Weekly Update April 24th

As we approach the end of our second rotation through the crews, we hope that we find everyone in good health and good spirits. Your sacrifice to accommodate this schedule is not going unnoticed. Thank you again for all of your patience and professionalism during these crazy times.

Night Differential

You may notice on Webscheduler that you have a shift assigned to your EA days. This is to accomplish a way to get people night differential. It was negotiated to assign four swing shifts per pay period per person to ensure it was easily and evenly distributed. These shifts are not for recallability purposes. A recall will have to come from the Regional level, and we will have plenty of lead time if or when this is needed.

Dynamic Scheduling Phase 2

Some of you may have seen a list on the internet that showed a bunch of terminal facilities with reduced hours. This wasn’t really meant for public distribution because it isn’t a finished project. Those airports met a certain criteria and the FAA and NATCA still have a lot of work to do internally and with the airport managers before that list is accurate. There aren’t a whole lot of airports that even meet the criteria in Seattle Center and so when the changes are finalized, the impact will be minimal and temporary.

If there is anything we can do for you please reach out via email, text or phone call. You may not see us in the facility, but we are still here, standing by, to serve you.

In Solidarity,

Derek Adams and Amy Sizemore

Derek Adams (360) 510-5913 Derek.adams.natca@gmail.com

Amy Sizemore (253) 880-6414 amatc20@gmail.com

Devin Carlisto (619) 818-5335 devin.carlisto@natca.net

David Blaser (585) 752-6762 d.t.blaser@gmail.com

Jared Zimmerman (801) 635-9184 jaredzimmerman@yahoo.com

Loren Cameron (253) 304-2200 cameronloren@yahoo.com

James Darlington (904) 347-3065 James.Darlington@natca.net

Trevor Laush (360) 790-1356 tlaush@gmail.com

Paul Skorniakoff (253) 332-2066 skorniakoff@comcast.net

Sherri O’Neil (360) 710-2247 sherrip28@hotmail.com

Matt Beckman (206) 406-3264 Matt_Beckman@hotmail.com

Kenny Courts (661) 832-8262 ZLACourts@gmail.com

Drew Stewart (503) 593-8178 drew.s.stewart@gmail.com

Weekly Update April 17th

Well, we’re into the fourth week of dynamic scheduling with no known end in sight. It all seems to be running smoothly but if there is a problem that we’re not aware of, please let us know so we can address it. Employee Assistance Program is available to address a broad and complex body of issues affecting mental and emotional well-being, such as alcohol and other substance abuse, stress, grief, family problems, and psychological disorders. This is a stressful time for everyone and we just want you to know about the help available should you need it. Information is available on the OPM website.

Masks

Some masks that NATCA National designed and ordered will be distributed shortly. These are not by any means medical grade and if nothing else, will remind you not to touch your face. They could be used in addition to another mask that you may already own or I have also heard of some people folding Shop Towels (those sturdy blue paper towels you can find in the auto section of stores) and putting them inside your mask for additional disposable protection. 

Night Differential

NATCA National has been working towards getting some of our differentials paid even when we are in an administrative leave status. The details of this are not completely clear at this time, but it should be rolling out during the next few days/weeks. Once this is finalized, it will still need to be negotiated at the local level to determine exactly what it will look like. We need to verify fair and equitable distribution while still making it an easy implementation by the area reps and schedulers. More to come on this as it progresses. In addition to that, the agency has already been directed to pay any night differentials missed during the first week of dynamic scheduling due to schedules being changed inside of 7 days. We can’t say yet that this will be reflected on the upcoming paycheck, but we will be monitoring this closely as well.

Annual Leave

As we are rapidly approaching the season for higher annual leave usage there are a few things that should be discussed. We are all still entitled to the annual leave that we bid, but we also have the right to convert it to administrative leave. We also can use annual leave during our five days of work, but that obviously leaves the crew short. Since this is such a delicate subject and each person will be approaching their options differently, we ask that you work with your area reps and schedulers to determine exactly what you want to do with your bid time off. It has been suggested that if you are going to leave the commuting area or simply do not want to be subject to recall during the time that you bid, you keep it coded as annual leave. Otherwise, it can all be converted to administrative leave. We realize that there is a lot of nuance to this, so please reach out to your area reps or the Eboard to determine the best course of action for you and your bid time off.

Thank you again for all your hard work and please let us know if we can help with anything,

Derek Adams and Amy Sizemore

Weekly Update April 3rd

We hope this update finds you all in good health and spirits. We can not express enough how proud we are of our members that seamlessly made this transition during these uncertain times.

Dynamic Schedules

By now all the areas have transitioned into Crew 2 of the new schedule. We haven’t heard of too many bumps in the road so it seems to be running smoothly. If you have any concerns, or lessons learned, please let your area reps know so we can fix it or don’t have to keep reinventing the wheel. 

COVID-19 Testing/Exposure

Just as a reminder, we are required to let management or the flight surgeon know about any COVID related involvement. They will make the determination from there as to the next steps. If you have been exposed or start to show symptoms, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can plan for the next step. It is very important that you don’t keep this information to yourself.

Supervisor Proficiency Time

At this time, the sups are still required to get 4 hours of pro-time each month. Initially management had a lot of really bad ideas on how to accomplish this. Our recommendation was to have them get their time during the first hour of the day shift or the last hour of the swing shift. Hopefully as traffic continues to die down this will allow for the areas to work single scopes with the exception of the position the supervisor is getting time on and staff a CIC. We will continue to monitor how this is working and encourage management to make smart decisions in meeting this requirement.

We want to thank you for your continued professionalism and patience as we deal with this situation. We obviously do not know how long this will last nor do we have all of the answers, but we know that we will get through this together as NATCA brothers and sisters.

In solidarity,

Derek Adams and Amy Sizemore

Weekly Update March 27th

Good Evening all, tonight’s update is jointly crafted by Derek and Amy.

Schedules

Obviously the big topic is dynamic scheduling. This was a huge undertaking to get done in only a couple of days. Your area reps, alternate area reps and scheduling reps busted their butts to get this done so quickly and they deserve an elbow bump or air five or whatever the CDC says is ok. Seriously though, please thank them. 

Everything basically comes down to keeping all overlap to an absolute minimum but here are the highlights:

• If you are on days/swings/mids you must stay on that for the duration of your 5 days. If you want to trade with anyone, it needs to be done before your 5 days starts and encompass the entire 5 days.

• If someone calls in sick, they will not be backfilled with overtime. The operation will just be curtailed to meet the staffing.

• Recallability - That will only happen in an extreme circumstance such as a positive COVID-19 test. This is a high level decision to recall people and you should have plenty of notification (48 hours or more). 

• It is possible that you will go over two hours on position. Clearly not optimal, just the way it is right now. In addition to this we have asked management not to micromanage breaks. If it makes sense for the operation to do hour on/hour off or some other configuration that allows for longer breaks, that should be acceptable. On the same token, please be flexible if shorter breaks are required due to staffing constraints or periods of high traffic volume. The E-board will be keeping a close eye on this to ensure the go-getter sups out there are not using this as a time to shine.

• “Spot Leave” will more than likely not happen. Pre-approved leave still stands. If you do have pre-approved leave, but are able to work your 5 day rotation and would like to have the 10 days of EA before and after in place of your bid leave, please notify your area rep ASAP so they can work that into the schedule.

• You will get paid for 80 hours regardless of what you actually work. We know there will be questions about differentials and we ask that you please let us get into this new configuration and tackle any pay issues on the back end.

You probably heard that we won’t all go into the control room at the beginning of your shift. Some of you will start out on break. All the details should be in your area’s email but if you have any questions, please let us know. The last couple of minutes in your shift should be used to sanitize your area. Lastly, please do not play games with this. Hopefully we all realize that this was not the FAA’s idea, this was NATCA National finally beating it into their heads that action needed to be taken. It took a lot of convincing to even get this far, let’s not ruin this. That being said, if you’re sick, call in sick. No questions asked. We know that this situation is not ideal and we know that this can be a burden for all of us and our families, but we also know that this is the right thing to do. As always, we are continually proud of the dedication and professionalism that you all exhibit, especially when circumstances are the most taxing.

Members of the E-board that are able to continue controlling through this time will be placed on a crew just like everybody else. The expectation is that they comply with this new dynamic staffing including taking their ten days of EA (yes, even the FacRep). With that, please know that we will still be as available as we always are, but it will be via phone or email. If you need anything or have questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.

All Members Meeting

The All Members meeting will be held via Microsoft Teams on Monday the 30th at 2pm. The link to the meeting is below. If you are using an iPhone or iPad, you must download the app. Android has a free app as well. Devin sent out the links for that earlier but you should be able to find it in your respective app stores. If you’re using the newest versions of Chrome or Firefox, it will work just by clicking on the link. We won’t be using it to send out any information so you shouldn’t get a bunch of notifications. The phone number is below if you just want to call in.

Join Microsoft Teams Meeting <— click on this link when you’re ready to join the meeting

+1 253-240-0613   United States, Tacoma (Toll)

Conference ID: 432 314 6#

Northwest Mountain Live Stream

Tomorrow the Northwest Mountain Region will be holding another live stream event. You should’ve received that email yesterday afternoon from NNM Communications, if you didn’t just let us know, we’ll send it to you. Last week’s live stream was pretty cool and was packed with important information. We had Alex and Josh from our region and then a couple other RVPs that were able to give some other perspective on the current state of the COVID crisis. You will be able to send in any questions you might have, then they’ll read the answers online. Their email address is NNM-LEADERSHIP@NATCA.ORG.

In Solidarity,

Derek Adams & Amy Sizemore

Update March 23rd

With the news that came out from NATCA National today, I felt it was appropriate to send out another update.

As many of you saw, we are sending all trainees that do not have have any R-side certifications home on excused absence. In addition we are sending many people with underlying conditions home on excused absence. I am sure there more questions regarding how to report your desire to be placed on excused absence due to your underlying condition. In an effort to streamline this process, I told Don I would share with you how I recommend you make this request. The first step is to contact the flight surgeon’s office to confirm your condition makes you eligible under this most recent guidance. The next step will be to notify Don Hill via email or phone call that you are requesting excused absence. I will include a quick template below that you can copy and paste into your email to make this request.

As with the last several weeks, I am sure there is much to come from the agency and NATCA on how to further protect the workforce during these surreal times. Please remember that what we are currently dealing with is new territory for both the agency and your NATCA leadership. I can assure you that every bit of our effort is going into implementing current guidance and seeking new guidance to ensure our members’ safety. Although I feel that the agency is consistently several steps behind, NATCA is working locally, regionally and nationally to help protect the workforce.

I know I say it all the time, but please remember that The Eboard and I are here to assist you in anything you need. During these difficult times, we cannot promise to have all the answers, but we will continue to work on your behalf and try to keep the members of ZSE safe and informed. Please reach out to us with anything you need or any questions you have. Stay safe and stay healthy.

In Solidarity,

Derek Adams

Excused Absence Template

Mr. Hill,

My name is _______________. In accordance with the new guidance from the agency and consistent with CDC recommendations, I am requesting excused absence because of my underlying health condition.

Thank you,

Email to don.j.hill@faa.gov

Or call (253) 351-3501