NAATS HEADQUARTERS EMAIL UPDATE
Volume 2, #13
December 17, 2001
The following are the results of my meeting this afternoon with the Administrator, ATS-1 Steve Brown and ALR-1 Ray Thoman.
We agreed that recognition for your efforts since September 11 is deserved and should not be delayed. We�ll begin the coordination to adopt the ATX recommendations that NAATS ATX Liaison Ron Maisel will brief you on in the NAATS Bulletin.
The decision has not yet been made on how the Administrator will respond to the OMB recommendation on consolidation but there was general acknowledgement that the technology isn�t there now. I also emphasized the operational reasons we shouldn�t consolidate and, again, there was general agreement. It was acknowledged that consolidation is a continuing discussion and has been for the past 20 years. NAATS Headquarters will get a copy of the architecture studies and any decisions will be coordinated with NAATS. My feeling is that there isn�t a real danger in consolidation for us right now.
The discussion on pay was positive. I emphasized the fact that our membership feels undervalued and under appreciated and that the logjam needs to be broken as soon as possible. We talked about the Aviation Security Law language and then talked about ways to resolve the impasse, including arbitration before a neutral third party. They were receptive to the discussion and said they would get back to me NLT the week of January 7, or sooner if their coordination is accomplished, with their decision.
In the interim we agreed to convene a small team (3 members each) to work out all the details except the pay itself. This will probably begin about the middle of January.
Wally Pike