April 2024 New England Bi-Monthly Regional Update #2

Apr 15, 2024

From Bryan Krampovitis, NATCA New England ARVP

Submit nominations for the Archie League Medal of Safety!

Too often, our employer witnesses outstanding service in a situation that could have changed the outcome of an otherwise deadly incident. They sometimes go as far as holding performance conversations, picking apart a small mistake made during an otherwise lifesaving event. This is the reason NATCA created the Archie League Medal of Safety Awards. If our employer isn’t going to recognize superior performance, we want to make sure our members get the recognition they deserve.

There have been years where submissions of Archie Award nominations have been light. We sometimes forget to nominate our brothers and sisters when they do a great job handling hard situations. I think we sometimes forget to nominate them because at the time of the event, it doesn’t really register that “just doing our job” may have kept a situation from turning for the worse. For this reason, I ask you to think back over the past year and ask yourselves if there might have been an Archie-worthy event that slipped through the cracks.

The period for this year’s Archie Awards is May 1st, 2023, to April 30th, 2024. Nominations must be submitted by May 15th. Submitting a nomination is very easy. Simply submit as much of the information you have now, and if further information is needed in the future, you will be contacted, or in some cases, the FacRep will be contacted to get the requested information.

We owe it to ourselves to highlight the hard work our co-workers do every day across this region. Sometimes, that little detail that didn’t go overlooked is the difference between an uneventful flight and tragedy. If you witnessed any worthy events by your brothers and sisters this past year, however small you think it could be, please take five minutes and fill out the form.

Collaboration

From Curt Fischer, Collaboration Facilitator, Eastern Service Area North, A90

This month on more than one occasion a member has expressed that they are tired of collaboration. I heard “Collaboration yeah – no thanks” as well as “workgroups here make bad decisions”. Pressing further on that last one only to be told that management also makes bad decisions. So is it that no one can make a decision or is it that the process needs to be evaluated at that facility? Starting with picking the right tool for the job. If a workgroup is chosen to solve an issue despite inadequate staffing or timelines being too tight, when not successful is it because collaboration is the problem, or was the wrong tool chosen?

Similarly, if an issue is tackled via interested base decision-making and fails, is it that because interest-based decisions don’t work or were steps in the process left out: 1) treat each other as equals 2) define the issue 3) explore interests 4) develop options 5) agree on options 6) close the loop? If step one is insurmountable and the parties instead skip ahead to step four, don’t be surprised when there is an inability to reach an agreement.

Overall, when done correctly, collaboration gets better results, better buy-in, and a better explanation of why a particular outcome was chosen over another. When you find yourself stuck or feeling like you want to throw in the towel, please remember that Collaboration facilitators are always available for assistance. CFs are not there to lecture, elevate, or tell you what we would do. Rather CFs will listen to how you got to where you are and offer insight to where and why things may have taken a turn in the wrong direction. Hopefully allowing you to see a path to get back on course and get the results you need.

Controlled Chaos

Please join us on Tuesday, May 7th at 7:00pm for our first NATCA New England interactive “fireside chat” called “Controlled Chaos”. Hear from Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM), the NATCA Drug and Alcohol Committee (DAC), and a controller actively involved with the SSRI program. Not only will you leave armed with knowledge, but you will know without a doubt no matter how hard life gets there is always somewhere to turn and you are never alone.

The link to join this event will be sent to NATCA New England members a few days before May 7th.

OSHA

From Matt Murray, NATCA New England OSHA Rep, ZBW

Spring is here in New England. For many of our facilities, major construction projects are about to kick off. This is where the OSHA Rep should be involved. An OSHA Rep is trained in basic OSHA rules, regulations, FAA orders, and directives. For construction projects, the earlier we are involved the better it is for our members.

Article 125 S2 says: “In the event that a facility is planning a construction project that may affect bargaining unit employees, the Principle Facility Rep, or his/her designee, shall be given a pre- and post-construction briefing on the project…”

The OSHA Reps should be attending all of the pre-construction meetings and getting as much information as they can. Here are a few of the questions PFRs and OSHA Reps should be asking at these meetings. What chemicals will be in use and have the SDS sheets been supplied for NATCA’s review? Does the project include any asbestos? What will the impacts of the project be to our members, both on and off position? Do we need to make any changes to emergency evacuation plans? Do we need additional testing during and after the project is completed?

As your Regional OSHA Rep, I am always here to help answer questions or provide insight into construction projects. If you want to learn more about becoming an OSHA Rep for your facility just send me a message at [email protected].

NCEPT

From Jake Detwiler, NATCA New England NCEPT Rep, ZBW

We are just over a month away from our 2nd Quarterly NCEPT panel of 2024. The submission deadline for ERRs is next Sunday, April 21 so be sure to have you paperwork complete and submitted this week to be considered. The other key dates are Wednesday, April 24 the May PPT data for the panel comes out, and NCEPT will convene to make selections on Tuesday, May 21.

The rules have been adjusted slightly for the upcoming NCEPT panel, as well as the edition of a 3rd round. First round we will make selections up to the Projected National Average (to be determined in the May PPT but it is currently ~85%). Selections will be made 1 at a time until exhausted, then selections will be made up to 90% Projected to Target. Similarly, selections will be made 1 at a time until exhausted. Lastly, Level 8 and 9 facilities will be able to select up to 110% Projected to Target.

NCEPT recognizes the staffing challenges plaguing the entire NAS. Unfortunately, we are limited by the losses available per the NRP (Column AE of the PPT), in how many selections we can make per panel. Generally, only Enroute facilities and Terminal facilities Level 7 and below get Academy Grads. This makes the Level 8-12 Terminals heavily (effectively, solely) reliant on NCEPT to fulfill their staffing needs. For the last couple of years, NCEPT has been able to maximize selections to utilize all available Possible Losses per panel. As staffing improves there will be more losses available (and, subsequently movement) to provide the necessary staffing for the facilities that rely on NCEPT. Just in the last year, we have seen the Possible Losses column in the PPT increase from ~100 at the panel to ~150. This number is how many CPCs a facility can afford to lose before dropping below either NRP release criteria of 85% CPCs on Board and 85% Projected to Target.

I strongly encourage everyone who is considering moving to put in your paperwork regardless of your facility’s current release category. This ensures your paperwork is in in case staffing changes and your facility can release, but it also allows us to more accurately gauge where demand is for movement. In fact, the FAA uses ERR data in calculating some of their staffing tools including the Facility Priority List, which is the order in which facilities select in NCEPT. You can withdraw your ERR up until the day of the panel, but you cannot submit after the deadline, so better to have submitted and withdrawn than to wish you could be considered!

As always, feel free to reach out to me at [email protected] with any questions or concerns (or suggestions and ideas!) pertaining to NCEPT.

May 21, 2024 NCEPT Temporary Modifications

Round 1

Releasing facility must be at or above 85% Current % CPC to Target (Column L) and at or above 85% Projected % to Target (Column AA).
Releases stop when the facility drops below 85% Current or 85% Projected % to Target.
Gaining facilities must be below the Projected National Average (PNA).
Facilities will make one selection at a time. The selection order will be based on the most recent Decision Lens agreement. Once every facility eligible to gain has made one selection (if available), the process will repeat until all possible selections have been made. Facilities will no longer make selections once they reach PNA.

Round 2

Releasing facility must be at or above 85% Current % CPC to Target (Column L) and at or above 85% Projected % to Target (Column AA).
Releases stop when the facility drops below 85% Current or 85% Projected % to Target.
Gaining facilities must be below 90% Projected to Target.
Facilities will make one selection at a time. The selection order will be based on the most recent Decision Lens agreement. Once every facility eligible to gain has made one selection (if available), the process will repeat until all possible selections have been made. Facilities will no longer make selections once they reach 90% Projected to Target.

Round 3

Releasing facility must be at or above 85% Current % CPC to Target (Column L) and at or above 85% Projected % to Target (Column AA).
Releases stop when the facility drops below 85% Current or 85% Projected % to Target.
Gaining facilities will only be Facility Pay Level 8-9s.
Facilities will make one selection at a time. The selection order will be based on the most recent Decision Lens agreement. Once every facility eligible to gain has made one selection (if available), the process will repeat until all possible selections have been made. Facilities will no longer make selections once they reach 110% Projected to Target.

A80/MIA/ZOA Priority Release MOU Selections

A80/MIA/ZOA Priority Release MOU Selections will be made at the conclusion of the traditional NCEPT Panel.
Selection order will be based on the facility with the fewest number of inbound ERRs as a percentage of vacancies (selections to the Projected National Average).

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