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Wally Pike, NAATS President It�s been a busy and eventful week on Capitol Hill. I worked with Senator Lautenberg�s staff for the FAA Reauthorization Hearings held yesterday and, at the hearing, the Senator again stated his opposition to ATC privatization in general and the A76 study in particular. He questioned the panel, including Administrator Blakey, on the purpose and cost of the study as well as the expected outcome. Senator Lautenberg has also circulated a "Dear Colleague" letter to the other senators requesting their support for S.338. I�ve sent a copy of this letter to NAATS Webmaster John Dibble for posting on our website along with the FAA response to the Senator�s earlier letter of February 25. I met again with the Senator�s staff this morning to determine the next course of action. Congressional representatives from both NATCA and PASS were present and we are all coordinating our activities to try to get more Republican co-sponsors on this legislation. The big news on the House side is that Congressman Oberstar offered his legislation yesterday in H.R.1711 (copy will be posted on our website). The language is different but it accomplishes the same goal -- ensuring "that functions relating to the air traffic control system are carried out directly by the United States Government." We worked closely with the Congressman�s staff in formulating this language and I�m happy to say that we already have two Republican original co-sponsors: LoBiondo (NJ) and Quinn (NY). I want to thank EA Regional Coordinator Ron Consalvo for all his work with Congressman LoBiondo -- it paid off. Thanks also to Dave Lombard at RDU who has also been working very hard on Congressman Hayes; we�re definitely getting closer. We�ll continue to work with both the Senate and the House to reconcile the two bills and to get more co-sponsors. Republicans are particularly important. If you are a constituent of a Republican on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee or the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, we need your help. I urge you to contact your congressional representative(s) and ask them to co-sponsor S.338 or H.R.1711, as the case may be. We have the committee members posted on the website and I�ll also list the Republicans in this Update. If you need any other help feel free to contact me. Again, this is the best opportunity we will have for legislation. The FAA Reauthorization Hearing went well on March 27th. The Administrator was on a panel by herself; NATCA President John Carr, PASS President Mike Fanfalone and I made up the second panel. NAATS� entire written testimony was made a part of the congressional record and I was asked a few questions regarding the FAA becoming a performance based organization, labor distribution reporting and our statements about assuming more duties. My thanks to those that helped with the testimony, especially Dave Hoover and Kurt Comisky, and the logistical support provided by our Office Manager Denise DeStefano. NE Regional Director Kurt Comisky and Regional Coordinator Tom Halligan conducted an arbitration hearing on March 28th at the Regional Office in Burlington, Massachusetts. I participated as their witness and they did a good job of getting the issues before the arbitrator. We would always prefer to resolve issues satisfactorily before having to go to hearings but, obviously, that�s not always the case. I think it�s extremely important to send the FAA a message about our determination to enforce the provisions of our contract and I congratulate Kurt and Tom for doing this. My hope is that we�ll see more regional arbitrations for those issues where FAA management stubbornly refuses to honor its commitments. We are continuing to work closely with NATCA and PASS on legislation to address the FAA contracting out/privatization issues. S338 has 14 co-sponsors but we�re still waiting on the first Republican. House legislation is still being discussed and we expect it will be offered next week. Any differences between S.338 and the House legislation will then have to be reconciled. Our other congressional meetings are continuing, including Aviation Subcommittee Chairman John Mica. He advised that he would ensure that no one gets "railroaded" by the A-76 process and that he might hold hearings for this purpose. I informed him that the FAA is not required and has no intention of seeking congressional approval and Chairman Mica responded that once the study is completed he would take action. He does not want to move prior to that time. Nothing new this week from the FAA regarding the pay dispute. There is bill language being circulated on the Hill that would insert the Federal Service Impasses Panel (FSIP) as the final arbiter for these impasses. I�ve seen some of the proposed language and informed Congress that we would be in favor of the concept. I understand that the FAA may also favor this in some form. This has not been introduced as legislation yet and I don�t know how likely this is to ever become law. I�ll keep all advised. We�re also developing the new ADIZ procedures with promising possibilities. Again, thanks to Dave Hoover and FSOSC Liaison Tim DeGrazio for working this project. Unfortunately I couldn�t attend the FacRep training this week in RNO but I understand it went very well. Reports on all the above will be sent to our website. We are continuing our A-76 alternative meetings with the FAA. No commitments to report, but I want to thank Mark Jaffe and Donna Holmes for their efforts on our behalf. The National Membership Meeting in San Antonio is fast approaching. Hopefully we�ll have a good turnout by our membership. Looks like we�ll have plenty to discuss. I expect an excellent exchange of information and views. Hopefully I�ll see several of you there. Unfortunately Chairman Don Young was unable to accept our invitation to speak, as he will be in Alaska that week; he sends his regrets.
Bipartisan bill introduced in House to prevent air traffic control privatization www.natca.org, 4/11/2003 WASHINGTON The National Air Traffic Controllers Association applauds the bipartisan team in the House of Representatives for introducing H.R.1711 yesterday, a bill which would prohibit the privatization or contracting out of the nation�s federal air traffic control system. Called the "Air Traffic Control System Integrity Act of 2003," National Air Traffic Controllers Association President John Carr praised the bill as "a bold and critical step to preserve the safety and Integrity of the world�s best system and ensuring this country maintains its role as the world leader in air traffic control." Four senior members of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Subcommittee on Aviation introduced the bipartisan bill: Rep. James L. Oberstar, D-Minn., ranking Democratic member on the full committee; Rep. Frank LoBiondo, R-N.J., chairman of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation; Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., ranking Democrat on the Subcommittee on Aviation; and Rep. Jack Quinn, R-N.Y., chairman of the Subcommittee on Railroads. The bill would prevent the Department of Transportation from authorizing the conversion of any Federal Aviation Administration facility or the outsourcing of work currently performed by FAA employees in the ATC system to private or public entities other than the U.S. government. "We have said aviation safety is neither a Republican nor Democratic issue and this bill proves that with its bipartisan support," Carr stated. "The bill�s sponsors have shown great leadership on this and many other matters of aviation safety. Obviously, we have long shared their view that the safety of air travelers in this country is too important to ever be jeopardized by the risks of privatization or contracting out. Safety remains controllers� business." Said Oberstar in a statement: "Should we risk the uncertainties of creating a new system to promote ATC safety and security when we already have in place a system with an outstanding safety record? The answer is simple: No." "Air traffic control is a critical component of our nation�s aviation system," LoBiondo added. "Its reliability and security should remain in the hands of the outstanding professionals who have made our skies the safest in the world." Remarked Quinn: "The safety of airline passengers exceeds the desire to streamline the role of the air traffic controller."
Avweb, April 9, 2003 The FAA has granted AOPA�s request to participate in a government study that could change and modernize the way flight service station (FSS) services are provided to pilots. AOPA asked for the chance to provide key input on the study, especially something called the "performance work statement," that will direct the course of the study. In a letter received this week, the FAA outlined AOPA�s role in shaping the future of flight service. The FAA said that "AOPA is an important stakeholder in this process," and that the agency wanted to "ensure that the FSS A-76 process accurately reflects the needs of the users and the government." The FAA also agreed to conduct ongoing meetings with AOPA representatives during the development of the study. "AOPA will be there protecting pilots� interests in this government study," said AOPA Senior Vice President Andrew Cebula. "Aviation weather services are a critical safety function that must be provided by the government without fees to pilots, and AOPA would vigorously fight any action that would take that responsibility away from the government or �privatize� FSS functions." The study, conducted under federal Office of Management and Budget Advisory Circular 76 (A-76) guidelines, will compare the cost and value of continuing to provide FSS services by FAA versus contracting some services to outside sources. The A-76 process does recognize that government employees may be the best providers of the service.
But that doesn�t preclude the possibility that private
contractors supervised by FAA might provide some services more efficiently.
For example, in the 1980s FAA implemented the DUAT (direct user access
terminal) service, with private contractors providing aviation weather
services directly to pilots via computer. A copy of AOPA�s letter to FAA on the A-76 FSS study, the FAA�s response, and AOPA�s issue brief are available online. April 11, 2003 Before the House Committee on Appropriations and the Subcommittee on Transportation Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee: My name is Walter W. ("Wally") Pike. I am completing my fifth year as President of the National Association of Air Traffic Specialists (NAATS). I have worked for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for thirty-four years, and in air traffic control continuously since 1973, with assignments at Fort Worth, Childress, and San Antonio, Texas, and at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. At the same time, I have been a NAATS union official since 1979, serving in various capacities. NAATS is the exclusive representative of the more than 2,200 controllers and automation specialists who work at the Flight Service Stations throughout the United States, and I am here today to give you their views. I want to note that these dedicated men and women have continued to provide vital safety functions to the flying public during very trying times for our country such as the 1981 strike and September 11, 2001. My testimony will focus on our recommendations for the FAA's FY2004 budget in three primary areas; staffing, modernization equipment and potential cost savings. I respectfully request that my entire written statement be made part of the record. STAFFING For the past several years NAATS has testified before this Subcommittee regarding the critical shortage of Flight Service air traffic controllers. The latest FAA figures show 2,071 flight service controllers actually providing the service to the aviation public. The FAA�s own staffing standard, the document that defines how many Flight Service controllers are necessary to provide essential services, requires 2,210 Flight Service controllers. Therefore we are currently working with a shortage of 140 controllers and this disturbing attrition will only increase during the next year. The FAA, however, maintains 577 staff overhead positions. This exceeds a 1 to 4 ratio of staff to employees. The FAA staffing standard authorizes 530 for staff. Currently the FAA has an excess of 47 staff positions. Mr. Chairman, we ask that you instruct the FAA to maintain their own staffing standard numbers to ensure that critical services will continue to be provided during the next year. MODERNIZATION/EQUIPMENT The Operational and Supportability Implementation System (OASIS) is designed to replace the aging and increasingly unsupportable Model One Full Capacity (M1FC). It is the primary tool used by Flight Service controllers to provide information and service to the aviation community. OASIS is operational at three sites and is continuing deployment. However, OASIS has a history of having to move forward in the face of budget cuts, sometimes severe. In 2000 the program requested $21.5 million and was funded only $10 million. In 2003 the program requested $20 million but OMB cut $5 million in its passback. This year the program requested the $5 million be restored but OMB cut it out of the passback again. These latest cuts come at a time when the system is undergoing deployment and adversely affect the ability of the FAA to deploy OASIS in a timely manner. This results in a negative impact to the aviation community as it means that vital equipment is not in place to support them. We ask that you not only fully fund the requested money for 2004, but that you also restore the $5 million that has been removed by the OMB. POTENTIAL COST SAVINGS FSS controllers currently provide many critical and essential duties for the aviation public but they are capable and willing to perform many more. In fact this group of professionals represents the largest untapped and underutilized resource within the FAA. More efficient use of the airspace requires a better definition and delegation of air traffic controller (ATC) duties. There are functions currently assigned to some FAA employees that are not part of their primary job responsibility and could be efficiently and willingly performed by FSS controllers. This would allow the first group to focus both their energies and time on their primary responsibilities while allowing FSS controllers the opportunity to provide ever more essential services to the aviation public. The net effect would benefit the entire national airspace system (NAS). Two examples of some of these duties are:
These items can
be accomplished through the use of equipment called Special Use
Airspace/Inflight Situational Enhancement (SUA/ISE). Identification of
relative aircraft positioning and severe weather hazards would allow FSS
controllers to provide information to airborne pilots thus helping them to
avoid flight into adverse weather. Monitoring military special use airspace
and providing information to airborne pilots on "hot" areas is particularly
important to the technology concept called "Free Flight". Essentially Free
Flight allows much more latitude to pilots to determine their own routings
but, obviously, it�s extremely important to them that they know where the
military is flying, times and altitudes. These are value added advisory
services, primarily for the more than 347,000 general aviation pilots but
would be available to any pilot, upon request. As I mentioned, the above can
be accomplished through the use of SUA/ISE but this equipments needs to be
deployed and certified for use by the FSS controllers. By the FAA�s own accounts Flight Service controllers are essential to the safe and expeditious flow of air traffic. The FAA has gone on to say that the branches of air traffic controllers; terminal, enroute and flight service are all interrelated and interdependent. Further, the FAA has acknowledged that air traffic control response to the tragedy of September 11 would not have been possible without the considerable contributions of FSS controllers. Despite this, Mr. Chairman, I regret to report to you and the Committee that the FAA is still conducting the ill-considered and ill-advised A76 contracting out study on this workforce. If this process proceeds unabated it will result in mandating that the lowest bidder will provide the critical and essential Flight Service function in the future. At the conclusion of the A76 process the FAA will not be required to seek and, indeed, has no intention of soliciting, congressional oversight or approval. Once the bids go out it will be too late to stop the process. The latest FAA cost estimate for conducting this study is $20 million; a colossal waste of resources. We understand and agree with the desirability of conducting A76 studies for those functions that can be better performed by private industry. OMB Circular A76, however, makes a distinction between those duties that are core to the agency mission from those that are support to this mission. Flight Service controllers provide pilot weather briefings to pilots both in the air and on the ground thus ensuring that flights are safely completed. Enroute Flight Advisory Service (EFAS) provides "real time" weather briefings to airborne pilots, advising them of the most recent weather available. Additionally Flight Service controllers coordinate search and rescue for overdue pilots and aircraft orientation for pilots lost during their flights. We coordinate with both the Customs and the Drug Enforcement Agencies; I know that both you and your Subcommittee understand the significance of these duties in today�s world. I also want to emphasize that Flight Service controllers are responsible for providing the temporary flight restriction (TFR) information to pilots so that they do not stray into prohibited, restricted or special use airspace. Recent examples of these are the restrictions during the President�s State of the Union Address, the unfortunate tragedy of the space shuttle and the Air Defense Identification Zone restrictions, implemented here in our nation�s capital and planned for other areas across the United States. When President Bush travels by air his location is frequently identified in advance using TFR�s. It�s hard to imagine a more inherently governmental operation relating to national security. Without doubt the duties performed by Flight Service controllers are central to the core mission of the FAA and national security. Mr. Chairman, we appreciate your interest and the interest of the members of this Subcommittee in this matter. We are very concerned, however, that this A76 process will soon have so much momentum that it will be beyond even the control of this Subcommittee. Once these loyal and dedicated employees are replaced it will be too late to bring them back and undo the damage. We urge you to withhold funding for this study before it is too late. I would be pleased to respond to any questions. Thank you.
BY Megan Lisagor Federal Computer Week, April 11, 2003 Bipartisan legislation introduced in the House April 10 would prevent the federal government from outsourcing air traffic control. The bill follows the Federal Aviation Administration�s recent decision to strip the profession of its inherently governmental status. Under the Federal Activities Inventory Reform Act of 1998, agencies must identify all functions they consider suitable for contracting out to industry. In accordance with the FAA�s recommendation, the Office of Management and Budget in its inventory for 2002 designated air traffic control a commercial activity. Officials from the union that represents more than 15,000 air traffic controllers say the change in status opens the door to privatization and are challenging the decision. Now they have lawmakers on their side. "Should we risk the uncertainties of creating a new system to promote ATC safety and security when we already have in place a system with an outstanding record? The answer is simple: No," Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.) said in a statement. Oberstar introduced the legislation with three other members of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure�s Subcommittee on Aviation. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association and Professional Airways Systems Specialists hailed the move. "Obviously, we have long shared their view that the safety of air travelers in this country is too important to ever be jeopardized by the risks of privatization or contracting out," NATCA President John Carr said in an April 11 news release. "Safety remains controllers� business." FAA officials were not immediately available for comment. The FAA, however, has maintained that air traffic control will not be privatized. Kate Breen, A76 Representative -- [email protected] 04/02/03 -- Thanks to the PWS team for their update yesterday, they have a tremendous job ahead of them and I hope everyone of our bargaining unit members is ready to help in any way they can. Now all I�ve been hearing from the FAA management side of the house is how they want to run this competition fair and keep everyone on a "level playing field" (Geez, I hate that phrase). Well I�m here to tell you right out of the box they are not instilling a whole lot of confidence that this process will be run fair and honestly. By that I mean here they are talking to vendors and the Most Efficient Organization (MEO) has not be set up yet. The Request For Information (RFI) will be going out soon and we still have no MEO team put together. From what I hear it's still a money issue, or is it an incompetence issue with people making the decisions unable to get off the dime? POTENTIAL VENDOR VISITS Let�s talk about the vendor issue for a moment. If you get any inquiries at the facility from someone you don�t know, please, please do not disclose any information about what we do and how we do it. The possible bidders are out there asking questions, I�ve gotten a heads up from a couple of people. If someone calls asking questions, send them to Don King at the FAA, he is the contracting officer (202-366-5509, [email protected]). I would hope FAA management would pass this along to their side as well, but if you get a chance please ask your facility management not to talk to the bidders/vendors either. LAWNMOWERS & ATC That�s about it for today, if you get a chance take a look at Plane & Pilot Magazine this month. The editor, Lyn Freeman, has a great article/editorial titled "Lawnmowers and ATC," boy does it strike a cord. Maybe the folks at OMB and the FAA Administrator should take a few minutes to read it! Hope to see as many of you as possible in San Antonio in a couple of weeks, hang in there. My thoughts and prayers are with any of you who have loved ones overseas, I hope they�re home soon and safe. 4/11/03 -- Well the response to the Fair Act Inventory Challenge is out and our response is due within 10 working days to the DOT appeals authority. I don�t really want to tell you what I think at this point, we'll talk about it at the convention or in a later update! I�ve asked John to post in on the website for those who did not get a copy electronically. PWS WORKGROUP Now to what�s been happening this week, first now that most of you know that the PWS workgroup is going to be getting out into the field, let me explain what this first trip out is about. This first piece being worked by the PWS team is what�s know as "functional scoping," this is where the team will start to put together the draft PWS but more importantly is where the decision will be made whether or not any other duties are considered to be inherently governmental. There will be 4 regional visits, a stakeholders meeting in DC, then back out to the other 4 regions to validate and gather more information. This is not the last time the PWS team will be out, well unless of course the FAA decides it�s not financially possible to complete the data collection with actual facility visits and ops to just ram rod the PWS through with just these 8 regional visits. If you are the Facility Representative that will be going to these first visits, make sure you have all the data you can carry and then some! Especially those duties that will help to drive home the point that the job we do is inherently governmental. I�m sure the PWS team will update you further as things unfold there. AOPA "PARTICIPATION" Let me talk about the AOPA response on their web site this week, I�m still chuckling! Ok, here it is in a nutshell, AOPA along with other members of the alphabet groups will be invited to join in a meeting in DC the middle of May. They all will be asked for input to what works in the system now and what doesn�t. They will also be asked if there are any duties that we performed in the past that have fallen by the wayside because of staffing or funding issues that they would like to see reinstated. The article says they are going to have a "... role is shaping the future of flight service." Here is the long and short of it, if anyone thinks they are going to add new gee whiz duties to what we currently do to bring is into the future, they are sorely mistaken. The A-76 will only look at those duties we do now and what duties we may have done in the past. There will be no new duties, no new equipment available to the MEO (US), and no modernization. The only thing that will come out of this A-76 is a cut in facilities, staffing, and I guess you could say modernization if you consider being housed in new buildings as modernization. If anyone thinks "significant changes" are a good thing, they had better think again, the significant changes are not going to mean new services and equipment, but cuts in staffing, facilities, and experienced help (in my humble opinion, of course)! ON TO THE MEO Enough on that, now to the MEO! Well there is still no mention of the MEO being put together, actually I take that back, someone in ATP (plans and procedures) is supposed to be putting some kind of MEO infrastructure together what ever the hell that means. It seems it�s okay to have vendors in and out and help them to find other vendors to partner up with, but the government bidder is still not put together yet. By the way did I mention that it�s okay for vendors to team up with each other but the MEO cannot team up with a vendor. Here we go with that "level playing field" or lack of it, there is a playing field alright, but it�s strewn with garbage and it stinks right now. Here is something I find interesting AOPA has offered to help the FAA in giving them the matrix they use for their call center. Geez, I sure wish Dell would send theirs, I spent an hour yesterday trying to get through to be cut off twice, put on hold for 30-35 minutes, given the wrong phone number to call back and all this while I was trying to give them business. Is that all anyone thinks we do is answer the phone? (rhetorical) I�m sorry, I�m starting to rant and that�s certainly not productive. Here is one more little tidbit for you and then I'll give you a piece of good news! Depending on the exact text in the new A-76 circular it is possible that the MEO would not even be part of the final selection. Let�s say there are 20 bidders, one being the MEO, and we cannot compete with the other bidders price wise. The MEO will not be part of the final 4 or 5 that will get brought blindly in front of the JRC, in other words all the JRC will know is that you have bidder a, bidder b, bidder c....etc. So, not only are there no new services, but there is also a chance that the MEO will not even be part of the final bidders. Now for the good news, Wally will fill you in on his update, but Congressman Oberstar has offered up his language on a bill in the house to stop this mess. Thank you sir! Sorry for the attitude, it�s been a very long week! See you in a couple of weeks! Jeff Barnes, OASIS National Representative, [email protected] CONTRACTING OFFICER LEAVING 03/07/03 -- Tricia Willis, the Contracting Officer for the OASIS program left the government a few weeks ago (believe it or not this isn�t good news). It looks like we won�t get a new CO until June or July. Then we�ll have someone new in a critical position that we�ll have to get up to speed very fast on OASIS. Probably the most difficult part will be rebuilding the good relationship with NAATS and the Human Factors Team that Tricia had. Maintaining a good relationship here is key to building the best system we can. Before she left, the FAA completed negotiations for what upgrades would be completed for the next version of the OASIS software, due out later this year. As usual it doesn't contain all the stuff I or the Human Factors Team wanted to see in it (stuff not included in this one will be in a subsequent upgrade), but it does contain some important enhancements. Here�s what those of you with OASIS will see when this package is released to the field in early 2004. GRAPHICAL TOOLS Graphical TFR overlay with text available in tooltips (This is not perfect. We have found that there is little standardization in TFRs, making some of them unplottable. However, like the unplottable pilot reports, the unplottable TFRs will have their own "Unknown Location" button on the overlay that will display those TFRs that OASIS couldn�t plot.). NAATS is also doing what it can to try to require standardization in TFRs, however this effort seems somewhat akin to emptying the ocean"with a fork. Graphical overlay of active SUA airspace (This will be done via a connection from OASIS into SAMS (I don�t know what this acronym stands for). SAMS is a military database that contains SUA information including active airspace and airspace that will be going active soon.). ICAO & NOTAMS
Continued improvement of ICAO capabilities. We�re not done
with ICAO fixes yet but we�re getting closer. WX GRAPHICS PACKAGE COMING The weather graphics package will get closer to completion, including most of the Hawaiian and Alaskan specific graphics. There are also a number of smaller tweaks and cleanups that will be included.
The first facility to see this software will be Conroe. The
program is evaluating beginning equipment installation there in early
December. This is about 30 days early, but it is desirable if it can be done
because this software is going to need extensive testing before it�s
approved to begin training and deployment to the other facilities with
OASIS. The reason is that this software package will include a change to the
operating system OASIS runs on. The servers will be upgraded to Windows 2000
server and the workstations will be upgraded to Windows XP. There will be no
XP server software that we can be confident of by that time, so that�s why
the two different operating systems will be used. This upgrade is
necessitated because Microsoft will no longer support Windows NT, and it is
critical that OASIS be running on a supported operating system. Since the
operating system is the foundation that the whole system runs on we will
need to do a top to bottom test of the system, not just testing the new
stuff, so extra time is needed. Just how much of an early install can be
supported at CXO is still TBD. We will be talking to the region and facility
management and unions to make that call. Nothing has been done in that
direction yet other than identifying the need to do so. DAFIF AVAILABILITY It looks as though the OASIS ICAO workgroup working with AOS-540 (the database folks at the Tech Center) have devised a way to populate data contained in the DAFIF (this is a military database of aviation information) into the unique files that is given to Harris for inclusion into the OASIS database every 54 days. This is very good news as the DAFIF database is by far the most complete database of international aviation info that we have found. This is critical because I have just learned that the FAA�s agreement to take over international pilot weather briefings from NWS will be effective June 1. This has major implications beyond OASIS also as we are going to have to identify sources of information, formats, training, and everything else to do a new task that most of us are not qualified for. I�m sure you�ll hear more about this from the other liaisons and reps that are working it outside of OASIS. SOME PROGRAM OVERLAP You may have noted that some of these capabilities are very similar to or duplicate other programs that NAATS is working on. There�s really no conflict, because some of this stuff needs to get out into the field as soon as possible. Certainly quicker than the OASIS deployment will get them to many facilities. The Human Factors Team also looks at the work done on these other programs and tries to pick out the best stuff for use in how the product is designed into OASIS. Through this, probably unbeknownst to the folks involved in these other efforts, their design work influences the design of OASIS. While this is good for OASIS it does make the jobs of the other NAATS liaisons and tech reps more difficult because management tends to say that if it�s going to be in OASIS there�s no need to duplicate the effort. So it's up to the our NAATS folks to make them understand that both efforts are necessary. In the world of Flight Service acquisitions OASIS is a howitzer. Our other folks here in headquarters at times have their hands full trying to make these people understand that rifles and even bb guns have a place also. My hat is off to them as I know they have to deal with even more lack of knowledge, or even prejudice, against Flight Service. (Unfortunately as often from people with a Flight Service background as from the other options. That was one of the most unhappy revelations I have had in my time here.) EXTRA COSTS With the installations at Burlington and Altoona the program has discovered that it costs extra to install the satellite antennas in northern states during the winter due to tearing up the ground when digging with a backhoe, or when, in BTV, local conditions (regulations I think) required that the ground be heated with thermal blankets and dug out by hand. At AOO the torn up ground will require the satellite subcontractor to come back in spring to reseed. The program office is going to look ahead to anticipate where the winter conditions might cause this problem again. This will have to be looked at each year once they know what installations they will be able to do for the coming year. Then we can hopefully find a solution that will eliminate those extra costs. A last resort would be to shuffle the waterfall, but I don�t think that�s a significant possibility without further compelling reason to do so. Regardless, a change to the waterfall is a Human Factors Team call, not one that can be made by union or management unilaterally. FUNDING The last thing I am going to talk about is funding for OASIS. You might want to just read the first couple of sentences and skip to the bottom because as much as this stuff makes my eyes roll up in my head, it�s sure to send some folks right into a coma out there, but it needs to be published as my reports are read and used as a source of program info by more than just our membership" AOPA MISSES THE MARK The AOPA, and subsequently AVWeb, reported that OASIS got full funding for FY2003. This is incorrect. In fact, we got cut by 5 million dollars in FY03 and the OMB passback for 2004 cut the extra 5 million that was requested to replace this year�s cut. The 5 million has been added to the FY05 budget request, but we can all imagine how that�ll fly. The reason for the confusion about the funding for this year is because if you look at the funding requests for OASIS it looks like we basically got what we asked for. This is where I have to go to detail, and even then it�s difficult to understand, but here goes" The ops requirement for OASIS FY03 is 7.4 million dollars. Ops money is needed to support those systems that are actually installed and operational and for expenses such as telco that are not directly related to the development of a new system. The F&E (facilities & equipment) request by the OASIS program was for 20 million dollars. This is to fund the continued development and deployment of the OASIS system. AFTER the systems are installed Ops money takes over. If you look at the budget data on the FAA�s website it shows 19.71 million requested for F&E for OASIS, and we know that OASIS got that requested amount, so it appears that OASIS got nearly the full amount it wanted, but due to the way the FAA counts and uses its F&E money that isn�t the case. As we had been told and I reported to you before, the F&E budget for OASIS was cut by 5 million dollars. This is why what looks good on the surface actually covers a significant hit on the program. The 19.71 million dollars is actually from 4 different sources of F&E money.
As you see this totals 19.71 million dollars, seeming to be very nearly the 20 million requested. However, the "colors" of this money means that we didn�t get what we asked for and in fact took a big hit. The .2 million comes from a separate pot to fund IOT&E, a very necessary and critical part of any major acquisition program, but it is not connected to development and deployment. The 1.01 million is for addressing Security issues in the OASIS program. This is normal for all programs in the FAA now with the attention paid to information security in the NAS. Again, this is not a part of the regular development and deployment of OASIS and it comes from a separate pot. The 3.5 million dollar NAS handoff is the most difficult to understand. As I said the Ops requirement for OASIS in FY03 is 7.4 million dollars. We all know about the chronic under-funding of the Ops budget. The FAA knows this also and for several years has put the NAS planned handoff budget in place in F&E to cover ops shortfalls as new equipment transitions from F&E to Ops. Of the required 7.4 million dollars, the Ops budget was actually only able to supply 3.9 million, so the remaining 3.5 million dollars was supplied from the NAS Planned Handoff part of F&E to cover this shortfall in Ops money. Again, this is money that is required for the program, but is not used for the development or deployment of OASIS. Congratulations to those of you still awake at this point, although you�re kind of scary. My apologies to those whose slumber had to be disturbed at this point" The upshot is that regardless of how it looks, we lost 5 million dollars, and as you can imagine losing 25 percent of your money to develop and deploy hurts. This is why we are installing OASIS in only 12 facilities this year, and why Harris has had to start reducing the staff of programmers and engineers that are working on OASIS (This really stings because experience shows it�s tough to ramp back up quickly when you lose knowledgeable people involved in developing the system). Making things worse is the fact that the program office added 5 million dollars to the FY04 budget request to reclaim the lost money and it was cut by OMB in the passback to the FAA. They have added it to the FY05 budget request also, but it will likely be chopped again. With this cut at best we are looking at 12 sites in FY03, 12 in FY04, 12 in FY05, and finishing up with 23 in FY06. Keep in mind that that is the optimistic projection. Any further cuts and we�d likely see 12 sites in FY06 with the final 11 being installed in FY07. Sadly, the AOPA and AVWeb reports make it seem that in a time of budget slamming all over the FAA, OASIS came through unscathed. In fact OASIS got hit as hard or harder than a lot of programs and that fact needs to be made clear and emphasized. Dave Hoover, Jerry VanVacter & Tim DeGrazio The Performance Work Statement (PWS) Team Kick-off Meeting was held last week in Alexandria, VA. The purpose was to provide the team with information regarding the upcoming process and to start working on a common model of Flight Service functionalities. Union representatives on the team are Jerry VanVacter, Central Regional Coordinator, FOD AFSS; Tim DeGrazio, FSOSC Liaison, MIA AIFSS; and Dave Hoover, Southern Regional Director, GNV AFSS. FAA management representatives were Steve Hopkins, FAA Team Lead; Humberto Garcia (UG), Southwest Regional 510, FTW; Ed Castagna, ATM PNM AFSS; Bill Moriarty, Supervisor, BGR AFSS. Unfortunately, every team member was required to sign a Non-Disclosure Statement. However, given the scope of activities anticipated to be performed by the PWS Team, the free flow of specific information from the team, in my opinion, has little impact on our effectiveness. However, the free flow of information coming from the field Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) is critical to a successful statement of work. Well, what will the PWS provide to the A76 process? Basically, it details three elements:
What we will not be providing to the MEO or Vendors is the �How to� specific work processes or equipment necessary to accomplish the effort (i.e. M1FC, OASIS, WSI, do this then this, stuff). It is important to understand that the PWS Team will be engaged in fact finding, validating data, and documenting detailed information necessary for a comprehensive solicitation of bids from the MEO and interested vendors. There is no negotiating or bargaining on behalf of the Union in this process. It is not management against the Union. There are no contract articles to protect. Our effectiveness in developing a complete and comprehensive Performance Work Statement is largely dependant on your contributions in the field facilities and not the members of the PWS Team. Each facility will need to be deliberate in selecting their most effective representative. The Union will have one bargaining unit employee from each facility representing operations. Supervisors, staff and management have not been afforded the same opportunity. Ms Marilyn Jackson-Brame, Jack Nimmo and Joann Kansier, top management unsupport, didn�t feel we needed to spend the money to include Subject Matter Experts from every phase of Flight Service. It was because of the efforts and support of our PWS �ground level� management team members, Ed, Bill and UG that an operational bargaining unit member from each facility will attend every regional workshop event. We are lucky and grateful to have them working with us as team members. This is not a process in which emotional reactions are effective. To the Contrary, everyone on our team, to the field facility SMEs, to every management and FPL providing input must be methodically focused to ensure that we capture the very essence of Flight Service.
As you may have guessed, the actual schedule of PWS events is
not available, however, it is anticipated that it could take as much as 2
years to complete. When the clock begins is, also, somewhat of a mystery. Nonetheless, it is essential that every facility begin compiling and organizing those activities that they believe are unusual; particularly complex or different than those done elsewhere in Flight Service. The A76 process may impact agreements and working relationships with other agencies, governments and non-governmental groups. It is important to ensure a comprehensive overview of your facility. The PWS Team will capture as many common activities during the process, in order to keep from duplicating efforts. The PWS Team will provide official guidance within a few weeks regarding the Regional Workshops. That�s some real limp information, I know and I apologize, but we can�t provide any details until the legal folks review all correspondence from the PWS team members for content. Thank you in advance for the extraordinary effort upon which you and your facility are about to engage. Tim, Jerry and I look forward to assisting you in anyway that we can. If you ain�t Union, you�re Vendor material! ARS Report Steve Pollock, ARS Liaison -- [email protected] Hello. My name is Steve Pollok and I am the new NAATS Liaison to ARS. I reported to Washington on March 12 and have been kept busy in-processing, attending meetings, and being introduced to the various individuals, both FAA and Union, that I will be working with for the next year. I have worked for the government for 32 years, 14 in the U. S. Air Force and 18 in the FAA. My FAA service has included stays at Memphis ARTCC, BWG FSS, and, for the past 12 years, at MKL AFSS. I am looking forward to working with the Board of Directors on the various projects in the ATS area. I have been impressed with the knowledge and professionalism of the other NAATS Liaisons. They have all been exceedingly helpful in getting me settled in, and answering all the questions that goes with being the new guy on the block. I am still reading information on the ARS programs and hope to be "up to speed" on them shortly. I will present a report at the NAATS Convention in San Antonio and will have a report in the next newsletter. Until then, Jim Perkins, the previous ARS Liaison who has moved to ATP, will do a combined report for the two areas. I look forward to meeting you, the NAATS membership, at San Antonio and during the trips that I will be making during the next year. You may contact me at the email address, [email protected] or at my office, (202) 385-7532. ARU Report Art Finnegan, ARU Liaison -- [email protected] GFA -- Graphical Area Forecast
WARP -- Weather and Radar Processor
ITWS - Integrated Terminal Weather System
SAWS - Stand Alone Weather System
JAWS - Juneau Airport Wind System
International Weather Briefings International Weather Briefings has been transferred to Air Traffic Procedures (ATP). Notice to Weather Observers: A technical directive will go out to all users of the ASOS, Operator Interactive Device (OID), which is the device used to augment weather observations. It will caution users not to edit the altimeter setting. If you do edit the altimeter setting it will stay missing until reset by the National Weather Service. In the interim, you have to enter the altimeter setting manually. Call Airway Facilities (AF) if an altimeter setting seems incorrect or if it is missing. Do not edit altimeter settings in a weather observation. ATP Report Scott Malon, ATP Liaison -- [email protected] The past few weeks have been very hectic in ATP. In addition to taking over several projects that Scott Malon was working on, much of my time has been spent dealing with ADIZ (Air Defense Identification Zone) issues. As many of you know, especially on the east coast, there have been several recent changes to security levels and flight restrictions. First let me say I applaud those of you who have been subjected to the increased workload resulting from these constant changes and the professional way you have been handling the increased traffic. Second let me assure you that we (myself and the FSOSC) are working closely with Eastern Region Director Donna Holmes to try to come up with ideas to try to alleviate some of the workload. The major problem we keep running into is the ever-changing security requirements presented by TSA. There is one piece of good news on the TFR front, ATP-400 advised me that they have ordered computers and printers for the purpose of finally getting the Graphical TFRs out to our field facilities. Hopefully I�ll have more on this issue for the convention. As for the other ongoing ATP/ARS projects: NSTS The NSTS program is finally showing visible progress with the installation of the NSTS hardware at MCN AFSS, and CDC installation scheduled for the second half of April. The hardware still needs to be tied into M1FC, however I�ve been told that is a simple process. We (NAATS) also still need to complete negotiation and sign a MOU for the Proof of Concept test. Union 1 has been submitted and we should get Management 1 back the first week in April while Bill Dolan is in Washington. Additionally there were several PTRs (Program Trouble Reports) identified at the OCT (Operational Capability Test) held in February, which have to be corrected prior to field-testing. The programmers agreed to have the next software version, which should correct the software failures, delivered on April 21st. AFSS IIDS Due to budgetary issues, the program has been temporally on hold. I have just received word from the program office that some money has been identified and the RD work will be starting back up. Now that Steve Pollok has assumed the ARS Liaison duties, I will be handing the program over to him. ATX Report Beth Gerrits, ATX Liaison -- [email protected] ACADEMY CLASSES I promised to keep you updated on the progress of the Academy classes. On Feb. 14, 2003 class 03003 started with a full complement of 14. On Mar. 24, 2003 class 03004 started with a full complement of 14. At this rate we will have 91 new employees by the end of the fiscal year in September. FAMILIARIZATION FLIGHT PROGRAM The Familiarization Flight Program has cleared all the hurdles but 1. The TSA has yet to sign off on the program. There is however no sign of when this might happen. So for the moment it is status quo. AFTI LAUNCHED On March 3rd NAATS was invited to a signing between the FAA and the University of Alaska for the Alaska Flight Service Training Initiative (AFTI). This is a cooperative program where the college teaches students about our job while they earn a degree in aviation at the same time. There are several other training initiatives that only prepare students to be hired by the FAA and from there they must attend the Academy like all other hires. This program, AFTI, allows the students to be hired directly from the college into the Flight Service option in Alaska. By coordinating the program with the FAA Academy the AFTI students are not required to attend the Academy. At this time the AFTI students can only be hired in Alaska. DEPARTURES & ARRIVALS A good deal of my month has been involved in the departure and arrival of Liaisons. Scott Malon has left us as the ATP liaison and he will be missed. He made the job look easy but having done it for a few days myself this month it was far from easy. Jim Perkins has moved to the ATP liaison job from ARS after much delay in the decision by the FAA over if he was going to stay or not. And finally we are joined by Steve Pollak from MKL who will be the new ARS liaison. FSOSC Report
Tim DeGrazio --
[email protected]
Have you ever wondered what the heck the Liaisons do in Headquarters? Merriam-Webster defines liaison as: communication for establishing and maintaining mutual understanding and cooperation. One of our Directors has said that liaisons are "conduits of information" for the Board. Both definitions are correct. Unfortunately the FAA has a problem with the mutual cooperation part of that description. It seems one of the FAA�s favorite pastimes is playing "Who�s got a secret?" Sometimes this secrecy is innocent or accidental, and occasionally it is vindictive. This is the normal sequence of events when we find a problem:
You will notice that at no point in this process did I say, "We make binding agreements for the Union." Or, "We make the decision to implement the procedure." That is strictly your elected representatives responsibility. CLARIFICATION OF NOTAM 3/1862 Speaking of what the heck we are doing up here; we have gotten clarification on the Sporting Events NOTAM, 3/1862. The intent is only to restrict the airspace over the four types of events specified in the NOTAM. Any other event, regardless of the seating capacity, is not covered by the NOTAM. I know it doesn�t make any sense, but that is often the case when TSA is involved. TODS FUNDING "VERY CLOSE" We have been told that funding for the TFR Operations Display System (TODS) is very close to being acquired. Very close is the FAA�s terminology for "I have no idea, please leave my office." We will keep you updated as events occur. NY & DCA ADIZ This month has seen the re-implementation of the Washington ADIZ, twice, and the New York ADIZ. We have been told there could be as many as 14 more ADIZ created throughout the Nation. We are providing your Directors with all the information and suggestions we can get to try to help alleviate some of the problems. Please give them any ideas that you can come up with. As I am sure you know some Eastern and New England Region AFSSs are being buried with ADIZ calls. There is a saying that is very popular at Miami AIFSS, "remember this is a marathon not a sprint!" You can only take one call at a time. If you rush you are doing a disservice to your pilots and yourself. Make sure you remind irate pilots that NAATS is fighting for their rights. No contractor is going to do that. That�s it for this month. Remember we are available for questions at (202) 267-3739 or 267-3726 or send us an e-mail. "I think we have more machinery of government than is necessary, too many parasites living on the labor of the industrious." -- Sir Francis Bacon By Gregory D. McGann, RDU AFSS The A76 process is all about money. From one extreme of the government to the other, the talk today is all about saving money, yet no one seems to have a clue as to creating an MEO. The truth is that to the people in charge of A76, "Most Efficient Organization" means "Cheaper Organization Than We Have Now." Efficiency has nothing to do with it, sensible cost reduction has nothing to do with it, and quality of service in the new organization has nothing to do with it. The very concept of "efficiency" is utterly alien to the people making these decisions, and the most tragic thing is that many of us in Flight Service seem to buy into the whole boondoggle. The bottom line on the quality of service we provide rests with our personnel. We can deal with outdated and obsolete equipment, cumbersome management, and policies that put roadblocks in our way, but we simply cannot provide the service without the staffing to do so. Our people are not just our most important resource, they are the only resource that matters. We can lose many things, but if we lose our controllers, we lose our option. Why then, when the talk turns towards cost savings, are personnel reductions and consolidation the first thing mentioned, on both sides? We are cutting our own throats if we agree to reduce our staffing and facilities below the level we need to perform the service, and we have been screaming for years that we don�t have enough people now. We can�t have it both ways -- if we need people now then we�ll need the same number of people in five years, or ten, or twenty. The FAA, like any other government bureaucracy, is riddled with waste on a staggering scale. Eliminating the productive portions of the agency while leaving the waste is the surest way to kill it, and we need to stop advocating our own suicide and start screaming for a reduction or elimination in the amount of money that is simply flushed down the toilet. One thing we should focus on is the overwhelming burden of upper level management. We should agitate, loudly and publicly, for an independent study of both management efficiency and journeyman efficiency. I have no doubt that the result would show that management is bloated to an obscene level, and far more cost savings result from eliminating GS-15�s in the Regional Headquarters than by eliminating the GS-12�s in the field who actually do the work. The second thing we should focus on are the examples of senseless waste that are an everyday occurrence in the FAA. For example, our new consoles, while certainly attractive, are horribly expensive. The short preflight consoles cost $9,000 each, while the inflight and supervisors consoles cost $16,000. This is not an unreasonable price when you consider that these are custom consoles, built to the FAA�s specification. That translates directly into cost. After all, if you went to a machine shop with a block of aluminum and asked them to make you a fork it would cost $400. Custom work isn�t cheap, but as nice as the consoles are there is nothing about them that we couldn�t duplicate for one-tenth the price at Office Depot. The type of decision-making that gives us our consoles is nothing new. It�s the same reasoning that gets the Air Force $5,000 toilet seats and $600 hammers, but it is also something the public can understand and become outraged about. That�s the outrage that we need to tap into. There is a more egregious example than even our consoles, and that is the new rack cabinets for our rack-mount monitor panels and RMCF monitors. Rack-mount gear is an industry standard and it isn�t cheap in any circumstance. There is a saying in the pro-audio industry that putting rack ears on a module triples the price, and that isn�t far off. One piece of music gear that I own costs $69 for the floor version, but the exact same thing in a rack-mount version is priced at $169. It�s the same for computer gear. The cabinets we received are six-foot tall, 48-space cabinets that had to cost at least $3,000 each. One cabinet has two sliding shelves and our RMCF monitors are now sitting on those $500 shelves. What was wrong with the $49 table they were sitting on before? Even worse are the rack-mount monitors. We have an identical 48-space cabinet to hold our two pieces of gear, one 1-space and the other 4-space. What makes this even worse than usual is the fact that these modules are 19-inch wide industry standard modules, but the cabinets are 23-inches wide. In other words, they are the wrong size -- a $3,000 blooper. To mount the 19-inch units in the 23-inch rack they took pieces of plywood, screwed them to the rack, cut holes in the plywood, and screwed the monitors to the wood. This is like buying a $1,200 pair of Italian shoes instead of a $50 pair in K-Mart, and buying them 3 sizes too large so you have to stuff newspaper in the toes to even wear them. Buying the wrong size completely defeats the purpose of the cabinet, and this kind of thinking is the reason that you will never, ever, see a true MEO in government until the people who think this way are eliminated. We need to start bringing these things to light. One of the most effective weapons against governmental bureaucracy is embarrassment, and you don�t need to dig too deeply to find examples that should make a laughingstock of the whole A76 process.
By Sheila Wissner, The Teneeesean, April 9, 2003 A state contract for computer services is under scrutiny by the Comptroller�s Office as the result of overbilling by two contract employees. Auditors also are looking at the sudden abandonment last fall of a plan to save millions of taxpayer dollars by putting computer experts on the state payroll, rather than paying them independent consulting fees. The overbilling is the subject of a criminal investigation, said Richard Rognehaugh, head of the state�s Office for Information Resources, which runs the state's computer system. Meanwhile, he said, the plan to make the computer experts state employees is back on track, although Rognehaugh declined to comment on what caused the delay. He said he would have preferred to "'press on'" with the plan that he had championed since taking over the technology office last spring. A comptroller�s report issued yesterday said the plan to convert contracted technology workers to state employees could save the state millions of dollars. But, the report said, '"that decision was abruptly changed in late 2002. This change was made not withstanding the information that had been developed indicating potential cost savings through the conversion." Former state Finance Commissioner C. Warren Neel, whose office oversaw the computer system operations, could not be reached yesterday for comment. The comptroller�s report was the first one issued by a new auditing team set up this year to concentrate on broader issues of waste and abuse that are beyond the scope of work the comptroller�s office normally conducts, said Arthur Hayes, head of the division of state audit. The information technology contract report focuses on the larger issue of saving money by reducing the amount of contract work that could be done more cheaply by converting contracted employees into state employees, whether for computer work or other services. The state contracts for myriad services beyond those that are technology-related. Between July 1, 2001, and Dec. 31, 2002, the state spent $39.6 million on computer consultants, according to the comptroller�s report. The report noted that by "supplanting state employees with contract labor, state officials are able to incorrectly publicize they are �holding down the size of state government.�" Additionally, the state could face liability and benefit issues arising from the use of contracted employees who function like state employees, the audit pointed out. In the case of the technology work, the state in 1997 contracted with seven companies to perform various technology-related tasks. The impetus for these contracts was to make sure state computers would not malfunction when the year 2000 rolled around. But the temporary workers assigned to Y2K compliance morphed into "permanent fixtures" for a number of state agencies, the report said. The report said the Office for Information Resources had projected an annual cost savings of $4 million-$5 million by converting all contracted positions to state jobs. However, the change in plans last fall meant only 15 positions would be converted. The seven positions that have been converted so far are saving the state $138,548 annually over the amount the vendors would have been paid, the report said. As for the overbilling, it was discovered during a routine review of invoices that the information office conducts every month, Rognehaugh said. The comptroller�s report said that neither the information services office nor the Labor Department, where the contract employees were working, had adequately monitored the state contract. Payments were made to the contracted employees even after the overbillings were discovered, the report said. Rognehaugh said that the workers were removed and payments stopped soon after the investigation into the overbillings began. The workers, who were not named in the comptroller's report, "'admitted'" to overbilling the Department of Labor and Workforce Development for "16-hour days, seven days a week, over successive pay periods," the report said. They were employed by Keane Inc., a company with headquarters in Boston, Rognehaugh said. The company had no immediate comment when contacted by The Tennessean.
The full amount of the overbilling has not yet been
determined, as the audit continues, Hayes said.
By Amelia Gruber, GovExec.com, February 5, 2003 A six-year-old effort by the Federal Aviation Administration to revamp its pay system, workforce planning strategies and employee relations has yet to show significant signs of success, according to a new report from the General Accounting Office. Since it usually takes agencies five to seven years to demonstrate that major reform efforts have brought "meaningful and lasting" results, "FAA�s implementation of personnel reform should now be approaching a point where such results might be discernable," the report (GAO-03-156) said. But the FAA initiated changes to its human capital management strategy without taking enough time to develop the baseline data and performance measures that would now help determine if the changes are working as intended. In interviews conducted between November 2001 and October 2002, FAA human capital officers told GAO the reforms were successful, but they lacked sufficient empirical data to back up this claim, the report said. The more than 170 managers and employees questioned over the same period were "generally less positive," GAO added. The FAA needs to establish measures that would help assess whether reform efforts have helped achieve performance goals, and then collect and analyze the relevant data, the report said. The agency has received similar recommendations in recent years and has started to develop measures, but has not outlined specific steps and time frames for implementing the measures, GAO said. In addition, the FAA personnel office should define and describe explicit ties between human capital management reform initiatives and the agency�s overall program goals established under the 1993 Government Performance and Results Act, the report said. In 1996, the FAA announced sweeping personnel management system reforms, including a new pay-banding system that gives managers more flexibility to compensate employees on the basis of performance. The agency also started requiring supervisors to give employees more frequent feedback about their performance, undertook efforts to track its workforce skills and demographics, initiated new hiring policies and established a forum to allow union leaders and FAA management to exchange ideas to improve labor relations. Many of these reforms were possible because lawmakers granted the FAA exemptions to Title 5 of United States Code and some of the other laws governing federal civilian personnel management in the 1995 Transportation Appropriations Act. For instance, the legislation allowed the FAA to form its own competitive hiring process, bypassing a centralized government hiring system. The more flexible pay-banding system required an exemption from Title 5. "Congress provided these flexibilities in response to FAA�s position that the inflexibility of federal personnel systems was one of the most important constraints to the agency�s ability to be responsive to the airline industry�s needs and to increase productivity in air traffic control operations," the GAO said. But even though many of the reforms have been fully implemented, it is not clear that they were successful enough to warrant the FAA�s exemptions from Title 5 and other federal personnel rules, according to the report. The new pay system has reached all but a quarter of FAA employees whose unions have not signed an agreement on the issue. Officials told the GAO that the system has increased the agency�s ability to attract and retain employees, but GAO was not convinced because of the minimal data presented, the report said. Nearly two-thirds of the 176 employees and managers interviewed for the report were critical of the reformed compensation system and told the GAO they either "disagreed" or "strongly disagreed" with the idea that the system is fair to all workers. In other instances, the FAA provided GAO with data that did not paint a complete picture of the reforms� success, the report said. In support of a claim that the FAA had reduced the average time needed to fill job vacancies from six months to as little as six weeks, officials presented data pertaining only to the hiring of air marshals. Only 12 of 46 managers interviewed by GAO said the FAA�s overall hiring speed had improved. The FAA can make a convincing case that its reforms have worked if it begins to collect relevant data and sets a timeframe for measurement process. Other agencies that have requested exemptions from federal personnel law, such as NASA, or agencies that have already received exemptions, such as the Transportation Security Administration, could learn from the FAA�s experiences, the report concluded. The Transportation Department and FAA generally agreed with the GAO report, but added that the reform effort is very complex and said they have been making significant progress in developing needed measures. In August 2002, the Office of Personnel Management recognized the FAA�s Office of Research and Acquisition for its employee management system, which brings employees and supervisors together several times a year to discuss individual performance goals and ensure these steps are linked to the office�s strategic goals. The program won OPM�s "Performance, Incentives and Leadership Linked to Achieve Results" award. The Office of Research and Acquisition program has "created much more focus for managers and employees and has helped employees understand how they fit in with the agency�s mission," according to Lauraline Gregory, who helped design the system and is the director of the FAA�s office of business management. In addition, the acquisition office�s revamped personnel focuses on measurable results, Gregory said. Each worker is accountable for reaching certain goals each year, making the system particularly effective, she added. "It�s not a shopping list--the results expected are tailored to individual employees." Brought to you by FedWeek.com Open Season About to Start One of the twice-yearly TSP open seasons starts April 15 and runs through June 30, the first spring open season under the revised dates the TSP began using late in 2002; previously the spring open season ran each May 15-July 31. During an open season, investors may change the amounts of their investments. Investors under the FERS system may invest 13 percent of salary and those under the CSRS system may invest 8 percent, subject to the tax code dollar cap of $12,000. Highly-paid investors under the FERS system may need to adjust their investments during the open season to make sure they don�t hit the dollar cap until the end of the year. If they hit it earlier, their contributions shut off and so do the government matching contributions the government makes for FERS investors. Catch-Ups Coming, But Other Changes Still Uncertain The TSP earlier this year announced that under legislation passed last year, it will begin allowing investors age 50 and older to start making "catch-up" contributions, starting with a maximum $2,000 this year. Catch-up contributions are over and above the percentage of salary or dollar contribution limits that otherwise apply, and will be made by filing a new form, the TSP-1-C. Elections will be allowed starting in July, with the earliest effective date being the first full pay period of August. Meanwhile, the TSP still has not announced when it expects to switch to a new computer system that has been under development for many years, although it appears possible that the system could be operative mid late year. The new system will allow daily valuation of accounts, speed transactions such as loans and withdrawals, and will allow new withdrawal options, among other changes. Relief for Activated Reservists Sought Legislation being offered in the Senate by Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., would assure that federal employees who are activated into military positions would not suffer a loss in income by requiring agencies to make up the difference between their military pay while on active duty and their normal pay as a federal employee. More than 120,000 federal workers are in Reserve or National Guard units and are subject to call-up, with most suffering salary reductions, some of them severe. Similar legislation was offered earlier in the House (HR-217). Federal agencies have discretionary authority to pay both the employee and government shares of the Federal Employees Health Benefits program premiums for employees who are called to active military duty-they can keep FEHB coverage for up to 18 months-and the Office of Personnel Management recently encouraged agencies to use that authority. The Defense Department uses that authority but policies in other agencies vary. Concern About Benefit Cuts Raised The head of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee has voiced concern that budget language crafted in the House "would likely require either a reduction in benefits or an increase in employees� share of the cost" of benefits. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, expressed that concern in a letter to Senate budget negotiators, who currently are meeting with House counterparts on a draft budget for the upcoming fiscal year. The House version of that measure-which is not binding but which serves as a blueprint for later budget action-would require cuts of $1.1 billion in 2004 and $40 billion over 10 years in programs overseen by her committee and the House counterpart Government Reform Committee. The chairman of the House panel, Rep. Tom Davis, R-VA, reached an agreement with budget leaders that the cuts could be found in procurement reform and agency reorganizations, but Collins� letter indicates that employee benefits might have to be hit anyway to find the savings. She said the budget resolution "should not require cuts in federal employee health or retirement programs or impose what would amount to new taxes on federal employees." House Civil Service Reform Bill Offered Rep. Jo Ann Davis, R-VA, head of the House civil service subcommittee, has offered legislation (HR-1601) that is a counterpart to civil service reforms being pushed on the Senate side (S-129) by Sen. George Voinovich, R-OH. Proposals include: expanding "demonstration project" authority in which agencies can break away from many standard job classification, pay and other rules; expanding the circumstances in which recruitment, relocation and retention bonuses may be paid; repealing a provision that has the effect of reducing retirement benefits for CSRS employees who switch to part-time employment late in their careers; fixing pay administration anomalies associated with special rates and pay retention; requiring agencies and the Office of Personnel Management to place a greater emphasis on training; and enhancing annual leave benefits for individuals joining the government in mid- or late-career. Davis and Voinovich also introduced new legislation (HR-1602 and S-768) to raise pay caps for senior executives, tie their pay more closely to performance and improve annual leave benefits for them and other high-level employees.
ALASKA REGION
CENTRAL REGION
EASTERN REGION Donna Holmes, Director and Ron Consalvo, Coordinator ADIZs After a miserable winter weather season in the region, everyone was looking forward to the warmer spring weather. The onset of spring this year brought with it an additional ADIZ to the region. Earlier in the year the DCA ADIZ was instituted in the interest of national security. The new procedures associated with the ADIZ tripled the traffic count at DCA. Just in time for the first weekend of spring, the NYC ADIZ was implemented. There was a planning Telcon on Tuesday to discuss how the region could help the 3 affected facilities (DCA, MIV, ISP). The managers were asked to look at their staffing and get back to the region with an estimate of how much overtime was needed. The NYC ADIZ along with the new DCA ADIZ procedures were implemented on Wednesday. Traffic tripled in all 3 facilities that day and the overload was offloaded to other eastern region facilities. It wasn�t that big of a stretch to think that traffic would be far worse on the weekend. When the weekend came the weather was great. All the pilots that were stuck all winter long came out of the woodwork. Unfortunately, management didn�t prepare for the increased traffic. I don�t know about the rest of the region but there was no scheduled overtime at MIV. All through the region, the specialists were doing their best to keep up with the traffic. At MIV, we were averaging 135 calls to briefers per hour with only 6 briefers for 5 straight hours. The supervisor did little to help the situation. He never answered one call, nor, did he explain why no traffic was being offloaded. When asked at the end of the day why he didn�t help, he said he was busy. He also said he was tired of the whining. The management has this idea that we can absorb anything. The fact is that even a super absorbent diaper can only take so much crap before it breaks. At MIV only 8 hours of overtime was used in 2 hour increments during the entire weekend. The next week, the managers were surveyed on how much overtime was used and how much additional was needed. The MIV manager answered that 8 hours were used and no additional hours were needed. When confronted with the email, the manager was more concerned with how the FacRep got the information. She then said she didn�t finish answering the survey but stated that an additional 24 hours were needed. Even facilities outside the ADIZ used more than MIV. I guess that is the support we can expect from management for doing a good job. STAFFING Staffing continues to be a problem in the region. The ADIZs complicate the situation even more. Most facilities are staffed over 100% on the management/ staff support side. This is causing decreased hiring of specialists throughout the region. Some of our critically staffed facilities are staffed in the 70% range. Problem is, every time a staff position comes open, management wants to fill it by shorting the bargaining unit even more. We have asked that no staff positions be filled until after the summer traffic season. Bids for staff positions are still popping up. Apparently nobody cares how short staffed we get. Spot leave is nonexistent. Flexes are becoming increasingly harder to get. Yet management wants to take more people from the bargaining unit. I don�t know about the other facilities in the region. But, every weekend day shift at MIV, there are 2 supervisors on duty. The rarely if ever pick up a briefing line. They will however hunt people down who are on break and tell them to get to work. In the time it takes to find someone in the break room, they could answer a call or two. They are of the mindset that they are there to oversee the operation. How many people does it take to supervise 10-12 briefers. In many cases the supervisors not only don�t support the operation, they are a hindrance. A-76
The A-76 group from headquarters visited MIV on the last Friday in March.
Kate Breen came along with them. The specialists were too busy to interact
with the team. If the national security issues regarding the ADIZ doesn�t
bring the FAA to their senses regarding A-76, then I don�t know what will.
Hope to see many of you at the convention in San Antonio. As far as summertime traffic goes, DCA has been at maximum capacity since the DC ADIZ and FRZ were put in place. These are nothing but workload monsters, just imagine you normal traffic and triple it and you�ll know what I mean. On good VFR weekends we do around 1000 flight plans a day. You see the ADIZ requires pilots to file a flight plan but round robin flight plans are not allowed. This generates two flight plans for every call, one out of and one into the ADIZ. Now the FRZ is another story. After we cross check the pilots secret PIN number with our list of some 600-700 pilots, only then can we file the flight plans. These flight plans have to have secret remarks that let Potomac TRACON know the PIN was checked. These also are one in one out and sometimes the pilot has to stop at FME to be searched by TSA. So to make a long story short, Some trips require the filing of six flight plans. After you get them filed you have to pound a copy of each one and fax it to the secret service. If this sounds like a lot of needless extra work your right, but that�s the way the TSA wants it. Here I thought I was working for the FAA, boy was I wrong. I can only hope that all this extra security work helps us get the A-76 study stopped, cause it sure doesn�t help morale. No bodies or overtime to help with the increased workload. As a briefer you start to dread VFR weekends like your worst nightmare. well that�s all for now, I�ve got to go file a ADIZ flight plan.
Welcome To The Sweatshop On a busy VFR Saturday we normally receive up to 800 calls. Since the ADIZ rules were put into place, we started receiving over 1,000 calls almost every day and our last VFR Saturday found us with 1,500! That�s several hundred calls more than the New York and Washington Flight Service Stations, which most folks assume are getting the bulk of the calls. We have been number one in calls received in the Eastern region every day since the beginning of the Iraq War. Millville AFSS is also the only Flight Service Station in the region to provide airport advisory service. Hardworking journeymen are accomplishing all this in an understaffed facility. We know we�re not alone. All of our co-workers at ISP, DCA, EKN, IPT, AOO and BUF are handling the workload as best they can, with limited staffing and we are proud of the terrific job we�re all doing. We know we�re doing a great job, because we hear it every day from the flying public. From the FAA we hear, "Good job," but still no contract; no raise; no back pay; no extra pay for CICs and OJTIs and let�s go ahead with A-76. From our local management we hear that there is no more money for overtime, even though they decided we would need less overtime than DCA and ISP. Now we�re being clobbered with a punitive break policy, which of course NAATS is fighting. I suppose the logic is that if we stop using the potty, we�ll have time to churn out even more work. Here, at Millville, we have risen to every challenge. No matter what comes up, we have taken it in stride. I often wonder, given the strain our employees are under, how long they can last at this pace before something snaps. Obviously, when you look at our traffic figures, money and rest periods are not all we care about, but it�s sure a good way for the FAA to show it�s appreciation for a job well done. Some extra staffing wouldn�t hurt, either! GREAT LAKES REGION
NEW ENGLAND REGION
NORTHWEST MOUNTAIN REGION
DENVER AFSS LOCAL NEWS Greetings from the Mile High City! Three feet of snow in Denver this week, and I was in Reno! What a tough life! I hope they have the hot tub dug out. The Battle Over Sick Leave Continues: The sick leave issue at Denver AFSS is, to put it mildly, frustrating. The grievance/arbitration process is slow and methodical. Meanwhile, management is threatening discipline against individuals who are sick! For those of you who don�t know what the issue is, I will try and explain it. For those who are fed up with it, this will be my last mention of it in this forum until we get some resolution! Denver management believes "if an individual does not have accrued sick leave, article 20-02 of the NAATS/FAA contract does not apply to them." They have issued letters to controllers who have low balances, telling them they cannot request sick leave if they do not have sufficient accrued sick leave to cover the requested time. Management insists they have to request some other form of leave, and approval is subject to operational need. That means, if an employee has used up all their sick leave, and come down with anthrax, they have to request annual leave, comp leave or leave without pay, and possibly be put on AWOL if the facility happens to be short staffed! Management does "generously" say they will approve some other form of leave if the controller brings in a medical certificate ("signed by a doctor") proving they were sick. Though that sounds like they are making annual leave conditional! Grabs another grievance form: The Union has instructed the bargaining unit not to request anything but Sick Leave if they are sick. The reason being, management does have a right to deny annual leave, comp leave and LWOP for operational needs. However the NAATS/FAA contract is specific -- "Sick leave shall be approved for an employee who is incapacitated for the performance of his/her duties." That means, if you�re sick, your absence shall be approved. NAATS WebPage: We continue to put more and more information on the NAATS WebPage. Hopefully by the time we get to San Antonio, the member�s only section will be set up. Unfortunately, much like the NATCA "members only" section, it is too risky to put very sensitive information on there. Most of what will be there will be FacRep helps, contract explanation/interpretation, research links, etc. We will discuss at the convention how to provide access and how often to change passwords. Lobby Efforts: Darrell Mounts and I continue to work the A76 issue with our state and federal representatives, but no new developments there. This is something each of us needs to put our efforts to. A message For Each Of Us: Ignorance of the law is no excuse.... Read your contract. Aviation Safety is Our Business & Our Business is NOT For Sale SOUTHERN REGION
Dave Hoover, Director and Tom Forte, Coordinator Additional items discussed during the meeting included:
SOUTHWEST REGION Mark Jaffe, Director & Dana Colquitt, Coordinator THE DIRECTOR�S UPDATE Little Progress It�s been another month of very little progress the regional, as well as, national level. Still no movement on pay and no word on our ULPs filed about the new contract. It seems that lack of money has caused progress in the FAA to grind to a halt. I have been fighting to have Flight Service included, at the regional level, in decisions, and procedure development, that have a direct affect on our day-to-day operations. For some reason, some people in the regional office think that they don�t have to talk to NAATS. It is a constant battle to get these people to include our bargaining unit in decisions that affect the way we are required to do our job. If you observe a procedure or action in your facility that changes working conditions and it was not negotiated with NAATS, file a grievance. I�m tired of being told that we will be included and then being ignored on these issues. Dana Colquitt Retiring On a sad note, we have lost an outstanding union member to retirement. Dana Colquitt will be retired by the time this is published. Dana has served as NAATS representative on so many facility, regional, and national groups that I can�t even began to list them all. Not only has she served unselfishly but she always did an outstanding job whenever NAATS needed her. Dana was the Southwest Region Coordinator when her term was cut short by retirement. On a personal note, her departure will leave a huge void in NAATS, Southwest Region. I will miss her advice and hard work and wish her well in retirement. NAATS Convention I have been extremely busy with preparations for the NAATS Convention in San Antonio. I hope to see many of you in San Antonio this month. I will have a hospitality night for Southwest Region in my hotel room on Tuesday, April 22. Hope to see you there. THE COORDINATOR�S UPDATE I have served as the FacRep at Montgomery County AFSS for almost 5 years and as the SW Region Coordinator for almost 2 years. Due to health reasons I have had to file for a medical retirement. My retirement will be effective April 5th, 2003. I want to thank everyone that donated leave to me during this time, it has really meant a lot to me. I also want to thank the management at my facility, they have went well out of their way to support me since I have been ill. I have had the privilege to work closely with the membership at DeRidder, La., as well. I don�t believe that there are any better people to work with than those at Montgomery County and DeRidder AFSS. I have enjoyed serving NAATS, not only as FacRep and regional coordinator, but also on the many committees that I have been allowed to serve on. I have always believed in the work that NAATS does. In the years that I have been a member of NAATS I have had the privilege to meet many wonderful people. I would especially like to thank the membership at both Montgomery County and the Southwest Region for entrusting me with the privilege of serving them. Please keep in touch..... Dana Colquitt WESTERN-PACIFIC REGION Mike Stafford, Director and Michael Puffer, Coordinator Pay Raise, or Lack of..... There is no one who is more frustrated by the FAA�s intransigence on this than me. I served on the pay negotiation team, and had to sit through the FAA�s ridiculous denigration of the job we do on daily basis. The "ruling", from the FMCS, if you want to call it that, was supposed to form the basis of our continuing negotiations on pay. As you know, we have not had one substantial meeting since. We have had a series of "we will be talking to you next month" promises, but that is about it. As of today, we still have a promise of a meeting with the FAA on this next month. I know that to many of our bargaining unit, this is even more important than A-76, as we have such a high percentage of our BUMS waiting to retire. I have 35 years of Government service, and I have as much interest in getting this resolved as anyone. Everyone has an opinion on what we should be asking for now. This is not the problem. You have to be at the table to negotiate. The devil lies in the details -- we need an offer before we can negotiate or vote on it. How do we force the FAA to sit down and talk to us? We can�t really. The Pay Reform Act has a provision that in case of an impasse of this type, the Administrator can plead her case before Congress, and if they do not act, her (the FAA�s) proposal will become the law. She chooses not to do this (which may be a good thing), so where does that leave us? Right where we are now -- spinning our wheels. I remind everyone that 2 years ago at the Convention, there was unanimous agreement to stay the course and push for parity. At that time, the budget was great, and we were looking forward to the "Flight Service Renaissance" conference in STL. We thought we were in a pretty good bargaining position, and everything was rosy. Well, events have certainly overtaken that -- the war, the economy, A76, etc. With the deficit projections being what they are, we couldn�t be asking for more money at a worse time. In hindsight, if we had it to do over, we probably would have taken what they were offering, but that is not an option now. The BOD and the President pursued what the membership wanted -- parity. We did not get it, and let�s face it -- we never will.
What can we do about it now? We will continue to aggressively pursue
negotiations on this issue, and if the meeting they keep promising finally
comes about, we may an offer to present to the membership. There is also
hope in the bill language being circulated on the Hill that would insert the
Federal Service Impasses Panel (FSIP) as the final arbiter for these
impasses. This would be a huge plus for our situation. RegCo Update Well I have been on the job for just over as month now and getting up to speed on things at both the National and Regional level. The first month has been busy to say the least, I attended training at the RO so I could be the NAATS rep on the Regional OSHECOM committee, it was an eye opener for me on what should be going on and isn�t� but isn�t that the case with most FAA programs. The next week was spent in contract training at RNO. Thanks to Bill Dolan and Kate Breen for all the work they put into the training! We also had a short meeting with all the FacReps from the AWP. The last week has been spent gearing up for the quarterly meeting on April. Mike Stafford and I have been working on a database of grievances so we can track them better and also easily determine if a similar grievance has been filed in the past and the outcome. For those of you, who don�t know me, let me give you a little background. I served in the Air Force, as a controller for a little over six years. I got out and worked at Home Depot for 3 years until the FAA called me and asked if I wanted to work at Flight Service. After working at SAN AFSS for a year and a half I ran for FacRep, and have been doing that for over a year and a half. I have 20 years to go until I can retire so I have a vested interest in the outcome of the A-76 process and will do everything I can to stop it. I urge all of you to keep writing your congressmen and doing everything within your power to stop the A-76. I served as acting RegCo for 3 months while our RegCo was on a detail in Washington. I have been working with Mike Stafford on quarterly LMR meetings since that time. I look forward to serving you all as RegCo. One
other quick note, as some of you know there is a Yahoo group for NAATS
members only; I would encourage all of you to join. There are some good
ideas that have been generated out of there. And it gives everyone a chance
to see what other issues are facing different facilities through out the
nation the URL is:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NAATS/.
Training Contiunes
New ATM New Arrivals Lazaro Artieaga (LA) and Jabali Person (PJ) have just arrived from the Academy. Lazaro comes to us from Oxnard Tower and Jabali comes from Gillespie Tower. Welcome aboard! Training Update Alicia Davila (AD) has successfully completed her Inflight certifications. Congratulations! Alicia and David Graham are now wrapping up their CIC training. Melanie Liden (LN) is now working to re-certification on her last position, Inflight. More Dust! We�re now somewhere between Phase II and II of the OASIS Workstation installation the dust is STILL flying. It�s hard to think that some of that dust is nearly 20 years old. Several controllers have noted a few oversights on the design team�s part. They apparently forgot we�d want drawers for pens and 5X8" pads, and the "expanded" supervisor�s workstation hasn�t got enough desk space for the fax and copy machines, not to mention no filing space for forms, etc. On the up side, having the dividers between positions should help reduce the noise factor on the floor. Chili Cookoff The Hawthorne AFSS Annual Chili Cookoff will happen on Monday, April 28th with judging to begin at 11:00 a.m. No word yet on whether or not San Diego or Riverside AFSSs will send over any entries. Judges will come from the RO and the fire station next door. ATM Mike Lammes will be contributing chopped onions, cheese and soda to round out the chili experience. If you cook, this is your chance to see how your favorite chili recipe stands up against others; if not, it�s just good eats! A-76/PWS Workshop May 13-15, HHR will host a Western-Pacific Region A-76 workshop on developing the Performance Work Statement (PWS) needed as part of the A-76 study. Eli Morrissy will be HHR�s NAATS representative and Mike Lammes will represent Management. Eli and Mike have the list of official documents to bring to the meeting. But if you have any constructive suggestions regarding the work we do that you want addressed at the meeting, please talk to her about them or leave a note in her mailbox. I know this is a difficult situation for all of us, but we must make the effort to show the A-76 people the best of Flight Service professionalism while they are here. Leave Donors Needed WP Regional Director, Mike Stafford, has been approved for the Voluntary Leave Transfer Program due to partial amputation on his right foot. I�m sure that the folks at HHR will generously step up to help a fellow FSSer, as they have in the past. We all wish him a successful recovery.
Nothing that is inflammatory or scurrilous, libelous, attacks members by name or which contains words or phrases that are in poor taste and likely to be unnecessarily offensive, should be printed in the NAATS News or Regional Supplements. Individual(s) views expressed in the newsletter do not necessarily reflect the position of the Union. |
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