February 1st, 2025 New England Bi-Monthly Regional Update
From Kevin Curtiss, NATCA New England Regional RVP
NATCA New England,
Whether you were hired last year or have dedicated a significant part of your life to maintaining the highest standard of safety in our profession, this week has been filled with more uncertainty and ridicule than a prestigious workforce deserves.
While I do my best to represent our great region in discussions and decision-making on the National Executive Board to assist the President in his messaging, please remember some things: our Legislative Team is working tirelessly to keep up with how Executive Orders may impact our workforce and our lives, your local FacReps continue to advise me of your concerns, and lastly, that no one’s personal or political narrative will ever change that you are all the absolute damn best in the world at what you do.
I’ll talk to you more this week,
HK
From Steve Brown, NATCA New England Regional ARVP
With overtime starting to ramp up across the region, I wanted to write briefly about being relieved of your OT assignment. Article 38 Section 4 of the CBA says,
“If an employee assigned to work overtime can secure a qualified replacement, he/she shall be relieved of the assignment. If the employee cannot secure a qualified replacement, the employee will work the overtime. An employee shall be relieved of an overtime assignment when, in the judgment of the Agency: a. the health or efficiency of the employee may be impaired; or b. Personal circumstances make it impossible for the employee to perform the overtime duty.”
If, on the day of your overtime assignment, you find yourself in a situation where you cannot work an OT shift because of one of those two reasons, you should call in and explain your situation to the supervisor and ask to be relieved of your overtime assignment. At that point, the agency should determine if you fall into one of those two categories and whether or not you are relieved of your overtime assignment.
If you have any questions on this please reach out to your FacRep.
From Jim Basford, NATCA New England Drug and Alcohol Rep, A90
Hello all. Thanks for reading. As most of you know, we have an epidemic of suicide amongst controllers. For our small group of people, year after year, we average roughly 3 times the national average. The first step in fixing a problem is admitting it exists. One of our main goals of Controlled Chaos is improving the culture with regards to mental health.
On February 7th at 7:00pm, Lifestance Health has graciously volunteered one of their providers to help us as a group with education. We’ve asked them to brief us about warning signs for suicide and perhaps actions we can take as laypeople to help persuade our friends and coworkers in crisis to get the help they need.
We are awaiting final confirmation on the content, but either way, we will have a useful block of content from them so please join us.
2024 Regional Awards Video
Each year, New England gives out two regional awards: the Jay Bowers Activism Award and the Curt Fischer Leadership Award. Watch the video to learn who from our region was recognized for their leadership and activism in 2024!
Upcoming Events and Information
As a NATCA member, you are never alone. NATCA CISM is available 24/7 at 202-505-2476. When you call or text, you will speak with a NATCA member who knows the stressors of your job and about balancing life outside of work. You can also contact our regional CISM coordinator Jennifer Dickinson directly at 603-731-8635.
EAP is also available by calling 1-800-234-1327 or visiting www.magellanascend.com. For more information about EAP, visit https://www.natca.org/2022/02/23/eap-update-benefits-of-the-worklife-solutions-program/
AMAS is also a benefit NATCA members can contact with questions regarding your medical. You can call them at 720-857-6117 or visit their website at https://www.aviationmedicine.com/consult-an-amas-physician/natca-air-traffic-controllers-association-natca/
If you are in crisis, please reach out for help immediately by calling or texting 988 to connect with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
We are here for you. You are not alone.
The next NATCA in Washington will be held March 24-26, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency in Washington, D.C. If you are interested in attending, please complete the following questionnaire no later than February 6: https://www.natca.org/natca-in-washington-registration/. Members of the National Legislative Committee (NLC) will confirm interested members’ attendance on or before February 17, 2025.
Please note that your attendance is not guaranteed until it is confirmed by your regional NLC rep. (Please do not make any flight arrangements until you receive a confirmation from your Regional NLC member on attendance. Additionally, transportation expenses are NOT reimbursed by NATCA National. Please check with your FacRep before you complete any airfare purchase to determine what expense reimbursements, if any, will be provided by your local.)
If you have any questions, please contact New England Legislative Chair Jamie Green at [email protected]. For more information about the event, visit https://www.natca.org/events/niw/.
Are you planning to attend NATCA’s 20th Biennial Convention? 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.
Click here to register for the Convention and buy tickets for evening events.
Purchase tickets before March 10, 2025, for lowest event ticket pricing! Please do not register NATCA members as guests. NATCA members must be registered as separate attendees to receive the proper credentialing.
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 www.natca.org/events/convention
