NATCA Remembers: 20 Years Since the Imposed Work Rules

Sept. 3 marks 20 years since the Federal Aviation Administration imposed work rules on NATCA’s bargaining unit employees after declaring an impasse in negotiations. Under 49 U.S.C. Section 40122 as it then read, the FAA could send its final offer to Congress and implement it after 60 days without our Union’s agreement. An impasse was declared April 5, 2006. Congress took no action, so the imposed work rules took effect on Sept. 3, 2006, the day before Labor Day.

The imposed work rules, also called the White Book, tested our young Union. Less than 20 years after NATCA’s founding, we faced one of our greatest challenges yet. Though they tried to divide us, our Union stood strong. We fought the FAA’s two-tiered pay scale, which would have harmed incoming certified professional controllers, by cutting their pay by more than 30 percent. Our Union refused to leave behind the next generation because NATCA’s future depended on it.

Even as the imposed work rules lowered morale and led many to leave the profession, NATCA’s legislative activism kept the pressure on. In May 2009, the FAA and NATCA were directed back to the bargaining table, and on Sept. 25, 2009, the Red Book was signed, ending the imposed work rules. The Multi-Unit CBA followed on April 7, 2011. In 2012, NATCA’s legislative efforts helped secure an amendment to Section 40122, so that impasses now go to binding arbitration. The White Book era reminds us why we must remain united in the face of adversity. Our solidarity is our greatest strength.