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Wally Pike, NAATS President
SIR Protest
It has been extremely busy with the legal
issues of our SIR contest. Bottom line - the program office did not
challenge our standing which represents a major victory for us. Our contest
will now have to be decided based on its substance. ODRA has appointed a
Special Master (GSA judge) to assist in the fact finding and has also
assigned mediation using ADR. Our request that the August 3 proposal date be
delayed was denied but ODRA has decreed that source selection cannot occur
until our contest is adjudicated. We continued out talks this week with the FAA on the accommodations for adversely affected employees and the RIF negotiations. Bill Dolan is in charge of these issues and will keep you informed. My feeling is that at least we�re off to a positive start and talking about the issues again. Our goal is to reach a fair agreement as soon as possible and to get that information out to you. We have generated considerable congressional interest in the A-76 source selection date as well as our alternative proposal to the FAA Administrator of last summer.
Verbal Assurances
Lott Puts Blakey on Notice Our position is as follows: The A-76 process should be stopped not just due to the inherently governmental arguments, which we are all familiar with and that has been well-documented, but also because of the unnecessary cost to taxpayers. The FAA continues to complain about their budget shortfall; continuing this process will result in a conservative estimate of $225M in unbudgeted expenses over the next two fiscal years. This expense is unbudgeted because the FAA failed to follow OMB guidelines recommending agencies preplan A-76 activities for 12-18 months prior to initiation. There is no evidence that the FAA did any preplanning whatsoever prior to beginning this outsourcing process in May 2002. This expense will have be absorbed by parts of the FAA that are not subject to the study effectively negating any cost savings for at least the first two to three years of any vendor contract. Additional unbudgeted expenses are anticipated. This expense is unnecessary and wasteful. The NAATS proposal demonstrates projected savings of $600M over seven years; this compares favorably with the DOT IG Report Number: AV-2002-064 Date Issued: December 7, 2001. This IG report is, of course, used by the FAA as a primary reason for initiating the AFSS A-76 outsourcing process. Adopting the NAATS proposal also significantly enhances the FAA�s chances of actually realizing the efficiencies and cost savings contained in the end state. The FAA has still not contacted us despite the fact that we�ve continued to signal our willingness to move to the proposal efficiencies and to save the unnecessary and unbudgeted expense of the A-76 process. It is understood that the proposal is dynamic and high level with many details to be determined. Our commitment, however, remains in tact. Expect to hear more on this in the coming months.
Kerry�s Commitment Although we very much appreciated the verbal commitments, we felt it was important to have candidate Kerry�s strong position of support in writing for all to see. Given the above we feel it is important for NAATS to take a position on the presidential election. I have recommended, and the Board has agreed, that we endorse John Kerry in the November election. I�m working with his staff now on a press release. In the meantime, we are continuing to participate on the Kerry Transportation Policy Team. Action plans are being developed that will include NAATS and our issues.
RIF Negotiations
ATO-D/AHR-1 Letter
Administrator�s Letter
ACA Misinforms Congress Our alternative proposal continues to generate Capitol Hill interest. We stand by the projected savings of $600M over seven years. Nothing but silence from the FAA so far.
AOPA Meeting
Canceling Facility Visits
- Carl Sagan
NAATS Press Release, July 23, 2004 Union President Files Protest on FAA Solicitation Air Traffic Controllers Cite Safety and Security Concerns Washington, DC -- Walter W. Pike, the President of the National Association of Air Traffic Specialists (NAATS) today announced that he has filed a "Contest" on behalf of a majority of the directly affected FAA employees, against the terms of an FAA Circular A-76 solicitation for a public-private competition for Automated Flight Services for the National Airspace System. "Not only has the process been conducted improperly by the FAA, it also unfairly favors commercial service providers over the in-house, or Most Efficient Organization (MEO) bid," said Pike. "The Screening Information Request (SIR) does not take into account many of the important services that are currently being provided by our air traffic controllers, nor does it adequately ensure aviation safety and security." "The FAA did not follow OMB guidance that these A-76 outsourcing studies be pre-planned 12-18 months in advance. In its haste to get this SIR on the street, the FAA has produced a flawed document with numerous deficiencies and oversights, some of which can potentially jeopardize aviation safety and security", Pike said. Concern has been expressed repeatedly that the MEO bid is not receiving the same consideration as commercial bidders. The FAA has further confused the issue by portraying the MEO bid as a joint labor/management venture between the FAA and NAATS. "Actually, the MEO is the FAA in-house bid on which we have had the minimum participation required by the Circular. The FAA makes all the decisions, and we are very much junior members," Pike explained. OMB has acknowledged that this A-76 competition is the most complex ever conducted under A76 guidelines. Congressional concern continues to build regarding whether this group of controllers is a proper target for outsourcing and whether the SIR ever should have been issued, "The FAA has unbudgeted liabilities of more than $225M during the next two fiscal years of this process," Pike said. "The expense of this competition is unnecessary since NAATS made a modernization proposal to the FAA last summer that would capture $600M in saving over a seven year period." A copy of the Contest is available on the NAATS WebPage www.naats.org. Kate Breen, A-76 Representative -- [email protected] 7/9/04 The second amendment to the SIR is on the ACA web site if you would like to take a look. We are working on responses to it all and I should have more on that in the next week or so.
Sick Leave Buyback
EAP to Visit Facilities
Before Talking to EAP
They leave off the fact that if you are in a safety/sensitive position and the counselor feels in their "expert opinion" that you have a problem with alcohol/drugs they have to let the FAA know. So educate yourself on the process and if you are going to talk to a counselor/representative, please no jokes so that nothing gets misconstrued and you end up in rehab or jail!
7/23/04 Within 5 business days of ODRA receiving the contest, a status conference is set up. After that, the acquisition team, mainly the Contracting Officer (CO) will have 10 business days to respond to the contest with copies to both ODRA and the party filing the contest. Comments and procedural orders will be due 5 business days after the response from the CO was either received or due. Recommendations and or findings need to be complete within 30 business days or sooner after the comments or procedural orders are in. Recommendations and or findings will be released only upon issuance of the final FAA Order. The part that I�m unsure of is how long the FAA has from recommendation to Order, if I find that out I�ll let you know in another update.
Wade & Assoc. Drops Out
HR issues
A Tale of "No Money??"
Where You Stand Depends on Where You Sit
That�s it for now, if you have any questions let me know.
On July 20th and 21st, your national and regional OSHECCOM representatives met in Washington DC for a NAATS Occupational Safety and Health Workshop. Organized and facilitated by Mary Wingard, ATO-A, we received general training on OSH issues and addressed specific problems within the Flight Service System.
THOSE ATTENDING
TUESDAY�S BRIEFINGS
WEDNESDAY�S BRIEFINGS
ISSUE DISCUSSIONS
THANKS
Roger Lingenfelter, CPR AFSS The nation�s air traffic control system is operated by three separate options. Enroute (ARTCC), Terminal (ATCT), and Flight Service (AFSS). ARTCC handles instrument flight rules traffic (IFR) by radar. That is IFR traffic below 18,000 feet and all traffic above 18,000 feet. Western Wyoming is remoted from Salt Lake City, eastern Wyoming Denver. ATCT at Casper handles IFR traffic and visual flight rules (VFR) traffic in and out of Casper below 14,000 feet and within 30 miles of Casper, between 5:00am and 9:00pm. Most general aviation aircraft do not fly IFR. ARTCC has almost no radar coverage below 8,000 feet due to mountains. So who does the largest percentage of aviation call? Flight Service. Casper AFSS handles all VFR traffic and flight planning for IFR traffic for Wyoming. Pilots call AFSS via radio and telephone for all aeronautical information pertinent to their flight. AFSS relays clearances to IFR aircraft at remote airports around the state and at Casper when ATCT is closed at night. Casper AFSS is responsible to provide certain information to every pilot contacted. This includes any and all hazardous information concerning their flight such as, icing, turbulence, thunderstorms, rain, snow, hail, low clouds, flight restrictions and prohibited areas such as power plants, sports stadiums, military activity areas and bases. AFSS provides pilots information to keep aircraft away from our leaders. In Wyoming, Casper AFSS helps guard the airspace around the vice president�s residence and travel locations. Right after 9/11, while ARTCC and ATCT was all but shut down AFSS was busy insuring that military flights, air ambulance and national security flights were allowed to fly. That�s the good news. Now the bad. The FAA wants to sell this service to a private contractor. This process is called A-76. A-76 studies find a private contractor to perform government services cheaply. Private companies are not interested in safety and national security as much as making money. Airport screening was just assumed by government agents as private vendors could not do an adequate job. Yet the FAA has seen fit to turn the security of your skies to a private company. Do you really want national security conducted by the lowest bidder?
Contact your congressional candidates and ask them to stop A-76 for Flight
Service.
Associated Press, July 23, 2004 GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- University of North Dakota officials are watching closely a federal spending bill that could alter the school�s air traffic control program. The House draft of the 2005 transportation spending bill includes a provision to supply about $7 million for the hiring of new air traffic controllers, but only those who received their initial training at the Federal Aviation Administration Academy in Oklahoma City. It passed the House Appropriations Committee. UND and 13 other schools also offer basic air traffic control programs. The provision is an attempt to centralize all air traffic control training at the academy, located in the home district of Ernest Istook, R-Okla., sponsor of the provision. Gary Bartelson, director of air traffic control programs at UND, called the news alarming but said talk of closing the UND program is premature. "We don�t believe this is going to mean the removal of the schools," Bartelson said. UND�s program, which began in 1981 after a massive air traffic control strike, has 360-degree and 225-degree control tower simulators and about 40 radar simulators, a setup that exceeds the FAA�s basic requirements. Of the 188 UND graduates that have been recommended for hire by the FAA, only six are no longer working in the industry, Bartelson said. The provision would not affect on UND�s contracts to train air traffic controllers from other countries. Students from Norway, China, Russia, Spain, Japan and Croatia have all trained there. Staff for Rep. Earl Pomeroy, D-N.D., said the provision is not likely to survive after it is attacked by legislators from the affected districts. Supporters of Duane Sand, a Republican running against Pomeroy, say the potential loss of the program shows the need to put someone else in Congress. "If he were so powerful, we wouldn�t be in constant danger of having our programs and bases on the chopping block," said Matt Lewis, Sand�s campaign manager in a release. Dianne Mondry, head of Pomeroy�s re-election campaign, said Sand is using scare tactics to mislead UND employees. "This absurd attack is a pretty clear indication that Duane Sand doesn�t understand the legislative process," Mondry said. "The bill was approved by a committee, but certainly no program is on the chopping block."
Terri Michel, NAATS Representative ATPAC�s 116th meeting was held at SEATAC Towers in Seattle, Washington, on July 13th and 14th. Boeing hosted this meeting and provided the group a tour of the Boeing facility in Everett, Washington. The building where aircraft are assembled is over 98 acres under one roof and is about 5 stories high. They seem to have found the perfect combination of old and new technology, from an 88-ton crane mounted on the ceiling that rotates 360 degrees, to old-style bicycles with baskets to haul parts around. They offer public tours and it�s worth a stop if you�re in the area. The Randy Nutt Award was presented to Captain Becky Howell of Southwest Airlines (SWA). Randy Nutt (deceased) was a well-respected and admired member of ATPAC. The Air Traffic Controller Assoc. (ATCA) presents an award each year to an ATPAC member in Randy�s memory. Becky has been a member of ATPAC for ten years and has made many contributions. She has moved on to pursue other interests and SWA will be represented by Kevin Jones.
Document Change Proposal (DCP)
AIM 4-3-15 and AIP ENR 1.1-13
Action Pending Area of Concern (AOC)
Deferred
Action Completed
Pending Recommendations
TWEB Forecast Discontinuation due to Graphic Area Forecast
(GFA)
The next ATPAC meeting is scheduled for October 4th - 7th in
Washington, DC. I will be using my home email address for a while as I am in
email jail at work and don�t really have time to check on it properly. I
hate LOTUS NOTES! Contact me with questions or concerns at:
[email protected]. Gregory McGann, RDU AFSS Aviation Surface Weather Observations at airports around the country are now performed by the Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) consisting of a combination of hardware sensors and software programs. The software in use at these ASOS sites has several bugs that are not being addressed. The current fifth edition of the Federal Meteorological Handbook No. 1 (FMH-1) "Surface Weather Observations and Reports" embodies the United States conversion to the World Meteorological Organization�s (WMO) Aviation Routine Weather Report/Aviation Selected Special Weather (METAR/SPECI) code formats. The software bugs in the ASOS system result in the ASOS reporting certain weather conditions incorrectly and not in accordance with the methods and procedures that are set forth by the National Weather Service (NWS) in the FMH-1. Federal Aviation Administration Automated Flight Service Stations (AFSS) are responsible for pilot weather briefing in the United States. These software bugs make it difficult to accurately brief pilots on the actual conditions. Sometimes the accuracy of the reports can be determined by viewing trend data, but because of storage limitations in the AFSS and NWS computer systems that only allow a maximum of two hours of such trend data, the accuracy of the report is often impossible to determine. This UCR has been filed previously as UCR 385206 in May, 2000. On August 11, 2000 ARW-1 recommended closure of this UCR, stating that Software Version 2.60 corrected these errors. On August 22, 2000, a memo was sent from ASO500 stating that the software would be installed at RDU by the end of the week. On January 24, 2002, a memo was sent indicating that V2.60 was issued on June 3, 1999, and installed at RDU on November 10, 2000. On January 30, 2002, the UCR was finally closed. There are still several problems. First and foremost is that the ASOS is still making the same errors. Either the new software did not correct the problem, or it was never installed. In addition, ARW-300 chose to interpret the UCR as applying only to the RDU ASOS, when it clearly involved the entire nationwide ASOS system. This is not a local problem but a system-wide problem. The examples provided with this UCR were collected at random over a four-month period and consist of over one hundred examples of six different errors. The examples are for a random selection of ASOS sites. Although there are at least a dozen different errors that are common, this UCR only addresses the six most frequent and serious ones. These are pressure trends, wind shifts, wind direction, visibility, cloud layers, and report types.
PRESSURE TREND Pressure falling rapidly (PRESFR). A decrease in station pressure at a rate of 0.06 inch of mercury or more per hour which totals 0.02 inch or more at the time of the observation. Pressure rising rapidly(PRESRR). An increase in station pressure at a rate of 0.06 inch of mercury or more per hour which totals 0.02 inch or more at the time of the observation. The software ASOS uses does not correctly apply these criteria, resulting in inaccurate and incorrect use of the terms. For example:
At 1951 the pressure is 29.63. Sixteen minutes later it is 29.64, a change of 0.01, which does not meet the criteria for PRESRR, yet the ASOS reports that the pressure is rising rapidly.
WINDSHIFT wind shift. A change in the wind direction of 45 degrees or more in less than 15 minutes with sustained wind speeds of 10 knots or more throughout the wind shift. variable wind direction. A condition when (1) the wind direction fluctuates by 60 degrees or more during the 2-minute evaluation period and the wind speed is greater than 6 knots; or (2) the direction is variable and the wind speed is 6 knots or less. A significant shift in the wind direction is considered to be important information that should be reported in aviation weather reports. A wind shift is usually indicative of frontal passage or other significant weather events. The bug in the ASOS software makes the program unable to correctly distinguish between wind shifts and variable wind conditions in many circumstances.
What is happening is that the wind direction is varying, but not by the 60 degrees required to report variable wind conditions? When the wind varies by less that 45 degrees the ASOS correctly ignores it, and when the wind varies 60 degrees or more the ASOS correctly reports a variable wind condition. The bug surfaces in conditions where the wind direction is varying 45-59 degrees. The error triggers the ASOS to incorrectly report a wind shift when the variance exceeds the 45 degree criteria, ignoring the fact that that the wind has not actually shifted.
WIND DIRECTION
The presence of 21-knot gusts requires that the direction be specified, yet it often is not. In addition, other less serious errors are often seen, such as:
VISIBILITY If conditions are bright enough for a pilot or a controller to use sunglasses, you can expect the automated systems to report visibility approximately twice what the human eye perceives. If an ASOS observation reports a 4-mile visibility, you can expect a report of around 2 miles by a human observer. This was also acknowledged in the original ASOS specification, which called for separate day and night algorithms to eliminate this discrepancy. This was never implemented, resulting in errors such as the following:
The visibility reported in the body of this report is the tower visibility. Sometimes the tower and surface visibility can vary drastically. Usually, when the tower visibility is lower than the surface visibility it is due to a low ceiling and the tower cab is in the cloud base. When the surface visibility is lower that the tower visibility it is usually due to a surface based obscuration, such as fog. The tower visibility is higher because the cab is above the fog. In the preceding example, the surface visibility is greater than the tower visibility, yet the obscuration is surface based and the tower cab is well below the cloud layer at eight hundred feet. This is a perfect example of the difference between the ASOS sensor and the human eye 100 feet above. If this were a non-towered airport this bug (or more accurately, this design flaw) would result in the airport being officially VFR instead of IFR.
CLOLUD LAYERS scattered. A layer whose summation amount of sky cover is between 3/8ths and 4/8ths. By definition, you can have no more than two reported few or scattered cloud layers, yet the ASOS often reports three, as in the following example.
This means that a casual glance at this report would indicate that there is no ceiling at Sanford, when in fact there is probably a broken ceiling at three thousand five hundred.
REPORT TYPE SPECI. An unscheduled surface weather report taken to record a change in weather conditions that meets specified criteria or is otherwise considered to be significant. METAR. A scheduled surface weather report taken between H+45 and H+59, regardless of whether SPECI criteria are met. The Service Level D ASOS (stand-alone) often transmits every report as a METAR, even outside the time parameters when the report should be encoded as a SPECI. This tends to obscure important weather changes that the SPECI is designed to highlight.
In this example, the ASOS is also generating reports that do
not meet SPECI criteria, another common error.
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- The pilot of a helicopter that crashed last month was warned before takeoff that flying visually wasn�t recommended because of weather conditions, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. A statement from the agency says the weather called for instrument flying, but the pilot didn�t file a flight plan with air traffic control and didn�t contact air traffic control after takeoff. The pilot, Wyatt Zane Rodgers, 27, of Taylors, and the two passengers, Kendall Loudermilk and his wife, Kelly Loudermilk, died June 27 after the helicopter crashed near Barnesville, Ga. The NTSB statement says a briefer told Rodgers before takeoff that flying using visual navigation wasn�t recommended because of the weather conditions. Conditions called for instrument flight rules, the statement says. Christopher White, an FAA spokesman, said pilots aren�t allowed to fly using visual navigation when weather conditions call for instrument flight rules. The Loudermilks were flying to Florida to attend a funeral.
NTSB officials said the crash still is under investigation
and a report could be available in six months. The opinions expressed here are strictly those of the authors and in no way reflects the position of the Union or its elected or appointed officials or liaisons. CHOOSE WISELY Elinormarie L. Morrissy, Editor What�s the difference between a manager and a leader? Is one better than the other or does a person have to be a bit of both to really be effective? The following list of qualities can be found in just about any conference, seminar or book that can find on the subject of leadership.
How many members recognize the manager�s qualities among FAA
management or their own facilities� management personnel? How many are lucky
enough to see the leader�s qualities at work in their facilities? Balancing the qualities of management and leadership has always been touted as a formula for success. After all, administrative skill combined with originality can make a small group prosper. Knowing how to balance the requirements of systems and structures with the needs of people can forge a diverse collection of individuals into an effective and loyal workforce. Keeping an eye on the horizon while watching the bottom line can build a successful company.
But during challenging times, it�s the individual who knows
when to emphasize the leader�s qualities who makes the biggest difference.
There are times when the status quo needs to be challenged and authority
needs to be asked the simple question, "Why does it have to be only this
way?� We are in the fight of our livelihoods and we need a leader who
inspires our trust through their work ethic and their loyalty to the
membership. We need a leader who will work hard to represent the best of the
flight service profession before the Congress and the media as we continue
our struggle for justice. Finally we need a leader who can be trusted to
hold the agency�s feet to the fire and make them do right by all of us, not
just the few they might deign to keep on. So when you�re reviewing the choices in your 2004 Election Bulletin, remember these characteristics. Think about the future -- your own, NAATS� and Flight Service�s. Then follow your conscience and choose wisely -- for all our sakes. Greg McGann, RDU FacRep An open letter to Jim Washington Dear Jim, As an AFSS employee I support your efforts to make Flight Service responsive to our customers needs and to meet our service goals. While I am willing to assist in any way I can I have only been informed of one goal, that of a lost call rate not exceeding 3% and average delays not exceeding 30 seconds. Since these apply to preflight services, I would very much like to know to goals for the higher priority services we provide so that I may endeavor to meet them.
Emergency Services What is our goal for lost aircraft orientation times? I believe most aircraft are located in 5 minutes or less, but I have never seen the standard. I have also not been informed of the goal for finding overdue VFR aircraft. Of course, we have action times for QALQ, INREQ, and ALNOT as prescribed by the 7110.10, but I would like to know what our goal is for actually locating the aircraft after we have moved to the ALNOT stage. What is an acceptable time for responding to and locating ELT signals? How long should it take us to coordinate CFR resources at local airports? This information would be helpful in meeting your expectations for service. Inflight Services
How long should it take to respond to an EFAS/INFLIGHT call?
With only one EFAS/INFLIGHT position open at a time, aircraft must
frequently wait their turn for service. How many aircraft waiting is
considered acceptable? What is the goal for inflight delay times? How about
lost radio call rates? How long should an aircraft have to wait for an
airport advisory? Inquiring minds want to know. What are the appropriate times for issuing NOTAMS? Are their different goals for different NOTAMS? For example, should a runway closure be issued and coordinated in, say, 45 seconds while a VOR outage gets 90 seconds? Is there a different standard for D NOTAMS and L NOTAMS? When a storm or other natural event causes widespread tower light failures, what is the acceptable delay time for the monitoring agencies to wait on hold to talk to the NOTAM position? What is the minimally acceptable delay time between a tower light outage and the issuance of the corresponding NOTAM? For the coordination of that NOTAM? For canceling that NOTAM? How long should it take for Presidential TFRs and other airspace restrictions to be posted locally? Let�s not forget NAVIAD monitoring. What are the goals for coordinating outages and restoring services? We want to make sure we aren�t letting you down. The 7110.10R says new HIWAS broadcasts must be made by H+10, but is this the optimum time you are looking for? What about updates? How long do we have to get a new WST on the HIWAS? What would be an unacceptable delay? Some stations still take weather observations. What are the goals for timely obs and SPECIs? We aim to please. What are our goals for transmitting movement messages? The programming restraints of the M1FC sometimes require certain messages to wait until others have been dealt with. How much delay is too much? Are their different acceptable wait times for FPNOs? Military change of destinations? QRUQs? VFR/IFR flight plan closures/cancellations? Revisions to ETAs? Airfiles? We just want to do things your way.
Preflight This brief list only scratches the surface of the 2,500+ functions an Automated Flight Service Station performs, but naturally we want to meet the highest standards for each of them. Of course, we can�t allow our efforts on low priority items, such as average preflight briefing delays and lost preflight calls to impact any of the higher priority goals. In fact, we can�t let our desire to improve our preflight briefing times allow the quality of our briefings to suffer. I hope this is understood in the upper echelons of the Flight Service portion of the ATO. I recently had a senior ATO official tell me that we might not be able to provide the dollar-twenty briefing anymore, and would have to settle for the ninety-cent briefing. While I was happy to hear someone in management finally admit the true cost of a briefing, we still cannot allow ourselves to compromise our quality in the search for dubious quantity, so you see, Jim, how vital it is that you provide us with those figures as soon as possible. We look forward to continuing our high level of service. After all, according to the Mitre survey 92.4% of all pilots are perfectly satisfied with our service now. Once we get your numbers we can begin to improve that figure with all due haste. We cannot procrastinate, for in two days, tomorrow will be yesterday.
Greg McGann
By Amelia Gruber, GovExec, July 21, 2004 When President George W. Bush calls a Cabinet meeting, he expects members to arrive with a copy of a simple score card rating their accomplishments in five areas of federal management reform. The traffic-light-style score card, updated by the Office of Management and Budget each quarter, better not appear overwhelmingly red, says Clay Johnson, Bush�s ex-Yale roommate turned management adviser. Attorney General John Ashcroft "had a blown-up version of his score card in the last Cabinet meeting, and I know John Snow was sitting next to him and was quite nervous because the Justice Department had fewer reds than the Treasury Department," Johnson says. "There�s the competition thing, and they know the president pays attention." As OMB�s deputy director for management, Johnson is responsible for helping agencies earn better grades. Those marks are gradually creeping upward, and Johnson says it�s because federal executives are internalizing the management ideals exemplified in the score card. But so far, the results of Bush�s efforts are largely theoretical. Observers say the first president to hold an MBA would need another term to demonstrate substantial results across all five fronts of his ambitious management reform plan.
Setting the Agenda
"Government should be citizen-centered, results-oriented and,
wherever possible, market-based," he said. The initiatives built on previous management reforms. For example, a series of laws passed in the 1990s, including the Government Management Reform Act, Federal Financial Management Improvement Act and Chief Financial Officers Act, provided the basis for Bush�s financial management goals. The Program Assessment Rating Tool, a questionnaire used by OMB to evaluate a sampling of federal programs each budget cycle, has a natural tie-in to the 1993 Government Performance and Results Act, says Paul Posner, managing director of federal budget analysis at the General Accounting Office. Even Bush�s controversial effort to let contractors bid on tens of thousands of federal jobs -- known as competitive sourcing -- asks civilian agencies to embrace a practice that dates back to the 1950s. The Defense Department got serious about running public-private competitions in the 1970s. "I think as all presidents do, [Bush] came into the office wanting to argue that what he was going to do was fundamentally different," says Philip Joyce, associate professor of public policy and administration at The George Washington University. "I don�t think what he's done is that different than what [presidential rival Al] Gore would have done, particularly in the budget area. That doesn't mean I think it's a bad thing." But unlike past administrations, the Bush camp has not focused heavily on reducing the size of government. Indeed, the government (including both federal employees and the shadow workforce of contractors) is growing, in large part because of dramatically heightened attention to security, both at home and abroad. Bush also has distinguished himself by institutionalizing his reform efforts in existing offices and agencies rather than by creating an external organization to run them. His advisers, unlike many of President Clinton's, work in traditional management-oriented positions in OMB and at the agencies. (Clinton's were centered in the National Partnership for Reinventing Government that he created.) Mitch Daniels, Bush�s first OMB director, mentioned management issues regularly in press briefings -- a rarity for a federal budget chief. OMB�s quarterly score card gives managers across agencies objective standards for success and a clear idea of Bush's expectations. Managers say the grading also provides strong incentives for improving performance and a set of common goals. The emphasis is clearly on results, says Michael Ryan, the Environmental Protection Agency�s deputy chief financial officer. Jack Martin, CFO at the Education Department, agrees. "The laws have been around before and people didn�t really comply," he says. Bush "is a very results-oriented person," Johnson says, recalling the day advisers presented the president with plans for the Homeland Security Department. "He said, �OK, I understand the logic of it. But tell me what really happens different on the border. I have a customs agent, I have an [immigration] agent... Why can�t we just get them to work together better? Why do we need a department?�"
Taking Stock "First of all, on competitive sourcing," Johnson says, "Half of the work that�s done is really commercial, and half of that half is what we focus on. So that�s a fourth and the total [federal] payroll is $100 billion." At least 10 calculations later, after drawing in savings to be realized from reducing overpayments to beneficiaries of federal programs and by simply running programs more efficiently, he announces, "so all of a sudden, what was $88 billion, which was $18 billion a year, that's way low." But when Johnson speaks of savings, he is talking mostly of potential. OMB lacks comprehensive estimates of the savings produced by its management initiatives. And to dwell on savings, Johnson says, means missing the larger point. "I think we�ve succeeded at creating a series of habits," he says. There are numerous examples. Two months ago, the Internal Revenue Service announced that a record 60 million taxpayers used the agency�s electronic filing system -- one of the best known e-government initiatives. OMB evaluators have rated the performance of 400 federal programs, representing 40 percent of the total, and are on track to grade an additional 20 percent before the release of Bush's fiscal 2006 budget request. Of those evaluated so far, OMB deemed 40 percent either effective or moderately effective. Agencies are preparing to hand in this year's financial statements by Nov. 15, just 45 days after the close of the fiscal year. Last year and in 2002, the deadline was Feb. 1. Before that, agencies had until Feb. 27 to submit the paperwork. The Education Department and Environmental Protection Agency already have experimented with the new schedule. In order to meet tighter deadlines, EPA financial managers had to work closely with the agency�s inspector general office, Ryan says. "That meant we did a better job of identifying problems earlier." EPA and Education also supply accurate and timely financial data to program managers in a user-friendly format. Education's financial office, for instance, sends out a monthly report called "Fast Facts" to program managers. Both Ryan and Martin say they have enjoyed success in financial management partly because they�ve acquired the technology to upgrade reporting systems. The majority of agencies, however, still lack such capabilities. While techniques for measuring performance are improving, 40 percent of programs still failed to demonstrate results on the latest PART evaluations. And the tool has yet to fully take hold on Capitol Hill. OMB�s evaluations help identify program shortcomings, says Vice Adm. Conrad Lautenbacher Jr., the administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration at the Commerce Department. But the ratings don�t necessarily capture the intricacies of every program, he says. NOAA�s Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund, for instance, an environmental grant program, has received a "results not demonstrated" rating two years in a row. The program, administered partly at the state level, doesn't really fit in with OMB's evaluation process, Lautenbacher says. OMB�s evaluation system works best for programs under agencies� direct control. But that doesn�t mean the ratings will never work for the salmon program, he adds. "I�m a believer in measuring [performance] and output, even when it�s hard." A mixed picture also emerges in e-government. Agencies point to individual successes, but a recent General Accounting Office assessment found that of 25 electronic government projects, only two - Health and Human Services� grants.gov Web site and the Internal Revenue Service�s e-filing system -- have fully achieved goals set in May 2002. In personnel reform, agencies still aren't taking full advantage of existing hiring flexibilities, according to a recent Office of Personnel Management report. Both the Homeland Security and Defense departments are completely overhauling personnel systems, and as a result, most federal employees soon will work outside the standard civil service system. The DHS and Defense efforts, however, have drawn fervent opposition from federal employee unions.
Tough Competition But Angela Styles, the former head of competitive sourcing at OMB and now a partner at Miller & Chevalier, a Washington firm specializing in contract law, says she never viewed the targets as quotas. "I looked at it as, if people learn about [competitive sourcing], it's a huge success," she says. The Bush administration eventually abandoned the government-wide goal, allowing agencies to set custom targets. OMB released a congressionally mandated report on competitive sourcing in May 2004, providing the first government-wide data on the initiative. In fiscal 2003, the report shows, agencies completed 662 job competitions, putting 17,595 full-time federal jobs up for competition from contractors. OMB estimates that those contests alone will produce a net savings of $1.1 billion over three to five years. Put differently, the competitions saved taxpayers roughly $12,000 a year per position considered. Union leaders are quick to point out that the savings projections could be inflated, as OMB did not factor in the cost of time that employees were distracted from regular responsibilities to help with competitions. But while several agencies engaged in aggressive competitive sourcing efforts in 2003, others did not conduct a single competition. Seven of the 26 major agencies didn�t complete any studies in 2003, 14 didn�t announce any contests that year, and another six had no studies on the slate for fiscal 2004. Several agencies -- OMB itself, the Smithsonian Institution, the National Science Foundation and the Agency for International Development -- fell into all three categories. The varying extent to which agencies have pursued competitive sourcing does not surprise Styles. "If you get some, then you�ve made progress," she says. "In some respects, that�s better than anyone else has done in 50 years." OMB�s fiscal 2003 report also shows that in-house teams win contests at a high rate. Incumbent workers prevailed 89 percent of the time and won an even higher percentage of smaller contests, a pattern that industry groups and some managers find disturbing. "In any process, if it�s 100 percent one way, there�s a problem," says Joe Sikes, director of competitive sourcing and privatization at Defense. In contests completed before OMB issued a revision to Circular A-76 in May 2003, Defense employees increasingly prevailed. "We had historically been sort of 50-50, or maybe 60-40" in favor of incumbent employees, he says. "In the last few years, that number has crept up to [around] 80 percent." The Center for Naval Analyses is investigating the causes of the upswing. Despite the difficulties of competitive sourcing, Sikes remains confident that the practice saves taxpayers money. Data from contests back going to 1978 show that the Pentagon has reduced costs an average of 30 percent through competitive sourcing, he says. Civilian agencies are newer to the process, so they are understandably encountering challenges, he says. The Forest Service has experienced a significant share of the problems. In fiscal 2002 and 2003, the agency ran a series of small job contests -- which are less attractive to contractors -- catching the attention of congressional investigators and OMB. Of 169 competitions completed by February 2004, agency employees won 161, or 95 percent. Seventy-eight involved fewer than two full-time equivalent positions. Of these, 36 involved only a fraction of a single full-time-equivalent position. Forest Service officials acknowledge these mistakes, and say they are working with OMB to correct the problems. Management adviser Johnson says he sees the flawed competitions as a learning opportunity. "What we decided is that everybody owes [the Forest Service] congratulations," he says. To Johnson, the benefits of competitive sourcing so clearly outweigh the challenges that he's convinced the initiative will persist long after Bush leaves office.
"Right now, we have the potential to realize a $5 billion or
$6 billion or $7 billion savings for the taxpayers," he says. "I think
somebody would have to be awfully brave to stand up and say: �I�m not
interested in that.�" Nevertheless, if Johnson has any say, President Bush won�t be trumpeting such figures on the campaign trail. "There�s a history of people doing management things for political purposes, going for... the big savings, the big photo op," he says. "To the extent that may become political, I think the federal employees get very skeptical." A Bush campaign spokeswoman declined requests for comment on management initiatives, referring questions back to Johnson. He pledges to stay out of the campaign fray, remaining focused on helping agencies earn green marks on the management score card. Halfway through fiscal 2004, the score card showed 12 green lights, 57 yellows and 61 reds. These grades look good compared with the first score card, released in February 2002. It contained only one green light and 110 failing marks. Despite the progress, the administration will wait until the score card shows more green lights to consider revising the standards for success, Johnson says. In July, he will provide Bush with an update on accomplishments at the three-year anniversary of the management agenda.
"The common thread in all this is about focusing on results,"
he says. "And that should never stop, because you can always get better and
always be smarter about it."
FPMI News, July 19, 2004 The Government Accountability Office recently examined the Federal Aviation Administration�s enforcement options and found that better management controls are needed to improve FAA�s safety enforcement and compliance efforts. GAO was asked to assess how FAA uses its enforcement options to address noncompliance and what management controls are in place to ensure that enforcement efforts and partnership programs result in compliance with aviation safety regulations. GAO found that FAA relied on administrative actions such as warning notices to close most of its enforcement cases -- 53 percent of the nearly 200,000 enforcement actions taken during fiscal years 1993 through 2003 -- and closed about 28 percent with legal sanctions, such as fines. In addition, when FAA managers recommend legal sanctions, they are often reduced by FAA legal counsel staff. According to FAA, it reduces or eliminates the sanctions when it has proof that the violator is attempting to correct the violation or new evidence arises that may exonerate the alleged violator. GAO discovered that the FAA closes about 3,200 cases a year -- 18 percent of the total cases -- without taking action. GAO found that FAA has established some management controls over its enforcement efforts and partnership programs, such as guidance on detecting violations, but lacks management controls in other areas. GAO reported that FAA lacks management controls in measurable performance goals for its enforcement actions and partnership programs. FAA also lacks evaluative processes for its enforcement efforts and partnership programs. GAO recommended that FAA develop evaluative processes for its enforcement efforts and partnership programs and use them to create performance goals, track performance towards these goals, and determine appropriate program changes. GAO also recommended that FAA improve the completeness of information in the nationwide enforcement database. FAA agreed with these recommendations. To view the full GAO report, go to http://www.fpmi.com/lerpress/d04646.pdf.
FPMI News, 7/22/04 While the House Appropriations Committees prepare to vote on funding for the Federal Aviation Administration and other transportation-related agencies on Thursday, July 22, the Federal Aviation Administration is conducting a series of information sessions to address the looming air traffic control staffing crisis. During the sessions, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association continued to warn the public and lawmakers that the nation is facing a staffing shortage of major concern in the coming years and again stressed that thousands of new controllers need to be hired and trained. "The consequences of inaction are dire," said NATCA President John Carr. "Without adequate numbers of certified controllers we cannot increase system capacity and safely meet the needs of our nation�s travelers. Instead we will have fewer eyes watching crowded skies, and that will lead to congestion, delays, and yes, safety concerns. The price of inaction is too high, and frankly unacceptable to us." In the Senate, a bipartisan group of Senate committee members asked their colleagues to give $14 million to the FAA to begin the critical hiring process. The vote in the House Appropriations Committees takes place today. "We are pleased that the FAA has joined us in discussing this looming crisis and we urge the Agency to ask Congress to address this problem now. It takes up to five years to train a controller and not everyone makes the cut," Carr said. "We cannot afford to wait on staffing any longer."
The FAA anticipates a national shortage of up to 50 percent
in the next 10 years. One thousand controllers will need to be brought into
the system each year to meet demand. Brought to you by FedWeek.com TSP UPDATES
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Customization, Other Issues Cited PAY & BENEFITS
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Reservist Measures Also Progress ALASKA REGION
CENTRAL REGION
EASTERN REGION Ron Consalvo, Acting Director and Curt Lasley, Acting Coordinator Quarterly Meeting By now all FacReps should have posted the minutes from the June quarterly meeting at BUF. If you have not seen the minutes ask your FacRep for the data and ask why the information is not posted. We have filed a ULP against the Eastern Region regarding their backing out on a grievance settlement at ISP, which concerns a security fence. Apparently $1000 is too much for the agency to spend to protect its employees. A fence for $1000 you ask, yes that�s because Southwest Airlines volunteered to pay for the rest of the fence. Once again the agency shows how little we are valued. I also filed a data request with the agency with a response date of July 23, 2004. It would be a shame if the agency failed to give me all the information I requested because I already have a good deal of it. At DCA we continue to work with a HVAC that has been OTS now for it�s 4th year. Apparently we can pay the town of Leesburg $12,000.00 a month rent when they violate the lease for 4 years. If this were one of our people failing to give a TFR or NOTAM the FAA would be all over the employee for disciplinary action. Apparently the Regional folks are held to a different level of competence, much lower than us. The contract officer should be fired for allowing this to go on this long. Surprise, the installation of a new system is, once again, behind schedule. And they want to contract out us, go figure. Less Than Honest Apparently Joann Kansier was somewhat less than honest at the FacRep/Managers Conference. After being asked about her organization being nominated for an award for its stellar job on A-76 (or is it an acquisition, the rules and title seem to change daily) she stated it was not up for any recognition. I guess the invitation that NAATS received for DOT�s award ceremony listing Ms. Kansier�s office was a typo. But wait, I do believe that was her name announced and Ms. Kansier herself accepting the award. Considering the job she did with the Sector Suite program and the obvious bungle she is making of this I can only imagine her next promotion to be nothing short of being the FAA Administrator. It is screw up move up in the FAA, right? Speaking of the Administrator, we all await her highness next appearance at an AFSS. That visit would bring her count up to 1 AFSS visited. Considering the fact that it takes me longer to drive from home to DCA that it would for her to drive to DCA from H.Q. I can only wonder why she has failed to visit at least 1 AFSS yet. Is it that, like the rest of the FAA, she does not value the services we provide? For those of you that signed the get-well card for her at the FacRep/Managers Conference, apparently she took offense to being called out like that. Oh well if we can survive the slings and arrows of A-76 she should be able to take that little shot. It was the best $3.00 I have ever spent on a card. As always, don�t hesitate to contact either Ron or me with issues.
In Solidarity GREAT LAKES REGION
NEW ENGLAND REGION
NORTHWEST MOUNTAIN REGION
CASPER AFSS NEWS Our option has experienced more than its fair share of turmoil. We have experienced a major consolidation in the late �80�s to the mid�90�s, a lengthy period of bad faith bargaining by management, and now we face an even greater threat with the A-76 "study." Our Facility has had its share of recent challenges. I�ll leave it at that. There is always a good side to every event, or so they say. In the past three months we have had a 33% increase in our facility union membership. Wouldn�t that be nice on the national level? We have polled the membership to have each member rank 10 items of importance in the formatting and posting of the watch schedule. For possibly the first time in Casper�s and likely Wyoming�s FSS history the membership has elected an election committee for selecting a Facility Representative. That committee will accept nominations and run balloting as provided for in our constitution. We have four members that have shown interest in being candidates for FacRep. In the past it was often the individual who agreed to do the job. I find this turn about inspiring, and am proud to be part of the process and participation in our facility. To our new NAATS members I say welcome. Our facility has just finished our full facility evaluation. On the facility side was Rob Wagner, support specialist and former NAATS member, and myself, Roger Lingenfelter as the union representative, as provided for in Article 45, section 1 of our contract. The FAA had a team of three including a new bee trying to make an impression. The advance warning was that the concentration of the evaluation was to be on operations versus administration. This was no idle concern. We were jumped on by all six feet of the eval team. Rob and I fended off the onslaught with our knowledge of the books and insisting that every "problem" area be supported by references and adherence to the appropriate orders. We abated several alleged violations but wound up having to swallow a problem on "flags". They were bound and determined to get us on that one, and this area has no criteria defining an eval problem. The alleged discrepancies were "spotted" across the room, while monitoring completely different positions. We did prevail against more serious yet unsubstantiated issues. The administrative/management side did not fare quite as well. Rob and I defended those positions as best we could drawing several concessions from the eval team. I thank Rob for all his efforts and congratulate all the controllers who work the floor for a job well done. It was because of their hard work we had a solid defendable position. Maybe we can all learn a lesson from the situations at Casper. We need to come together as a team and not just let the other guy handle it, what ever the situation may be. Such as preserving a very important air traffic control function, Flight Service. Keep the faith. RL CPR FacRep. SOUTHERN REGION
GAINESVILLE AFSS LOCAL NEWS Issue: Ever notice how the higher ups in the FAA can�t seem to fathom why morale is a problem, while those of us who work in the field cannot understand why morale is not even worse? I noted with some amusement that Jim Washington said that A-76 seemed to generate more questions and concerns than the ATO reorganization. Illumination: Let�s see, one involves the loss of our jobs, the other is just another of the endless government reorganizations, hmm, wonder which we view as the more important? I know! Let�s have a focus group! Issue: Speaking of focus groups, we recently had one in Jacksonville. It seems the FAA has concerns about how we communicate with each other. The FAA is interested in why we are not buying their line. I mean the letterheads look good; the spin is just right, but some how we just do not seem to get it. Illumination: Maybe the problem is we do get it. And now for more of those things that you just cannot make up. The antics of our crack management team continue unabated. D___ if you do, d____ if you don�t Recently I had the opportunity of representing a member at a disciplinary hearing. Prior to the meeting, the supervisor had given me a "heads up" that discipline would be forthcoming. He explained that he did not agree with the action, so naturally I assumed the name on the proposed discipline would be somebody further up the chain of command. Wrong! As the meeting began the supervisor said and I quote, "This entire matter is complete BS. I do not agree with the charge or the punishment. When they gave this proposed discipline to me," the supervisor continued, "I was astounded at how weak the case was. I said, � is this all you�ve got?�" "Why," I asked the supervisor, "if you believed the person to be wrongfully accused and the punishment to be �way out of line,� did you sign the proposed letter of discipline?" Although, it was under his signature, "I am just the messenger," he replied. The member was charged with making a false statement to an FAA investigator. Not only is he not guilty, the supervisor says he knows the guy is not guilty. What kind of management team do we have when someone will sign their name to a document they know to be false, a document that charges the other person with making a false statement? As I said, you can�t make this stuff up. (Memo to Jim Washington: Do you think this might impact morale?) Further proof of exactly what it is that rolls downhill Another Grievance Issue: One ATCS working in the facility, a supervisor playing solitaire on a computer. The phone rings, the ATCS is busy with another task and asks the supervisor to answer the phone. The supervisor continues with his computer game while ordering the ATCS to answer the phone. Once more for emphasis, the supervisor is playing a computer game on a government computer; the ATCS is performing a work-related duty, guess who is receiving discipline for not answering the phone? (Memo to Jim Washington: This might impact morale.) Isolated incident? Well, maybe not. Three on a match principle: An air traffic manager issues a letter to an employee about possible sick leave abuse. The employee asks to meet with the ATM and explain the absences. The air traffic manager refuses. That�s right folks, refuses to allow the employee to explain their actions. "Why?" you might ask. Well, it seems this particular manager had issued two previous letters regarding sick leave abuse, and when the employees were questioned, they had satisfactory explanations and the letters were withdrawn. This chief felt it would "look bad" if all three letters were withdrawn. Hence, no meeting. That particular grievance went to the third step for resolution. (Memo to Jim Washington: Morale issue?) Sent from Above principle (Στα φτερά μιας αρχής περιστεριών) Still more, an employee is removed, that is right, terminated. When the FacRep, asked the air traffic manager why he chose to terminate the employee, the Air Traffic Manager said he had been in prayer about the matter and God had told him the correct course of action. So now, if we pursue the grievance, would we face a similar charge to that used by the Iranian Ayatollahs, Warring Against God? I am resisting the temptation to ask how the termination message was received; did he hear a voice? Was it via FedEx, was the answer in Aramaic? Hebrew? It�s Greek to me. (Memo to Jim Washington: Please see above.) Them that has, gets principle OR A day late, a dollar short principle Do some of you remember when we had our convention in Las Vegas, I asked Mr. Washington about the staff/management to controller ratio? I cited a ratio of eleven staff people to thirty-two controllers. Mr. Washington replied that we need folks to make sure we are paid properly. Hold that thought! Recently we underwent a local pay and attendance audit, which discovered hundreds of errors involving thousands of dollars. What types of errors could these be, generating such a large number of discrepancies? Well, let�s see. Some staff and management types were paid for holidays and overtime for which they did not work. It seems none of them ever looked at their pay stubs. Controllers had to pay back leave and money. Keep in mind we had several people retire during the year. I asked whether or not the audit included their pay records? I was told it did not. So, people retired and were paid for leave that they might or might not have been entitled to. Others might not have received all of the monies to which they were entitled. Now, with all of these management and staff people, you make how many errors? Hundreds! Checks principle. Oops, Checks and balances principle OK, scratch that. Who�s minding the store principle A supervisor signs the time and attendance log certifying that it is correct. It is reviewed by a secretary. It is then reviewed by an administrative officer. It is reviewed by an operations manager, and ultimately the Air Traffic Manager is responsible for attesting that it is correct. After all of that, how many errors? Think this impacted morale? After a year, the FAA takes away money, sick leave and vacation. And, no one in management is accountable. (Memo to Jim Washington: Once again, so that I understand. We have a large number of staff people to make certain we are paid correctly? Are you sure about that?) We�re all in the same boat principle One
last thing. We are working short-handed. Isn�t everyone? Well, not quite.
Recently we were working our own traffic and a part of another AFSS�s
traffic. The supervisor was on the floor being particularly tyrannical, and
I asked that he not pick a fight over a relatively petty matter. I pointed
out that the controllers were going from briefing to briefing and everyone
was doing their best. He replied, "they don�t seem that busy to me." Now, just yesterday a controller came in fifteen minutes late and was forced to take leave. Now lets see, seven staff are gone for two hours, wonder what kind of leave they took? Do you think that sends a message as to how much management cares about the controllers and the pilots we serve? (Memo to Mr. Washington: Can you hear us now?) I
know, I know, another focus group. All of us? I submit that we are your
focus group. Sir, are you listening? SOUTHWEST REGION
WESTERN-PACIFIC REGION RENO
AFSS NEWS Mary Wingard, HQ FAA-Occupational Safety and Health Manager, visited our facility recently in response to management�s request for wrist pads and wraps to help prevent cumulative trauma disorders such as carpel tunnel. She has also visited Leesburg and has become familiar with our OASIS consoles and health issues. She gave us a short presentation on "workplace ergonomics" which was very beneficial to those who could attend. Mary said she has limited funds but will try to get what any FPL needs and in the most severe case, she is contemplating getting a track ball if OASIS can accommodate that equipment. Track balls would have to be installed at more than one position to accommodate even one person so this may not be a viable option. We just concluded two mold abatements in the facility, no abnormal mold spores were found in the ops room. I did attend the out-brief given by the contracted industrial hygienist and have received both post remediation reports from Forensic Analytical who were doing the testing for Airport Authority of Washoe County. They did find stocky botrus, poster boy for toxic molds, due to deterioration in the window linings that was allowing rain to seep into the walls and grow behind the floorboards under certain windows. I am forwarding these results to our regional OSH Coordinator, Grace De La Cruz and am asking her to forward the results to our regional industrial hygienist for review. I am not comfortable with his statement; "This report is not intended to guarantee that the subject site is or is not free from conditions that could pose a threat to human health or safety." and am wondering how to tell our members that we need not worry about further health risks. Our ATM received money to refurbish and remodel our facility from the FAA. We will be remodeling our break room next, it has an asbestos tile floor. I am confident that the ATM and the Airport Authority will take the necessary abatement precautions from what I observed during the mold abatement. We do not have our air quality testing equipment yet but I have discussed with management that we want to have procedures for testing in the ops room. We have not had our first OSHECOMM meeting as of yet but are well on our way to getting it done. At this point, I believe we will have a facility committee including AF. I did attend the 2 hour, power point OSHECOMM presentation recently held at NCT by Grace De La Cruz and Jan Peterson from the Southern Region.
HAWTHORNE AFSS NEWS Training Update Mark Smith (MC) has completed recertification on Flight Data and has now working on Preflight. Facility Update The orange carpet in equipment room is finally being replaced with grey to match the operations floor. We�re still waiting to hear exactly when the crew will be coming in to install the new indirect lighting system. After 15 years of waiting, what�s a few more weeks? Russ Chew�s Visit FAA ATO Chief Operating Officer Russ Chew paid a visit to HHR during his travels through southern California. An all hands meeting was arranged to allow as many as possible to meet with Mr. Chew and listen to what he had to say about various issues surrounding us and the A-76. Unfortunately, while he made sympathetic noises, he had little more to offer than to say than that the MEO is our "best bet." At least Mr. Chew is to be congratulated for having the guts to face us directly and that�s a long sight more than his boss, Administrator Marion Blakey has managed to do so far. Though she did manage to send a letter on the same day as Mr. Chew�s visit to tell each of us how valuable Flight Service is to the FAA. However, we�re apparently still not so valuable that the agency can�t potentially live without us. Certainly made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. How �bout you? Walmart�s True Colors? When the meat cutters at a Walmart store in Jacksonville, FL voted to unionize, the Arkansas based discount retailer�s management refused to negotiate with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW). Despite assertions by Walmart representatives that they support "democracy in the workplace," after the unionization vote the discount giant opted to sell prepackaged meats at the Jacksonville store -- as well as all of its other outlets nationwide. This move threw hundreds of certified meat cutters out of work. So much for democracy in the workplace. Now
I can only speak to how Scott and I feel about this and we are outraged
enough that we�re boycotting Walmart and Sam�s Club stores in solidarity
with those employees who got the shaft. For the rest of you, all I can do is
quote one of AAL RegDir Phil Brown favorite sayings, "If you don�t stand for
something, you will fall for anything. " NAATS News Editorial Policy 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. ADDRESS UPDATE Effective immediately, the new address is: [email protected]. The old newsletter address will be shut down by August 31st. My contact information has also been updated on both the front and the back pages. MARK THIS DATE
It�s time again to elect our union�s president and our regional officers.
Ballot packages will be going out to the membership in August. Completed
ballots must be received at NAATS Headquarters by September 11th. Any
ballots received after that will be void. |
