July 2024 New England Bi-Monthly Regional Update #1

From Mick Devine, NATCA New England Regional Vice President

As a valued member of NATCA, you have the power to shape the future of our workplace and improve the lives of your co-workers. The upcoming national and regional election is a crucial opportunity for you to exercise your right to vote and have a say in the direction of our union. It’s essential that you take this opportunity seriously, as the outcome will have a significant impact on our collective well-being and the future of the NAS.

As a union member, you have the power to influence the decisions that affect your daily work life. By voting, you’ll be contributing to the direction of NATCA and ensuring that your voice is heard. Your vote will help determine the leadership that will represent you and advocate for your interests, ensuring that your concerns are addressed and your needs are met.

In the past, NATCA has made significant strides in improving working conditions, negotiating fair compensation and benefits, and advocating for job security. However, we can’t rest on our laurels. We can do better. The future of our union is uncertain, and it’s up to us to shape it. By voting, you’ll be ensuring that our union continues to fight for what’s important to us.

When you vote, you’re not just casting a ballot – you’re exercising your right as a worker to have a say in the decisions that affect your life. Here are some of the benefits of voting in our union election:

• Improved working conditions: A strong union with a clear direction is better equipped to negotiate for better working conditions, safer environments, and fair compensation.
• Better representation: Your vote will help select leaders who understand the needs of our members and will work tirelessly to address them.
• Increased transparency: Voting ensures that our union remains transparent and accountable, with leaders who are committed to openness and communication.
• Stronger unity: When we come together to exercise our right to vote, we demonstrate our commitment to our union and its mission, strengthening our collective voice.
• Accountability: Voting holds our leaders accountable for their actions and ensures that they remain focused on serving the best interests of our membership.

New England members have eight candidates to choose from- three for President, three for Executive Vice President, and two for Regional Vice President. All eight candidates have websites you can look at. We implore you to go to those websites and read, send questions, and find out which candidate is right for you. It is not lost on us that you didn’t have a choice in the last election as all three positions were unopposed. This time is different. Now you have a choice, so please, exercise your right to vote and cast a ballot for whomever you want. The stakes are very high for this election, and we need to ensure that participation in voting is the highest it has ever been.

CRWG Implementation

The CRWG has passed through law in the passing of the 2024 FAA Reauthorization Bill. I know there are a lot of concerns as to how these numbers will be implemented. As I write this email, a collaborative workgroup is being scoped out to work on how to implement these new numbers. Maintaining the ability for our members to be able to continue to move through the system is one of the mandates I’m sure the workgroup must consider while developing a strategy.

Fatigue Rules

The fatigue mandate of 10 and 12 hours between shifts is still being worked through a collaborative workgroup. They are getting close to finishing, but they aren’t there yet. We will update you when we have something to update you on. The expectation is that these rules will be out prior to negotiating schedules for next year.

PAC

NATCA New England has always been one of the top regions in terms of percentage of its members contributing to the PAC. There is a national goal of 50% which only two regions are north of currently, New England and the Eastern Regions. We are proud to announce that New England is now the number one region in this category. Many thanks go to our Legislative team of Jamie Green, Nick Monahan, Matt Morgan, and Tim Roig for continuing to keep this as such a high priority for us.

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From Scott Robillard, NATCA New England Senior Advisor

Hello NATCA New England! As labor representatives, it is very important to understand the different types of engagements that the Union has with management and how engagement works in each of them. Those engagements take many forms; investigatory meetings, dispute resolution, traditional negotiations, and collaboration, to name a few. But there is something that every representative and Union member needs to protect against, and that is a Union bypass.

A Union bypass is when managers attempt to avoid the elected Union representative and try to engage individuals instead.  In both private and public sector labor law, it is illegal for management to engage in negotiations over terms and conditions of employment with individual bargaining unit employees. Nevertheless, from time to time, management does exactly that, and NATCA representatives and members should be aware of how to recognize it and what to do about it.

Here is an example: The BWS is negotiated and bid out. A Bargaining Unit Employee does not like the RDOs that were available when it was his turn to bid. After bidding, he walks into the Air Traffic Manager’s office and starts a conversation about what he can do to change his RDOs for the entire schedule year.   

When management engages with this BUE directly, they impair the bargaining relationship between the parties, and they are violating the law. 5 USC, Section 7116(a)(5) of the Federal Services Labor Management Relations Act

This law has been codified in case law. Disregarding the union and attempting to deal with employees individually concerning grievances and personnel policies and practices are acts in derogation of the representative’s right to represent employees. IRS and NTEU, 4 FLRA 488, 497 (1980)

What should the manager do IF an employee walks into their office and starts the dialog? Well, their options are very limited and really boils down to one of two options;

1. They could redirect the employee to the Union Representative, or
2. They could request the employee leave and return with his Union representative.

Question for New England; would the following agency action be legal under the law?

In preparation for annual schedule negotiations, the ATM posts a memo in the Sign-In Sign-Out area soliciting their opinion on eliminating some shifts and creating new shift start times for the upcoming BWS MOU negotiations. The ATM requests that IF an employee wants to comment, they should come and see the ATM.

Is this legal or illegal?

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Drug & Alcohol Committee

From Jim Basford, NATCA New England Drug & Alcohol Rep, A90

Let’s talk about what I think is the most impactful change to working conditions in my 21+ year career. On or about June 20th you should have received an email from NATCA National about some changes to the issuance of medical certificates. I read the update and quite frankly think it undersold what a collaborative win this is for the membership. Here is the link to the new FAA policy with regards to mental health diagnosis policy.

I think we can all agree that this job, this schedule, and the staffing shortage all take a toll in addition to the rigors of life. To be fair, the union has no legal standing to compel the regulator to change a policy like this even if it is the right thing to do. I believe this collaborative momentum started with Matt Morgan’s resolution at the last convention to compel the NEB to engage the agency. The following diagnoses or histories still require disclosure to FAA medical per the FAA 3930.3C, but they don’t prevent the issuance by the AME at your regularly scheduled medical as they would in the past if it is no more than two and you are not on medication. 

Anxiety

• Unspecified anxiety
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder
• Situational Anxiety (also called adjustment disorder with anxiety)
• Social Anxiety Disorder

Depression

• Unspecified depression
• Postpartum depression
• Situational depression* (also called adjustment disorder with depressed mood) *For Situational Depression – AME can also use the Situational Depression Disposition Table.
• Situational Anxiety and Depression (adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood)

Other

• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• V code^ (DSM)/Z code (ICD-10) table items – V and Z codes deal with a whole host of life problems like issues with kids, spouses, family, work, etc. 

The benefits of talk therapy early can help to keep problems and symptoms from worsening and by lessening the stigma around mental health we can improve members’ lives. In addition, the FAA added some new medications to the antidepressant protocol. If you have questions feel free to reach out and I look forward to seeing you guys on Wednesday, July 10th at 7:00 pm for our next Controlled Chaos which will focus on stress mitigation!

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Announcements and Information

Get ready to join us at Communicating for Safety (CFS) 2024! CFS is NATCA’s premier aviation safety conference uniting industry leaders, innovators, and professionals. Join us from September 16-18, 2024, at The Horseshoe Las Vegas for three days of unparalleled insights into safety, technology, and relationship-building. Engage in dynamic discussions, network with peers and pioneers, and shape the future of aviation.

Registration is now open, and all registrants can take advantage of lower early-bird prices for conference registration and tickets for the Archie League Medal of Safety Awards banquet through August 18. Don’t wait! Save money and secure your place now for an event that promises to elevate your expertise and connections in the skies.

Register and learn more about CFS 2024 by visiting https://natca.org/cfs/

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The NATCA Reloaded Committee will hold its next NATCA 101 class on July 15, at 9am ET.

NATCA 101 reviews our Union’s history, the work the Union does for its members, and insight for how members can become more involved.

If you’ve never taken NATCA’s original virtual class, or if it’s been a few years since you took it last, we highly recommend signing up. You learn something new about our union every time!

Members can sign up at https://portal.natca.org

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Registration for NATCA’s 20th Biennial Convention is now open. Register today and plan to be at the Marriott Marquis in San Francisco from May 9-11, 2025, with the opening ceremony taking place on the evening of May 8. Early registrants will get the best prices on all Convention events.

Please do not register NATCA members as guests. NATCA members must be registered as separate attendees to receive the proper credentialing.

Click here to register for the Convention and buy tickets for evening events. Purchase tickets before March 10, 2025, for lowest event ticket pricing!

Room reservations can be made directly during the Convention registration process. The cutoff date and time to book your room is April 14, 2025, at 5 p.m. PDT or when our Union’s room block is sold out.

For additional information and updates, visit https://natca.org/events/convention

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NATCA Fundraisers

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