September 30 Schedule Update

Pay Period 24 has been published. Area refresher training will take place during this pay period from November 5-9th. As a result there were many hourly shift changes on the day shifts. The day shifts also looked as if they area staffed over guides. Please note that all of the hourly shift changes have been tracked but were not published as a return to shift request due to the volume of requests that would need to be entered. The swing shift return to shift requests as well as any day to swing and swing to day requests have been entered. If you would like to return to your bid shift you will need to make your request.

For all of the CICs, please do not approve XTE or AL on the day shifts between November 5-9. If you approve any shift swaps, please make sure that both people involved in the swap are able to swap their spots in refresher training. We are only able to accommodate 4 people per refresher class-2 classes a day at 7am and 11am.

Brooke

440-227-5591

brooked85@hotmail.com

September 19 Update

A Area Update September 19, 2018

Solicitation of Interest

We are in need of article 5 to the training department for stage 3 class from January 1-February 15. This is going to be very demanding as there are four stage 3 developmentals. Please advise me by Thursday November 1 if you are interested and if you have any schedule requests.

Airspace and Procedures

Thanks to everyone’s hard work this summer, Eric Tandberg was able to collect sufficient data to present a safety case to NUW to lower the use of MOLSON South to FL280 and below. Eric will be making his presentation later this month. Along with the safety case, Eric will be addressing the routing of P3 and P8 aircraft through the Olympic MOA. Eric will be informing NUW to file flight plans as is OLY is always active.

Over the summer I had several requests regarding our A area radar map. I have requested that KOTAA and LOOOO be added. While addressing these requests, Eric and I discussed removing the Handoff Points on the radar map. They are depicted the same as a NAVAID and are no longer used. The only one that will remain is MATIA as it is still used by Vancouver South for handoffs.

Schedule

Jason Poole and I have negotiated next years schedule. As part of it we looked at our staffing and guides. I have asked for day shift guides in the summer to be raised but we do not have the staffing for it. Going forward I have negotiated a third set of weekday guides as well as weekend seasonal guides.

These guides will be implemented beginning October 28, 2018 and are as follows:

Weekday Guides

October 28, 2018 – March 2, 2019 9 day/9 swing

March 3, 2019 – May 25, 2019 10 day/9 swing (current winter guides)

May 26, 2019 – September 14, 2019 10 day/10 swing (current summer guides)

September 15, 2019 – October 26, 2019 10 swing/9 day

October 27, 2019 – January 4, 2020 9 day/9 swing

Saturdays Guides

October 28, 2018 – May 25, 2019 9 day/7 swing

May 26, 2019 – September 14, 2019 9 day/8 swing

September 15, 2019 – January 4, 2020 9 day/7 swing

Sunday guides

October 28, 2018 – May 25, 2019 9 day/8 swing

May 26, 2019 – September 14, 2019 9 day/9 swing

September 15, 2019 – January 4, 2020 9 day/8 swing

Please note that Web Scheduler reflects the changes in the guides to the lower winter guides. As a result all of the shifts up to October 28, 2018 look as if they are published above guides but they are at our winter guides. It is still at the discretion of management to approve leave that would put us below guides (or ‘at guides’ from now through October 27).

Jason Poole was insistent that the FLMs want to manage the floor in order to give us more opportunity for leave. I am skeptical of this but it has been proven that we can get by on lower guides. Please let me know if you ever go over 2 hour without being offered a break.

This will lead us into next years bidding information:

Please reach out to any member of the E-board regarding the new bid procedures. Beginning this year you will be charged for the amount of opportunities you get to bid in each round regardless of if you bid each of those opportunities. Any unbid opportunities will go towards the last round of bidding in addition to any leave you have accumulated from previous years. Collectively we only get to bid the days left over, that were not bid in earlier rounds, based on the total amount of days we get as an area. If every person bids their total accrued leave prior to the last round, we will not have a final round 6.

Brooke

440-227-5591

Brooked85@hotmail.com

Volunteers needed for IST training

The e-board is in need of volunteers for IST training.  Cadre class is September 18-19 and you must be present for both days.  IST will be in early December.  Please let amember of the eboard (other than me as I don’t have reliable phone/internet access) know if you would like to be a Cadre ASAP

Brooke

July 27 Update

July 27, 2018 Update

Schedule
We will be waterfall bidding Kurt’s line.  The bid will close on Wednesday, August 8, 2018 at the latest.  Movement for this line will be effective beginning Pay Period 22/September 30, 2018.

Sunday    Monday    Tuesday    Wednesday    Thursday    Friday    Saturday
RDO          RDO           15             1330NF           08              06           2230

The above line was worked as a Fully Charged line and the person taking may opt to keep it Fully Charged with a 9 hour-1300 shift on Wednesday and a 7 hour-0700 shift on Friday.  If the line is taken without the Fully Charged option, those who had shifts effected by the Fully Charged option will be notified what shift they currently have that will be effected.  

Airspace
Thank you to everyone who has collected strips in regards to Molson South Airspace.  We can discontinue collecting strips.  The Airspace office has enough data to present to NUW to change the LOA so NUW will never schedule the use of Molson South.  Along with the Molson South data we identified a second ongoing issue of the P3 and P8 aircraft filing through Olympic Airspace when its in use as well as very long reroutes right off the ground.  All of these issues will be talked about in a meeting with NUW to take place in the very near future.

Lastly I would like to let everyone I will not be available between August 6-22.  Derek Adams will handle any union matters on behalf of the A area while I’m away.  If you have any schedule concerns, you can talk to Damien.  Damien will continue the waterfall bid in my absence. 

Brooke

July 7 Update

Last notice for the Article 5 detail to the training department from September 10- October 19.  Please let me know by Friday, July 13 if you are interested.

After a meeting last week in regards to the Molson South airspace, it has been determined that more data is still needed.  We will continue to collect data through the end of August.  Please place strips in my headset box and date them.   Strips without a date will be thrown away.

Requests have been made to rotate the overhead maps so we don’t have 2 of the same map types next to each other at the positions.  With this request I would like to have the MIA and Airway maps at sector 32, 01, and 03 swapped.  If there are any objections to this please let me know as it is a change in working conditions.

Please take a minute to vote in our National NATCA election.  You can vote online or by mail.  Please let me know if you have voted.  Our local is just trying to track participation and we do not need to know who you voted for.

Brooke

Solicitation of Interest to the Training Department

Solicitation of Interest for an Article 5 detail to the training department for Stage 4 class.  Dates are September 10 – October 19.  Please notify me if you are interested in the detail along with any special schedule requests no later than Friday July 13.

Brooke

June 16th Update

Troy’s Retirement Gift Fund

There is an envelope on the wall between the headsets and the weather briefing computer for donations for a gift for Troy’s retirement.  You may also send a donation to Tony Germann via Venmo and label it Troy’s Gift.  Donations will be collected until Wednesday, June 27.

Staffing

Kurt will be leaving the area to become a FLM effective Pay Period 16.  Management has authorized the use of OT to backfill Kurt’s line until we have a new CPC.  I anticipate bidding Kurt’s old line as Roy and Tyler begin training at 3/12.  A replacement will most likely not fill the line until late summer or early fall.

Training

The article 5 detail to the training department has been put on hold for the time being.  Dates are being pushed back into September.  I will solicit volunteers when I get new dates.

Airspace and Procedures

I appreciate everyone who has been helping us to collect data on aircraft effected by Molson South airspace.  Please continue documenting sessions impacted by the airspace through the end of June.

The ATOME SID is being decommissioned in July and will be replaced by 3 new SIDs for sleepy time procedures.  Our Sleepy Time OPS will not be impacted.

I would also like to announce that the E Board has appointed Derek Adams to the VP position effective June 30 when Troy steps down.

Brooke

May 19th Update

Training
I am still soliciting for an Article 5 detail to the training department.  The detail is for a Stage 4 class.  The dates are July 16-August 24.  Please let me know if you are interested and if you have any schedule requests in the event you are selected.  This solicitation will close on May 30th at midnight.

Airspace
I have been working with the C Area and the Airspace Office to address our ongoing issues with Molson South.  We need more data to present a safety case to NUW in order to take back the airspace above FL280.  If you have any traffic situation that is impacted by the airspace or adds to your workload please leave either a strip or piece of paper with a callsign, date and time in my headset box or ET’s headset box.  We will collect data through the end of June.

Schedule Negotiations
I have already begun working on our schedule for next year and several people have offered help.  I appreciate this offer and at the current time I am accepting suggestions for changes to our MOU, proposed schedules, as well as items/procedures that you would like clarified or better spelled out.
Management is happy with our current MOU and is only proposing grammatical changes going into 2019.  This could drastically change depending on what the union proposes.  As of right now the E-board is also happy with our current MOU and only wishes to make minor changes that allow greater flexibility at the area level to do what is best for our staffing needs.  Please keep in mind that any proposed changes must be in compliance with our CBA.
If you wish to submit a proposed schedule it needs to include 32 lines at a minimum and 35 at a maximum.  Please designate the addition of lines 33-35 in the order that you think would be most beneficial to the operations of our area.  The shift guides will most likely remain unchanged.  The 2 main complaints with this years schedule is the lack of coverage at the end of the night as well as the AWS lines being straight swings.  These are the items I am going to do my best to address however there will be push back from management with our staffing between the swing and mid shifts.  Our traffic through this summer along with splitting/combining of the sectors is going to greatly impact the negotiations for better coverage.  If you have any other concerns about next years BWS please voice them so I can try my best to address them.

Brooke
Brooked85@hotmail.com
440.227.5591

April 27, 2018 UpdatE

It’s been 6 weeks since the last update.  The area has been relatively quiet.  We completed the waterfall of CV’s line and everybody who bid a new line will be moved to it in Pay Period 13.  

Other areas have recently had issues with CIC’s approving Blood Leave.  Don Hill agreed to CIC’s approving Blood Leave as long as the OM is consulted first.  Blood Leave falls under the category of Excused Absence which can only be approved by management.

SeaTac is once again under construction.  Work has already started on the taxiways surrounding the inboard runway and will conclude with the inboard runway, once again, being closed at the end of the summer.  This will impact the arrival rate and we will see lengthy delays through the summer.

Lastly, I’m looking for 1 more volunteer for area refresher training taking place in the fall.  Scheduled meetings will begin in late August to allow adequate time to prepare the material.  The class dates are November 5-9.  There will also be a last minute solicitation for an article 5 to the training department for stage 4 class this summer.  Dates have not been set (the reason I anticipate the last minute solicitation).  The class is tentatively scheduled to begin in July and run through August.  Please let me know if you are interested and if you have any schedule requests if selected (e.i. 4 10-hour days M-Th).

Brooke
Brooked85@hotmail.com
440-227-5591

Marty 17th Update

Staffing/Schedule
We will be publishing Pay Period 11 by the end of March.  I am still negotiating the start date for our summer guides which will be either Pay Period 11 or 12.  Summer guides will see the 0630 shift always backfilled as well as a 4th person on a 1330NF or equivalent 10 hour shift for coverage.  I am also trying to negotiate a second 1530 or 1600 shift through the weekday swings.  We are already having issues on certain nights combining to 2 sectors before 10:30pm.  Please let me know if there is pressure from the sups to combine sectors before traffic warrants it.  

MLAT will begin this coming week.  I have been asked if additional staffing will be needed and I made a recommendation for holdover OT on the swings as aircraft go to the AR routes while we are combining sectors.    

Equipment
AA worked very hard on 2 map filters that would depict lakes/rivers and highways.  In order to use them we will need to remove 2 of the current buttons from our Map Filters.  The MIA Alt button will be removed since we have altitudes displayed on the MIA map.  Other buttons we are considering removing are the Greener Skies Button or the Mid Map button.  There will be a survey in the area.  Please take some time to fill it out so we can consider all feedback before making changes.  The survey will be near the training forms on the desk opposite the FLM computer.  They will be available through the end of the month.

Brooke
440-227-5591
Brooked85@hotmail.com

Delay in Published Schedule

As many of you may know this week has been busy in regards to the schedule.  After a lot of discussion, I was giving permission to waterfall a line for our next trainee to fill upon becoming certified.  Management was under the assumption that the line would be bid in 1 round and we would be able to publish the schedule on time but that is not the case.  We are now water falling multiple lines.  Because of the length of time it takes to waterfall several lines, Jason and I agreed to publish Pay Period 9 utilizing OT to cover the holes that would otherwise be covered by having another CPC.

At the regional level, our facility is currently being scrutinized for overtime usage and when it was heard the plan for us to use 5 shifts of overtime to mitigate a problem we were already trying to address we were told we must come up with another solution.  Either move all trainees to fill the holes in the schedule (which we tried), publish below guides, or delay the publishing of the schedule.  I put safety above all else when it comes to our job and decided we would delay publishing to maintain a safe working environment.  Troy has been working closely with me and we have agreed to formally grant an extension to management to delay the publishing of the schedule.

So I apologize that the schedule is not being published on time.  I view it as a failure on my part, to the area, in not upholding the contract.  I’m trying my best to move the bid along as quickly as possible.  As of right now the soonest we are able to publish is Tuesday and that will only happen if we are done bidding.  If we are not done by Wednesday evening, Jason Poole and myself will have a meeting to decide how much longer to delay and what options we have moving forward from there.  While safety is my priority, I  need to make sure that everyone in the area is able to have enough notice of their schedule to make arrangements for their home life if needed.  Again I want to thank everyone for their quick responses to the bids.

Brooke
Brooked85@hotmail.com
440-227-5591

New Line Bid

Dan won the quick line bid this week.  We will now bid Dan's line.  It is almost identical to the previous bid.  This bid will close no later than Wednesday, March 7 at 1200 local time.  This bid is open to all CPCs plus KZ.

Su   0700                                                                                                                                                     Mo  0600                                                                                                                                                   Tu    RDO                                                                                                                                                 We  RDO                                                                                                                                                 Th   1530                                                                                                                                                     Fr    1330NF                                                                                                                                             Sa    0800

There will be a bid sheet in the area but feel free to email or text me with your bid.

Brooke                                                                                                                                                 brooked85@hotmail.com                                                                                                                      440-227-5591 

February 28th Update

SOLICITATION TO THE TRAINING DEPARTMENT
Stage 4 class date has new dates of March 26-May 18 for Mike Ollerman and Derek Salmond.  
The article 5 solicitation from May to July is no longer needed.  The new dates are from April 16-May 18.  Please let your supervisor or myself know by Tuesday March 7 no later than 11:59pm.  This detail is one week shorter than past article 5 details for training.  I was told there has been a slight change in the  curriculum resulting in the shorter detail.

EQUIPMENT
All the areas will be getting 2 keyboard risers.  Delivery timeframe is unknown but they have been ordered.  These will be available to anybody who wishes to use them while standing at the sector.  They will not be a permanent fixture at the sectors and we will have a designated storage area within the area.  Questions have been asked in regards to d sides being able to see the scope and if the use of the VSCS will be reachable.  We have been assured that they will not impact the operations.

LINE BID
I want to thank everybody for the quick responses to the line bid.  I was told Monday afternoon to bid the line out as quickly as possible and to close the bid by Friday.  Please respond as quickly as possible if you are or are not interested and have not already notified me.  The bid will officially close on Friday.

Su     0700
Mo    0600
Tu     RDO
We    RDO
Th     1500
Fr      1330NF
Sa     0800

Brooke
Brooked85@hotmail.com
440-227-5591

February 19th Update

Staffing
Jared Simpach is officially released from the area leaving our staffing at 32 CPCs.  The next trainee to certify will bring balance back to our schedule and there should be a decrease in assigned shift changes.  I’m anticipating having 34 CPCs in time for summer traffic.  If you have any questions in regards to your published schedule please see myself, Damien or management.

Solicitation of Interest
ARTICLE 5 detail to the training department for Stage 4 class.
Dates May 29-July 6.  Please notify myself or management no later than Saturday, April 10th.
If you have leave and are interested we may be able to utilize you as there is a need for 2 people.

Refresher training will occur the 1st week of November.  2 volunteers are needed for the week of Nov 5-9. I am soliciting early so scheduling can happen for late summer and early fall meetings.  Please let me know if you are interested in being a CADRE.  There is usually a TOA to the volunteers.

Airspace and Procedures
Boeing
Last month Boeing reached out to NATCA to investigate an event in which a Boeing test flight flew into Canadian airspace.  After reviewing the event and talking with many controllers it seems we have a training issue.  Boeing aircraft are not allowed to enter Canadian airspace.  They are on special waivers to certify aircraft prior to delivery and are restricted to US airspace only.  Think of them as a teenager with a restricted license. Boeing has asked that in the future we turn aircraft away from Canadian airspace with ample time for the maneuver to clear keep the aircraft clear of Canada so the pilots do not have to increase their workload.  Asking if the aircraft is able to turn at a fix (I.e. right turn TOU towards Canada) is also acceptable as long as the pilot knows the exact spot in which they have to turn.

Molson South
We are currently under a test period for the altitude cap at FL320 in Molson ATCAA.  Concerns have been made about the higher altitude cap and it’s impact on summer traffic with higher volume and slower climb rates.  I am going to ask that any aircraft that is rerouted/vectored around the airspace or that is unable to descend when they request, be tracked.  To make this as easy as possible I will place a basket or large envelope in the area and clearly label it.  Please place a dated flight plan strip into the basket/envelope.  If you find you were too busy to have saved your strips or forgot which aircraft you had to turn, just leave a note with the date and time range in which the airspace added to your workload.

 
Brooke Dawson
Brooked85@hotmail.com
440.227.5591

Soliciation of Interest

Solicitation of Interest

ARTICLE 5 detail to the training department for a CPC-IT from ZOA.

Dates March 19-30.  Please notify myself for management no later than Wednesday, February 6th.

ARTICLE 5 detail to the training department for Stage 4 class.

Dates May 29-July 6.  Please notify myself or management no later than Saturday, April 10th.

I will post a notice in the area after we fill the Article 5 for March.  Notify management of interest when the notice is posted in the area to minimize confusion between the article 5 details.

Refresher training will occur the 1st week of November.  2 volunteers are needed for the week of Nov 5-9. I am soliciting early so scheduling can happen for late summer and early fall meetings.  Please let me know if you are interested in being a CADRE.  There is usually a TOA to the volunteers.

Note to those on furlough during shutdown:

For those who were in furlough status during the shutdown, you may have been charged leave on your most recent LES.  It should be converted into EA on the next LES.  Please pay close attention to your statements.

Brooke Dawson
Brooked85@hotmail.com
440.227.5591

January Area Update

STAFFING

TS has accepted a FLM position.  He will be leaving the area in February.  As a result we will waterfall line 42.  KZ will be included in the bid.  The bid will close on Saturday, January 27.  The bid winner will be moved to the line on pay period 8 starting March 18.

JR has volunteered to work the midnight shifts until the line is bid.

LINE 42

SUN                       MON                     TUE                        WED                      THU                       FRI                          SAT

0600                       2300                        X                             X                          1600                     1330NF                 0800

SCHEDULE

The Sunday night guide is increasing from 5 to 6 after 9:30 pm.  Shift adjustments will be made until we are able to add another line to cover Sunday nights.

As a reminder, requests for shifts changes and RDO changes can not be made more than 27 days from the 1st day of the pay period in which the changes are being requested.  Requests made prior to the 27 day timeframe will be deleted.  In the case of a forced adjustment, the automatic request to return to your bid shift is not subject to removal.  Requests for leave or shift swaps can still be made when the schedule is published.  Below are the days in which shifts changes can be requested through PP10.

PP06 – JAN22

PP07 – FEB05

PP08 – FEB19

PP09 – MAR05

PP10 – MAR10

Brooke Dawson         brooked85@hotmail.com         440.227.5591

Metering Restriction Test for sector 1/31

Our metering restrictions test period ends today, January 5th.  The question that has risen is “Now What?”

A Collaborative Work Group met around the holiday’s to propose a change that will be coming soon (by the end of January).  In the mean time I have agreed with the C area to continue the test period restrictions.  I think this is easiest on the pilots and minimizes controllers on the confusion of what the expected clearance is since it will change in the very near future.

As this is not ideal, I want to remind everyone that we have the right to ask for the old procedures for an individual metering session, a specific sector, or even an entire shift if needed.  

Natca is also soliciting volunteers to be Cadres for IST Round 11 in March.  Cadre training dates are Tuesday, February 27-Wednesday, February 28.  IST training will occur March 4-14.  Please advise me no later that Sunday, January 7th if you are interested. 

Brooke Dawson                                                                          440.227.5591
brooked85@hotmail.com

THANK YOU

Dear NATCA Sisters and Brothers,

I will be on leave from December 19th through January 5th. Brooke Dawson will become the Area Representative beginning on the 19th. 

I would like to thank everyone for allowing me to represent our outstanding Area for the last two years. The time has been rewarding and fulfilling. We have seen many changes during my tenure. The 3-mile area for separation around KNUW is the most exciting change, to me. Management has been held accountable for their mistakes during my term. The ZSE S46 LOA is finally near completion, the LOA is being negotiated through a Collaborative Work Group and the process is working very well. We have bid three schedules, not perfect but fair schedules. I hope everyone thinks our Area is in a better place today than it was two years ago. And lastly, I hope my communication was acceptable for everyone. 

It’s been an honor being your A Area NATCA Representative!

Sincerely,

Paul Skorniakoff

If you have any questions or suggestions, please come find me, email at skorniakoff@comcast.net, or call/text me at 253-332-2066

Area Radar Map Change Prodcedure

Sisters and Brothers,

I have been negotiating a  process to change our area Radar Maps during a flow change at KSEA. We have come to an agreement on how to accomplish this. After being notified, by S46 or TMU, that the last KSEA arrival is on short final we will execute an ERAM TEXT file from the Supervisor ERAM workstation. The TEXT file will change the flip/flop airspace. The reason for the change is to make our airspace accurate during a flow change. For the CIC's, there is a cheat sheet on the Supervisor's desk on how to execute the TEXT file. 

If you have any questions or suggestions, please come find me, email at skorniakoff@comcast.net, or call/text me at 253-332-2066

In Solidarity,

Paul Skorniakoff

Another Short Notice Article 5 to Training Solicitation

Sisters and Brothers,

I was informed today that we have an Article 5 to Training available beginning January 8, 2018. The assignment will last 5 weeks. The detail is for a Stage 3 class.

Please let me or an FLM know ASAP if you are interested or would like more information about the detail.

In Solidarity,

Paul Skorniakoff

253-332-2066