information being passed from the Internet Provider, and not about sanctioning the "quality and currency" of the information being passed on to the user (pilot). Bill has been trying to get in contact with Mr. Whatley to see if they will issue a statement explaining this further. I have talked with Bill, and as of this time, Mr. Whatley has not returned his calls.

I spoke with Melissa Bailey, AOPA Vice President of Air Traffic, Regulatory and Certification Policy, concerning the AOPA article on their web site dated November 1st. The article starts out saying, "Thanks in part to the efforts of AOPA...", and goes on to explain how now the pilots can..."legally use flight information from the numerous aviation Web sites available to plan a flight, as long as the Web site has gone through the QICP process. Until now, only information from a flight service center or DUATS vendor was considered valid." I told her we were not quite sure how AOPA has determined it is legal to use this information and with whom the liability lies. She stated that the liability has always been with the pilot and the decision he or she makes after receiving a weather briefing as to whether or not to go ahead with the flight. I stated the final decision has always been with the pilot, however, only when receiving a briefing from flight service or DUATS, the agency's approved vendor source, because the FAA insures the accuracy of this data. The advisory circular states that the QICP means the FAA is only approving the provider's servers and communication interface as meeting the provisions of the Advisor Circular and not approving the quality of data.

It further states that the FAA strongly encourages that an approved QICP display a warning label on its Internet site that addresses this issue. The recommended language is as follows:

This Qualified Internet Communication Provider's (QICP) servers and communication interfaces are approved by the FAA as secure, reliable, and assessable in accordance with AC 00-62.

1. This QICP does not ensure the quality and currency of the information transmitted to you.

2. You the user, assumes the entire risk related to the information and its use.

Ward Simpson
GA Summit Representative

#55, November 19, 2002

We have filed a national unfair labor practice charge (ULP) against the FAA for failure to implement the work rules. A copy will be posted on the NAATS website. I�ll keep you advised as more details develop. We�ll file another ULP if we don�t hear something positive this week regarding resumption of the pay impasse discussions.

I talked with Adrian Schofield of Aviation Daily last week regarding the FAA draft of the reauthorization language, specifically Section 505. Needless to say we�ll be opposing anything similar to this language when the matter is addressed next year. Of course I also talked with him about our A76 issue.

I�ll meet with the new Administrator on December 3. I look forward to talking with her about the significant issues facing both FSS and the FAA.

I talked with NATCA President John Carr last week about several matters including the FAA�s privatization plans. We agreed to work together and form a common approach to this threat.

Our A76 contractors are analyzing the draft changes to OMB Circular A76. As soon as this analysis is complete we will forward it to you. There is a 30-day period for comments.

I resumed work last week with Don Young�s staff on a letter to FAA Administrator Blakey. First item they want to address is our pay impasse.

The new Congress will return January 7, nothing much is expected from the pro-forma session of the Senate this week with the exception of homeland security.

Wally Pike


Following is an MOU on Performance Management System (PMS) recently negotiated by NAATS Chief Negotiator Bill Dolan. Please direct any questions or comments to Bill.

Memorandum of Understanding
Between the
National Association Of Air Traffic Specialists (NAATS)
And The
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

This Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") is entered into by and between the National Association Of Air Traffic Specialists ("NAATS" or "Union") and the Federal Aviation Administration ("FAA", "Management", or "Agency") (collectively the "Parties"). This MOU represents the complete and total understanding of the Parties with respect to the implementation of the FAA's Performance Management System ("PMS") in the NAATS bargaining unit. This MOU is entered into in the spirit of Partnership, and reflects the efforts of the FAA National Labor Management Council (NLMC). The Parties agree as follows:

Section 1. A PMS National Workgroup will be established within 45 days of the signing of this agreement, to facilitate the implementation of PMS in NAATS. The PMS will become effective in the bargaining unit upon completion of Section 2, however, the workgroup will establish a specific implementation schedule for certain aspects of the program as provided in Section 2.

Section 2. The PMS National Workgroup will consist of six (6) members; three (3) designated by the Union, and three (3) designated by the Agency. The Union and Agency will each designate one (1) member to serve as co-chairs. The purpose of the PMS National Workgroup is to ensure timely and effective implementation of PMS throughout the bargaining unit. Possible tasks to be performed by the Workgroup include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Establishing the orientation-briefing schedule for employees. In establishing this schedule, the PMS National Workgroup will determine how the orientation briefings will be conducted, where they will be held, how long they will be held, and any other activities associated with informing NAATS represented employees on PMS;

2. Identify job families for bargaining unit employees. These job families will be determined using these four (4) criteria: 1) Are the day-to-day tasks of the proposed job families essentially the same 2) Are the processes used to accomplish the work consistent; 3) are the outcomes standard; and 4) is the work and/or task procedurally based.

3. Once the job families have been identified, developing common performance standards for these families through workshops in accordance with the Agency's "Performance Standards Development Workshop" document developed by the PMS co-chairs. Such performance standards will be developed within 180 days of the first meeting of the PMS National Workgroup. Workshop participants shall be identified by the PMS National Workgroup.

4. Determining how the performance summary will be used, recognition criteria, the performance input sources, if this program will apply to teams, the process for upward feedback from employees, etc.

5. Establishing and overseeing Regional PMS Implementation Teams to assist in the implementation of PMS throughout NAATS.

Section 3. The workgroup members will be provided such time as necessary to achieve successful implementation of this program throughout the NAATS bargaining unit. The Parties' representatives will be granted full authority to bargain on behalf of their respective organizations. All agreements reached by the work group shall be reduced to writing and shall be binding on the Parties.

Section 4. The workgroup will provide oversight of the evaluation of the PMS after implementation. The workgroup will determine the exact timing for the evaluation and will consult with subject matter experts to determine appropriate methodology, including any necessary baselining activities. In the event concerns arise out of the PMS evaluation, the same workgroup shall reopen discussion to develop possible resolutions and, where practicable, implement the same.

Section 5. Union workgroup members will be provided access to the same PMS information as any other work group member.

Section 6. The workgroup will submit status reports to the Parties, which will describe the progress of PMS implementation. Such reports shall be issued every three (3) months from the implementation date and continue until the final evaluation described in Section 4. Any significant problems identified in these reports will be addressed by the workgroup and corrective action taken as appropriate.

Section 7. Union designees will be allowed to participate in the activities of the National PMS workgroup. Performance Standards Workshop, and Regional PMS Implementation Team in a duty status, if otherwise in a duty status. The Agency will pay necessary travel and per diem expenses, in accordance with applicable regulations, for bargaining unit employees to participate in meetings and activities.

Section 8. Except as provided in Section 3, above, this Agreement does not constitute a waiver of any right guaranteed by law, rule, regulation or contract on behalf of either Party.

 #56, November 22, 2002

It doesn�t appear that the FAA will agree to implement the work rules anytime soon. There was discussion regarding an FAA MOU that we never saw but that included all the TAU�s with three exceptions:

1. CIC Differential was not included for implementation,

2. OJTI Differential was not included for implementation,

3. FERS Sick leave buyback was not included for implementation.

I never did hear what the FAA proposed finally as the date for implementation.

I feel, and the BOD has agreed, that these three TAUS are very important to the membership and their absence deprives the membership of some major negotiation gains. I�ve therefore informed the FAA that implementation is a "no go" if these TAUS aren�t included in the implementation package. Meanwhile the ULP we filed earlier in the week will be allowed to process through the FLRA.

I will meet with Administrator Blakey on December 3. If the FAA decision makers don�t modify their stance on the above, I�ll raise the issue with her. Of course I�ll also discuss the A76 and pay impasse matters and try to seek some common ground on these.

Regarding the pay impasse, a major part of the problem has been the FAA insistence on "cost offsets" for any increases they give to the bargaining unit. They�re portrayed this variously as a legislative or OMB requirement. In fact, there�s nothing in the law that requires a dollar for dollar offset (this was verified by the FMCS). We�re preparing to file another ULP since the FAA continues to maintain this barricade to effective negotiations.

I consider that we�re fighting for our very lives with this A76 study. We�re doing everything we can to (1) stop it or (2) slow it down or (3) modify it. My feeling is that we�ll either won or lose this fight on Capitol Hill. There are many ominous signs for FAA and all federal employees, the Homeland Security Bill passed this week is just one example. Winning this fight has our highest priority. Our contractors have finished their analysis of the recent proposed revision to A76 and I�ve asked webmaster John Dibble to post it on our website. Look for A76 Representative Kate Breen�s update for more details on the FSS A76 study.

Fox News 45 out of Baltimore has expressed an interest in doing a story about the FAA proposal to contract out FSS. We had scheduled a visit to DCA AFSS but FAA Headquarters refused to grant Fox permission to enter the building. I�ve informed Fox that I�d be happy to follow up on this. My thanks to FacRep Bill Straube, Curt Lasley and the DCA membership for their work on this.

Finally, it looks like any congressional action will have to wait until January 7 now. We do have support for our issues but it�s still an uphill fight.


Wally Pike

#57, December 4, 2002

I met yesterday with Administrator Blakey and we discussed a wide range of issues. It doesn�t appear likely that the A76 study can be stopped administratively now by the FAA. She expressed considerable interest in the briefings we received on the new A76 revision and some of the potential negative aspects (see A76 Representative Kate Breen�s latest update for more details on this). The Administrator will have the FAA Office of Budget follow-up on this and contact me with the results.

I did ask her to ensure that FAA Public Affairs accurately reflects the facts surrounding the study. She agreed and, in turn, asked that all the unions be accurate in their statements. I agreed.

We discussed the pay impasse and when discussions can begin again. She has some obvious coordination to complete but I�ll hear something shortly after January 1.

We also discussed the two ULPs NAATS has filed nationally regarding failure to implement the work rules and cost offsets. No commitments were made but we agreed to talk again.

I was very impressed by Administrator Blakey�s forthrightness and willingness to discuss tough issues. We agreed that both the FAA and NAATS� credibility is critical to our working relationship and we will make every effort deal honestly and above board with each other. We also agreed hierarchy should be maintained but that we should contact each other whenever either one feels it is necessary.

I feel it was a very productive first meeting. I look forward to working with Administrator Blakey on the tough challenges we face.


Wally Pike

#58, December 11, 2002

We�re still having congressional meetings but activity has fallen off considerably now. This will probably be the case until the new congress begins on January 7. My feeling is that the A76 battle will be won or lost on the Hill. All of our activities, e.g. lobbying congress, informational picketing, user groups meetings, should be directed with that in mind.

The way to defeat the A76 study is legislation stating our function is "inherently governmental". The way to delay the A76 study indefinitely is to deny funding through appropriations. The way to slow it down is to require congressional hearings or GAO investigations. We�re active in all three forums on the Hill. A76 is our highest priority and we�re not holding anything back. The fact that the congressional and FAA meetings have slowed down for the holidays doesn�t mean we�ve haven�t been busy in other areas. I can�t discuss some of the innovative options we�re exploring in this forum but they should prove effective; they�ll certainly be a surprise to many when they�re made public.

While we�re doing this we must be aggressively active in the A76 study process. We don�t have the luxury of not participating -- that�s a sure recipe for disaster. We have to put our best people on the work groups and ensure the process is administered exactly as required by the circular. In the case of the PWS, we have to make every effort to list all of our activities no matter how small. It�s my opinion that the final document will be very extensive and complex. To accomplish this we must put our best people on the work groups and make every effort to maximize membership participation and education throughout the process.

We�re working with NATCA and PASS, who have similar outsourcing concerns, on a common approach to the FAA and other activities such as informational picketing and joint congressional meetings. More details will be provided on these efforts as soon as they�re available. Despite this cooperation, inherently governmental legislation is an uphill battle and we need all the help we can get. Your continued participation is critical to our success. A76 Representative Kate Breen publishes regular updates on the status of the study and how you can help. On pay -- it�s letters to Congress, especially those members on appropriations.

Regarding pay - Chairman Don Young has sent Administrator Blakey a letter requesting that the pay impasse be resolved as soon. This is the letter that I worked with his staffer on and uses the FMCS hearing data as the basis for resolution. Chairman Young prefers to work the pay issue prior to addressing A76; however, he has consistently maintained that our workforce should not be contracted out. I�ll continue to work closely with the Chairman and his staff and I�ve asked Webmaster John Dibble to post a copy of this letter on our website.

A reminder that you must send your name and a brief resume to NAATS HQ if you want to serve as a NAATS representative on details or workgroups. Details are usually for one year in the DC area. Workgroups require occasional travel. Your area of interest (equipment, operations, LMR, etc) is also helpful.

NM Regional Director Don McLennan has resigned his union position for personal reasons. Don has worked tirelessly for the bargaining unit and our option and I thank him for his efforts and help. A special election will now be conducted to fill this vacancy.

GA Summit Representative Ward Simpson is retiring in a few weeks. He�s always worked very hard for NAATS and our membership and he will be sorely missed.

I�ve known both Don and Ward for many years and I�ve enjoyed working with them. The best of luck to both of these hard working advocates in their future endeavors.

Wally Pike

#59, December 20, 2002

I met this week with ATS-1 Steve Brown. Items discussed:

1. OASIS funding, specifically the OMB passback on the FY04 budget. The FAA has taken a $1.89M cut which represents about 10%. Other FAA programs have taken similar or more drastic cuts but the accompanying OMB language restricting deployment of the scheduled 24 sites was a concern. At this point the FAA still intends to meet the FY04 waterfall and if that changes we�ll be notified.
2. ABU memo on hiring restrictions and how this applies to our new hires. No decision has been made to curtail new hires -- if and when this changes we�ll be properly notified.
3. We discussed the A76 study and pay impasse, including the timeframe for resuming pay talks. No new commitments.
4. IAD aviation museum. This will open next year about this time. There will be an air traffic display and we will work with ATS on the AFSS displays.

I�m happy to announce that we are in the process of confirming a meeting between the FAA unions to develop a united approach to contracting out. The timeframe being discussed is February 17-19 with NAATS, NATCA, PASS, PAACE, and AFSCME represented so far. At this time there is no joint picketing scheduled but we�ll keep all informed.

In the meantime NAATS will continue to work the new congress, which reconvenes January 7, on restricting the funding for the FSS A76 study. These will be interesting challenges considering the changes in both the House and Senate. We do know that the Senate is requiring the FAA to brief them on how the FAA is funding the study during this continuing resolution and to explain the FAA overall outsourcing strategy. Naturally our position is that the FAA should not be allowed to fund an A76 study with continuing resolution funding and some in Congress agree.

As I�ve mentioned before, my feeling is that we must also aggressively participate in the A76 study. This requires using the best available personnel for the workgroups. To that end, during our BOD telcon yesterday our participants were discussed and some decisions were made. Bottom line -- I recommended and the BOD approved Dave Hoover, Jerry VanVacter and Tim DeGrazio for the PWS core group. The first meeting of this group is tentatively scheduled for the week of January 20.

My thanks to all who have volunteered for A76 groups. There is a possibility, maybe even a probability, that there were be additional spin-off groups and it�s my intention to recommend a different group of participants for those utilizing our volunteer list. I expect that there will be plenty of opportunity for participation and input as we work our way through the process.

Wally Pike