Here are my notes from our BOI trip we made last week. In attendance from ZSE was Troy, Paul Skorniakoff, Al Passero, Drew Stewert and I.
Some of the topics are:
I also have the complete presentations for NATCA Safety, Pro Standards and Constition available to anyone that wants it. As always, thanks for allowing us to represent you and please feel free to ask questions if you have them.
Alex Navarro III
President Trump declined to rule out vetoing a spending bill that would prevent a government shutdown if the measure does not include funding for his proposed wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Lawmakers and the White House have through Friday to reach a deal to keep federal agencies open, but so far the administration and congressional Democrats are refusing to budge on the controversial wall issue. Trump told the Associated Press in an interviewpublished Monday he was not sure if he would sign a bill that did not contain wall funding.
“I don't know yet,” Trump said when asked if he would sign such a shutdown-averting deal. “People want the border wall. My base definitely wants the border wall. My base really wants it.” He added he did not “want to comment.”
Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney expressed a similar view on Fox News Sunday, sayingthe White House did not know yet if it would demand wall funding in exchange for Trump’s signature. Mulvaney added he would negotiate with Democrats rather than on television.
“We are asking for our priorities,” Mulvaney said. “I would say ... they’re holding hostage national security.”
Trump and Mulvaney have also said they want funding for the Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement as part of the appropriations deal. They are asking for $3 billion for the Homeland Security Department overall to spend by Sept. 30, as well as $30 billion for the Defense Department.
DHS Secretary John Kelly struck a slightly different tone on CNN, saying he “would expect [Trump will] be insistent on the funding” for the border wall. Mulvaney recently said the consequences of a shutdown “have been blown out of proportion.”
Democratic leaders told reporters Monday that congressional negotiators were making good progress and were on track to reach a deal before the White House intervened. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., tweeted Trump’s “insistence on the wall is a sign of weakness, robs children of investments in their future and has bipartisan opposition.”
The White House has begun at least the formal procedures to prepare for a shutdown, convening a call with agency leaders to instruct them to update their contingency plans. Mulvaney said on Friday he was confident a shutdown would be avoided but prudent planning required the preparations.
After Democrats previously threatened to allow the government to shut down if Republicans included Trump’s immigration and border enforcement policies in a spending bill, Republicans appeared to have capitulated by indicating they would deal with the administration’s supplemental request separately from the regular appropriations bill. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., assured his fellow Republicans over the weekend they would stave off a shutdown, according to Politico.
As always, thank you for the opportunity to go to CFS and representing ZSE. This year the theme really centered around the practice of collaboration and how it ties into every facet of our job. At times it was repetitive and I tried to not let that show in the notes that I took. You can read up for yourself.
Some Topics:
Finally, I'd like to clarify the CIP situation. As we mentioned in a previous update, CIP is in danger of stopping as of Sep 30th. What I failed to communicate is why. According to Paul and Trish, the crux of the issue is that CIP (Controller Incentive Pay) was intended to incentivize BUE's to go to hard-to-staff facilities. Somewhere down the line that intent was lost and now NATCA and the FAA are trying to return CIP back to the initial purpose of recruitment and retention. If they can't reach an agreement be the end of the fiscal year, CIP will NOT be paid out until the 2 can figure out how to allocate those funds. What this means to a facility like ZSE, in my opinion, is that we are likely to see a permanent dip in CIP because we never have an issue with personnel trying to join us. Conversely, a facility like N90 that has historically had a difficult time with recruitment and retention, will see a bump.
If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me or Troy (SLACK!!!) and we'll be glad to try to help. Thanks again.
Alex Navarro III
Just a quick follow-up to those considering going to NATCA in Washington this year.
Please let Ligaya or I know if you have interest in attending and we can explain the expectations of going to NATCA in Washington.
Alex Navarro III
Brothers and Sisters,
We are happy to announce that registration for NATCA in Washington 2017 is now open! Our Union is continually faced with new legislative challenges and this year is no exception. NATCA in Washington provides us with a tremendous opportunity to spend time on the Hill, educating our elected officials on the vital work that we do.
NATCA in Washington 2017 promises to be our best NATCA in Washington ever! We are continuing to improve this event each year. Regardless if you are a veteran attendee or a first-timer, we are confident that you will come away impressed. We hope you are able to attend and make our collective voice heard on Capitol Hill.
We know that getting leave is always a challenge. We understand these challenges. However, if you are planning to attend but are still trying to work out leave, we encourage you to register. It is much easier to drop a room from our room block than it is to try and pick one up at the last minute.
Below is the registration link and several other items that should answer some of the basic questions you may have.
In Solidarity,
Steve Weidner, Chair
National Legislative Committee
Dates and Registration Link
NATCA in Washington will be May 22-24, 2017 (Monday - Wednesday). To register online, please go to:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NIW17
Registration Deadline
The deadline for registration is April 10, 2017. Participants will be selected based on the Congressional districts in which they reside. It is ideal to have as many Congressional districts represented as possible.
Again, if you wish to attend but are unsure if your leave will be approved, go ahead and register anyway. Attendance confirmation will be sent out on or about April 14, 2017. This should give you plenty of time to take advantage of advanced-purchase airfare. DO NOT purchase airline tickets until you have received confirmation from your regional NLC member that you will be attending AND approval from your local e-board.
NATCA in Washington Website
Visit niw.natca.net for detailed information on NATCA in Washington. We are continually updating this website so be sure to check back from time to time.
Transportation
Transportation to and from Washington D.C. will be at your local’s expense. Transportation expenses will NOT be reimbursed from the NATCA in Washington budget. Therefore, please check with your Facrep first before registering. Any other incidental travel costs (i.e. cabs, tolls, etc) will also be at your local's expense.
Single Room / Roommate Requests
Single rooms are on a first-come, first-served basis. If you are booked in a single room, you will be responsible for 1/2 of room charges per night (half the cost is approximately $177 per night). If you do not indicate your choice of room (single or double) it will be assumed you want a roommate and one will be assigned to you. If you request a double room, but do not specify a roommate, your roommate will be assigned by your regional NLC member. We always attempt to room members from the same region together (unless specifically requested otherwise), but if there is an odd number of attendees, you may be required to room with someone from another region.
***Please make sure you have coordinated with the roommate you've requested PRIOR to registering. This will avoid confusion in the rooming process***
***FYI - All rooms at the hotel are non-smoking***
Register Today!
NATCA in Washington is our Union's premier legislative event. Nobody can explain our jobs and our issues to Congress better than us. This is an excellent opportunity to get involved and make a difference. I look forward to seeing everyone in DC. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call or email me.
