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Legislative Update 05-26-08
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Legislative Committee Update We are just waiting around to see who the next President will be and hope they will fix our issue. Hmmm!!! Really??? While we wait….We continue to push the Congress to attach our language to something moving. We are up against some Senators that don’t feel the urgency to insert our language in legislation because they don’t think it will fix anything or they think it is too expensive. The FAA has fed them more lies claiming that a return to the Green book will cost $77 million. Pennies in the everyday business of the Congress however with the economy in the tank and the deficit out of site it is enough that it makes them take pause when looking at our plight and taking action to fix it. Our numbers show that a return to the Green book actually costs about $27 million. So once again, we get into the “He Said” “She Said” with the FAA. So we feverishly convey our numbers with real data, the fact that the funds are already budgeted monies and not new money, that they continue to dole out lucrative raises and bonuses to management and most importantly that the system is in dire need of an adequately staffed workforce. The reality is that fewer and fewer members of Congress believe the FAA. The problem is that some either still believe the FAA or want to hide behind their data to support their position in not returning us to the Green book. There have been a couple of vehicles I believe we could have been on if we simply settled for the fix to Title 49 and back to the table. While fixing Title 49 must be done and getting a fair collective bargaining agreement is key to stabilizing our workforce without a return to the Green book we will still see record numbers of veteran controllers retire and many of our new hires will still resign. Passing legislation now that does not put us back to where we were when the Agency imposed does not fix the staffing crisis at the FAA or put us on a level playing field. Even passing language that puts us back to the Green book does not fix an Agency spiraling out of control. Under perfect conditions, it will take years before this Agency moves from total incompetence to an efficient and effective one, if that is even possible. A step in the right direction would be to again appreciate, value and involve their workers through their exculsive representative ~ NATCA. So rather than settle and get our language on recent legislation we opted to pull our move and focus on the next vehicle in this Congress not the next. . While the FAA extension expires on June 30th, there are many on the Hill that believe we will still see the FAA bill again this Congress. Regardless, we keep the pressure on from every angle. We have had activists in DC each week in May (with the exception of Memorial day week recess) and in June. These activists are trying to keep our issue on the top of every office’s inbox. In addition to working our Title 49 issue in their meetings, they are also exposing the FAA’s ill-conceived initiatives at realigning facilities and services, as well as a number of other concerns incumbent upon us to educate Congress on. So “NO” we are not sitting around waiting for a new President to fix everything for us. Hopefully we will see a labor friendly President sworn in on January 20th which will help with the plight. Will that person fix everything for us and will they do it by the end of January? No, We will have to do some work there and with the new Congress just as we have been doing since before we went to impasse with the FAA. Hopefully the election results will make our fight easier and not harder. I think it will. AND just for the record I never said or wrote anything to anybody that if the Democrats took control of the Congress in 2006, then everything would be fixed. Our chances better ~ yes. What I did say was that if the Republicans stayed in the majority in the House then we would be in dire straits. Mica would have been the full committee chair on T & I and Knollenberg would have been the chair of Transportation Appropriations. As you have witnessed first hand that neither party has control in the Senate without 60 votes. That again is why the minority and a single Senator have so much power in that house. Many other entities are also pushing the Senate to pass the FAA bill. As many of you know the Coalition for An Airline Passenger’s Bill Rights and their president Kate Hanni (see attached picture with me) have been instrumental in getting the FAA Reauthorization Bill to the floor of the Senate. They will also be key in getting it signed into law, if and when it gets to the White House. This is a group of upset citizens simply trying to improve conditions for airline passengers and put more onuses on the airlines to do the right thing by them when delays occur. The organization operates on a shoestring budget with donations from individuals like you and me. Visit their website http://www.flyersrights.org and consider a donation to keep them going in advocating for passage of the FAA Reauthorization Bill. Where would we be without NATCA? Well, we can definitely accomplish collectively what you or I could not accomplish individually!!! And grassroots activism is integral to OUR success. What if those before us had not had the vision to know the importance of a strong presence On Capitol Hill? Where would we be now without? WE wouldn’t have had a bill voted on in the House Of Representatives in the 109th Congress and one passed with strong bipartisan support in the 110th Congress. So each day we work harder even though you think you are already working as hard as you can. Even when disappointed by those that can help you and don't see the issues the same as you, you find a way to dig deeper to paint them a picture of your issues through your eyes as a FAA employee and make the nexus to the affects on the system, the flying public and their constituents and communities. And most unfortunate, you and others like you do find more time, annual leave and money to do more for NATCA even when previous and past leadership are at odds, members are fighting and critical of almost everything and the fair-weathered members are jumping out of the PAC, resigning as activists, leaving the union and some even bidding on Supervisor jobs. Thank you to those that continue to go to bat for this union and your profession. Your careers in this Agency are cyclic. Anybody can hold their hand up and be with NATCA when times are good. During those times you and our members will prosper. It is during the tough times that are the true test of our resolve and dedication to the membership and our profession. Without NATCA, there would be no checks and balances. We are STRONG because we will burn every bush the FAA will hide behind and turn over every stone they crawl under and when this ship has turned, AND it WILL. We will not forget what they have done, we will not forget… AND We will never forget that you …..Brothers and Sisters in NATCA stuck with it when times were tough… Anybody can makes excuses on why they should fold their hand and give up but it takes committed, dedicated and those of us that bleed NATCA to stick it out and consider the big picture. Consider the future of our beloved profession. We are NATCA. This profession needs NATCA to survive and brothers and sisters we are NATCA… YOU are NATCA. Solidarity takes sacrifice, Trish Gilbert National Legislative Committee |