FAA Imposes Work Rules on Controllers

[Scott Voigt]

Howdy all;

Well it is Labor Day weekend here, and as of today the FAA has imposed thier own set of work rules on the controller work force who works for the FAA. They are mandating that their managers call it a contract, and when they talk with us about it, call it a contract. If you hear this, it is nothing but bunk! We have agreed to NOTHING and they have just imposed work and pay rules upon us... This has become the era of SUCK to say the least under Marion Blakey...

regards

Scott H. Voigt
NATCA Southwest Region
Safety and Technology Chairman

[Topofthestack]

Scott,

Hope you're enjoying your Labor Day weekend and if you're working throw the defiintion of a contract at your Manager. My Concise Oxford Dictionary defines it as 'an agreement between parties' but you've got me intreged now; I must look it up in my American/English phrasebook and see if there's any difference.:ok:

[Scott Voigt]

Yeah we have done that and they just tell us to be quiet... This is going to be very, very interesting to say the least... They think that we will NOT retire, because we are too spoiled... I think that they are already starting to see a ramp up in retirements this month...

regards

Scott

[West Coast]

Its my understanding that this agreement (I use the term loosley) has quite a wide scope, far beyond simply pay issues. Are there many militant types mentioning plans for possible disruptions?

[SM4 Pirate]

How's the dress code going? Many 1970's Safari Suits surfacing?

Seriously though good luck to you all; keep the fight alive, the PR was really good stuff even making it across the pond. Unfortunately the PR war is where the real battle lies.

[flower]

So what has been imposed on you ?

[Scott Voigt]

West Coast;

Nope nothing disruptive going on or planned... We just try to make light of the stupid stuff that they do and put our own twist on it. Some of the clothing that conforms with the dress code is very, very outlandish <G>. Luckly for me, what I normally wear meets the code other than no shorts, but we have finally gotten under 100 so it isn't quite so bad. Control room was rather warm today with high humidity so it was quite a bit uncomfortable while working.

I expect that we are going to kill a few forests though with all the grievances that are going to be filed...

regards

Scott

[Scott Voigt]

Flower;

Lord where do I start??? If I can find a link where it all can be shown, I will put it on here. The FAA had it on their site and pulled it when the news media was looking at it and beating them about the shoulders with it <G>...

Minor stuff like dress code, and major stuff like five year pay freeze and draconian pay rules for everyone. The new hires are coming in as a B-scale and will get much less then the certified controllers who are here now. The agency is also looking at downgrading many facilities and with the new pay rules there is no save pay for the folks that are there, you just get a pay cut.

Lets see there is also only guaranteeing <sp> you two weeks of bid leave a year the rest you grab as you can. Watch schedule that is going to be even more draconian than what we work now so as to staff to traffic <sigh>... Being able to force you to take vacation when you don't want to, they can call you in for two hours overtime whenever they want, hold you over for an hour whenever they want, and the list goes on and on... It's really a wonderful thing...

regards

Scott

[SM4 Pirate]

they can call you in for two hours overtime whenever they want, hold you over for an hour whenever they want, and the list goes on and on... It's really a wonderful thing... In the interests of your own fatigue management you'd be declaring yourself not fit for operational duty if that occurred, right?

[flower]

Don't you have unions to protect you ?

I'm sure that comes across as naive, but seriously don't workers have rights in the USA ?

[DirtyPierre]

Flower.

It's the land of the brave and the free....except when it comes to workers rights and dress codes.

[Scurvy.D.Dog]

Scott
.
... so if they are imposing so called work rules …. By Jove then I suppose in this day and age you will have to comply :E by working to rule :ok: … whilst dressed in the appropriate safari suit and metre wide tie!! :}
.
…does the International Federation have a view on this stuff? :oh:

[Scott Voigt]

Scurvy;

Work to rule would be considered a job action here and thus could get the union decertified, and the employees who work to rule fired (go figure, do what the govt. rules say and get fired for it.). We just file our paper work and continue working away doing what we have enjoyed doing for so long, but doing it for an employer who has NO respect what so ever for the workers who actually keep everything moving...

regards

Scott

[Scott Voigt]

Flower;

We do indeed have a union, and it was a pretty powerful and good union. Under Bush though, who seems to hate workers, he has pretty much directed the different govt. agencies to do what they can to neuter anything or anyone in labor. They have the supposed rules on thier side too, but we are going to challenge them in court. The problem with that is that the courts take forever to get anything done. The govt. agency that oversees labor issues has had all the leadership replaced by labor unfriendly folks who continually rule against labor. Hopefully the pendulum will swing come election time. We will see... I expect that I will no longer being working for the FAA when that happens though. I will probably be retired...

regards

Scott H. Voigt
NATCA Southwest Region
Safety and Technology Chairman

[Scurvy.D.Dog]

.... even in the current Right Wing Utopia :rolleyes: ...... surely one cannot be fired for doing ones job?!?! :*

[Scott Voigt]

yes you can...

[MNBluestater]

There is "change in the wind" politically--the cutbacks are because our lovely government has seen fit to spend wildly beyond its means and have the Iraq war off the "balance sheet" of the budget--yet the dollars have to be printed to pay for it.

Once the Democrats retake the House and possibly the Senate in November, expect some weight to be thrown around in Washington. As of November 7, George W. is going to wake up and find himself a lame duck and neutered politically, with everyone in the GOP hating his guts for causing them to lose the Congress.:}:}:}

[AGEDMIL]

Scott,

I am a past President of the UK Guild of Air Traffic Control Officers (GATCO), although defintely not a union, the behaviour of the FAA is at the very least causing additional stress in an already stressful job - which is one of the targets for both GATCO and UK unions - stress reduction - certainly not increasing it! My daughter lives in PA, and I have got her and my son in law to write several letters to their Congressman and Senators, and they are getting their riends to do the same. All strength to NATCA - and may the international ATCO world speak out as well in support of you all.

[Scott Voigt]

Hi Aged;

Thanks, the folks here are going to need all the help that they can muster. Things are not going to get better anytime soon, and if there is any relief, it will probably come from the courts, and we all know how long that can take.

Thanks for the kind words...

regards

Scott

[Shitsu_Tonka]

Hey Scott,

What happened to themainbang weblog?

I have been following the whole war between NATCA and the FAA/GOP for the last couple fo years, and really enjoyed the blog. I guess it is for reasons fo protecting yourselves.

What is going on in the US is absolutely insane - I interpret it that they are trying to goad you in to another PATCO style walk out - as if that is somehow going to solve the problem they have created/ignored!

Absolutely bloody amazing!

All I can see is all those who can afford to leaving asap - and making the situation a lot worse a lot quicker. I can only muse: Just how dumb are these Republicans?

[Scott Voigt]

Hi Tonka;

John Carr is the one who did the blog and he was our union President, he was voted out of office in the last election and the new President took over the 1st of Sept... So no blog... Pat communicates differently and we will have to see what comes out of the fifth floor...

regards

Scott

[danceswithsheep]

Scott,
Just a quick question and one I am sure has already come up. What will they do if you do not meet the clothing requirement. Without my wifes help, I would be in trouble and if she goes on holiday.......
Seriously though, the job is hard enough as it is and you must be comfortable. Perhaps blaming incidents on socks cutting off circulation might help!!! Or look at it the other way, if they want you dressed in a certain way, then get a cclothing allowance or company creditcard for Ralph Lauren.
The way contracts can be changed without an individuals signature is horrid and its all around the globe in this profession, come the revolution....................

sheep out..........camels in

[Scott Voigt]

Dances;

The first time you are caught not complying, you get a verbal warning. The second time you get sent home to change on vacation time and get a written warning. Third time they are going to take some action against you, probably some days off...

regards

Scott

[SM4 Pirate]

Solidarity brother, would love to see you all stick it to the man by wearing jeans to work; the whole shift getting sent home? the whole shift getting some time off... All it would take is one shift sticking together.

Imagine the press coverage, LAX was closed for 4 hours today because all the air traffic controllers were sent home to change into suits. Awsure!

[Dances with Boffins]

Texans in shorts? :uhoh:

Scott, I'm as pissed as everyone else over here at the way you are being treated. Sounds like W is doing another "Reagan" only trying to be a bit subtle about it. Who says ya can't teach an old dog new tricks?

Do what is right for you and yours. If "yours" includes the whole watch/shift, then make sure that they think the same. Don't get hung on your own for your principles. Everyone remembers the Chinese guy with the tank. Poor wee bugger is still dead though.

Anyone over here thinks we are immune, think again.

[AirNoServicesAustralia]

Yep Pirate, just like the membership stuck together in Australia after the stop work meetings we all had 4 years ago. The conditions in Australia have continually been eroded and the membership has never held firm long enough to stop the slide. 666 greedy people voted for their own self interest and that screwed their future work mates. Anyway where I am now their is no union and you rely on the strength of supply and demand. A risky position to be in but right now is serving us well.

Good luck with the fight Scott.

[Scott Voigt]

One facility, two weeks, over 1200 greivances... They say we are happy... Oh well, this will be an intersting couple of years if I stick around... Court battles might make for interesting reading too...

regards

Scott

[tobzalp]

Yep Pirate, just like the membership stuck together in Australia after the stop work meetings we all had 4 years ago. The conditions in Australia have continually been eroded and the membership has never held firm long enough to stop the slide. 666 greedy people voted for their own self interest and that screwed their future work mates.

Whilst this is an entirely accurate statement, it is not really helpful in this thread.

[Lon More]

What the well-dressed? controller is wearing this fall (http://vanityfairmusings.********.com/2006/09/air-traffic-controller-fashion-hall-of.html)

Just received the above, might be of interest
BTW is "birthday" an acceptable suit?

Good luck Scott - get out as soon as you can:}

[Scott Voigt]

Nope birthday suit is definately out <G>... A couple of the photos come out of my place, just none of the really outlandish ones <G>... We do have Rodney Dangerfield day though... Just think of the movie Caddyshack <G>...

regards

Scott

[RobertK]

I would guess the FAA higher-ups have read and taken to heart this website (http://www.despair.com/)?

Regards,

Robert

[ferris]

From that site; the quote that encapsulates ATC management strategy (everywhere)....

"Just because you're necessary doesn't mean you're important".