NNM Regional Update:

January 21, 2010

I trust everyone had a happy holiday season and took some time to concentrate on family. Our 21 year old son was home for a month as he transitions from San Angelo, TX to Anchorage, AK for a 3-year tour with the US Air Force. I apologize for taking so long to get another Regional update together and will try and ensure I get them out more frequently.

Our NATCA Regional LMR Team has been hard at work as they assist Facreps in any way they can, up to and including helping with language to be contained in a grievance. As per ART 9 of the 2009 CBA, we are working to schedule what is called a Pre-Arbitration Review (PAR). This is a process that NATCA has fought hard for, and avenue in which we can have a third party hear our grievances against the FAA.

The 2010 NATCA Northwest Mountain Region Pre-Convention meeting has been set for July 20-22, 2010 in Boise, ID. We are meeting from 1:00PM Tuesday July 20th until Noon Thursday July 22nd. NATCA President Paul Rinaldi and Executive Vice-President Trish Gilbert will be in attendance for a portion of this meeting. For sign up or additional information please contact Regional Admin Kristi Martin at Kristi.Martin@natca.net.

The Communicating for Safety Conference will be held March 21-23 in Orlando, FL. There is additional information available on the CFS Website at:

http://www.natcacfs.com

I have had several requests from facilities throughout the Region asking for financial assistance to attend CFS. Unfortunately the Region does not have funds in our 2010 budget to support this. One of the roles of the RVP is to manage a budget and I want to ensure we are in a position to fund everything else the Northwest Mountain Region has obligations for through the rest of 2010.

We have had to tighten our belts this year and have dollars already committed to the HNL Convention, our Regional Pre-Convention Meeting in BOI, preparing our 2012 DEN Convention Committee, funding our Regional LMR Team arguing grievances with the FAA, etc.

There has been some recent confusion regarding NATCA Training, specifically the prerequisite of completing an online class prior to attending NATCA Facrep training. The NEB has discussed this several times and it became quite evident that the prerequisite online class is unrealistic at this time. NATCA is now recommending members complete the online class prior to attending a training class, but there is no longer a requirement to do so. If you are interested in attending any NATCA training please contact Kristi.

In accordance with the 2009 CBA, pay and dues changes were supposed to become effective on the most recent paycheck. There have been reports of discrepancies and NATCA is in the process of determining how wide spread these issues are. This was contained in the NATCA National update:

This last Tuesday was the first pay period in 2010 and it came with a myriad of problems. Some problems were due to the straight 80 hours that were paid to several facilities a couple weeks ago. Others arose from pay on a holiday in lieu of and still others involved the new pay scales. There also appears to be many places where the FAA is not deducting dues correctly. We are working to identify all issues, work with the FAA to correct them, and file the appropriate national grievances. Please check your pay carefully and notify your Facrep if your pay or deductions are not correct. Attached is a pay calculator developed by Jeff Richards from ZAU. Simply change the locality percentage for your area and it will work for your facility. Facreps should notify their RVP of any pay discrepancies they are seeing to ensure the fix is being pursued and that the appropriate grievances are being filed.

Please forward all pay and dues issues to me through your Facrep. We will track these issues and file local grievances where necessary. NATCA will continue the Dues reimbursement program until the FAA has corrected this problem.

The Arbitrators released their decisions on three issues last week, including the following:

ART 108 SEC 4-New Hire/New Entrant/Reentrant Pay Setting:

The Arbitrators found that this contract provision does not apply retroactively. It only applies to military or DOD civilian controllers with 52 consecutive weeks experience who were hired and reported to their facilities on or after the effective date of the Red Book (October 1, 2009).

ART 108 SEC 5--Development Pay Setting:

This issue is specifically for ARTCC’s that use what is called Functional Training. The FAA had been punishing developmentals financially in facilities where Functional training was in place by modifying their pay progression. The Arbitrators ruled in NATCA’s favor on this issue.

ART 108 SEC 14: Provisions/Demotions:

This issue effects the Seniority Time of employee’s who accepted Supervisory/Management positions after the implementation of the FAA’s Imposed Work and Pay Rules. NATCA argued that ART 83 covers Seniority and that the National Convention sets Seniority. The Arbitrators did not agree with NATCA’s argument. Expect further guidance on this issue soon.

Some of the other issues dealt with recently:

--ERR’s and Hardships at several facilities

--OT Issue at ASE

--BOI Meeting Preparation

--Training Failure Placement

--Closing out the 2009 Budget

--Finalizing PAR dates and processes

--Pre-IWR Grievance meeting with the FAA

--ATSAP issues at S56

--NATCA Reloaded

Our Regional Membership Listserve continues to grow. Please send the names and email addresses of anyone interested in signing up for this Listserve to Kristi.Martin@natca.net