The FMCS hearing was completed yesterday afternoon. The next step will be to submit written briefs by August 30.

The following is a summary of the hearing.

It began at 9am at the FMCS. NAATS went first. Following are the elements of our presentation.

• The bargaining history between the parties,

• An explanation of the NAATS proposal,

• Overview of the air traffic mission and flight service controllers� essential contributions to same,

• Discussion and examples of what flight service controllers do,

• Criticality of flight service controllers during times of national emergency,

• Summary of presentation so far,

• Critique of FAA proposal,

• Costing of both proposals and discussion of offsets,

• Summary.

After lunch the FAA then presented its case. Some excerpts from their representatives:


Warning -- you will find what you are about to read insulting and inaccurate.

(Note -- the FAA only referred to NAATS bargaining unit members as controllers one time, all other references were to us as specialists. Where the term "controller" is used it applies to terminal/enroute.)

• Should be no coupling between controllers and flight service specialists,

• FSS should not be paid same as controllers,

• Specialists are preflight weather briefings, a pilot could fly all across the country and never talk w/FSS or file a flight plan and many pilots do,

• Towers give weather briefings and rescue aircraft in trouble also,

• Controllers separate aircraft, direct aircraft, tell big, commercial jet aircraft what to do every minute of every day, very important job, no flight service specialist can do that,

• Center controller work is just remarkable, center directing 30 planes, huge chess game, three dimensional,

• Agency lawyer went to DCA AFSS, one woman was recording NOTAMs, very relaxed attitude, preflight weather briefer giving his own gloss to pilot on phone, very different job than tower, as different as night and day, Canada has an air traffic control system, enormous distinction in pay between flight service specialists and air traffic controllers in Canada,

• Big distinction is in separating aircraft, specialists are relaying information from center, not giving pilots directions or clearances,

• Center controllers give weather briefings,

• NAATS is inaccurate in saying specialists would get no raise, 5.5% over 5 years much more than that, on top of government-wide increase, any union would die for this, treated all other unions other than controllers the same way, Air traffic controllers are at the center of agency mission. Problem with NAATS proposal on retroactivity on several points, language in July 1999 letter states "if any pay adjustment is agreed to by the parties", paragraph has no application because parties have been unable to agree to cost savings/pay increase.

• In short what union wants to do is stay with the old ways, at the same time personnel reform statue gives agency greater flexibility on compensation of personnel, agency is trying to do this by complying with language,

• No fewer than 11 reasons for panel to accept agency proposal, specialists and controllers do very different jobs and have many different, significant functions,

• Air traffic controllers handle thousands of lives in what they do,

• Flight service specialists give preflight briefings to pilots who fly small aircraft,

• Training and medical requirements are very different for specialists and controllers,

• Navcanada should be studied hard,

• FAA gave NATCA engineers 5.5%, why should NAATS get more,

• Specialists have some importance, technicians particularly important, equipment would fall apart if technicians not there, 5.5% is precisely the increase the agency gave PASS,

• No offsets offered by NAATS,

• NAATS proposal is simply unaffordable, retroactivity very costly,

• Giving NAATS the pay raise they want would be bad for NAATS, there is an A76 study, FSS would probably be gone already except for political pressure, Duats duplicates what FSS does in large measure,

• Pilots drink coffee in flight service stations,

• Historical divergence between specialists and controllers, personnel reform requires greater emphasis on cost savings,

• Performance management system - differences between controllers and specialists,

• ATC levels established moving controller GS-12s to ATC bands 6, 7, 8, 9. This was based on job complexity and job performed.

• Do not see great stress in FSS, specialists provide preflight briefings,

• Difference in functions between specialists and controllers, FSS dealing with small aircraft, terminal enroute dealing with huge aircraft,

• Great huge differences between FSS and air traffic controllers,

• Different skill sets between specialists and controllers, controllers juggle aircraft under great stress,

• Training is vastly different and distinct, skills and duties are not the same between specialists and controllers,

• Training failures, a great number become specialists, these failures can pass FSS training but not terminal/enroute,

• Medical exam differences noted in visual fields, general medical, diabetes, cardiovascular,

• Not all air traffic controllers are in three options, 700 2152s in different pay plans,

• Nav Canada data introduced, Canadian specialists are not air traffic controllers, Canadian air traffic controllers do what ours do, Canadian specialists do what ours do,

• Canadian specialists are unionized, and engage in collective bargaining, Canadian FSS specialist makes no control decisions, same as in US,

• Median for FSS Canadian specialist is 28k, 47k for Canadian terminal/enroute,

• US specialists make 100% more than their Nav Canada counterparts,

• US specialists are doing better than their counterparts in Canada,

• PASS and NATCA AF agreements compare favorably with offer to NAATS,

• Agency always maintained there had to be offsets, NAATS portrayal of offsets as something new is incorrect,

• NAATS idea that 5.5% is all members would get is misleading, core comp document introduced, H band cap of $68,800 is higher than a GS12 can now make, specialists in core comp would make out better than they would have otherwise, government-wide increase adjusts the band (OSI),

• Wig buyout is benefit, members receive money sooner than otherwise would have gotten,

• ATRA - rolled in at the rate of 4.1%, another increase,

• OJTI, specialists will receive 10% of higher salary,

• CIC Differential - specialists will receive another 10%,

• Specialists will receive locality pay,

• OSI/SCI - specialists eligible for both, will receive 1% although not guaranteed,

• Management offer is 41.3% increase over 5 years,

• Personnel reform language requires "every reasonable effort to identify cost savings and increase productivity within each of the affected bargaining units", this is requirement,

• OMB requires offsets,

• NAATS has not identified any offsets for 1999-01 so no retroactivity, no negotiated offsets, no agreed upon pay for that period of time,

• True cost to agency for their salary proposal is $58.4M, $1 increase actually represents $1.38 to agency in cost because of early retirement - another member benefit,

• Agree shouldn't renege on previous agreements but NAATS must agree to their offsets of holidays or find others,

• Management proposal gives specialists 10 additional days off that they didn't have before,

• Part-timing - technology wasn't there during negotiations, contractor has developed technology to do this, consolidation and staffing will be an impact,

• Consumer price index - 5.5% offers compares favorably,

• Other unions have agreed to 5.5%, PASS agreement noted,

• NATCA engineers accepted a 5.5% increase,

• FMCS should reject NAATS pay proposal,

• NAATS proposal flawed and misleading,

• Parity argument has no merit, skills and medical exams are different,

• Not all 2152s are assigned to FSS, terminal or enroute,

• Specialists and controllers did not have parity from 1978 to 1989,

• Retro is inappropriate and unsupportable, $50M liability to FAA, retro pay for retirees a major concern,

• Past attrition in FSS is not a legitimate offset,

• NAATS offer would drive increase much higher than the 13.2%,

• FAA cannot calculate what out year costs would be,

• NAATS proposal calls for pay increases first, with no identified offsets as required,

• True cost of the 13.2% is $164.6M, $50M cost of back pay,

• Nav Canada specialists are paid less for virtually same work,

• Financial condition of agency cannot support the NAATS proposal, furloughs are imminent,

• FAA letters to congress support agency financial condition,

• A76 study initiated for FSS, FAA cannot understand how NAATS would propose 13.2% increase at this time,

• NAATS proposal would disrupt the FAA compensation system after many years of work.

The House, which passed the bill tonight, and the Senate, which is to debate it next week, are badly divided over the issue. President Bush is threatening to veto the legislation, which otherwise has broad support, because Democrats in the Senate do not want to give him the unusual flexibility he wants in hiring, firing and paying workers in the new department.

The House has voted to give Mr. Bush what he sought, but a committee in the Democratic-controlled Senate has defied him and voted to keep traditional civil service and union protections for workers in the new agency.

Complaining that such rules make it harder to run the government, White House officials have suggested making the Homeland Security Department a laboratory for new ways to manage the federal bureaucracy and its more than two million workers. The last thing the new department needs, these officials say, is a web of traditional rules that make it hard to fire incompetent workers and to hire and promote good ones.

But Democrats in Congress and their allies in organized labor say they fear that the administration is seeking to revamp the whole federal bureaucracy and strip federal workers of their civil service and union protections.

"We�re on a slippery slope here," said Beth Moten, legislative director of the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents 30,000 of the workers who would be in the new department. "I think they are trying to restructure the federal work force in such a way that they never have to deal with a union."

The nation�s labor unions are closely watching this effort because it amounts to the largest government reorganization in more than 50 years and would bring together elements from 22 agencies, including the Coast Guard and the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Several dozen moderate Republicans, mainly from the Northeast and Midwest, are especially worried about the dispute. They see themselves as caught between backing the president on national security matters and backing their friends in organized labor, who often play a crucial role in re-electing Republicans in swing districts.

"Moderate Republicans are torn between supporting the president and our citizens as it relates to homeland security, and weakening any of the important labor protections that workers have gained," said Representative Jack Quinn, a Republican from Buffalo.

Several administration officials have suggested that union representation could tie the administration's hands and thus undermine national security. But union leaders have called such suggestions a slap in the face, given the heroic roles of unionized fire fighters, police officers and construction workers after the Sept. 11 attacks.

In a White House speech on Friday, President Bush repeated his call for flexibility in managing the new department, but he insisted that he did not plan to eliminate collective bargaining for its workers.

"The notion of flexibility will in no way undermine the basic rights of federal workers," he said. "Workers will retain whistle-blower protection, collective bargaining rights and protection against unlawful discrimination."

Mr. Bush said the secretary of homeland security must have the freedom to get the right people and to hold them accountable. He added, "I�m not going to accept legislation that limits or weakens the president�s well-established authorities -- authorities to exempt parts of government from federal labor-management relations statutes -- when it serves our national interest."

Many union officials give less than full faith to Mr. Bush�s talk of preserving union protections. They remember that last January the president, invoking national security concerns, barred union representation to 500 Justice Department employees who had belonged to unions. Labor leaders are also unhappy that the administration has not given collective bargaining rights to the employees in the new Transportation Security Administration.

Irked by those moves, union leaders question why the administration is insisting that the homeland security bill allow the president to revoke, on national security grounds, union and many civil service protections from federal workers who are already barred from striking.

"When I look at all the signals that have been sent, I have every reason to believe that left to their own devices, the administration would strip these employees of the right to belong to a union and to bar-gain collectively," said Colleen Kelley, president of the National Treasury Employees Union, which represents 12,000 of the workers who would be in the Homeland Security Department.

Bret Caldwell, the spokesman for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, said the administration�s stance could undercut Mr. Bush�s efforts to court labor support. "It certainly raises concerns about the administration�s approach to organized labor," he said.

At a recent luncheon for House Republicans, Representative Ray LaHood of Illinois told Andrew H. Card Jr., the White House chief of staff, that the administration had put moderate Republicans in a tight spot. "This could hurt some Republicans," Mr. LaHood said in an interview. "People have relationships with folks in the labor movement."

The Republican-controlled House voted, 295 to 132, to set up the department, rejecting an amendment by Constance A. Morella, a Maryland Republican with many federal employees in her district, that would have let workers belong to a union unless they were assigned new duties relating specifically to the war on terrorism.

On Thursday, a Senate committee voted to keep current civil service rules. "I can�t believe, frankly, that the president would veto the bill over this," said Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, the Connecticut Democrat who is the principal architect of the Senate bill.

Over the last week, administration officials have gone on the offensive against many civil service and union rules. Kay James, director of the Office of Personnel Management, criticized the union contract at the Immigration and Naturalization Service because it lets employees refuse to accept temporary assignments that last more than 30 days. She said this provision hurt the agency�s ability to meet its man-date to move 300 Border Patrol agents to the Canadian border.
 

Flight Service Controller's Creed

Montie Condry, GFK AFSS

We Flight Service controllers, who work without thanks, many are our names.
Our job is one; it will be done, in Miami as in Casper.
Give us this day. our daily dread and forgive us our attitudes as we forgive those attitudes thrust upon us.
Lead us not into confrontation with management, for this will only reveal smallness of mind.
But deliver us proper equipment and working conditions for this will reveal greatness of confidence.
For this . . . is all we ask . . .

OASIS UPDATE

Jeff Barnes, National OASIS Representative

07/12/02 It figures. The OASIS program seems to be cooking with gas; everybody getting along and working together to make the program successful. All that means is that someone just had to come in and mess it up.

These People are Just Plain Whacked

The someone this time is Management (of course), specifically mid-level management in air traffic -- a source of constant pain in this program for some time now. Air Traffic (ATP) Management has gone behind our back and done a severely flawed survey of ATMs regarding facility staffing. They have used those numbers to justify cutting the numbers of OASIS positions and consoles going into most facilities. I�ve thought about it and I can�t come up with any other way to say it -- these people are just plain whacked. Everything I have learned so far has led me to believe that there was very little rational thought involved with this effort. Rest assured that we will oppose it every way we can. Oh, and one of the really nice things was how we found out about it. Scott Malon, our ATP Liaison, confronted ATP Management in a meeting last week, telling them we have heard of something going on from every region in the country and we wanted to know what was up. An hour or so later, Richard Jehlen showed up at his cubicle with some of the information in the form of a memo with an attached spread sheet. The spread sheet had been severely censored, so we could only speculate on what had been cut. Then amazingly enough, we were asked to schedule an Article 9 briefing on this only a few days later. ATP should really stop the cloak and dagger stuff, they just aren�t very good at it.

Don�t Take Less on Consoles

While all this is going on all of you getting consoles installed or site surveys done have to stick with the numbers we agreed to before. DO NOT let them tell you that you are getting anything less than what has been agreed to. Any number adjustments that happen will not happen until after negotiations are complete. I will say it again. Our position is that the current numbers of consoles and OASIS positions are the result of negotiations between union and management and are not subject to change unilaterally by management.

One Bright Note

A bit of a bright note...I met with the program office and the person responsible for the conduct of the console site surveys. It has been made very clear, and everyone understands, that the ONLY equipment position that is not able to be designated by the facility is the standard pre-flight console and the Litton frequency selectors in the standard in-flight console.
Fixes for Denro Frequency Selectors

There had been lingering confusion that needed a face-to-face meeting to clarify (I hope. Let me know if you have problems with it). We also got a commitment to offer redesigns to those facilities that have been site surveyed and installed prior to now. The facilities that were forced to place their Denro frequency selectors on the right side of the console will be offered fixes first as this has potential safety implications. The timing of all this is still unresolved as the program wallet is extremely thin for this fiscal year -- more on this as I learn it.

I just returned from an OASIS Program Management Review (PMR). These occur every one or two months and give Harris and the FAA a chance to see where the program is and where it�s going in the near term. Sometimes I find out some pretty neat stuff at these things -- sometimes some not so neat stuff. There was a bit of both this time.

Graphic Depiction of TFRs

On the good side Harris is going to begin working on task descriptions to do graphic depiction of TFRs, they�re continuing to look at fingerprint identification (no more worrying about what the latest password you set was), and they are going to start to develop task descriptions to provide similar functions to SUA/ISE in OASIS. They are also designing a new way to access graphics from remote workstations that could significantly speed them up. That would be very nice at air shows and other events where we set up temporary stations.

NSTS Functionality

On the downside is that I discovered that the NSTS program has asked the OASIS program office to ask Harris to develop task descriptions to provide NSTS functionality in OASIS. Not that the functionality is a bad thing. The fact that they�re all doing this without any input from the Union or the Human Factors Team is very bad. It means that they�re disregarding the working relationship we had established over the past few years, and that's very disturbing. I really don't like that they're looking to add functionality to OASIS without consulting me or the Human Factors Team.

Here�s my speculation. The NSTS program found out how many workstations it would have to provide and it had a cow. So they are trying to save money by placing the functionality in OASIS so there�s no need to purchase all those workstations. The OASIS program office will support it I�m sure as long as it comes with dollars, some of which could help to address money problems they are facing as the end of the fiscal year arrives.

Failure to Include the Union

Of course one of the most disturbing parts of these activities is the failure to include the Union in them. I thought we had a pretty good partnership relationship going between the union and the agency on OASIS. In fact that is why OASIS is where it is now. However, it seems that the agency has decided to ignore that and return to the bad old days of an adversarial relationship. This is really unfortunate and bodes ill for the future in OASIS and with the broader relationships we have with the agency.

NAATS BOD Meeting

NAATS Board of Directors Meeting
Hampton Inn
1616 King Street
Alexandria, VA
July 16, 2002-July 18, 2002

DAY ONE -- July 16, 2002

9:00 am - Call to order

Mr. Pike spoke on the pay and work rules- a joint NAATS/FAA letter to FMCS was signed this week, the official letter will be signed on Friday with ALR-1. Copy of preliminary letter distributed to Directors. Updates will go out to membership after official letter is signed (possibly Friday), Mr. Dibble to place on our web site.

Congressional activity has tapered off a little with efforts on the prep for pay hearing and A76. Senator Hollings is possibly working on language surrounding on A-76 (air traffic is inherently governmental) but no firm commitment yet.

Senior FAA relations-With the upcoming changes to AOA and ADA-1 there is little opportunity for meaningful meetings now. ADA-1 is keeping in touch with Union Presidents surrounding the furlough piece.

External Union Relations-Talked to AFSCME, PASS, and NATCA presidents, all willing to work together through the A-76 process. External union relations are on a high note right now.

Liaison Recommendations-Resumes of interested parties distributed to BOD.

ATX- Mr. Pike recommended Beth Gerrits of AOO. BOD approved.

FTI- Mr. Pike recommended Linda Sterling of JBR. BOD approved. Changeover effective 9/1/02.

NAATS Administrator- Mr. Pike recommended Kate Breen of BDR. Recommendation failed BOD vote, tabled to solicit membership for other candidates as soon as possible with proposed decision date of Labor Day.

Treasurer- Mr. Pike recommended Marc Lackman, FAI AFSS. Discussion around resumes submitted for the position (5). BOD approved. Changeover effective with October BOD meeting 2002.

ATX Liaison Report (Ron Maisel)

Mr. Maisel has been gathering information for the FMCS hearing. Big news is the furlough.. Two people short at the latest class at the academy, tried to get spots back filled, but unable. Currently 61 developmentals in the system. Regions are managing to the numbers including staff/management, as staff and management attrite they are not supposed to be refilling those spots. The new hires should be going into Bargaining Unit, not management. Familiarization Training Flights-Still just Military and Private Fam flights can be taken. Still a security issue, no movement on commercial flights. Work from the Traffic Count workgroup is still sitting in ATX.

Administrator's Report

Mr. Simpson had a personal emergency and will provide the BOD with a written report.

OASIS Report

OASIS In Service Decision (ISD) was approved by ATS-1 Steve Brown in June. This will install OASIS to at least sight 25 (BDR AFSS). The agency was starting to talk to Harris directly on some issues without Human Factors Team signing off on all issues. Mr. Barne talked with the agency and has the commitment from the agency to stop going to Harris without his/Human Factors Team knowledge. Some problems popping up with OASIS consoles that will need to be handled through I and I. If the agency tries to change one facility (floor plans, number of consoles, etc.) the union may want to re-open the MOU, do new sight surveys, and open other issues that might be affected. Site surveys should have union (facrep) input. The agency will go back to facilities that have already installed the consoles and ask if anything needs to be changed. Mr. Barnes will work out how the agency will do this. One idea was to get the facreps signature to show that the agency actually got union involvement at the local level. Hopefully this will head off the agency just asking the managers of facilities with consoles already installed if there are any problems. Harris/Mr. Barnes will demo OASIS to AOPA President in the near future. OASIS Training (Ms. Homes)-NAATS will need to solicit new members for alternate positions for the OASIS CADRE trainers. Individuals need to have OASIS experience.

Chief Negotiators Report

Mr. Dolan reported:

MOUs-The only new MOU signed was the VFR Waypoints MOU.

Staffing- Mr. Dolan will talk to AT-1 about the empty slots at the academy.

Liaisons- Mr. Perkins will take ARS and Mr. Finnegan will take ARU.

QA Order-A new QA order that the agency is trying to get out quickly. Mr. Dolan will develop an MOU surrounding union involvement in any OE/OD's.

AWS-Credit hours issue out of Lansing AFSS. Will have to look at mid-term bargaining after contract is ratified.

CRU-X - NAATS has only negotiated on the Sign in/out feature only. There should be further negotiations on the other platforms soon.

Updates- Mr. Dolan will update matrix bi-weekly.

Open Topics

Staffing and A76 are being discussed with Chairman Don Young and his staff. More coordination will occur this week.

Office Administrator Duties

Put out a job description/bid out for the office administrator with a close date and make the selection within 30 days of posting bid. Labor Day is target date for decision.

Replacing Appointed Union Representatives

BOD will continue to look at all appointed representatives that have been on a project for an extended period of time (3 years) to see if there is any interest from the members to cover positions. A list will be developed and posted by the BOD.

National Meeting

Mr. Jaffe requested that funding for the National Meeting should be set at an acceptable limit to allow for additional food, beverages, and gifts for members. Have the regions compete for the National Meeting, i.e., bring in pictures of hotels, prices, attractions to present to the membership at the National Meeting for vote at the April membership meeting.

VRA Hiring

Mr. Stafford discussed the fact that VRA's can be hired up to FG-11 depending on experience, some are regions are hiring at FG-7 and FG-9. Mr. Stafford will check with ATX to see about getting this clarified.

NATCA PCS/CIP MOUs

Mr. Stafford felt strongly that NAATS should be more aggressive in pursuing MOUs that would benefit our members other than just equipment MOUs. BOD agreement. Mr. Dolan will ask the ATX Liaison to research the NATCA MOUs for ideas on MOUs regarding compensation.

Dental Plans, Inc.

The BOD discussed and approved providing this benefit to our membership. Membership mailings will now be the next step.

OASIS Human Factors Team

The BOD discussed the changeover schedule for this team. Action deferred at this time with the understanding that all appointed positions will be rotated to maximize membership participation.

Public Relations Team (PRT)

Went to the AOPA open house in Frederick, MD and was received very well. Press releases, we need to be more timely. Mr. Dibble is not getting any response from membership about issues that happen locally. If an issue pops up, let him or president know and get the press release to the BOD, give the BOD 24 hours to respond/OK the release then send the release out. The head of PRT will be only be funded to attend the BOD meetings when requested by the BOD.

2003 Facrep Training on New Contract

Mr. Jaffe and Mr. Comisky discussed the possibility of doing the training in February of 2003, it will be discussed again at the October BOD meeting pending completion and ratification of the contract.

October BOD Meeting Location

The Clarion located in Ft Worth, TX, Monday 10/07-Wednesday 10/09 Mr. Jaffe will give the hotel the master list. Mr. Jaffe will also check to see if he can shift the dates of the meeting from Tuesday-Thursday to Monday-Wednesday.

Attendance by Representatives at Board Meetings

Liaisons and representatives will be advised no less than 4 weeks in advance of the upcoming BOD meeting if they are required to attend that BOD meeting

FAA First Federal Credit Union

Discussion regarding using FAA First Credit Union as the official NAATS credit union to provide additional membership benefits. A motion was made, discussed and approved designation FAA First for this purpose.

DAY TWO -- July 17, 2002

9:00 am - 11:20 am Contract Team Meeting.

OSHKOSH Fly-In

Motion: Each region will nominate by end of April BOD meeting their nominee to attend Oshkosh or waive their right to name a nominee. A reminder will be given by the Great Lakes Regional Director at the January BOD meeting. In Favor-Unanimously approved.

A-76 Vendor Presentation

Two contractors briefed the BOD on the A76 process.

A-76 presentation ATP/Grant Thornton

The feasibility study has just been completed by Grant Thornton, Inc and the FAA is reviewing it to see if they are going to go through with the A-76 study. Some of the AFSS functions were considered inherently governmental, we don't know which ones yet. FAA management is reviewing the study and will get it to us as soon as it is released. There is an appeals process that has a 30 day window after the report is published. NAATS will have no input on the Business Case Analysis, but will have input on the Performance Work Statement (PWS). Any differences of opinion would be settled by management. The Mission cannot be compromised. While giving input to the PWS it would be important to have our input into Section C1, which talks to personnel certifications. The independent review could/would be done by the FAA just a different line of business. Alaska is exempt from this study.

A-76 Discussion after briefings

The agency will pay travel and per diem for the NAATS representative to start work on the A-76 communications group. The President recommended Kate Breen for this purpose and the BOD approved.

Voice Switch Briefing

Mr. Glowacki discussed the voice switch system. They are looking for 3 key sites to test functionality, Mr. Glowacki recommended 3 sites (PRC, CDC, and DEN). The BOD concurs with those recommendations.

Schedule-OT&E ACY Tech Center conducted Nov. 2003 through Apr. 2004.
Key site installations #1-9/03 #2-10/03 #3-11/03
Key site IOT&E conducted July/Aug 2004

Vendor Selection-Northrop Grumman.

Meeting Process

Mr. McLennan would like the BOD to see everyone put their phones on vibrate and side-bar discussions held to a minimum. Mr. Pike asks that sidebar discussions be held to a minimum. General agreement by the BOD on both.

DAY THREE - July 18, 2002

NAATS Bank Accounts

A list of banks NAATS is currently using and the amount of money deposited at each one was provided to the BOD.

BOD Meeting for October

Mr. Jaffe: The dates for the October BOD meeting in FT. Worth, TX have been amended to October 7-9,2002(Mon-Thrs).

Liaison Reports

(ATP) Mr. Malon advised the OASIS MOU had a 90 day deployment time frame for SUA/ISE which was 7/11/02, ATP is now looking for a contractor to get the equipment out. Issues between software providers, we are trying to work with Crown on band width.

Mr. Malon briefed the BOD on several topics, including the NSTS (NOTAM Short Term Solution), ADDS(Aviation Digital Data Service).

Mr. Hoover would like to see the reports from the liaisons bi-weekly, maybe make up a new form to distribute to directors that would reflect what/who liaisons talked to daily.

Motion: Made by Mr. Hoover and Seconded by Mr. McLennan.
I move that the liaisons provide the following information to the BOD:

Continue with the policy of the bi-weekly report, one of which will be an article in the NAATS Newsletter.
Also a spreadsheet or list of projects assigned to their departments.

All in favor-unanimous 9-0

ARS/ARU

Mr. Perkins provided a list of on going programs. CCFP now being issued every two hours, ERIDS enroute isn't happy with it, they are now looking at ACE-IDS. A lot of the programs are being transitioned into the ATB (Air Traffic Terminal Business Unit). Mr. Perkins also distributed a list of possible IDS content. He asked the BOD to get some input on other items that bargaining unit members might like to see in the IDS. Mr. Perkins will distribute the list in soft copy to the Directors and would like responses for a meeting July 30th. NWS is looking at going to graphical area forecast like Canada. Mr. Perkins will forward the website to the BOD.

There probably will be a full-time NAATS rep for ACE-IDS.

FSOSC

Mr. DeGrazio and Ms. Rowe briefed the BOD:
Jeppsen will have a prototype to the FSOSC folks by the middle of August, the Jeppsen rep will hopefully get it out sooner. There will be a month of Beta testing and then out to the field. Problem is no hardware in the field. The office for FSOSC will be on the 10th floor in the old situation room, there will be two seats, but will still take another 3 months to finish the office.

Message Numbering/Tracking System

Mr. Hoover discussed recommended internal messaging protocol.

Availability of Participants

Mr. Pike would like to see consideration of this when the Directors suggest participants. The Director will need to work through the division manager to get people out.

Newsletter publication, responsibility, and timeliness

Mr. Hoover would like to see the newsletter revamped to include more pertinent data. He would encourage the directors to look beyond the regional issues and add articles to the newsletter. The timeliness needs to be looked at to get newsletter out. Possibly bring the newsletter back into the National Office (Office Administrator) to put out in a timely manner. Mr. Hoover will demonstrate how the newsletter can be done at the next BOD meeting in October in Ft. Worth.

National Training Issues and Funding

Mr. Hoover wants to look at how the national training is handled, it should be directors only when coming out of national funds. If the director can't go the farthest down the chain it should go is coordinator. Mr. Pike would like to see training for people who are going to actually do national negotiating, if the director can't go. No shows are a problem we lose money put out for training. General BOD agreement.

ATPAC

Ms. Michael is taking over for Ms. Chay who worked on ATPAC for 8 years and did a wonderful job representing NAATS issues. AT-1 spoke to the group and advised them that if the hill doesn't make a decision about the budget within two weeks it might be too late to stop it. One of the top 3 things he is going to discuss with the newly appointed Administrator was staffing, but only staffing in towers and centers not flight service because we don't need any staffing. Mr. Pike will follow-up on AT-1 statement.

NAATS/NATCA/PASS Conference

Mr. Baker would like to push for an active group for all three unions to work together. The hill would also like to see the unions work together. Mr. Pike will check with the other union presidents to see about a schedule for working together.

National Goals/Vision Statement

Mr. Hoover believes we should maintain a list of people who work and have worked on workgroups/liaisons/tech reps to know what someone's strengths are for short turn around detail or workgroup. Mr. Pike agrees. A database needs to be developed. Mr. Hoover will start to work on it.

Constitutional Changes That Impact Contract Language

Mr. Hoover would like to go over the constitutional changes before the contract gets printed to make sure all of our language is the same, i.e., officers of the union. Ms. Holmes would like to take a look at the constitution in the next few weeks to start the process. Make the changes needed before the agency prints the contract possibly in January of 2003.

Vice-President's Position

Mr. Baker would like to see a position to backup the President to attend meetings that maybe the President couldn't attend. Much discussion regarding the need for a VP. There will be a follow-up in a few weeks to give everyone a chance to think about it. The general feeling is the position should be elected and the functionality needs to be assessed.

Member Relief Fund

Mr. Jaffe advised that a bargaining unit member from CXO had a serious car accident. Mr. Jaffe would like to see if there were any ideas to start a member relief fund for members who run into trouble. Possibly getting a group insurance deal for disability insurance as compared to the life insurance we currently pay for. Mr. Pike will check into the cost.

Financial Investment

Mr. Hoover suggested that we explore the feasibility of getting new office space in the Alexandria area. Mr. Pike will follow-up and report back to the BOD in October.

FSDPS Transition Plan

The Central Region FSDPS folks have received letters from ATP-1 about the transition plan, FAA headquarters is starting to look at where they are going to place people. There is a web site for the FSDPS transition. Mr. Terry would like to see a copy of letters sent out to other regions. Mr. O'Connell will send Mr. Terry the letter electronically.

Press Release

After the meetings yesterday surrounding the A-76 Study NAATS should try to get a letter out ASAP to as many folks as we can. Mr. Dibble will be contacted to get something out ASAP.

Furlough Update

Mr. Dolan advised that the house/Senate have agreed on a compromise on the supplemental budget, the President has not signed it yet. The FAA would not get all the money they asked for, but it should be enough to cover payroll. If the bill does not get signed by 8/6/02 all details will end both union and management. AT-1 will call Mr. Pike by mid next week.


Meeting Adjourned.

Air Traffic Procedures Advisory Committee

Andrea Chay, ATPAC Representative

ATPAC 108 began at 9AM, Monday, July 15, 2002 in the DOT/NASSIF building in Washington, DC. This meeting was supposed to take place in Seattle, but due to the budget problems, we were moved back to DC for this summer meeting. We were not able to have our normal meeting room at FAA HQ due to the temporary occupation of the space by the TSA/FAA operations center. The issues that concern us in FSS were again NOTAMS, and Pilot Reports. The issue of pilot reports was tabled for a briefing in October on the improved PIREP program.

We were introduced to the new ATP-100, John Clayborn, who comes to FAA HQ from the Great Lakes Region. Bill Peacock, Air Traffic Director, visited with us and fielded questions from the committee. The question of the Interpretive Rule was brought up. This is the issue where pilots are concerned that if they read back a clearance incorrectly, and the controller does not correct them, that they solely will be held responsible if a problem, or deviation occurs. FAA says that the rule was merely a clarification of a previous policy to "hold people accountable", but the pilot users feel this document is a new change, and a bad one for them. The issue is punishment for the pilots when the problem stems from a human factors issue. The committee had forwarded a strong letter to the FAA regarding this ruling, and Bill�s response was that a draft response to our letter is being coordinated now, but he does not see any changes in the rule coming forth.

Bill also discussed the possible furloughs, but since I returned to work, I understand there is a tentative agreement on giving the FAA the supplemental request of $100 million, subject to President Bush�s approval. If the furloughs were to occur, they would happen over a five week period, and would affect system capacity by something more than 10 percent. Bill stated this budget crisis is the worst he has ever seen.

When Bill was questioned regarding staffing for air traffic control, he reiterated FAA�s stance that current staffing is adequate, and that there is a plan in place for future hiring that will cover the needs of the agency for controller staffing. We know the GAO does not agree with that assessment! Bill stated there are 14 universities "churning" out controllers for the FAA. Also, there is a one day test to determine the aptitude for air traffic control work; applicants could take the test on their day off without disrupting their current job, and if they pass, they�re hired. However, in a side conversation with some ATC specialists at HQ, I was told probably half of the current control force could not pass this test, so there appears to be a question of validity with this screening method also. The question was raised about extending or wavering the age 56 mandatory retirement policy, and Bill replied that was "not the FAA�s preference." Regarding the "inherently governmental" question, a definition from FAA will be coming out soon, it is being coordinated now between the ATS and legal, and Bill will sign it when it is finalized.

Terri, my ATPAC replacement, (more on this later), then asked Bill if these staffing plans include all three controller options, tower, center and flight service. Bill said no, this was just for tower and center only. I then spoke up and asked Bill, so what is the future of Flight Service? His reply was, "there are lots of employees eligible to retire, and we can manage the work in the flight service facilities with less people". Also, the A76 study on contracting out is moving forward. It will take 18 months to do the study. The contract to start this study will be finished within a couple of months. I may be reading this wrong (but I doubt it), but it appears FAA has NO plan for increasing our staffing, rather the plan is to let our numbers attrit down to nothing. Then management will be justified in seeing us disappear, or go off to privatization. Enough said! And apparently this was quite different from what was told to our group at the April convention!

The one issue that was discussed this ATPAC that concerns FSS is NOTAMS. We received a briefing from Gary Bobik, ATP-320 regarding the NSTS-NOTAM Short Term Solution. PC�s are being delivered now to contract towers, and then eventually all towers that will have the capability of accessing all their NOTAMS, both D and L for their airport. A test will start Sept. 1st in MCN and CDC to get local NOTAMS in the AFSSs. Data will be retrieved outside the WMSCR process which will bypass the current constraints. This will be a 45 day test, and if approved, will be an 18 month program to get installed at all facilities. It will get local NOTAMS to all within the "family tree." I am not sure what constitutes a family tree, so we still appears we won�t have local NOTAMS available for the entire country. This system will colorize the NOTAMS, one color for D�s, another for L�s. This NSTS will only work with M1FC. When a controller keys in a request for NOTAMS at an airport, it will tie in with this computer, and pop up the D and L NOTAMS on this other computer screen. This will not work with OASIS, because OASIS is proprietary. I think this means if we want something to work with OASIS, we must pay the vendor more money! And, just as a side note, OASIS should be complete with it�s installation in 2007. How many sites? 25? 61? I am not sure. I believe now we only have the budget for 25, check with Jeff Barnes regarding this.

Another function which I think ties into this is the FSOSC will begin creating a web page to be accessed by FAA intranet with graphical depictions of all TFRs nationwide. It will be updated hourly, and will include I believe both Presidential TFRs, and fire fighting TFRs, (I hope). Our two NAATS liaisons, Pat Rowe, and Tim DeGrazio have all the details on this, but briefly, each AFSS will use 2 computers, one on each side of the room, and the plan is eventually to have this available at each position in a facility. So, some things are happening with improving the NOTAM delivery system. It only took one crash (ASE), and several Presidential TFR violations to get it moving. Oh well.

As I mentioned earlier in this report, Terri Michel from FTW AFSS was with me this meeting. This was my last ATPAC meeting, and Terri is my replacement effective now. The NAATS Board felt it was time to let someone else have the opportunity I have had to participate in the FAA/Aviation Industry forum, and Terri has been selected to take over for me. I was pleased to serve 8 years as your ATPAC representative, and have learned so much, and gained so much from the experience. I understand better how things work (or don�t), and how a diversity of opinions can be melded together to become a solution that betters the air traffic system for pilots and controllers on both sides of the "mike." I will miss the committee, they gave me a great send off with a beautiful plaque and memories I will treasure always. I hope Terri will enjoy the experience as much as I did. I also appreciate the comments and kudos I have received from you, the members, over the years. Thank you all for the opportunity to represent you on this prestigious committee.

If you have concerns of a national nature, you can now contact Terri Michel at: [email protected].

CY 2002 Budget

Revised 10/26/01 -- by John W. Wesselhoft, Treasurer
With approval of the Board of Directors

* Total bonuses of $1,500 ($1,000/Office Manager and $500/Secretary) were approved by the BOD on 10/14/01 to be paid in CY2001. This is not a recurring expense and is not anticipated as a budget expense for CY2002. 

** NOTE: Cash in Bank Accounts will protect Net Loss.

FSOSC Update

Tim DeGrazio, FSOSC Liaison

The Flight Service Operations Support Center (FSOSC) now has an official home. According to Pete Quinn (ATP-300), two seats in the newly designed Washington Headquarters Communication Center (previously known as the Situation Room) have been designated for the FSOSC. The Communication Center should be completed in mid October. Until then Patsy Rowe/CXO AFSS and myself continue to work out of a one-person cubicle in the ATA-100 shop. There isn�t a lot of room but there are advantages to the location. ATA-100 is cartography so we never have to search for charts when we are verifying TFRs.

There has been a lot of energy lately about websites that carry TFRs. I created a PowerPoint presentation which, our Chief Negotiator, Bill Dolan, presented to Jeff Griffith (AAT-1). The presentation compares our TFR Operations Display System (TODS) to the websites. Jeff appeared pleased with it. Your Regional Director has a copy if you would like to view it. You can contact me directly ([email protected] or [email protected]) and I will email you a copy. It is about 2.4 MB so ensure your email can handle a file that size.

Now the big question, when will this get to the field? The short answer is, I don't know. Jeppesen has committed to having the prototype software with all the corrections and improvements that the original workgroup required, completed by August 17. The FSOSC is ready to go operational as soon as we test the software for bugs. The problem is getting hardware in the facilities. NAATS solution is to put two computers into each facility immediately with an end state solution of having this software available at all briefing positions on the same monitor with SUA/ISE and NSTS. We have identified money available for the NOTAM solution that could be used for this, which would also speed up deployment of the NSTS system, but, at this time, we do not have a commitment from management. Predictably their response is, "we don't have any money." More on this as it develops.

Vacancy Announcement

CLOSING DATE: August 15, 2002

Position Title: Office Administrator

PLANNING PURPOSES: Effective Date to be determined by the Board of Directors
Responsible to: Board of Directors (BOD), with day to day direction from the President

Position Purpose: Provide comprehensive assistance to the President and staff of the National Association of Air Traffic Specialist (NAATS), in order to support the Union�s functions and its efficient and effective operation.

Position Description:

General Administration

• Cause all applications for membership and renewals to be processed;
• Consult regularly with the Board of Directors; keep its members fully informed concerning all significant matters on a timely basis; and obtain its prior approval for all significant policy-related or financial decisions;
• Assist in the publication and distribution of informational communications to the members, to include the coordination, edit and publication of the NAATS Newsletter to be distributed monthly and in a timely manner;
• Establish and maintain office systems and procedures;
• Ensure maintenance of office equipment, including computer hardware and software;
• Assist staff with general administrative services;
• Coordinate mailings;
• Assist with development events, as necessary;
• Contract with legal counsel and other professionals for service to the Association and its members.
• Other duties as assigned by the BOD and/or President

Office Management

• Oversee daily administrative and office operations;
• Supervise office staff;
• Ensure the order of office and building supplies and equipment.

Fiscal Management

• Overall responsibility for the financial affairs of the National Association of Air Traffic Specialist;
• Under suitable bond, cosign checks, drafts or orders of payment of money, receive and deposit funds;
• Maintain accurate books and records, and safeguard the records of the Association;
• Responsible to oversee the bookkeeper, to assure that financial procedures and record-keeping are in accordance with general accounting procedures and the Association�s requirements; (Current system: QuickBooks);
• Assist in the formulation of annual budgets for approval of the Board of Directors: prepare periodic accounting reports and summaries of the Association�s finances;
• Assist with audit preparation;
• Communicate regularly with the NAATS treasurer and finance committee;
• Oversee processing of payroll by staff regarding benefits and attendance, including vacation and sick days;
• Monitor all funds and accounts;
• Keep NAATS Board of Directors and the President informed of any financial discrepancies.

Qualifications: We need an experienced person with good organizational and multi-task skills who can lead and work independently. Working knowledge of principles and practices of the NAATS contract with the Federal Aviation Association (FAA). Ability to read and interpret documents, familiarity with and/or research skills necessary to advise members of the Union on such documents as Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), Letters of Agreement (LOA), and other agreements with the FAA.

A successful applicant requires public relation skills necessary to successfully interface with the NAATS membership, elected officers, national liaison representatives, technical representatives and constituents of the agency.

Desired/preferred qualifications include, but not limited to, a minimum of one year previous experience as a NAATS elected official, National Liaison or Technical Representative or other short term detail or assignment, as appointed by the NAATS Board of Directors.

Occasionally, yet essential to this position, the individual must be able to meet deadlines with severe time constraints, interact with the public, the Agency and other NAATS members. Must occasionally work irregular or extended hours and meet multiple demands from several interest groups.

Terms of Office: The position of Office Administrator serves at the sole discretion of the President and the NAATS Board of Directors. The term of office shall generally coincide with the National Election Cycle (NEC). However, the office of Administrator is subject to modification as determined necessary by the Board of Directors.

Location:

National Association of Air Traffic Specialist
11303 Amherst Avenue, Suite 4
Wheaton, MD 20902

A subsistence allowance of $2200.00 shall be paid to cover temporary living expenses and shall be reviewed annually by the Board of Directors. No moving expenses will be paid.

All applicants shall submit a detailed resume to NAATS HQ NLT August 15, 2002.

EDITORIAL: Disrespect, Prejudice and Ignorance

Elinormarie L. Morrissy, Editor

Note: The opinion expressed below is strictly my own and in no way reflects the position of the Union or its elected or appointed officials or liaisons.

I�ve just read the highlights of the FAA�s position as presented at the FMCS hearing. Rather than fuming over the total lack of respect for our profession displayed by the FAA, I�d rather look at some of their key points in a different light.

To begin with, there is one important point the FAA team conveniently (or perhaps out of true ignorance) missed. Flight Service was the ORIGINAL air traffic controllers, dating back to the 1920s and the days of the Airmail Radio Service. That�s why we�re still called "Radio" today. Before control towers and before radar was invented, there were stations all across this country that provided weather and navigation services to those early pilots who flew the mail around. I suspect that one of the reasons the FAA continually omits this is that many of those first station controllers were women. It�s probably something the male-dominated FAA hierarchy (even so today, folks) would prefer to forget. But, I digress...

The majority of the FAA team�s points regarding the professional life of Flight Service were based solely on brief, subjective observations by a single individual sympathetic to the FAA�s cause, they probably know very little about aviation, much less Flight Service. Comments like "Pilots drink coffee in flight service stations" and "Do not see great stress in FSS, specialists provide preflight briefings" show the ignorance of their observer who visited DCA. Apparently the person has never been to a tower or center sector on a good weather day between "rushes." They obviously don�t realize that no facility could work under constant stress 24-7-365. If we did, the turn over in the Air Traffic Division would be insurmountable. They also apparently don�t know the difference between relaying PIREPs, or giving the departure winds versus a Standard Weather Briefing. We won�t even consider their obvious ignorance of the skill required to brief pilot after pilot, tailoring each briefing to the individual pilot�s route, needs and skill level. It�s quite apparent that presenting accurate data was not part of the FAA team�s game plan.

One point I found most interesting was the FAA�s statement that NavCanada should be "studied hard." I heartily agree, though probably for different reasons. Let�s do quick historical review. In 2000 ATSAC, the union representing Canadian Flight Service, won a 13.64% increase spread over the life of a 3-year contract -- with "back time," i.e. retroactivity. The table below ¹ shows the distribution of that raise,

In light of the FAA team�s interest in NavCanada, our proposed 13.82% increase seems very reasonable.

The FAA�s point about median Flight Service salaries in Canada states nothing about whether it�s in Canadian or U.S. dollars. There is a difference.

Also, NavCanada doesn�t necessarily promote supervisors from the controller ranks. Their sups are trained in industrial scheduling and also serve administrative functions like managing pay and benefits, essentially fulfilling a portion of our ATM and OM�s responsibilities. I cannot imagine that mid-level Management personnel would be deeply thrilled with the prospect of a similar situation here.

NavCanada personnel also have the right to job action. I doubt FAA Management would find these facts comforting. I just wonder how the FAA team�s researchers could have missed this information.

Another of the FAA�s points is, "Flight service specialists give preflight briefings to pilots who fly small aircraft." It�s true. We talk to a lot of small aircraft, including whole lot of "small" jets and turbo twins owned and operated by major U.S. corporations. However, the FAA�s own statistics say corporate aviation, "small" planes, is the fastest-growing segment in U.S. aviation. Apparently these aircraft are of less concern to the new airline-loving FAA. They�re also apparently unconcerned with the needs or wants of individuals who own their and operate their own small aircraft. I wonder, how many "thousands" of people fly in corporate and private planes every year and much revenue the U.S. economy is generated by general aviation? It�s apparently not enough to concern the top levels of our esteemed agency.

I also see the FAA team just had to bring up the point about many of us being "washouts" from towers and centers. They fail to realize that many of those "washouts" happened before the FAA instituted the "Train to Succeed" program in the early 1990s. Back when the FAA had a lot more money to waste, trainers could wash people out just because they didn�t like them. Those days are gone. There�s now a good crop of Flight Service folks who came from the military or out of other agencies -- not just other ATC facilities. The days of Flight Service as the last resort for tower and center training failures are long gone.

As to the point that there was no parity between Flight Service, Towers and Centers from 1978 to 1989, someone seems to be longing for the "good old days." It�s 2002 out here in the real world. Deal with it.

They also raised a point about other 2152s not getting being included in the NATCA pay scale. We working stiffs know just how thrilled those other 2152s were with getting 5.5% shoved down their throats. In fact, they were so happy out here in Western Pacific that our Regional Office LMR division went from having 4 or 5 major bargaining units to deal with (NATCA, NAATS, PASS, AFGE and NAGE) to the current 14. Does anyone (besides the FAA team) need to be reminded that happy employees generally don�t join unions?

The really offensive part of this whole exercise is that the members of the FAA team obviously believe their own propaganda and continue to seriously underestimate the intelligence native to the Flight Service option. But, you know, it�s okay. After all, underestimating us led the FAA team to put together arguments based on personal prejudice and disrespect rather than facts. I suspect that the FAA team was blinded by the desire to protect their own job security over the safety of the air traffic system. Let�s face it, if NAATS wins, economies will have to come from other sources and the time has come for Management to share, rather than inflict, the pain.

¹ Smith, Ron. "2000 ATSAC, Holding Firm and Moving Ahead" February 28, 2000. http://www.caw.ca/whatwedo/bargaining/bycompany/atsac/index.asp

Regional Supplements

ALASKA REGION

CENTRAL REGION

Michael Terry, Director and Jerry Van Vacter, Coordinator

Facility Visits

During the last 30 days we have visited ICT and FOD. We would like to thank Todd Bray (ICT) for hosting the meeting and Bob Chapman (FOD) for making arrangements for the meeting. We really enjoyed meeting with the folks at both facilities and plan to visit the other facilities in the future.

One item that came up at both facilities is what can a member do to be more active with your union. There are many opportunities to help your Union. We have many details, workgroups, and liaison jobs that become available frequently. If you have an interest in doing any of these jobs please submit a Resume. If you have any questions about a specific job let us know and we will put you in touch with someone that can explain what the roles and responsibilities are.

We talked to Wally about rescheduling the meeting at Fort Dodge plus a visit over to Columbus. Not sure when he can make it but he is committed to going out to the field and visiting with the membership.

Meetings

The quarterly meeting will be held in Kansas City on the 24th and 25th of August. The minutes will be out shortly after the meeting.

I will be going back to Washington the week of July 28th.

Benefits for UNION MEMBERS

At the last BOD business meeting the BOD adopted two additional areas of membership benefits (dental and credit union). NAATS headquarters will be mailing information out to you on both of these in the near future.

Newsletters

Jerry and I will be making an extra effort in the future to put out more information in the national newsletter. If you have anything you would like to have in it (facility or other), let us know.

Grievances

We presently have 2 grievances at the regional level and 2 at the national level. We have not heard yet on the arbitration that was held in April. The arbitrator was in a serious car accident about 3-4 weeks ago. We should be getting a decision shortly.

EASTERN REGION

Donna Holmes, Director and Ron Consalvo, Coordinator

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Carol McAteer for volunteering her time at The AOPA Fly-In in Frederick, Va. in June. Carol was at the event on her own time and visited the NAATS booth. Since they were short staffed she volunteered her morning talking to pilots about important Flight Service issues.

I would also like to thank William Hawkinberry and John Pacitti for spending part of their summer vacations at the NAATS booth in Oshkosh. I have spent the last 2 summers there and the PR work that is done with the pilots is invaluable. I would urge anyone who can spare some summer leave to make it a point to attend some year.

Board Meeting

I was in Alexandria, Va. during the week of 7/15 -- 7/19 to attend the Board of Directors meeting. Due to the discussions about furloughs and A-76 studies, the mood wasn�t particularly upbeat. The board did take some positive steps to add some member only benefits. You will be receiving mailings on dental plans, disability insurance and credit union membership. These are all member only benefits and not available to non-members. The dental plans and disability insurance have good benefits and affordable rates. The credit union has good loan rates and they will post your paycheck the Friday before payday. Take time to research all of the options.

VRA

This issue has turned into one big mess. I had reported in an earlier NAATS News that the Eastern Region had agreed to retroactively pay 4 of our VRAs as FG-11 to their date of hire. For months Donna and I have asked the region when this retroactive pay would be given. After the region dragged its feet for an interminable time they responded to us in early July. They reneged of their previous agreement to pay the VRAs retroactively. They now say that even though they should have been FG-11 from date of hire, there is no legal basis to pay them retroactively. I view this as a total lack of respect for us. The regional grievance has been filed and will be arbitrated if necessary.
 

GREAT LAKES REGION

NEW ENGLAND REGION

NORTHWEST MOUNTAIN REGION

SOUTHERN REGION

Dave Hoover, Director and Tom Forte, Coordinator

Our Southern Region Director: Dave spent the better part of July in Washington with Wally and Arthur Fox preparing for the pay hearing with FMCS Director Richard Barnes. By the time this is published, the hearings will be over, Dave will back in "Starke Florida," (it�s a real place, I swear!) and we�ll all be waiting for the decision on our pay. On behalf of the membership of the Southern Region, we�d all like to let Wally, Dave, Mike, and Arthur Fox know that we appreciate the hours, work and sacrifices that have gone into this effort.

Anniston AFSS -- No news is good news. Except for a few air quality complaints in the building, we never hear much out of FacRep Jim Reppin and his facility. They seem to get along pretty well with management.

Anderson AFSS -- OASIS is up and running. The controllers love it! I�m sure that if anyone tried to take it away from them, they�d have one hell of a fight on their hands! If anyone is "visiting" in South Carolina, stop by and take a look at it. It�s sweet!

Nashville AFSS -- Alternate FacRep, Robert Bermudez is going to OKC in August for FIT training. The purpose is to be able to train co-workers in the future when OASIS arrives in "Opryland." Also, congratulations to Bob Coffee on his selection as ATM for the facility. Nashville, unlike the majority of the facilities in the country, always seems to run smooth. They are proof that Union and Management can work together for the benefit of the facility, the employees, and most importantly, our customers. It�s all about equal respect! Am I right Mike?

Greenwood AFSS -- The Union had complained about the condition of the M1-FC keyboards. They were full of dirt and dust. After not being able to get the AF Techs to clean them, the Union filed several UCRs. Instead of having his employees clean the equipment, the AF Supervisor threatened the union with, "We�ll make you stop eating in operations." The FacRep�s question is "Why don�t you make your AF techs clean the equipment?" Why is it that if an employee complains about working conditions, management�s answer is to punish them? On a brighter note, FacRep Jeff Smith tells me that Fridays have been designated as Hawaiian Shirt Day. That�s positive thinking when the closest beach is 200 miles away!

Louisville AFSS -- The membership is currently holding nominations for FacRep and Alternate FacRep. In September they will hold the election and place their newly elected Representatives in office on October 1st. Good luck to all the "contenders."

Macon AFSS -- The Local Macon Union may have set a record for NAATS by filing about 300 (yes-three hundred) Article 9 grievances about 3-4 months ago. Management at the quarterly review, declined to acknowledge the Union�s right to bargain changes in working conditions and all the grievances are marked for arbitration. When will they learn?

Jackson AFSS -- Management at Jackson AFSS has decided they have the right to call a controller at home prior to his/her shift (same day) and change their shift by 6 to 15 minutes in order to avoid payment of FLSA. The region has intervened and ordered the ATM to have the OpSups come in 15 minutes early instead. Stay tuned, as this "virus" seems to be spreading throughout the Southern Region.

Raleigh Durham AFSS -- Congrats to Tony Jenkins on his selection as ATM at RDU AFSS. Raleigh is another one of those success stories where management and labor choose to work together. Once again, it�s all about respect and equality at the table!

San Juan AIFSS -- FacRep Joe Melon and his management team have come to terms on quite a few issues that were distracting them over the past few years. It�s good to see that cooperation on both sides is making the difference. It�s kind of like a good marriage-you both have to give a lot!

Gainesville AFSS, St. Petersburg AFSS and Miami AIFSS -- These three facilities in the Florida Hub have been deeply engaged in the area of traffic transfer since earlier this year. Why? Because the FAA absolutely refuses to properly staff its facilities. I hope the bargaining units at these three facilities lay the blame where it belongs and not on your brothers and sisters in the hub.

SOUTHWEST REGION

Mark Jaffe, Director and Dana Colquitt, Coordinator

Hello Southwest Region NAATS Members,

By the time you read this, the FMCS hearing should be over. Everyone will be speculating on, "WHO WON, NAATS or the FAA?"

Well, I�ve got a news flash for you. The verdict is already in, and NAATS members are the winners in this fight.

No, I don�t mean that you are going to see more money in your next check (yet). This battle is not just about money. There is a matter of pride involved that I think only a Flight Service person can understand.

We are a relatively small Federal Labor Union that has fought a giant governmental organization (FAA) to a standstill. Roughly 1400 NAATS members have done what no other FAA labor union has had the guts to do. We have stood on our principles of right and wrong, we have demanded the fairness of pay comparability, and we have never backed down.

After NATCA signed their contract, every union has attempted to "get what NATCA got." All except NAATS have fought a good fight but eventually, they gave up. Those other unions did not have the heart that NAATS members have. We have not caved in to the FAA's sleazy tactics and bad faith bargaining and we never will.

I know that some are agonizing over our position of all or nothing. DON'T. Your pride is worth much more than the pitiful raise being offered by management. They have insulted us with their offers and attempted to devalue our services.

We have never wavered in our demands for pay comparability because it is also a demand for respect from the FAA and no matter how Mr. Barnes rules on the FMCS hearing, NAATS members can still look at themselves in the mirror and say, "We never backed down."

I�m very proud to be a NAATS member.

Now, having said all that, let me give you some advice: RELAX!! The hearing is over. We�ve done everything that could be done to attain our goal of pay comparability. All we can do now is wait, so relax and enjoy the rest of your summer. There is nothing to be gained by worrying about a decision that we no longer have any control over.

I hope to visit all the facilities in the next couple of months. I�ll be in SJT on August 24 for a NAATS meeting and Dennis is trying to set up a union meeting in ABQ in early August so I hope to see all the ABQ NAATS members then.

NAATS at DRI sponsored a "Welcome to Town" luncheon for their new manager, Steve Ashmore on the July 18. Sorry I couldn�t make the trip but I was at the BOD in Washington that week. From a regional viewpoint, I�m very happy to have Steve in our region and am looking forward to meeting him.

Don�t forget to put in for leave for the week of April 21-25, 2003. The annual NAATS convention will be held in San Antonio that week. I encourage everyone to attend.

The next BOD meeting will be held at the Clarion Hotel, downtown Ft. Worth, Oct. 7-8-9. As always, all NAATS members are welcome. If you have never attended a BOD meeting, it might be an education on how we do business as a union. It might also bore you to tears. You won't know until you come.

Thanks and if you have any questions, or just want to talk, call me.

WESTERN-PACIFIC REGION

Mike Stafford, Director and Bob Stanco, Coordinator

By the time you read this, our pay negotiations will be over. Hopefully, we will prevail over the ridiculous offer the FAA has made us today (5.5% over 5 years). This offer is an insult to every hard working Flight Service Controller, and it just reinforces what we knew all along -- the FAA doesn�t give a damn about us. Maybe by winning this battle we will gain back some of the respect we should have had all these years. The A76 study is just another slap in our collective faces. I think this battle, however, is winnable. It is going to require Congressional pressure, and a lot of hard work, but we have beaten this idea before, and we can do it again this time.

On a brighter note, you (Union members) will be receiving information on our Dental, Life, and Disability Insurance plans. These are the same plans that NATCA has, and I think you�ll find them pretty competitive. The Life insurance plan is especially attractive, when compared to the overpriced FEGLI plan. I think this is a significant benefit, one which we can point to and show the non-members as an additional reason for joining the Union.

Unfortunately, my notes this time are necessarily short, as I have to depart once again for DC and the Pay Negotiations. I hope we will all have something to celebrate when the decision comes out September 6th. Wish us luck.

PRESCOTT AFSS NEWS

Mike Milam, PRC AFSS

We recently completed training on the Electronic NOTAM Log procedures that was first developed and implemented at Lansing AFSS. We are optimistic that it will improve efficiency of the NOTAM position and make it less work intensive. Thanks to controller Mark King (MK) for all of his efforts in loading, data input, and training provided so that the facility can begin using the program.

We would also like to thank controller Mitch Larson (ML), who has completed our Prescott AFSS web site and it should be on line as of this printing. Controller Jim Zachary (EZ) continues to work with the Crux program. Congratulations to Kim Tyner (KT) former Homer, AK FPL who recently completed her recertification. We look forward to the arrival of our new operations manager Jane Adams who will be transferring in from MIA AFSS in October.

Flight Services Per Controller

In FY2000 PRC AFSS had 727,343 total services with a FPL staffing of 46. In FY2001 PRC AFSS had 738,000 total services with a FPL staffing of 41. For FY2002 the projected total services are estimated to be 728,000 with a FPL compliment of 40. This averages around 18,200 total services per controller for the year at PRC AFSS.

To meet the employers suggested target number of 16,000 services per year PRC AFSS would need another seven FPL�s. Interestingly, in FY2001 the Western Pacific Region had 251 FPL�s and total services for the region was 3,515,000. This translates into about 14,000 services per controller per year. The problem is not how many FPL�s are employed in the region. The problem is where they are located. An example of this is in HNL AFSS which recent data suggest have 24 FPL�s who are averaging about 9732 total services per controller per year.

If all employees are to be paid the same regardless of workload, perhaps NAATS and the employer can look to ways to spread the workload evenly among facilities. This can be accomplished by assigning any new personnel to facilities that are working at levels above the 16,000-target figure. Another possibility is to allow any FPL working at a facility that is operating below the target figure and who desires a move to a facility operating above the target figure, the opportunity to transfer. A third possibility is to offload calls from the busier facilities to the slower facilities in an attempt to evenly distribute the workload. This could be coordinated between adjoining regions also. Area knowledge training could be expanded so a controller would be more familiar with the additional briefing area of responsibility. An example of this could be CDC AFSS and PRC AFSS developing a letter of agreement that would allow a certain percentage of PRC AFSS traffic to be transferred to CDC AFSS. According to the FY2001 figures CDC AFSS had 28 FPL�s employed and averaged 12,214 services per controller.

*Thanks to Lisa Bjork (AK) for compiling the FY2001 figures from the February 2002 Administrators Fact Book.

HAWTHORNE AFSS NEWS

Eli Morrissy, HHR AFSS

Welcome to Aboard

After much wrangling and anticipation, David Graham arrived at our facility from Leesburg AFSS on July 29th. He�s a native Southern Californian who has returned to "the auld sod" to help take care of his ailing mother. He checked out on Flight Data, NOTAMs (i.e. Coordinator) and Broadcast back at DCA and will probably be a re-cert on those positions. Hopefully, that will expedite certification as an FPL.

More to Come

Mr. Graham is only the first of three new arrivals slated to join us in the next 2 months. We will be seeing Victor Morales back from the Academy sometime in August and Ms. Davila will join us in September.

Military Duty

Welcome back to Mike Dasaro and Kevin Bender. Both are members of the Reserves who have just returned from annual training. That�s not the end, though. It seems as they walked back in, Mark Smith was walking out the door for a month�s active duty with his Marine Reserve unit. Be safe and best of luck, Mark.

Gone Sailing?

Ops Manager, Bob Dean is also away for a couple weeks. I�m not sure if he�s out on his boat. But whatever Bob�s up to, he�s probably enjoying his vacation.

Wally�s Visit

NAATS President, Wally Pike will be visiting our facility on Monday, August 5th. I�m sure we�ll all make an effort to welcome him. He�s here to talk to the membership. If you�ve got anything you want to ask him, make it a point to be around, or relay your question through Scott, Rob, or me.