Boeing's 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9 by NNM RVP Eddie DeLisle

All,

The Trump administration is grounding Boeing's 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9 airliners, in a reversal that comes after dozens of other countries and foreign-owned airlines sidelined the jet following two fatal crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia.

The action represents a rare case in which other countries — including allies such as Canada, Great Britain, France, Germany and the European Union — refused to follow the lead of the FAA in dealing with the safety of a U.S.-made aircraft. Even more strikingly, the U.S. bowed to the pressure.

The groundings will affect domestic airlines such as Southwest and American, which include the 737 MAX as a significant part of their fleets.

In light of this action, we may see media requests. Please direct all media inquiries to Doug Church, Deputy Director of Public Affairs; 301-346-8245, dchurch@natcadc.org.

Eddie DeLisle

NNM RVP

(503) 724-0768

Recent Pay Issues by James Darlington

There’s a lot of nuance and every situation is individual regarding our pay due to the shutdown.  As an example some people have received letters in the mail for debt reduction and others have just had involuntary debt reduction appear on their leave and earnings statement.  Just a reminder the DOI phone number on the bottom of your leave and earnings statement (1-888-367-1622) should be able to clarify any specific questions or issue with your LES.  Also, please feel  free to contact me (904-347-3065) and/or stop me at work if you have any questions. 


James Darlington
NNM Natca Pay Lead 
904-347-3065

NATCA in Washington 2019 Registration (Please Read Carefully)

Brothers and Sisters,

Registration for NATCA in Washington 2019 is now open. Our Union continually faces new legislative challenges, and this year has been no exception. NATCA in Washington gives our Union a tremendous opportunity to spend time on Capitol Hill, educating our elected officials about the vital work that we do.

Each year, we strive to put on a first class event and create a great experience for our activists. Whether you are a veteran attendee or a first-timer, we are confident that you will learn something new, build great relationships, and help our Union make our collective voice heard on Capitol Hill.  

We know that getting leave is always a challenge. If you want to attend, but are still trying to work out leave, we encourage you to register. It is easier to drop a room from our room block than it is to try to 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

612-532-6275

steve.weidner@natca.net

Click here to register.

The deadline for registration is April 8, 2019. It is our goal at NATCA in Washington to have as many Congressional districts represented as possible. First priority for attendance selection will be based on the Congressional districts in which registrants reside.

If you wish to attend but are unsure if your leave will be approved, PLEASE REGISTER. Again, it is far easier to cancel a room than to add one at the last minute. Attendance confirmation will be sent out on or about the week of April 15, 2019. This will give you adequate time to take advantage of advanced-purchase airfare. Your attendance is NOT guaranteed until you receive confirmation from your National Legislative Committee (NLC) member. 

If your local will be paying for your expenses to attend NATCA in Washington, DO NOT make any travel reservations/arrangements until you have received purchase approval from your local FacRep/E-board.

Single Room / Roommate Requests

Please note that all hotel rooms are non-smoking. 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 $183 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, and 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.

Transportation expenses (airfare, train ticket, etc.) and incidental travel costs (i.e. cabs, tolls, etc) will NOT be reimbursed from the NATCA in Washington budget. If your local will be paying for your expenses to attend NATCA in Washington, DO NOT make any travel reservations/arrangements until you have received purchase approval from your local FacRep/E-board.   

Facility Update Local Meeting, Pay, Solidarity Event

Some quick items for your consumption:

• Local Meeting - This coming Wed 2/27/19 we will have our quarterly Local Meeting at the Rainbow Cafe in Auburn @ 3 PM. Discussion will be, but not limited to:

  • Pay (If you can’t make the meeting, please use the Local Slack or respond to this email with your questions and we will address them)

  • Ideas to support Local Charities

  • Solidarity Event

• Pay - It is as clear as mud. According to Lori Olson, PP06 is her prediction of when our pay will get back to normal. The DOI has only recently released the full Time and Attendance rights back to the FAA so personel like Lori can begin to adjust and correct as appropriate.

• Dave & Buster’s Solidarity Event - The event on Monday was a blast. Thank you to all who made it out. We will try to make sure the next event is on a different night to make sure everyone has a chance to attend one of these. We will begin brain-storming the next event at the Local Meeting this coming Wednesday. Please come out and help us if you can.

(I forgot to get a group pic. Amy is still pissed at me)

Thank you for your time and the opportunity to serve you. Enjoy the nice weather today.

Pay Update from NNM RVP Eddie DeLisle

All,

Here is the message that the Agency sent out.  

When will I get my paycheck for pay period 2019-04?
The payroll for pay period 2019-04 will be paid on February 26, 2019 (some financial institutions may make the deposit available earlier).
 
Why is the timing/process for this pay period different?
The FAA’s payroll processor (The Department of the Interior Business Center) established an early timecard submission cutoff for pay period 2019-04 on February 16, 2019, due to the Federal Holiday and potential lapse in appropriations. Normally the pay period cutoff for timecard submissions would have been February 19, 2019.  During this timeframe, the FAA experienced technical difficulties with the MyAccess program, which allows employees to access CASTLE, the FAA’s timekeeping system. 
 
What is the solution for this issue?
The MyAccess program was restored on the morning of February 15, 2019, however, many employees’ timesheets were not approved and processed. For those employees who did not have an approved T&A, the CASTLE system recorded a straight 80 hrs for PP2019-04. In these cases, amendments will be processed to record employees’ actual time worked as well as any overtime and other categories of premium pay in PP2019-05.

Not all facilities will be affected.  This issue also does not extend to any previously owed differentials/premiums that were not paid due to the government shutdown. 

Attached is an updated version of the Pay Calculator. There have been a few minor tweaks since it was originally briefed last week, to include details on the pay raise that was passed last week. The calculator, slide deck, and recording of the webinar are all available on the members side of the NATCA website (http://www.natca.org/pay-calculator). 

Eddie DeLisle

NNM RVP

(503) 724-0768