NAATS HEADQUARTERS EMAIL UPDATE

Volume 3, #72

April 18, 2003

Pretty much status quo this week.

S.338 is getting some interest from Senate Republicans. Thanks to those of you who have responded and contacted your congressional representatives, it makes a difference. Markup on this bill is scheduled for May 1 and Congress expects to have FAA Reauthorization completed by the end of May � first part of June timeframe.

There was apparently some question from bargaining unit members about whether we were included in H.R. 1711. Please don�t rely on press reports for your information; the Bill language clearly includes us but if you need more, check out Congressman Oberstar�s introductory remarks (on our website). I worked closely with the Aviation Subcommittee Staff on this Bill and there is no doubt that we�re included. Now the challenge becomes to get it enacted into law. Fortunately both Congressman Oberstar and Senator Lautenberg are strongly on our side in this issue but we need to help them out.

Now is the time to press your Congressional Representatives and get them to co-sponsor both of these bills.

Nothing new on pay negotiations. Administrator Blakey reiterated in her testimony at FAA Reauthorization that the FAA is "very close" to resuming negotiations with the unions. As has been the case for the past several months, we�re prepared at any time to resume meaningful negotiations.

Nothing new from the FLRA on the two pay-related ULPs. A reminder -- these complaints address (1) the FAA refusal to implement all of the work rules and (2) the FAA�s insistence that the law requires dollar for dollar offsets inn pay negotiations.

I intend to resume facility visits in May, beginning with DCA, ISP and MIV. I�m coordinating exact dates with Regional Director Donna Holmes. In June I plan to visit the GL facilities with Regional Director Jack O�Connell. In July I�ll do the CE Region tour with Regional Director Mike Terry. I look forward to these membership meetings and I�ll fulfill every commitment I�ve made for a facility visit.

Bear with me on this one - we are working on our appeal to the FAA decision to deny the challenge to the Department of Transportation listing of the activities performed by the Flight Service Air Traffic Controllers in its 2002 inventory of commercial activities. We will have it filed by April 24 with a copy on our website.

The PWC had it�s meeting here in DC this week and I spoke at PWC AFSS Domain Breakout. It was good to see so many familiar faces in the audience, especially the NAATS members. I appreciated the invitation and the opportunity to participate.

At this meeting I also observed the panel that included the FAA A76 representatives. I have no problem with these individuals personally; I understand the roles they play and the fact that they didn�t create the A76 problem. I do, however, reject the idea that I should be appreciative of a study that requires me to compete for my own job, with an uncertain outcome, and, that somehow I am better off because of this. The kindest comment I can make on this is that it�s creative spin. As I�ve said in every forum, my goal is to stop this study as soon as we possibly can.

The National Membership and BOD meetings are next week. By all accounts these will be interesting meetings and I look forward to seeing several of you in San Antonio.

 

Wally Pike