Step Up for Aviation Labor

[GIVDrvr]

The present Agenda for the FAA includes privitization and user fees. These are all incremental steps at dismantling the greatest aviation system in the world...not perfect but the best. As aviation labor organizations are taking it on the chin nationwide I think its entirely appropriate to for all aviators to step up and defend the ATC folks that stood their posts during 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and your last inflight emergency. See below:

[FONT=Arial Black,LB Helvetica Black][SIZE=+1]Help for air traffic controllers[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Verdana,Trebuchet MS,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva]WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Transportation Trades Department (TTD) of the AFL-CIO has requested help in telling Congress to stop the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from trampling workers' bargaining rights. [/FONT] [FONT=Verdana,Trebuchet MS,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva]Earlier this month, the FAA broke off contract talks with the air traffic controllers union -- NATCA. Instead of good-faith bargaining, the FAA has chosen to pursue a twisted interpretation of the law to unilaterally impose contract terms on its workers. Forcing contracts on your workers isn't true bargaining. And if the FAA gets away with it, members of the two other AFL-CIO unions at the FAA may face the same fate. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Trebuchet MS,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva]Members of Congress can do something about it, but they must hear from transportation workers nationwide. UTU members can help in urging Congress to pass sensible legislation that simply forces the parties to resolve their differences at the bargaining table and sends the unresolved issues to binding arbitration. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Trebuchet MS,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva]Click on the following link to tell Congress it's time for our elected officials to stand up for fairness and the bargaining rights of FAA workers. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana,Trebuchet MS,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva]http://63.66.87.48/cweb4/index.cfm?orgcode=ttd&hotissue=42[/FONT]

 

[Say Again Over]

I saw something posted concerning the average salary, what is the average 10 year guy making, if it's anything near what was posted, I'd like to know who will pay?

 

[GIVDrvr]

My post was not intended to create a forum on the merits of the various positions. Employers should not be exploiting system loopholes to avoid fair negotiating...this applies to all aviation trades. As every professional knows you are only worth what you can negotiate.

 

[Hold West]

I saw something posted concerning the average salary, what is the average 10 year guy making, if it's anything near what was posted, I'd like to know who will pay?

I'm going to guess a 10-year controller right now might be averaging around $110k. Raw guess.

Who will pay? Who should pay - all of us that benefit from having a safe, efficient air traffic system, which is anyone who works in aviation, in or around an airport, anyone who flys anywhere in this country, or whose loved ones fly... in short just about everyone. Which we all do, courtesy of Uncle Sam.

I complain about paying taxes, too, like everyone does. But you know what? There are a lot of things I don't mind paying for. I could list them all out here, but you can figure them as well as I can - police protection, fire protection, the schools my daughters go to, you name it. If it's for the public good, I'll chip in without complaint. I am certainly biased, but I think ATC fits in the "public good" category.

Now, if the FAA has its way, all of our pay will be cut. You'd better get it straight right now that that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to their agenda. Once they get the overhead cut way back by pay reductions and work rule changes, they will be looking to contract out the entire ATC system. Can you say "user fees"? Who will pay for it then... you will.

 

[Say Again Over]

Thanks, a lot different than the figure I had heard. Personally I am completely against any privatization plan, I would think most pilots would agree.

 

[sky37d]

I am completely against any privatization plan, I would think most pilots would agree.

Me too. That is, I agree, I am against privatization. I hear that private industry can do it cheaper. If that is the case, why not ask them how, and do it inside the federal government. Of course, there is an upside.
PATCO went on strike, and Reagan fired them, because gov't workers can't strike. Now, if it went private, there would be nothing preventing 'job action' over any labor agreement. I can see it now, Chicago TRACON files a grievance, mgmt (the private company running ATC) doesn't respond, so instead of showing up at first shift, all the first shift people stand outside with their picket signs. Now, that would be cool.:beer:

Unfortunately, at that point, no one will remember that the FEDS sold us all out to help some of their buddies get rich. :smash:

 

[Hold West]

Thanks, a lot different than the figure I had heard. Personally I am completely against any privatization plan, I would think most pilots would agree.

That's because you've heard what the FAA is spinning on the topic. They've quoted a bunch of wildly differing numbers as high as $236K. One reson their numbers are so inflated is they count everything they put in as pay. For example, they count the employer portion of FICA and Medicare taxes as part of our income.

Yes there are controllers out there making $180K or so. They are in the busiest facilities, working lots of overtime (I don't count working OT as a benefit, just for the record, I'd rather have the day off), living in high cost of living areas, assigned to difficult facilities. I think we should be paying folks in NY TRACON or Center more than they get in Omaha. If a guy wants to do a stint in ORD tower, good job, he should be paid more than someone sitting in Fargo.

The FAA thinks that we should all be cut back and leveled. Incentive to move up to busier facilities would be destroyed. The staffing crisis will deepen, and the only way out will be to contract it all out.

If you oppose eventual privatization, go to www.fairfaa.com and use the tools there to advise Congress of your opposition to the FAA's labor practice.

And remember, we are not asking Congress to preserve our paychecks status quo. We are smply asking that the final step be binding arbitration, not the FAA's imposition of a "nontract".

Both the FAA's and NATCA's last offers mean, to me personally, that I've seen my last payraise. Thus, regardless, I'm exiting in 22 months when I'm eligible.

 

[sky37d]

Speaking of that, I met someone who was 8 days from retirement when Lockheed took over FSS.

 

[GIVDrvr]

Really the important thing to capture here is not what anyone's W2 says but this is just the first step of a process that will ultimately adversely affect every NAS user. The FAA has already approached Goldman Sachs about floating a bond issue to get the ATC system off the govt books, then we get user fees, and the then the entire system goes on the block. Safety to the lowest bidder. When user costs go up an entire segment of private aviation gets priced out of the market and with them go pilot jobs...maybe yours. Or maybe the the same call center in the Phillipines that keeps you waiting for 20 minutes to find out what happened to your overdue Sams Club rebate is now the outsourced location for FSS and IFR releases. Far fetched? Maybe. Maybe not. Nothing is off the table when profit is the motive instead of safety. I sure hope my local fire dept never faces this dilemma. Imagine this:

Dear Mr. Citizen:
We are sorry your home and your lifelong possessions were detroyed by fire last night. Only one firefighter was assigned to duty since our statistical analysis showed that relatively few fires occur on Wednesday nights at 0300 a.m. We had to cut back somewhere in order to deploy our resources effectively and ensure a profit for our stockholders. We hope in the future to serve your fire defense needs at a more appropriate time. Best of Luck.

John Doe, CEO S.U.C. Systems Underwriters Corporation.

Step up now or Kiss It Goodbye.

 

[sky37d]

Your post reminds me of something that happened in Australia, last year I think, where the tower shut down because the one and only controller left to go to the bathroom.

Another time, the tower shut down, again in Australia, when the relief shift person failed to show up. The on duty controller locked the doors and went home.