Hey everybody, here are the meeting minutes from last week’s meeting. It was packed with info, so there is quite a lot here. Anyway, hope you guys are having a great start to fall!
Chico
All Members Meeting 10/20/22 East/West Conference Room
Start time: 12:10 PM Food: Costco Pizza and Water provided by ZSE NATCA Local
Attendance: See Attached
Finance Report -
Since there were no changes to the local financial policy, we had a briefing solely on the proposed budget for next year. For the Event line, that was the total cost of the Argosy event, but it wasn’t what we actually spent. It was split between several other facilities. Dues income is expected to go up due to a projected raise at the end of this year. For the Convention line, we set aside money each year so that when we have a convention year, we have the money already ready to go and it isn’t a big shock to the budget. This coming year is a convention year, we should be able to send whoever would like to go. NATCA National also pays for some people to go. We can use savings if there is enough interest. We have money set aside for CFS, and we can add more if needed. NATCA in Washington has seen some declining interest, so the budget for that is lower this year. For Training we needed more money this year, which is good. Devin sees training as the best possible way to spend the Local’s funds. Even if you are only somewhat interested in something and just want to learn more, you are encouraged to sign up and take a class. The more information we all have, the better we can be. We have money set aside for an event this year. It won’t be as big as the one last year. The other budget line items are pretty standard.
While talking about our donations to NCF (NATCA Charitible Foundation), the DRC (Disaster Relief Committee) came up, and we discussed possibly donating to them. The DRC is able to see the affected area for an event, and then contact affected members directly to offer support. There is an ability to have a recurring donation from your paycheck to go to the DRC if you choose. After this discussion there was a motion to donate to the DRC out of our savings with the intention to create a new line item for next year’s budget. This motion passed. Then there was another motion to increase our donations to NCF and to keep it at that level in future years. This motion also passed. Finally, there was a motion to adopt the 2023 budget as presented and amended. That motion passed.
Upcoming NATCA Events -
We have the dates for 2023 for some of our recurring events. First is NATCA in Washington which will be May 2-4. Erich Chouinard gave a good description of NATCA in Washington, saying that it gives you a good perspective on how to lobby for our profession. You are meeting with actual congress members to inform them about our profession and to help shape the best future for us. NATCA provides exceptional training to the members that attend so that you can make the best impression on the people you meet with. The next event is the NATCA Convention from June 19-22 in Fort Lauderdale, FL. At the convention you get to see the parliamentary process play out and see how our national constitution is shaped. You get to hear different opinions and issues from facilities across the country. Erich noted that Drew has done a great job getting our local into parliamentary form here, and that it is magnified to a much larger scale at the national Convention and it is pretty incredible to watch. Finally there will be CFS (Communicating for Safety) September 18-20. This is a joint event between NATCA and the aviation community where you can learn a lot about what goes on in the cockpit, and also see the latest in safety protocols.
ATX (Activism and Training Expo) -
This is taking place December 12-16 at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. There is a long list of classes that will be available. The expo is set up to help with people not being able to get off the schedule. You can only go for your RDO’s if that works best for you. As long as you are there for 24 hrs and attend classes at the expo, NATCA National will cover your costs. This is a really cool opportunity to go and try out some different things and see what might interest you. Drew is teaching a class about Robert’s Rules, Lindsay will be teaching a class there as well. Registration closes on November 10th, check out the NATCA website for more information.
Retirement Seminars -
NATCA provides these to members, and the Agency has to let you go to these (staffing permitting). If you apply 45 days in advance, and they can get you off the schedule you can do it on duty time. Cambridge is the company that NATCA uses for these seminars. They have a variety of financial products, but they won’t pressure you. These seminars are good for anybody in any stage of their career right now. It is always good to know where you stand or what to expect as you prepare for retirement. If you give them some of your info and answer some of their questions, they can provide you with a personalized report.
PRoC’s (Performance Record of Conference) -
These are often being done incorrectly, not just at our facility but across the entire NAS. Here would be an example of how these are supposed to be done: Suppose you are not giving the altimeter. The supervisor tells you that you need to start issuing the altimeter. Then you still aren’t doing it or haven’t improved. The supervisor tells you again to work on giving an altimeter. If you still aren’t doing it, then they can write up a PRoC. The PRoC shouldn’t be classified as “good” or “bad,” it should merely talk about the issue and then record the conversation that you had. When going over a PRoC it shouldn’t take place in the control room. It should be off the floor and also accompanied by a Falcon replay with an example of the particular issue. Then you have a conversation about it, and that conversation is recorded on the PRoC. It shouldn’t be a prewritten sheet that you sign.
PRoC’s shouldn’t be based on only one instance of something happening. They are supposed to be for recurring mistakes/deficiencies. NATCA supports the use of PRoC’s because they are designed to correct mistakes and make the airspace safer. However, we want them to be used appropriately and done correctly. So, if you are getting a PRoC without any of these things happening you can mention to the supervisor that you want to see the Falcon, and you want to do it outside of the control room. This can hopefully prompt them to do it correctly. Any disciplinary issue can NOT be a PRoC.
CRWG (Collaborative Resources Work Group) -
This is a workgroup that is looking at our staffing levels, and this is a big issue coming up. The last time NATCA and management sat down to do something like this was eight years ago. There is a separate entity called FAA Finance that doesn’t really listen to input from NATCA or Air Traffic FAA management. FAA Finance is in charge of our staffing currently. They see us getting by with less staffing and no major accidents or incidents so they want to leave our staffing where it is now. NATCA is looking to get FAA Finance out of making those decisions. What we can do as controllers is start to show a need for more people. If we are always working the sectors combined and everything is fine, they will see that we don’t need them split. We shouldn’t complain about splitting sectors or sitting on a dead sector. We need to utilize the sectors we have and demonstrate why we need more controllers.
Voting -
There was an Executive Order that came out recently that allows federal workers to use paid time to vote in the upcoming election. Per our MOU with management, we are allowed up to 4 hours excused absence, staffing permitting. This MOU was created nationally, so the four hours was intended for people that need to go to a voting location and stand in line. Since we vote by mail here, the entire four hours might not be entirely necessary, so be reasonable with your requests.
Data Comm Classes -
We have some classes coming up to learn about Data Comm. This was a huge undertaking to get everybody scheduled. If you miss any part of the class, you will have to retake the entire class. If you know you might miss part of your scheduled class, let your rep and/or scheduler know right away. Once you complete Data Comm training, you have to work a shift where the Data Comm is on within 45 days or you will lose your Data Comm currency. If you then miss the window to get recertified you run the risk of having to use leave because you won’t be considered qualified to work your shift.
Meeting adjourned at 1:07 PM
