ATX Course Highlights

ATX showcased NATCA’s training courses along with briefings and education from many of our committees and Article 114 reps. The classes covered themes including legislative, safety, technology and infrastructure, local business, collaboration, labor relations, and committees. Read more about each theme below:

Legislative

NATCA’s legislative training courses taught members about NATCA’s legislative priorities, and equipped activists with the skills to build relationships with members of Congress who are critical to those priorities. At the NATCA Activism and Training Expo (ATX) in Las Vegas, legislative instructors including Allison Schwaegel (St. Louis/Lambert ATCT, STL), Jamie Green (Providence ATCT, PVD), Erin Phelps (Minneapolis Center, ZMP), and Aaron Novak (Anchorage TRACON, A11), Richard Kennington (Portland, Ore. ATCT, PDX), and Juan Serna-Spuler (San Francisco ATCT, SFO) led NATCA members in learning techniques to educate and advocate for NATCA’s issues. 

Safety

The National Airspace System (NAS) is the safest and most efficient in the world — and that’s thanks to the dedication and professionalism of the aviation safety professionals NATCA represents. NATCA members at the NATCA Activism and Training Expo (ATX) in Las Vegas learned about NATCA’s diverse and complex efforts to enhance the safety of the NAS, from reporting and changes at the local facility level to national and international coordination of technological innovation and policy. Classes were led by NATCA’s Article 114 representatives, the National Safety Committee, Region X members, and NATCA’s Safety and Technology Department.

Tech, Equipment & Infrastructure

NATCA members all over the country work every day ensuring the safety of the flying public in the largest and most complex National Airspace System (NAS) on the planet. NATCA members at the NATCA Activism and Training Expo (ATX) in Las Vegas learned about how changes and enhancements to the technology, equipment, and infrastructure of the NAS affect our Union’s members on a daily basis, and how NATCA members contribute through collaboration, lending subject matter expertise, and advocating for our profession. Classes included “NextGen 101,” “Air Traffic Operational Management System (ATOMS) Briefing,” “Enterprise Information Display System (EIDS) & Integrated Display System – Replacement (IDS-R),” and more, taught by NATCA’s Article 114 representatives including Amanda Richardson (Oakland Center, ZOA), Jason Doss (Jacksonville Center, ZJX), Adam Rhodes (Houston TRACON, I90), and Brent Lunda (Fort Worth Center, ZFW). 

Local Business

A mainstay of NATCA training is to equip NATCA members with the knowledge and resources to operate NATCA locals. At the NATCA Activism and Training Expo (ATX), classes about managing local finances, conducting local elections, transitioning new officers, record-keeping, and other skills supplied NATCA members with foundational abilities to serve and conduct business for their Union locals. Instructors included Lindsay Williams (Seattle Center, ZSE), Chris Martinez (Fort Smith ATCT, FSM), Devin Carlisto (Seattle Center, ZSE), Dontae Siders (Dallas Love ATCT, DAL), Rachel Gilmore (Indianapolis Center, ZID), and Nate Kleoppel (Springfield ATCT, SGF). 

Collaboration

Collaboration is the norm for how NATCA and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) conduct business and oversee the National Airspace System (NAS). NATCA members at the NATCA Activism and Training Expo (ATX) attended courses to learn and practice the foundational concepts of Interest Based Communication (IBC), and how collaborative, creative solutions support NATCA and the FAA’s joint mission to support the NAS.

Courses, including “Building Professional Relationships,” “Active Listening,” “Communicating For Results,” and the “History of Collaboration,” were taught by NATCA members Jason Arnold (Memphis Center, ZME), Curt Fischer (Boston TRACON, A90), Dawn Johnson (Atlanta Center, ZTL), Corey Glaze (Engineer/Great Lakes Region, EGL), and Marilou Scherer (Anchorage Center, ZAN). 

Contracts/Labor Relations

The collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) that cover NATCA’s represented bargaining units provide stability for our aviation safety workforce, ensure continued collaboration to modernize the National Airspace System, and provide the traveling public with the safest air transportation system in the world. NATCA’s Activism and Training Expo (ATX) in Las Vegas offered classes instructing members about aspects of NATCA’s CBAs, including the “Drug and Alcohol Committee (DAC) Class,” “Drafting Persuasive Grievances,” “Article 99 Hardship Transfer,” and “NTSB Basics for NATCA Activists.” These classes were led by the Professional Standards Committee, the National Validation Team, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Committee, Office of Workers’ Compensation (OWCP) Committee, and professional staff on NATCA’s Labor Relations team. 

Organization/Committees

Training classes offered to NATCA members at the NATCA Activism and Training Expo (ATX) in Las Vegas included classes about how our Union functions, benefits and programs available to members, and topics and channels that connect within individual members’ strengths and desires. From “Understanding your NATCA Benefits” and “IT Resources presented by the Information Technology Committee (ITC)” to “NATCA’s Disaster Response” and “NATCA Charitable Foundation,” members heard from all sides of NATCA’s broad and active organization.