NATIONAL PARTNERSHIP COUNCIL CHARTER

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF AIR TRAFFIC SPECIALISTS
AND
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION
NATIONAL PARTNERSHIP COUNCIL
CHARTER

I. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE:

The FAA and NAATS will establish a National Partnership Council to improve the quality and efficiency of service to internal customers, to external customers, and to the public. To this end, the Parties will openly share information at the earliest pre-decisional stage and will afford NAATS the opportunity for involvement in matters regarding conditions of employment and other matters related to the National Performance Review.

II. NATIONAL PARTNERSHIP COUNCIL:

The Council's organizational meeting will be held within sixty (60) days of the execution date of this Charter at a mutually agreed time, date, and location. The organizational meeting shall be composed of not more that five (5) members for the FAA and not more than five (5) members for NAATS. All members will be on duty time. The FAA and NAATS will each designate a gatekeeper. The Council shall have resolution authority and will determine it's future composition.

III. PARTNERSHIP PRINCIPLES AGREEMENT:

The Council will develop a Partnership Principles Agreement to include, as a minimum, the following:

Procedures for interest-based bargaining over the matters contained in 5 USC 7106(b)(1).

Procedures for consensus decision-making, problem-solving, and other alternate dispute resolutions processes.

Procedures for developing Council meeting agendas.

Organizational arrangements for the Council.

Matters that should be excluded from the Council's agenda, i.e., statutory dispute resolution procedures, and term and mid-term collective bargaining agreement.

Procedures for periodic evaluation of the success of the Partnership process on organizational improvements.

Securing appropriate training for Council members.

Operating procedures for the Council, i.e., reopening issues, scheduling meetings, identifying resources, communications within the FAA and NAATS, information sharing.

IV. DURATION:

The Council shall determine it's duration consistent with Executive Order 12871 and the development of an alternative partnership process to continue addressing this Charter�s purpose.

Executed this 20th day of January, 1994.

For the FAA

Peter Hannums, Manager
Union/Management Relations Division

Clarence E. Newbern, Manager
Central Region Air Traffic Division For NAATS

Walter W. Pike
Contract Committee Chairman

NAATS/FAA PARTNERSHIP PRINCIPLES AGREEMENT
MARCH 16-17,1994

I. Goals and Objectives.

Develop goals and principles contained in the Partnership Council Charter, dated January 20, 1994.

II. Council scope. National

III. Council function.

The council will:

serve as a model to develop the partnership concept at all levels.

work issues and solve problems that affect Flight Service nationwide.

work 5USC 7106(b)(1) issues to resolution.

use binding consensus for all decision making.

the council members agree to commit to reaching consensus to resolve an issue. If in the rare situation we cannot come to consensus we will to use a third party process to bring about a decision.

binding consensus - all members, after having been fully involved in the decision making process, will commit to fully supporting the decision of the council.

reopener - if outside circumstances or authority prevent the implementation of a council decision the partnership agrees to reopen the issue.

IV. Gatekeepers.

There will be one (1) gatekeeper for the agency and one (1) gatekeeper for the union.

Designated gatekeepers will be:

the NAATS Partnership Council committee chairperson.

the Air Traffic Management Partnership Council Committee Chairperson.

Gatekeepers will:

determine what issues/problems will be considered by the council.

develop the agenda for council meetings

call special meetings as required.

keep the council members informed on the status/disposition of all issues that have been considered.

enlist and empower council members (agenda staffers) to develop a proposed agenda with enough detail to allow the gatekeepers to decide what issues will be placed on the final agenda. Agenda staffers for the next quarterly meeting will be named at each quarterly meeting.

maintain an ongoing dialog.

V. Resources.

Council makeup will be four (4) members from the union and four (4) members from the agency.

Meetings:

will be held quarterly. The length of meetings will normally be 2 days but may be extended to three days. First day start 8:00 am, last day end 5:00 pm.

the agency will fund travel and per diem for FAA employed council members for the scheduled quarterly meetings.

any meetings over and above the scheduled quarterly meetings the agency will fund travel for FAA employed union council members and the union will fund their per diem.

all FAA employees participating in Partnership Council proceedings will be on duty time.

the council will use a facilitator for its meetings. The agency will fund FAA employee facilitators.

the union will fund the conference room costs for the scheduled quarterly meetings. The agency will fund the conference room costs for any special meetings.

VI. Communications.

Procedures:

all communications will be issued jointly.

agenda staffers must receive a proposed issue/problem six (6) weeks prior to the scheduled quarterly meeting for inclusion in the proposed agenda.

all proposed agenda items and supporting information must be received by the gatekeepers four (4) weeks prior to a quarterly meeting from the designated agenda staffers.

agenda and supporting information will be sent to all council members two (2) weeks prior to quarterly meetings.

VII. Council member training.

Council members will receive training in interest based bargaining and consensus decision making.

VIII. Exclusions.

The following matters will be excluded from the partnership process:

statutory dispute resolution process

term and mid-term collective bargaining agreements

exceptions:

if the council agrees to work an issue that was previously under consideration within the statutory dispute resolution process then the grievance or ULP will be withdrawn.

The council recognizes that the parties have negotiated agreements. Matters specifically covered by these agreements can only be changed under the collective bargaining process.

IX. Periodic evaluation.

The council will develop a plan, within six (6) months of this agreement, to evaluate progress and improvements in organizational performance resulting from this labor-management partnership. This plan will include procedures for evaluating the overall effectiveness of the council.

X. Expansion of the partnership principle and process.

The council is committed to mentoring the expansion of this concept to the regional and local levels. This will be a continuing high priority issue.

Nancy Kalinowski
FAA Gatekeeper Walter Pike
NAATS Gatekeeper