Monday, June 9, 2008

UPDATE 06/01/08

To:  Bargaining Unit Members                                                   6/1/2008

From:  Scott Sorenson – FacRep

Subject:   NATCA-HCF Update


ELECTIONS-Elections are complete and about 20% of the membership voted.  Either we didn’t have your correct addresses to send the ballots to or the level of indifference is huge.  These are tuff times but it will soon change.  Hopefully when the union is allowed equal footing and input, I can get more involvement from the membership.   Charlie Lee is the local treasurer, I remain the president, Chad Ashley and Thom Gurule are the VP’s and Marsha is the secretary.  I think we have a great team, passionate, knowledgeable and willing to work.  Although we are the elected officers, it is our belief that the members are the ones who run the union.  It is my job to take a direction that is shared by the majority of the membership.  Don’t hesitate to share ideas or opinions with us.    



SECRETARY-Marsha will be leaving us soon for the Seattle area.  Because of the work involved in moving her family, she has asked that we find a replacement for her position.  I am looking for a volunteer that would like to fill the position of secretary for our local until 5/31/2009.   The Secretary is part of the team effort and aside from helping take minutes the secretary can and should be an integral part of the decision making process.  If you are interested, please let me or one of the other officers know within the next 2 weeks.  If you would like to know the duties of the secretary, ask me.



POLITICAL ELECTIONS-This September is the primary elections and the general are in November.  Make sure you all get out and vote.  Keep in mind the mess we’re in now when you consider who to vote for.  If any new controllers need help registering let me know so I can point you in the right direction.



S1300- NATCA continues to work, nationally, to get the Senate to pass this bill so we can take it to committee.  I will be providing all of you a petition, in your mail box, to be signed by your friends, family and neighbors aimed at convincing Senator Inouye to push S1300 through the Senate.  According to NATCA national, he seems to be one of the key persons stalling progress.  I have been asked to get 200+ signatures to submit to the Senator.  Please take this petition home and get at least 5 signatures each; If you can get the full ten or more, even better.  This is time critical, so please return the signatures to me by next week, if possible.   



FLSA LAWSUIT-the lawsuit is proceeding and it looks favorable for NATCA.  The most tangible effect is the proper pay-out of Credit, Comp and Overtime.  Not sure of the exact details yet but you will know when I do. Contrary to some rumors there will be no loss of accumulated credit or comp as a result of this lawsuit.  You will be compensated according to law when the suit is settled.



LOCALITY-This lawsuit is in the middle of mediation.  That is actually a positive step.  I don’t have any details on how the mediation is going but expect some soon. Senator Akaka, Inouye, Stevens and Murkowski’s bill to covert Cola to Locality is getting some hearing time in Hawaii this week.  There is a lot of good testimony and support for a fair and equitable transition for the non-conus federal employees.  The lawsuit and this bill seem to be working together to push a resolution for both retired and current employees that will not force someone to work an additional duration to receive the benefit. 



KONA-I have been talking to a representative from Hirono and Inouye’s office to ask for there intervention to help make Kona safer.  I recommended an approach control, a FAA tower and longer hours of operation.  I still need occurrences of safety issues at Kona.  I need to convince them that this is a regular occurrence.  I realize the no harm no foul mentality; however safety needs to trump budget and it won’t if we don’t say anything!



DETAILED TAXI-This ranks as one of the most ridiculous moves by the FAA yet.  Even more stupid is the lack of accountability of the operators both for read-back and for deviations.  What this does is make the controllers solely responsible and takes away the safety chain that read-backs are suppose to enhance.  My advice:  for aircraft, if you need a specific route for traffic make sure you get an accurate read-back.  Don’t let the acft move until you do.  Make sure you get the hold short read-back.  For vehicles, when you issue a clearance whether its approved as requested or detailed, make sure you state to “remain clear of taxiing aircraft and active runways”.  If you don’t and something happens, whether it’s the operators fault or not, you may have liability because you issued the clearance on the specific route.  There is action being taken by NATCA but until something changes CYA!  If aircraft or vehicles have to wait to ensure their safety, that’s how it has to be.



ASSIGNED ALTITUDE-Recently management approached me about a concern from a controller that the assigned altitudes were disappearing on some of the aircraft departing JRF, HHI and over flying HNL.  I told them it was a known problem and that I would support TRACON re-entering the assigned altitude prior to hand-off to Island Approach.  Debbie told me she would do more research with AOS to see what the problem was and get back to me.  She never did and put the control sheet out requiring either assigned altitude or IFR/VFR in the scratch pad or verbal coordination.  Since then I have got it corrected to just the assigned altitude is to be entered by TRACON.  My reasoning for this is that, as a radar controller, altitude and assigned altitude are the two most important bits of information used to determine potential conflict.  As a busy radar controller you need the information available to you on the display, you don’t always have the luxury of using the strips or a d-side to update them.  This is a software issue and can be fixed however we need ADR’s to be turned in to either me or management so that we can trace the problem and fix it.  Until then we help our brothers and sisters by giving them the benefit of an accurate radar display.



HCF TOWER/RADAR SIMULATOR-HCF is getting a Tower Simulator, which is suppose to be state of the art, and a PC based radar simulator for refresher type training that sets up a problem, grades you based on .65 rules and prints out a training form with paragraph references.  This will mean some movement of walls in the facility and the loss of the computer room and the library (haunted).  I am working on moving the library books to existing break rooms as well as placing computers for use in break rooms and in the operational area, away from the operation.  In my opinion, having these simulators gives our facility more function and credibility and therefore more sustainability.  In other words, it helps preserve what we have.



CONGRESSMAN ABERCROMBIES VISIT-Congressman Abercrombie came to the facility for a visit this past Thursday.  Thanks to Jimmy for extending the invitation to him the last time he went to Washington.  The meeting was great from our standpoint.  Neil asked all the right questions and made all the right statements.  He is a friend of labor and a friend of NATCA and our local.  To quote Congressman Abercrombie: “it’s all going to change in November”.



CONGRESSMAN ABERCROMBIE’S BIRTHDAY-We have a table for 10 at the Congressman’s Birthday on June 30, 2008.  As usual I would like to solicit volunteers to attend this function on behalf of NATCA.  Please notify Jimmy or one of the E-board if you would like to attend.  The invitation is on the right.



RECYCLING EFFORT-The balance in the account is up to $124.71.  This has been accomplished with minimal contributions.  The cafeterias recycle effort plus contributions by Clyde, Charlie, Al and I got us to where we are now.  If everyone was to help and bring the stuff from home or whatever is in the back of your car.  It would add up.



RDO ASSIGNMENTS-Management has begun assigning the newly certified CPC to the crew they trained on as a CPC.  They will only bid a slot if it is needed to balance the crews.  This is a change and circumnavigates the seniority process by not allowing other CPC’s to bid on a newly created CPC slot.  We have filed a grievance on this process but that will take some time.  We have offered and they have agreed to moving people based on voluntary moves but the key is that none of the A/L is protected.  I don’t mind doing the work to find out where everyone wants to move; however usually that means that someone (probably the junior CPC) will be bumped and that persons leave will not be covered.  The union will not agree to purposely harm a bargaining unit member even if it is trying to correct a management injustice.  So if we come to you to work on RDO swaps and it ends up where one member gets adversely affected, we will not be accomplishing those swaps.  



LOCALITY-It continues to progress through both the lawsuit and the legislative process.  We are trying to work one with the other.  If we are able to get the legislative effort to include language for the retired employees, the lawsuit can be dropped.  This issue is being worked through Senator Akaka and Inouye’s office.  They want to resolve this issue this legislative session.  



PAY-Please continue to check your pay stubs.  The errors that are continuing to happen are with overtime.  Holiday, Sunday, Differentials are not usually a problem, mostly the unusual like overtime and credit.    



KONA AIRPORT-Keep reporting problems at Kona and be sure to notify the union also.  As the political climate changes in Washington, we need to position our safety issues at the top.



RETIREMENT BRIEFING- The retirement briefing for the 5th and 6th will be in the Hibiscus Suite of the Hilton Hawaiian Village (4th floor Kalia Tower conference rooms). 

   

As Congressman Abercrombie said; it will all change beginning in November.  Keep the faith!

   

Scott