|
#76, May 21, 2003
Nothing changed for us at the House
Committee Hearing on HR2115. The only FAA employees the DOT Secretary cannot
outsource are the NATCA controllers. Nothing changed on the FSIP language
either, we still have that.
We had met with Don Young�s Chief of
Staff yesterday and provided him with alternative language that would have
covered our bargaining unit. He seemed very receptive and understood the
issues. We�re scheduling a meeting with Chairman Young to find out how he
intends to address our issue.
DOT Secretary Mineta sent a letter to
Don Young yesterday opposing our inclusion, as well as that of some of the
PASS units, in any inherently governmental language. Mineta goes on to say
that he will recommend a presidential veto if inclusive language is adopted by
the House. This letter is on our website. Until I can talk personally with Don
Young it�s impossible to know what effect this letter and other covert
negotiations had on his decision not to offer an amendment.
While the above is disappointing, we
were prepared for such an eventuality. This bill still is far from becoming
law in its current form. The schedule now is for FAA Reauthorization to move
to the full Senate floor the first week of June and to the full House floor
the second week of June. After that, the differences between he bills will be
conferenced. All of these present us with opportunities. Chairman Young has
repeatedly stated, in several different forums, that he will not allow the FAA
to contract us out. His most recent statement to this effect was yesterday
morning. We have powerful enemies aligned against us but we also have powerful
allies. Our timetable is not always that of the decision-makers. We have to
continue to work this until we succeed.
I want to thank Alaskan Regional
Coordinator Phil Brown for basically camping outside Don Young�s district
office on Phil�s day off to get us access. This kind of dedication will pay
off for us down the line.
It�s become very clear that the FAA
management gleans information from these updates and then uses it against us.
Webmaster John Dibble is trying to find a way we can effectively communicate
without the prying eyes. It�s not an easy task for John since I�m frequently
provided with copies of other union leader�s communications that I suspect
comes from their members-only sites. Until we have resolution to this there
will be some information that can�t be communicated in this open forum.
On another matter, we�ve commented (by
letter to the FAA Administrator, copy on our website) on the recent FAA order
regarding term and mid-term negotiations. This is no small matter since it
appears to set up a procedure that is contrary to the FAA unions� statutory
rights.
No word from the FLRA on the two
pay-related ULPs.
Wally Pike
#77, May 30, 2003
Latest Senate
scheduling indicates that FAA Reauthorization will be addressed on June 5, 6
and maybe the 9th. The House is expected to work the same issue the week of
June 9. The joint conference will follow shortly afterward.
We�re continuing to focus on the Senate and, although it�s still an uphill
fight, we�re cautiously optimistic about our inclusion in the inherently
governmental language.
I have spoken briefly with Don Young and his staff regarding what happened
last week in his committee. Chairman Young wants to talk in more detail so
we�re scheduling a meeting. We did learn that House Majority Leader Tom DeLay
threatened to keep HR2115 off the floor if the bill included the language
preventing out-sourcing.
An approach that�s proven effective at MLC AFSS is to involve the mayors of
the communities that would be affected by potential AFSS closures. The
potential income loss is significant and can influence these local
representatives to contact their appropriate House and Senate members
requesting our inclusion in the bill language. All AFSS�s are legitimate
concerns since no one knows for sure exactly what facilities might be closed
under the out-sourcing scenario.
No word from the FLRA on our ULPs. No response yet from Administrator Blakey
regarding our concerns on the new term and mid-term bargaining order.
Wednesday evening A76 Representative Kate Breen and I attended a DCA AFSS
union meeting. As is always the case, there was a good exchange of ideas,
opinions and suggestions. I appreciated the invitation and the opportunity to
discuss issues with several members including EA Regional Director Donna
Holmes, DCA FacRep Bill Straube and EKN and DCA FSDPS FacRep Bob Francis. One
of the matters we discussed was the negotiation timetable for "golden
parachutes" as they relate to A76. Chief Negotiator Bill Dolan will discuss
this in an article.
.
Wally Pike
#78, June 6, 2003
The Senate did not
consider FAA Reauthorization (S.824) this week. There was a scheduling problem
and also a concern by the appropriators. The Senate may get to Reauthorization
next Thursday or Friday; if they don�t address it Friday then it won�t happen
until after the July 4 recess.
Reauthorization (HR2115) is scheduled for the House beginning next Wednesday.
We�re continuing to meet with specific congressional members and their staffs
to include our issues. As of this date, we�re in pretty good shape but nothing
is certain.
The FAA and DOT continue to apply pressure to remove "inherently governmental"
from the bill language; I�ve asked Webmaster John Dibble to post the latest
correspondence. I received calls from both NATCA President John Carr and Mike
Fanfalone and I�m happy to say we�re coordinating our efforts and working well
together. I can�t get more specific than that for obvious reasons. I�d also
like to recognize some of your efforts in the Senate/House but that would
highlight our gains to our enemies. Suffice it to say your efforts to work
through the local governments and user groups have produced some very
productive results and I encourage you to keep up the good work.
I attended the LAN AFSS union meeting this past week with GL Regional Director
Jack O�Connell, and 30 members including LAN FacRep Kile Pitts, Craig Marcus,
Doreen Simms (wife of HON FacRep Steve Simms), GFK FacRep George Kelley, and
HUF FacRep E. Newhouse. I thoroughly enjoyed the visit and the feedback from
all the members. My thanks for the invitation.
Due to the increased workload I�ve had to decline PASS President Mike
Fanfalone�s invitation to speak at the PASS convention the week of June 15. I
explained to Mike and he fully understood.
Wally Pike
#79, June 12, 2003
By a 56-41 vote, the
Senate approved the Lautenberg amendment to S.824, FAA Reauthorization. The
amendment prohibits "the transfer to a private entity or to a public entity
other than the United States Government of ...flight service station
personnel."
This represents a major victory for us, particularly considering the array of
opposition the FAA/DOT and OMB mounted against our efforts. Your constituent
efforts have paid off today. NAATS, NATCA and PASS worked very closely on
this, especially during the past several days. It�s been a crazy week but very
much worthwhile.
Since the House version (H.R. 2115) and S.824 differ in this and other areas
there will have to be a joint Senate/House conference. This is expected in the
fall, probably in September. House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman
Don Young will chair the conference; I expect to meet with him during the next
few days. Both Chairman Young and Ranking Member Oberstar have stated that FSS
controllers need to be included in the "inherently governmental" protections
of FAA Reauthorization.
This fight is far from over. We fully expect the FAA/DOT/OMB to mount a very
aggressive effort to remove the language during conference and, of course,
there�s the veto threat. We�ve already begun working that issue.
It�s been awhile since we�ve had good news, though, so we should take time to
celebrate a well-earned victory.
Wally Pike
#80, June 20 2003
We are working with NATCA and PASS on
contacting the House Republicans to encourage them to contact the House
conferees in support of the Lautenberg amendment to S.824. As soon as all the
coordination is completed we will send out the details for a grass roots
effort. Latest information is that the House/Senate conference may be sometime
in mid July.
We have considerable support in both houses of congress and we must use a
carefully considered approach to maintain and increase this. It�s important
that our congressional relations effort be coordinated through NAATS
Headquarters, as our enemies have shown they will use any confusion to
misrepresent the issues. We�ve asked some of our members to contact specific
conference representatives. While the conference list is on our website, it�s
essential that we do not send a mixed message during this critical timeframe.
As I said last week, this fight is far from over and we�re prepared for the
long haul. We should, however, appreciate what we�ve accomplished so far. We
prevailed in the Senate despite the strongest opposition the FAA, DOT and OMB
could muster. Add to that the House version with the FSIP language and we
already have a major congressional achievement.
We will meet with the FAA next week regarding pay negotiations. Our goal
remains resolving this issue as soon as possible and, to this end, we have
withdrawn the two pay related ULP's filed last January. These can always be
re-filed if the need arises. Our hope is that the FAA will make a similar
gesture of good faith and remove the other obstacles to our engaging in
meaningful negotiations.
This week I visited MIV AFSS and met with Acting EA Regional Director Ron
Consalvo, FacRep Carol McAteer and several of the members. As is always the
case, it was a good meeting and I appreciated the invitation. As I told them,
MIV membership is to be congratulated on the work they�ve done with Senator
Lautenberg and Congressman LoBiondo.
Wally Pike
#81, June 27 2003
The latest information
is that the joint Senate/House Conference on FAA Reauthorization could begin
as early as the week of July 7. The congressional staffs have been meeting in
"pre-conference" for the past several days and it looks as though the entire
conference could be completed by July 28. President Bush is expected to sign
the conference bill prior to expiration of the current FAA authorization on
September 30.
We continue to monitor the situation closely and work with any necessary
congressional offices. We remain guardedly optimistic at this point but very
much aware that problems are bound to occur. During my meeting with Senator
Lautenberg and his staff this morning I presented the Senator with a plaque
expressing our appreciation for his efforts.
With events moving so fast, the necessary coordination couldn�t be
accomplished with the other unions on the joint grassroots effort. There is
also concern that we don�t create a problem where none exists.
On Wednesday, June 25, General Counsel Arthur Fox, Chief Negotiator Bill Dolan
and I met with the FAA to discuss the obstacles to resuming meaningful pay
negotiations. The meeting was productive and I�m pleased to announce that we
have scheduled negotiations on July 22 and August 5. Obviously our hope is
that we will reach final agreement on pay and have a draft for your
ratification shortly after these meetings.
My thanks to NAATS A76 Representative Kate Breen for attending the ATCA
symposium for me and participating in the A76 panel discussion. Please see her
update for details about the meeting and the current status of the A76
process.
The first week of July I will be visiting several CE Region facilities with
Regional Director Mike Terry and Regional Coordinator Jerry VanVacter. I look
forward to meeting with the membership at all these locations.
The NAATS Board of Directors meeting will be held the week of July 14.
Wally Pike
#82, July 3, 2003
On Monday NE Regional
Director Kurt Comisky and I met with Administrator Blakey, ATS-1 Steve Brown
and ALR-1 Ray Thoman. We discussed the continuing A76 issue, unresolved pay
negotiations and FAA Reauthorization, particularly the Lautenberg amendment.
Kurt and I also expressed our concerns on how the FAA is representing our
bargaining unit both on the Hill and in the press.
We discussed, in detail, the issue of how the MEO will relate to pay
negotiations. We agreed that we have very different perspectives on
"inherently governmental" and that the legislation will have to continue on
its own merits. Although no firm commitments were made, we did meet for more
than an hour and I felt it was productive.
We have also continued to meet with the congressional staffs this week,
including a joint meeting with PASS. Nothing really new to report; it is still
uncertain whether the joint conference will complete its work on FAA
Reauthorization before the August recess. If it doesn�t then we won�t know the
results until sometime after Labor Day. We have faxed and mailed thank you
letters to the 56 senators who voted in favor of the Lautenberg amendment. If
you are a constituent of one of these you might consider doing the same.
Wally Pike
#83,
July 17, 2003
The House named its final FAA
Reauthorization conference participants this week. Members of the conference
committee include Chairman Don Young (R-AK), John Mica (R-FL), Vern Ehlers
(R-MI), Robin Hayes (R-NC), Denny Rehberg (R-MT), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), James
Oberstar (D-MN), Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Leonard Boswell (D-IA), and Tim Holden
(D-PA) from the House. The Senate conferees are Chairman John McCain (R-AZ),
Ted Stevens (R-AK), Conrad Burns (R-MT), Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS.), Sen. Kay
Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Sen. Ernest "Fritz" Hollings (D-SC), Sen. Daniel
Inouye (D-HA), Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), and Sen. John Breaux (D-LA). The
conference will begin next week and there is the possibility that they could
complete FAA Reauthorization before the August recess.
DOT Secretary Mineta sent another letter to Congress late yesterday, very
similar to his earlier one. This one again threatens to recommend a
presidential veto. No doubt DOT/FAA/OMB are launching the 11th hour attack
we�ve expected.
Given the current situation we�re asking that, if you�re a constituent of
Senators McCain, Stevens and Burns or Chairman Young, please contact their
district and/or DC office by phone, fax or email (snail mail might arrive too
late). Stress to them that we are air traffic controllers too and that we
perform many vital services that directly affect aviation safety. TFRs are
good examples. Economic impact of loss of revenue to communities is another
talking point. Ask the member or staff to support the Senate version (S.824)
of FAA Reauthorization. We will continue to work the offices also from here.
In the past two weeks CE Regional Director Mike Terry, Regional Coordinator
Jerry VanVacter and I visited FOD meeting with FacRep Paula Wisniewski and the
members; ICT meeting with FacRep Jon Pankratz and the members and OLU meeting
with FacRep Carl Taylor and the members. GL Regional Director Jack O�Connell
and I visited PNM and met with FacRep Judy Brandes and the members. I enjoyed
all of these opportunities to discuss current affairs with the membership and
I very much appreciated all of the hospitality.
The NAATS Board of Directors meeting was held on July 15-16 at MSP. Minutes of
the meeting will be published as soon as they are finalized. The Board
continues to make the tough decisions necessary to meet the challenges we
face.
We will meet with the FAA pay negotiators on July 22 and again on August 5.
Our position is to try to use the MEO, or similar forum, to address both the
architecture and the pay structure for our bargaining unit thereby capturing
credit for the efficiencies by using gain sharing. If adopted, this will mean
that the MEO will have to be modified to allow for consensus-based decision
making. We will do our best to finish these marathon negotiations and to
finalize a fair contract.
Wally Pike
#84,
July 25, 2003
At this time it appears that FAA
Reauthorization will not be finalized until after Labor Day. The conference
last night was disappointing but the fight is not over. The bill may go to the
Senate floor next week but the House is expected to recess after today. We�ll
be busy during the August recess and we�re asking that you contact your
congressional representatives and ask them that we get included in any
determination of inherently governmental legislation. We�re coordinating with
NATCA and PASS but it�s still an uphill battle. We�ll provide more information
as it becomes available. I�m not going to get into any more detail here since
I don�t want to brief those who oppose our efforts; I have briefed the
Regional Directors with the information available and I encourage you to
contact them if you want more specifics.
I do want to continue to recognize those who have helped with our efforts.
Brenda Dickinson and Lisa Bjork have done a great job at PRC AFSS in working
John McCain. Feedback from Senator Rockefeller�s staff indicates that our
membership at EKN has been very effective. Many thanks for all your hard work.
We�re received many positive comments on the pictures of our plaque
presentation to Senator Lautenberg. We should have noted that Jeff Barnes took
those pictures, rising from his sick bed to do so.
We met with the FAA on pay negotiations this week. As mentioned earlier we
made a proposal to link the MEO with pay in order to use gain-sharing to
capture credit for efficiencies. The FAA was receptive but noted potential
problems with the methodology. They will send us a counter proposal prior to
our meeting on August 5. I feel that both parties are trying to reach
agreement but the devil will be in the details. We�ll keep you advised.
Suggestion from Richard J. Rydberg, PNM AFSS:
"Is your job worth $26?".
The crux of the idea is to hit every FPL twice; first with a flier in each
mailbox (with the donation form) outlining the goal of $1 per FPL per pay
period through the payroll deduction (or a single contribution of $26). This
would include how such contributions have and will help our fight to retain
inherently governmental status through legislation. It would also answer
anticipated question or objections, like:
"Why can't I contribute to a candidate myself?"
"I already pay dues. Isn't that enough?"
"I'm not a union member, so I can't contribute."
"I'm not sure I like PACs. Isn't this like trying to buy votes?"
Secondly, one or two individuals per facility would be assigned to approach
each FPL to follow up and make sure they didn't just forget to make a
contribution, or to answer any questions that they might have about the
process.
Please send your comments on this suggestion to NAATS HQ.
Wally Pike
#85,
August 1,
2003
There are several rumors circulating in the
field regarding what has happened with FAA Reauthorization (HR2115). I�ll use
this update to explain what is factual and where we stand as of today.
On Thursday, July 24, about 6pm the
conference met briefly, for the first and only time. Previously Don Young and
John McCain had negotiated the conference report language. Congressman
Oberstar offered the Lautenberg amendment to revise the report language but
failed on a voice vote. The conferees then left for a series of votes in both
chambers without voting on the conference report but staff members later
collected enough signatures to seal the deal.
Don Young has stated that he is sympathetic
to our cause but that the conferees� hands were tied by the veto threat and
that the other provisions in the four-year bill were too important to risk.
The Federal Services Impasse Panel language was also deleted.
The conference report must now go back to
both the Senate and House floors. The House is in recess until September 3 and
the Senate will recess after today. We still have considerable Senate support
on both sides of the aisle and, for the past week, we have been meeting with
Senators and their staffs to attempt a compromise but so far that has failed.
I�ve had several meetings with Senator Lautenberg and his staff and they have
informed Senate leadership of a filibuster if the bill is brought to the
Senate floor in its present form. Best guess is that the Senate will wait
until it returns on September 2 to address HR2115.
A meeting between the FAA unions is
scheduled for next week to discuss strategy. None of the unions are happy with
this report since it goes further to allow privatization than either chamber�s
bill.
A copy of the pertinent part of the report
follows:
SEC. 230. PROHIBITION ON AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL
PRIVATIZATION.
(a) IN GENERAL.-Until October 1, 2007, the
Secretary of Transportation may not authorize the transfer of the air traffic
separation and control functions operated by the Federal Aviation
Administration on the date of enactment of this Act to a private entity or to
a public entity other than the United State Government.
(b) LIMITATION.-Subsection (a) shall not
apply-
(1) to a Federal Aviation Administration air
traffic control tower operated under the contract tower program on the date of
enactment of this Act;
(2) to any expansion of that program through
new construction under subtitle VII of title 49, United States Code; or
(3) to a Federal Aviation Administration air
traffic control tower (other than towers in Alaska) identified in the Report
of the Department of Transportation Inspector General dated April 12, 2000,
and designated "Contract Towers: Observations on the Federal Aviation
Administration�s Study of Expanding the Program".
This fight is far from over. During the
August recess we will continue to work this issue from here but it is
extremely important that you also contact your Congressional representatives
and describe the bill�s deficiencies. The idea is to revise the bill or defeat
it. Some talking points are listed below:
-
Emphasize safety and national security and
how that will be compromised if a vendor attempts to provide our services.
TFRs, especially presidential, are good examples.
-
We have mailed CD copies of the FOD flight
save, with a cover letter, to all 535 congressional offices. Ask them to
listen to this as a compelling example of our service.
-
We are air traffic controllers too, by law
and not FAA edict. Our functions are just as essential to aviation safety.
-
Contracting out FSS must result in fewer
facilities with reduced staffing. A vendor will have a completely different
motivation in providing aviation services (cost driven).
-
No congressional approval is required for
the FAA to contract out our services at the conclusion of the A76 process. In
fact, the FAA does not even intend to brief most of Congress.
-
There is bipartisan congressional support to
protect our workforce (re: June 12 Senate vote). No one reasonably expects
President Bush to veto this bill if it includes protection for air traffic
controllers.
No doubt you will come up with additional
examples that can be used. Don�t confuse your message by discussing other
concerns (pay, staffing). Feel free to contact me with any questions or
comments.
The House Appropriations Committee has
approved HR 2989 which includes the FAA 04 appropriations. The Senate
Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury and General Government
had yet to produce its version. The House is slated to take up HR 2989 when it
returns from the August 2003 recess.
Wally Pike
#86,
August 8,
2003
Latest information is that HR2115 will
probably be worked in the House first when Congress reconvenes after Labor
Day. I met with PASS President Mike Fanfalone this week and we agreed to
coordinate our grassroots congressional efforts. Specifically we have
identified the HR2115 conferees as particularly important if the bill gets
sent back to conference. Again, the conferees are Chairman Don Young (R-AK),
John Mica (R-FL), Vern Ehlers (R-MI), Robin Hayes (R-NC), Denny Rehberg
(R-MT), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), James Oberstar (D-MN), Peter DeFazio (D-OR),
Leonard Boswell (D-IA), and Tim Holden (D-PA) from the House. The Senate
conferees are Chairman John McCain (R-AZ), Ted Stevens (R-AK), Conrad Burns
(R-MT), Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS.), Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Sen. Ernest
"Fritz" Hollings (D-SC), Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HA), Sen. Jay Rockefeller
(D-WV), and Sen. John Breaux (D-LA).
The Senators who voted for the June 12 Lautenberg amendment are also extremely
important. The eleven Republicans were Bond (MO) DeWine (OH) Inhofe (OK)
Voinovich (OH) Domenici (NM) Murkowski (AK) Specter (PA) Chafee (RI) Gregg
(NH) Talent (MO) Fitzgerald (IL); all Democrats either voted in favor or would
have voted in favor if present with the exception of Miller (GA) who voted
"no".
I sent the talking points out in last week�s update. Since the members are
back in their districts this month there is an excellent opportunity for you
to meet with them personally. If a personal meeting isn�t feasible, a phone
call is the next best way to communicate with them. Faxes, letter and emails
bring up the rear in that order. If you need any help with any of this feel
free to contact me.
Meanwhile, here, we are talking with both the Republican and Democratic staffs
to try to work a compromise.
We are continuing to discuss pay proposals with the FAA but no agreement has
been reached. More talks are expected next week.
I went to ISP this week and met with Acting EA Regional Coordinator and ISP
Facrep Deb Shea and the members. Unfortunately Acting EA Regional Director Ron
Consalvo was sick and unable to attend. The food and hospitality was great and
the discussions even better. My thanks for the invitation.
Wally Pike
#87,
August 15,
2003
PAY
I have recommended, and the BOD has
approved, a tentative pay agreement we reached yesterday on pay with the FAA.
There are some technical cleanup details still to be worked out but we expect
this to be done by the first of the month. Final agreement is subject to
membership ratification.
We have been in negotiations on pay since January 2000. We�ve been at impasse
since April 2000. During this time we�ve attempted to negotiate an FSS
reclassification and, when that failed, comparability with the other FAA
controllers. The FAA response has consistently been the same -- move into core
with no true increase in compensation or benefits. Even when they were
offering "5.5%" it was always contingent on dollar for dollar cost offsets
that would have resulted in no net increase; the most recent proposal was last
year at the FMCS hearing when they proposed to take all the bargaining unit
holiday premium pay.
In agreeing to this proposal we considered all the factors, including the
current environment in Congress and the FAA and the state of the national
economy. We have also thoroughly examined the judicial option as well as
administrative remedies through the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA).
It�s important that all members understand all the factors that contributed to
this decision.
It�s no secret that no one on either side of the aisle in Congress wants to
hear about a pay dispute between the FAA and its unions. We�ve attempted to
legislate a remedy on pay for the past three years with little to show for our
effort. The climate on the Hill is worse now than when we started.
The FAA has presented this same basic pay proposal to all of the unions,
including the NATCA and PASS multi-units. Both of those unions are now at
impasse and the Administrator has clearly stated that she has an aggressive
schedule in sending these impasses to Congress for resolution. There is no
reason to believe that Congress will act within the 60 day timeframe to
reverse the Administrator�s position on pay.
Staying in the GS-12 pay scale is therefore not an option. We will either move
into core or we will be moved into core. There is no other outcome.
Unfortunately this isn�t like negotiating a price on a car or a washing
machine. It�s not a level playing field and we can�t change the rules of the
game.
No doubt you will hear talk about filing a lawsuit and taking the FAA to
court. Essentially this line of logic goes that Congress did not intend for
the Title 49 language to replace the Federal Service Impasses Panel (FSIP) as
the final arbiter of FAA pay disputes.
We have examined this judicial option on at least three different occasions;
most recently last month. We do not believe we can prevail in court but, even
if we could, the makeup of the FSIP does not give us much cause for optimism.
Obviously the FSIP is a better venue than congress but, as you may recall,
President Bush replaced all the members and their rulings (available online at
FLRA.gov) with few exceptions have uniformly gone management�s way.
We have filed unfair labor practices (ULPs) with the FLRA, the entity that
administers the rules and regulations. These have not resulted in changing
anything.
When we talk with Congress about the pay dispute the national economy in
general and the aviation industry specifically is routinely mentioned. Horror
stories about airline pilots who used to make $150K or more a year now making
$25K tossing luggage onto conveyor belts are an example.
We have simply exhausted our options.
Details about the tentative agreement are as follows:
-
The new contract, including both the work
rules and pay rules, will be effective the first full pay period of February,
2004. This includes the CIC differential, OJTI differential and FERS sick
leave buyback articles.
-
ATRA will be rolled into base pay at 4.1% in
accordance with the pay rules. There is no other increase in base pay.
-
All NAATS bargaining unit members will
receive a $1000 one-time lump sum payment, minus appropriate payroll
deductions, on their paycheck for pay period 26, 2003.
-
TAU 23 will be implemented the first pay
period of October, 2003. This will allow us to access the additional training
time contained in order to train our FacReps prior to the implementation of
the agreement. Official time for union representatives is also contained in
this article however it was not a factor in negotiating the early
implementation.
-
NAATS can reopen pay negotiations, at its
sole discretion, to discuss gain-sharing upon completion of the A76 process or
on the second anniversary of this agreement (February 2006) whichever is
earlier. This is significant. The new contract is for five years beginning
February 2004 with pay again on the table in February 2009. This reopener will
allow us the option of negotiating pay again in two years or sooner in a
better environment.
-
Training provided by sources outside the FAA
under tuition or registration fee arrangement will be reimbursed up to $1000
per year for bargaining unit members. This training must be pre-approved and a
grade of "C" or higher must be maintained.
That is the deal. The work rules have
already been ratified. The above will be incorporated into the pay rules we
negotiated in July 2002 and copies will be sent to all facilities and the
NAATS website. Ballots will be sent to all regular members.
Ballots will be due back November 14. The ratification timeframe will allow
all members the opportunity to discuss and consider this thoroughly before
they vote. It will also give the Regional Directors and me time to travel and
meet with the membership.
In discussions with OMB they have stated that the Service Contract Act applies
to the A76 process. Having a collective bargaining agreement, including pay,
in place could have a potential positive impact on bargaining unit members in
the event we are actually contracted out.
A word on what happens if this proposal is rejected. The FAA has stated they
will send their May offer to the Hill. As you will recall the May offer does
not contain a reopener for the union, no lump sum payment and no early
implementation of training time.
The choice is either to take the money, reopener and training time or to force
the Administrator�s hand on an inferior proposal. If you choose to vote "no"
we will do the best we can under the circumstances to address this issue any
way we can.
Obviously we feel this is the best deal we can get or we wouldn�t be sending
it out to you. There is no doubt you deserve better but we also know the
realities of our situation. We recommend you ratify this agreement and that we
move forward.
Wally Pike
#88,
August
22, 2003
We coordinated a press release with Senator Lautenberg�s
staff this week. They advise that our message should be that the FAA
Reauthorization bill is flawed and should be voted down. We also discussed
possible compromise report language but no decisions were made. Expect
Congress to take this matter up immediately upon returning from recess.
Congratulations to NM Director Darrell Mounts for his article in the NY Times.
Darrel was also part of the group we had at OSH that mailed out over 7,000
post cards to Congress and AOPA. Thanks also to GL Director Jack O�Connell, EA
Acting Director Ron Consalvo, Webmaster John Dibble, Harold Brooks (FOD), and
Bernie Anderson (ISP) for all their work.
I�ve also been in touch with the NY Times as well as the Washington Post and
we expect to be published in both during the next two weeks. I�ve also met
again with OMB and ARA-1 regarding the continuing problems with the
termination of our participation in the PWS, compressing the study timeframe
and termination of the funding for our A76 Communications Representative Kate
Breen. Hopefully logic will prevail and these decisions will be reversed in
the next week.
Please keep in mind that it is very important to be responsive and accurate
when the MEO requests information from the field. This is essential for MEO
success if the A76 runs its entire cycle.
OASIS National Representative Jeff Barnes wrote an excellent article to Jerry
Lavey who does the weekly AOA highlights. Mr. Lavey is communicating with Jeff
regarding the distribution of this letter; Jeff will include a copy in his
next OASIS Update.
John Dibble has posted a letter from Senator Lautenberg and Congressman
Oberstar to Secretary Mineta. We are concerned about the effect of
questionable FAA lobbying on the eleven Republican senators who voted for the
Lautenberg Amendment, particularly Senator Inhofe (OK). Please contact these
senators and help us ensure they stay committed.
The Pay Plan ballots will be mailed on August 29 and due back November 14.
Hard copies of the pay plan package will be mailed to FacReps at all
facilities where we have members. A copy will be posted on our website and
electronic copies will be available from
upon request. The package will include the pay plan and
three TAUs (Reopener, Implementation and Reimbursement of Education Expenses).
The advance implementation of TAU 23 (training and official time) will not be
included as it is an MOU and not a part of the pay plan or work rules. We are
scheduling facility trips to brief the membership and to answer any questions.
Wally Pike
#89,
September 5, 2003
The House will take up FAA Reauthorization
first, possibly next Tuesday. We are working with NATCA and PASS to secure
additional House Republican signatures on a letter stating that the bill is
flawed and, if not corrected for inherently governmental ATC functions, they
will vote against it. It is not at all certain what will happen in the House
but the Republican leadership has indicated they will not call for a vote
unless they feel they can pass the bill.
On the Senate side -- yesterday NATCA, PASS and I met with Senator Lautenberg
and three other senators to discuss the Senate strategy in case the House
passes the bill. We have very strong support here to defeat this bill using
filibuster, if necessary. We�re working hard with key members at our
facilities to ensure we have the votes necessary to ensure success. I don�t
want to get much more specific than this because of the distribution of this
update but if we�re successful in defeating this bill then everything is back
on the table. This fight is far from over and many options are being
discussed.
On the FAA front -- thanks to ATS-1 Steve Brown we have resolved the issue of
A76 Representative Kate Breen�s detail and she will be extended. Unfortunately
I haven�t been able to get resolution on the other two PWS issues from ARA;
specifically (1) whether our PWS representatives will be allowed to
meaningfully participate and (2) extending the contract award (source
selection decision) date back to the original timeframe of July 2005. ACA has
taken the position that the PWS work is completed and that they and Grant
Thornton will finish data collection, write the requirements documents and the
quality assurance surveillance program (QASP). This position is inconsistent
with their earlier statements about maximizing employee involvement, OMB
guidance and our MOU. Next step is the Administrator and/or Deputy
Administrator.
On the other hand, I�m happy to say that the ATP MEO arrangements with ATS are
going very well. -- Wally Pike
Wally Pike
#90,
September 12, 2003
FAA Reauthorization was a non-starter in the
House this week due to the absence of enough votes for it to pass.
Appropriations Chairman Bill Young (R-FL) declared his intent to vote against
the bill and 71 other Republicans were at least considering voting no for
various reasons. The White House still maintains the President will veto the
bill if it limits FAA privatization. Regardless of the House action, the bill
will still have to pass the Senate where there is even more opposition. So --
it looks more and more like a standoff in the House and the possibility of a
temporary funding extension is being seriously discussed. This was confirmed
in my discussion with Transportation and Infrastructure Minority Leader
Oberstar earlier this week.
We met with a number of senators and/or their staffs this week to finalize our
strategy. We are also staying in touch with the key players, including the
committee leadership, in the House. Expect some significant developments next
week on this bill.
The FAA 2004 appropriation is contained in HR2989, the Transportation-Treasury
spending bill. On Tuesday Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD, NAATS HQ is in
his district) offered an amendment that would prevent the Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) from enforcing its May directive to federal agencies and
force adherence to the previous circular. This amendment passed 220-198
despite a presidential veto threat. The Senate version (S1589) does not
contain this amendment and no Senate floor action has been scheduled.
Differences between the bills will have to be reconciled before the bill can
be forwarded to the President. Net effect - since the FAA has consistently
declined to specify how they are using the A76 circular in relation to the
Acquisition Management System (AMS), this amendment will no doubt further
confuse and mystify them.
House Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Mica will hold hearings next week on the
IG contract tower report. We�ll closely monitor this for any impact to us.
Chairman Mica does not feel that HR2115 will be passed this month.
As we go along we gain more and more support in both the House and Senate from
both sides of the aisle. As I said last week, this fight is far from over and
I appreciate all of your constituent efforts in contacting your congressional
representatives. I ask that you continue to make them aware of our concerns.
I had hoped to report that we have resolved the PWS problems with the FAA but
unfortunately that isn�t the case yet. We do have a meeting next week and
we�ll report the outcome as soon as we have the details.
Wally Pike
|