Nov. 9, 2021 A Area update: Bid book opening Saturday

Bid book opening on Saturday

With CPC bidding complete, you can submit spot-leave requests for the 2022 year on Web Scheduler beginning at 12:00 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 13 (i.e., at midnight between Friday and Saturday)

2022 OT preference

We are in the process of finalizing the OT preference list for 2022. In an effort to make sure that we get everyone’s preference correct, Damien posted a sheet asking you to note your OT preference by our headset boxes in the area. OT preferences completed via the link on bidATC were added to this list today. Please check it when you’re at work to make sure that it has your desired choice.

If you didn’t use the bidATC link and don’t mark your preference on the posted list, your 2022 OT preference will remain the same as it currently is.

As a reminder, the 2022 OT preference goes into effect on Jan. 2, 2022. Given our current staffing, OT shifts will be assigned between now and then using our current OT list. If you would like to change your OT preference for the rest of this year, please advise me, Damien or a member of management and it will get updated when you make the request.

Article 5 solicitation

The training department will be conducting a D-side lab between Jan. 18 and March 11, and they need an Article 5 volunteer to help administer it. Please advise me if you are interested.

In solidarity,

Dan Rasmussen

801-860-3821

Oct. 22, 2021 A Area update

AWS requests

With Round 1 of bidding for CPCs finished, the window to complete requests for alternate-work schedules — the so-called “dream sheets” — is now open. Forms to make your requests have been placed on the table in the area that’s next to the aisle. If these run out, please let me know and I’ll make additional copies. You have until Sunday, Oct. 31 at 12 p.m. — aka High Noon — to return these requests to me. You can place them in my mailbox or scan and email them to me at zse.natca.a.area@gmail.com.

The more submissions that we receive, the more likely it is that they’ll be able to be accommodated (i.e., if someone with a day shift requests a 7-hour day, and someone separately requests a 9-hour day, we can argue to management that the two requests balance the schedule for that day). Accordingly, if having an AWS is something you’re interested in, please fill out a sheet so you can potentially help yourself and someone else.

If you want to swap a particular shift with another person and they agree to swap the shift, have both parties put a star by that shift and note somewhere on the form who you’re requesting to swap with.

In terms of writing 7- and 9-hour requests on the sheet, make sure that you put the time of the shift first, then AWS, then the number of hours. For example, if you want a seven-hour day on Friday that begins at 8 a.m., put 8AWS7.

Damien and I will meet with Todd and Russ on Tuesday, Nov. 2 to review the requests.

If you have any questions about AWS, please let me or Damien know.

In solidarity,

Dan Rasmussen

801-860-3821

Oct. 15, 2021 A Area update

Bidding

As Amy noted in her facility update this afternoon, bidding for CPCs will commence on Monday, Oct. 18. We will again be using the bidATC website . In preparation for bidding, please visit bidATC and verify that you’re able to log in. Please also verify that your notification method is up-to-date, depending on whether you want to be emailed or texted when it’s your turn to bid.  Let me know if you encounter any problems.

As a reminder: During Round 1 of annual-leave bidding, you get to bid one or two consecutive or non-consecutive weeks of leave. On bidATC, make sure you select “add another week” between your first week and second week. (The common mistake that people have made in the past is that they’ve clicked on the button to finalize their bid after selecting their first week, which will only give you the single week while simultaneously moving on to the next person. Don’t let that happen to you!)

Trainee bidding

Once the CPC bidding is complete I will sit down with our OM and negotiate the lines that the trainees will be bidding. Trainees will bid once that has happened. If you’re a trainee, I’ll keep you apprised of the specific dates for bidding as we get closer. 

Area refresher volunteers

I need two volunteers to help with our 2022 area refresher training. (If you’re thinking, “I thought we just had our area refresher training,” your reaction is the same as mine was.) This gets scheduled on a yearly basis, and they’ve scheduled our 2022 edition for Jan. 10-14. Let me know if you’re interested.

TR-2

The remaining TR-2 scopes are scheduled to be installed in the area over a week-and-a-half period starting on Nov. 5. Please continue to advise me of any issues that you run into with the new scopes or if you see anything in the horse-collar area that needs to be corrected (the YYJ approach frequency, for example, has been updated).

Certifications

Congratulations to Kevin Brothers for getting certified on R01 and R31, as well as Jared Fenton on D3 and D12.

New controllers

We recently added two new academy graduates to the A Area. Their names are Luke Bradley and Kyle Moore.

In solidarity,

Dan Rasmussen

801-860-3821

Sept. 23, 2021 A Area update

IST volunteers

I need two volunteers from our area to teach the upcoming IST class. The two-day cadre class will be Dec. 7-8 or Dec. 9-10 (you get to choose which one you want to attend), and the actual IST class will happen Feb. 6-19. Please let me know as soon as possible if you’re interested.

D-side training

After an almost month-long delay, D-side training resumed yesterday.

TR-2 scopes

The first new scope in the area will be installed tonight on Sector 81, followed by Sector 3 on Sept. 28. If you run into any issues with the new scopes — i.e., you notice any incorrect information on the horse collars — please let me know.

MO-ment of achievement

Congratulations to Mike Morrow for becoming the A Area’s newest CPC! Mike got certified on 3/12 yesterday to complete the training process.

DA

As you have almost certainly heard, Derek Adams recently stepped down as our facility rep. I want to publicly thank him for everything he’s done for our area and facility. I wasn’t involved in the union last year at the height of COVID, but I know that he put in an absurd amount of work for all of us. He’s been a rock in the A Area since I’ve been in it, and has earned a well-earned break from union duties.

In solidarity,

Dan Rasmussen

801-860-3821

Sept. 2, 2021 A Area update

The primary purpose of this update is to let you all know that I am now officially your area rep.

When I first showed up at this facility as an unpaid intern nine years ago, I didn’t know anything about any of the areas. However, the more that I talked to people in the facility, the more strongly I felt about wanting to go to the A area should the stars ever align for me to become an air traffic controller at ZSE.

The crazy thing is that they did align. I somehow got to ZSE as my first facility, and I got to come to our area.

I’ve loved being in it ever since. I love the people that we have. I like the kind of traffic that we work. I love living in the Pacific Northwest. This is where I want to be — in the A Area at Seattle Center — and I feel excited and proud and humbled and a whole bunch of other emotions to now get to represent you all.

People in our area have been incredible to me since I showed up as a trainee. I have received so much from other people in the A area. I have received so much from people in NATCA. My main goal in volunteering to be rep is to try and give back a little bit of what has been given to me.

Our area faces a lot of challenges right now — staffing being the most obvious one. You all have felt the crush of the staffing shortage we are experiencing. In the short time I’ve been rep, I have already had several conversations with Russ Brier, our new OM, about staffing and how we get from where we are to a better place. What we’re doing is unsustainable.

Training

As you have seen, training has been paused over the past week. As of this writing, the latest plan is to have R-side training resume shortly. I don’t yet know when D-side training will resume. The expectation is that the D-side pause will also be short-lived.

2022 BWS

With Derek’s assistance, Russ and I agreed on our 2022 basic watch schedule, which is the same schedule as this year’s. The only change is that our 1400 shifts will revert to the old 1330NF shifts (with a 10-minute flex). Management wanted this change to accommodate potential crew breakouts. Otherwise, the lines that we bid on for this year will be the same lines we will bid on for next year.

Our summer guides for Monday through Friday — 11 CPCs on the day shifts and 10 CPCs on the swing shifts — remain the same. We haven’t been staffing to these levels because we literally can’t. We agreed that starting next summer we’ll begin at 10 and 9 until that is unsustainable due to traffic, at which point in time it will be readdressed. I sure hope that we will have the staffing to accommodate the increased guides when we need to. COVID has obviously created uncertainty about training and about what future traffic levels will look like.

We’ll again bid using the BIDatc website. I’ll have more info for you about the specifics of when we’ll bid as we get closer and I receive them.

Alternate rep

Matt Beckman will continue to serve as our alternate rep for the remainder of the year until Derek Adams leaves his current position of facility rep. When that happens, Derek will take over as the alternate.

Local Safety Council

I want to give as much to this new position as possible, so I decided to leave the LSC. Josh Palmer is replacing me and joining Kelly Shielke as our two A area controller representatives on the LSC.

Feedback

I welcome all feedback, suggestions and concerns you have. I’m here for you and for our area. Settling into this new role, I’ve felt like a trainee in terms of my mind going a million miles-per-hour and thinking, “I’ve got to be missing something.” (And like a trainee, I probably am missing something.) If something is going on, please let me know what it is so that I can address it.

As your rep, I feel certain that I will make mistakes. But I pledge to do my best to represent you all individually and collectively.

I have taken over Zimmy’s A area email, and you can reach me there. It’s zse.natca.a.area@gmail.com. You can also call or text me on my phone. It’s 801-860-3821.

In solidarity,

Dan Rasmussen

801-860-3821

July 27, 2021 Update

Hello Everyone,

Sadly this will be my last update as the area representative.  As you all know, I am going to ZLA in August and August 5th will be my last day at ZSE.  Derek will be taking over area rep duties after I leave until a new rep is elected/appointed.  Here are a few things that I am currently working on:

TRAINING: I would like to congratulate Michael Morrow for getting certified on R01/31, Katrina Linder and Kevin Brothers for getting certified on R02/32, and Mike Sampson and Zachary Nelson for completing all of their D-Sides. They will be attending Stage Four class in mid September.  We will need an Article 5 volunteer for that class.  Labs that will run from November 1st to December 17. If you are interested in that, let the current area rep know. 

SCHEDULE: I have started looking at the schedule for next year and, surprisingly, the A area will be bidding one more controller than last year. Unfortunately that still doesn’t offer much in the way of flexibility to the schedule, but it will help to fill a void that we currently have. 

S46: S46 has been looking at possible ways to mitigate the increasing SEA traffic volume and they have thrown out a few ideas such as assigning 250 kts to everyone and/or alter departure routes. Assigning speeds to everyone seems to me to be overly restrictive and inefficient. We are hoping to collaborate with them to come up with something that will benefit all parties and maximize safety and efficiency. Please share your thoughts and ideas with the rep. More information will be provided as the process develops. 

NUW: The Forks Corridor (090-130) is still being sorted out with NUW. The corridor will be tied to the activation/deactivation of DOWNRIGGER and will be used for military aircraft returning from SUA. There is currently no estimated date for when that will start. 

Scott Vick is retiring! I’m sure everyone knows this, but I’d like to take a moment to wish Scott and EJ good luck on their new adventure. I think everyone in the area has learned something from Scott. He has been a tremendous asset to the area and will be sorely missed. His influence will continue to have a positive impact on the area for many years. Happy Retirement!

I transferred here a little over seven years ago to gain some life experience outside of the Utah bubble in which I had lived my whole life. I feel like it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. All of your influences have made me a better person and a better controller.  The friendships I have made are an invaluable part of my life and I intend to keep in contact as best I can. Thank you. I will truly miss all of you.  Laura was kind enough to throw a going away event for me and I hope to see you all there before I go!

In Solidarity,

Jared Zimmerman

April 5, 2021 Update

Hello Everyone,

It’s been a little while since my last update so here are some of the latest developments that will affect the area.

BWS

We have been on BWS for a few weeks now and we have been operating with the guidelines set as two less than normal, per shift, since the traffic has not completely returned to pre-COVID levels.  Even with all of the training, I feel like it has been sufficient.  That being said, we are expected to have more OJTs ready to hit the floor in May, and traffic levels are projected to increase.  With that knowledge, Candi and I have agreed that beginning PP10, our staffing will move to one below normal guides.  The staffing levels will be revisited prior to PP12 and I am guessing they will probably go back to normal around Memorial Day. 

Downrigger

Downrigger operations have again been postponed.  This time until May 25th.  One of the main reasons for postponement is due to their request for a corridor that will allow them to work a/c from OLY to NUW APCH without the need for ZSE to work them.  I am all for this idea and I have spoken to several of you who are in agreement.  We are still negotiating what this will look like so I wouldn’t be surprised to see things delayed even further.  

S46

Recently, there have been some complaints from a few S46 regarding spacing on the arrivals, specifically on the HAWKZ.  Their claim is that pilots are being told to “resume published speed after PIKEZ/FOOTT” which means they are going too fast and are not complying with the letter.  I explained that 3 increasing to 5 in sector 32 is supposed to be insured by speed assignment and they are rarely if ever doing it correctly.  Ultimately, if the letter is being followed, then there shouldn’t be a problem for either side.  We agreed that currently, there is no need to reopen the letter, but we might need to revisit that if problems persist. 

SGET

As mentioned by Amy in her last email, the facility has been gathering a list of people interested in learning the SGET (Scenario Generation Editing Tool).  If you would like to be added to that list or would like any other information, please let me or anyone else from the Eboard know.

That is all I have for now.  Please reach out to me if you would like to know any more information about the topics above  or if you would like to add your input.

In Solidarity,

Jared Zimmerman

zse.natca.a.area@gmail.com

(801) 635-9184

February 9, 2021 Update

Hello Everyone,

There are two big issues I needed to address so here it goes…

BWS

After a year of being on COVID schedules, we are going to be returning to BWS on March 14th.  It was not a decision that was made lightly.  There were many different factors considered, i.e. increased traffic projections and increased bid leave. Ultimately, the 14th was determined the best option to make the transition back as smooth as possible. 

With the understanding that traffic is going to ramp up slowly over the next few weeks, Candi and I have agreed to temporarily reduced guidelines.  The guides will be reduced by two for the day and the swing.  This reduction is subject to a review every 30 days until we are back to normal.  

With the reduction of guidelines, there will be opportunities for spot-leave requests and/or EA.  EA requests will automatically be put into the Web Schedule based on eligibility for that shift and a tracker that Damien and I have created.  EA requests can be approved up to a day in advance. The tracker tracks EA opportunities and not actual EA opportunities granted.  Management is not tracking EA and there is nothing in the contract specifying the manner in which it is to be divided.  Spot-leave will be considered before approving EA.

Downrigger

Saying that the opening of Downrigger went poorly would be an understatement.  That being said, I had a meeting with NUW, TMU, and Airspace regarding the operation.  We came to an agreement that we needed to simplify things in order to reduce the possibility of confusion.  What we ended up with was basically the same as we were prior to Downrigger with one big difference: between the hours of 0800L to 2200L, M-F,  instead of clearing aircraft into the airspace,  we will hand them off to Downrigger and they will clear them into the active airspace. When they are finished, they will issue a clearance back to NUW and hand the aircraft off to us.  There will not be Olympic or Kraken Sectors.  

The restart date for Downrigger operations is scheduled for March 25th.  You should expect to see more regarding this change in CEDAR prior to that date.

In Solidarity,

Jared Zimmerman

zse.natca.a.area@gmail.com

(801) 635-9184

January 4, 2021 Update

Hello Everyone,

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a great holiday season. Looking ahead to the new year, there are going to be a few changes I would like to make sure everyone is aware of.

Spot EA and no more 10-minute OT for swing shifts

In an effort to reduce overtime usage, we have agreed to eliminate the 10-minute overtime at the beginning of the swing shifts and you can expect to see 1350 shifts assigned in its place. The 1350 shifts should be rotated within each crew. The new shift assignments will start on January 10th. 

The trade-off is the ability to assign spot EA to send people home when they are no longer needed for the day. Management is not going to track the EA so it will be up to us to try to distribute it as evenly as possible. 

I have created a sheet that I put up by the headset bins to track EA given. It will be up to each crew to keep it up to date and determine who should be the next person to receive it. Attached to the tracking sheet is a copy of the memo from CEDAR that describes the circumstances in which spot EA might be approved.

Chart changes 

The recent chart change has been printed and available in the area for the past few weeks and most of it is now in effect. I wanted to highlight the few things that will have the most impact on our operation.

CHINS STAR: All RNT landers, regardless of SEA flow, cross RADDY at 110 and 250 knots or less.

GLASR STAR A/B: On the STAR or direct WOODI north of FLAAK.  Aircraft direct WOODI landing KSEA in a south flow must enter S46 airspace at 120 and 250 kts or less. Aircraft direct WOODI landing KSEA in a north flow must enter S46 airspace at 270 kts or less and comply with STAR restrictions.

NUW Downrigger will be in effect January 14, 2021, unless they postpone it again.

BWS

There is still no word on when we might be returning to BWS. Looking at the schedule, the amount of bid leave drastically increases at the beginning of April, and traffic levels do seem to be trending upward. If we cannot sustain minimum staffing and training, I could see the possibility of returning to BWS around that time. For now, this is just conjecture until we see what the next month or so brings.

Training

I haven’t heard of anyone not able to get their minimum training time in. Thank you all for making training a priority. We are going to see a few more trainees on the floor. Two supervisors and one TMU controller. 

Please remember to wear your mask, especially when social distancing cannot be maintained (i.e. training, relief briefings, working a D-side). There have been some  instances where proper mask usage was not being done and a few supervisors have brought it to my attention. I told them that I would reach out to the workforce and remind them to do so.  We have done what we can to keep management accountable with their mask wearing and we expect they will be doing the same.

I would like to thank all of you for making this area the best place to be at ZSE. Keep up the good work!

In Solidarity,

Jared Zimmerman

zse.natca.a.area@gmail.com

(801) 635-9184

December 7, 2020 Update

Hello Everyone,

I wanted to write this update to address some of the current issues affecting the area.

QXE DH8D SUMMA..CUPRI..RDM

Horizon has been notified about the incorrect routing of their DH8Ds going to RDM. They have promised to fix it three times since October and we are still seeing it. I am going to continue to call them on this and I ask that you please let me know if you are still seeing this happen.

NUW LOA 

I have heard of several issues regarding the new NUW LOA routing in and out of the OLYMPIC airspace. I would like to take a moment to explain why it was done and what the problems are that I am going to address.

NUW has been getting legal pressure from several environmental groups regarding the impact they are having on the Olympic National Forest. This routing was the result of their request to come up with a way to help alleviate the concern of those groups.

Some of the concerns I have received regarding the new routing is that it does not provide for adequate separation from two formation flights and that the fighters have not made the turn sharply enough at HUTUK causing point outs and increased workload with Victoria. 

I have been working with airspace on how we can improve upon this new routing and will hopefully be getting this corrected within the next few weeks. Please note that YETII..KNUW is still approved routing and can be used if deemed appropriate. I welcome any feedback or ideas you may have to help accomplish this.

TRAINING

Trainees have been assigned to each of the crews and the minimum required training per day is 2 hours.  I understand there may be times where the minimum is difficult to meet, but it is important that we try to do so. Management is constantly looking for supporting arguments to go back to BWS prematurely, and the inability to meet training minimums will surely be an argument they would use.

Also, I would like to welcome Kevin Brothers to our Area. He is a transferring CPC from N90 that formerly worked in the B Area here at ZSE.

BWS

The dream line sheets have been worked through and we were able to accommodate some of them.  The 2021 BWS schedule reflecting those changes has been posted in the area by the headset bins. 

The determination as to when exactly we can expect to return to BWS is still up in the air. There have been some discussions about allowing each area to individually determine when they go back, but that is something that still needs to be negotiated at a facility level. Currently, I don’t see a need to go back to five-on / two-off, but that could change if we are unable to train or if traffic demand increases to a level that we cannot sustain with our current staffing. Again, I welcome any feedback either in support or opposition to returning to BWS, especially from those of you whom I rarely see.

That is all I have for now. Please remember to wear your mask, look out for each other, and stay safe.

In Solidarity,

Jared Zimmerman

zse.natca.a.area@gmail.com

(801) 635-9184

Spot Leave Requests for the 2021 Leave Year

Hello Everyone,

Just wanted to write a quick update to let you all know that you can officially enter your spot-leave requests for the 2021 leave year into web scheduler on the morning of Tuesday, November 24th, at 12:00 am. This information is also posted in the area by the headset bins. If you have any questions please contact me via phone, text, or email.

In Solidarity,

Jared Zimmerman

BWS Bidding for 2021

Hello All,

Bidding is expected to start this week. I have left a copy of the available lines in the area for a couple of weeks now, but I have also attached a copy in this post if you want to see it again. Bidding will be pretty much the same as last year, but hopefully a bit smoother since we have some experience with it. The trainee bid lines will be negotiated after the first round of CPC bidding so expect a short delay after round one.

Here is the link to the BIDATC site: http://www.bidatc.com/#/zse/

You will be able to access the 2021 MOU on the BIDATC home page.

Please log onto BIDATC prior to the start of bidding to ensure that you have access to the site and that your contact information is correct. The first CPC will be informed when they are up and the rest should be informed automatically thereafter. If some time goes by and I notice you haven’t bid, I will contact you to ensure that you were notified.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Jared Zimmerman

September 1, 2020 Update

Hello All,

I hope everyone’s summer is going well! I know it’s been a while since my last update so I wanted to address some issues that have come up and some things that will need to be addressed in the near future.

Traffic - As you all have seen, traffic has steadily increased since over the last two months and we have had to stay on position longer and work busier traffic than we were used to in order to accommodate the 5-on-5-off schedule. I have been hearing from multiple sources that while traffic normally drops after Labor Day, this year that won’t necessarily be the case. The projections are indicating traffic levels will remain about where they are right now.  

Staffing - I have had a few of you reach out to me about there being instances where you have felt like the area was understaffed for a shift. A few of the FLMs have also voiced their concerns.  As of PP21 we will have 28 controllers available to staff in the area. That means we are working with two teams of 14 (6 day, 6 swing, and 2 mid).  I am hesitant to increase our COVID staffing guidelines from 5 to 6 for a couple of reasons.  First, we have guaranteed leave for the rest of the year so we would be continually staffing under guidelines. That means we could never get any spot leave requests approved, and I know that there are several employees that may end up with use or lose this year. Second, I haven’t seen evidence other than a few instances where we don’t have the staffing to split sectors for brief periods to accommodate spikes in traffic. It sounds like people are still willing to work shorter breaks and longer sessions in order to stay in this posture. If you feel like this is a misrepresentation of how you see things, please reach out to me so we can discuss. 

That being said, I would implore all of you to not hesitate to ask for help during spikes in traffic. I have seen instances where controllers got themselves into a jam because they didn’t want to shorten their co-worker’s break.  Please look out for each other and make sure safety is still the priority during your shift. The schedule is designed to minimize the risk of COVID exposure and limit its effect on the NAS if it does happen. We can only maintain these schedules as long as safety is not compromised.

Whidbey - Whidbey has formally requested an extension of the DIABLO/HOODOO airspace. Part of their request would extend the airspace into the NW corner of sector 31/12. I will put a copy of the proposal in the area in the next couple of weeks. In the discussions I have had, I indicated that for the proposal to even be considered it would need to be clear of YVR J52 routing and remain clear of YDC..GLASR. Please provide any feedback you may have after you see the proposal.

Tony Germann - Sadly, Tony Germann will be leaving us to pursue an opportunity at ZLA. I have truly enjoyed working with Tony and have looked up to him as a mentor in my time here at ZSE. I think I speak for everyone when I say his presence in the facility will be greatly missed. His last day will be September 12th and we are going to be having a Microsoft Teams farewell at 6:00 pm on that day.  Here is the link:

https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_Nzg1NzY3NzMtN2EwMS00ZGZlLWIxMTEtNDBjNTc5NmRkNzY4%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2255ac6233-9691-462f-9a12-eaccdf35e2bc%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%228534f0f2-f7a5-479e-b78b-4bbb5fecd2f6%22%7d

In Solidarity,

Jared Zimmerman

June 29, 2020 Update

Hello Everyone,

We are approaching peak traffic time and there are a few changes on the horizon I wanted to address in this update before we get there.

As you may have seen or heard already, the trainees that have been certified on a position will be in the area to re-certify by getting an over-the-shoulder evaluation and eight hours of currency. I have encouraged them to take precautions due to the proximity in which they will have to work with the R-side and the fact that they haven’t been in regular contact with other employees. It is expected that they will be sent home as soon as they have achieved their currency. Only one trainee will be in the control room at a time.

There have been some personnel changes that have had an impact on the schedule. We are now operating with thirty controllers. Unfortunately, that means that I had to readjust the schedule, including the scheduled EA that was published for pay periods 15 and 16. Please log in to web-schedule to see if your schedule has been affected. Increased bid-leave, assignment of CICs, and a compressed workforce are going to lessen the amount of EA assigned to each of us. Expect that to continue throughout the summer.

The ten-minute overtime schedule has changed slightly to reflect the need in the area. The day shift will only be getting one ten-minute overtime assignment, the swing will get three, and the mid will still get two. If any of you have any experience with this being inadequate, please let me know.

I think we would all like to stay on this five-on, five-off schedule for as long as possible. In order to do that, there may be times where we are feeling short staffed, having to work longer than normal sessions, and/or taking shorter breaks. Please make sure that you are not taking any unnecessary risks by not asking to split sectors when needed just to allow for people to have longer breaks. Please look out for each other and make sure the people on your team have adequate help. 

Thank you for your professionalism and helping to support the effort to keep our workforce as safe as possible.

In Solidarity,

Jared Zimmerman

zse.natca.a.area@gmail.com

(801) 635-9184

May 10, 2020 Update

Hello All,

Well, pardon me while I reverse my thoughts on the schedule for the next few weeks. Things sure changed quickly after I sent out the last update. We are still in unusual territory and the sudden changes underline the necessity for being prepared to be flexible with this dynamic schedule. That being said, there is going to be increased traffic demand in the next few weeks and I am pleased that we are going to be taking a proactive stance instead of being reactive. I am also glad that NATCA and management have agreed to continue the commitment to keep the amount of people in the workplace at a minimum by allowing us to assign EA.

As Derek mentioned in his update, the schedule will be changing as of May 28th.  I have been working closely with all of the members of the Eboard and the schedulers to try to put out the fairest schedule we could within the new guidelines. Here is a list of changes:

• We are going to have two teams instead of three.

  • The old team two will be divided between the two new teams.

• Currently, the guidelines we have negotiated for the area are five for the day, five for the swing, and two for the mid.

  • These guidelines are subject to change if there is a need.

• The day and swing shift will continue to rotate as they have been. The Mid shift will not rotate since we have the same six volunteers.

• EA will be assigned in increments of two days.

• EA will be first assigned to the employees on a particular team and shift who have had the longest time since their 10-days off.

  • The next order of EA assignment will be based on seniority.

• Employees on EA during the working portion of their five-day rotation will be recallable up to four hours prior to the start of their shift. An example of an employee being recalled would be if someone calls in sick. It is understood that a sick call may not necessitate a recall, but it is a possibility.

Damien will be working this week to get the changes input into web schedule, and I would like to thank him for all of his hard work.  In the meantime, here is a copy of the revised schedule between May 28th and June 6th:

That’s all I have for now. I will try to make myself available to answer any questions you may have as quickly as I can. Thank you to everyone for handling this challenge with the utmost professionalism. I am proud that I get to work with each of you. Stay healthy, stay safe, and have a happy Mother’s Day.

In Solidarity,

Jared Zimmerman

zse.natca.a.area@gmail.com

801) 635-9184

May 3, 2020 Update

Hello All

First of all, I would like to thank everyone for your cooperation in making the transition to the new schedule as smooth as possible. Since we started this endeavor over a month ago, I have not heard from any of you that this change has been anything but doable and the appropriate measure to take during these trying times. That being said, there are some new challenges we are going to face in the near future, and I wanted to try to address the possible questions that you might have regarding the impact on the A area.

Summer is coming up, what about increased traffic volume? As it stands right now, our traffic numbers have decreased to the point where we can justifiably accommodate the workload with decreased staffing. If those numbers increase to the point where we can no longer manage the workload, that will be the time to start looking at transitioning to a schedule where we would have to increase staffing or begin using other mitigation strategies. Those strategies might include shorter breaks, longer sessions, and TMIs.

I’ve heard that we are staffing the CIC more often. Why is that? According to the facility SOPs we are required to staff a supervisor or CIC in the area at all times. At the beginning of this dynamic schedule, the A or B area supervisors were in charge of both areas. It was determined that in order to be in charge of both areas, they were required to maintain line-of-sight. That, of course, is an impossibility between the A and B areas so expect to share the burden of staffing a CIC part of the time during your shift. Believe me, I am as frustrated about that as all of you are. 

Due to Hillsboro Aviation resuming operations at the Redmond airport, the B area is expecting the need to open up a 3rd sector more often between the hours of 1000 – 1800 local. During those times, expect the need to staff the CIC position to increase in the coming days.

Bid Leave? As of today, bid leave has not been a factor. Presumably because things are closed, and stay-at-home orders are in place. As things start to open up and restrictions begin to loosen, I anticipate that some bid leave will want to be used and conflicts will arise as a result. Prime-time leave will be honored, and that will definitely be a factor in determining our ability to manage the workload. Again, if the workload cannot be mitigated by other means, we may need to look at transitioning to a schedule with more staffing sooner rather than later. 

Is there an end in sight? Currently, the state of Washington has extended their stay-at-home order until May 31st. That date has been set and extended multiple times so that date is in no way an indicator of the end of the restrictions. The schedule has been published through pay-period 12 (June 6th, 2020). Pay-period 13 (through June 21st, 2020) will be published later this week. There has been no indication as of yet that we are going to start transitioning back to our normal schedule before then. For your planning purposes, I would expect to work the published schedule until you hear otherwise from a member of the Eboard. 

What will the transition back to a normal schedule look like? It is the opinion of the local to maintain the 5/10 schedule for as long as possible. It is my understanding that when we inevitably begin to transition back to a normal schedule, we can expect a phased-in approach and would hopefully have one pay-period’s notice prior to that transition.  

I hope this helped to clarify some of your concerns moving forward. Please feel free to contact me via text, phone, or email if you have any other questions or concerns. I will try to get back to you as quickly as possible.

In Solidarity,

Jared Zimmerman

zse.natca.a.area@gmail.com

(801) 635-9184

COVID-19 Schedule

Hello all,

Here is the schedule for the next 30 days beginning with the Sunday, March 29th, mid shift. OM and MA will come in Saturday night at 2350. Damien is working to get it posted into web schedule. This schedule will also be posted in the area.

A few of you let me know there is a typo in my last update regarding the mid shift. It should read 2200-0600. Thank you for your patience and for helping to make this as smooth as possible.

Jared Zimmerman

COVID-19 Schedule Update

Hello all,

NATCA and management have agreed upon a dynamic scheduling plan throughout the NAS in order to minimize risk and exposure to the workforce.  We have been tasked with implementing this change by Sunday, March 29th. I will give you some of the details now and expect to hear more from Derek and/or Amy in the next day or so.

The area is going to be split into three teams. One team will have ten and the others will have eleven. The shifts will be broken up into straight days, straight swings, and straight mids.  You will work five shifts in a row and then you will have ten days off. You will then rotate to a swing if you were on days during the previous five workdays or vice-versa. I have already worked out volunteers that will permanently be on mids so those shifts will not rotate.

Day shifts are defined as 0600-1400

Swing shifts are defined as 1400-2200

Mids are defined as 2200-0600.

These shifts will all be no-flex.

There are seven 10-minute OT assignments given for a few controllers to come in, do their WX/CEDAR, and have time to relieve the previous crew. Two for the day, three for the swing, and two for the mid. These OTs will be given based on the OT list.

If someone calls in sick, there will be no overtime called in.  Methods will have to be put in place to manage the workload between the remaining crew.

On days you are not assigned to work, you will be on EA and not be recallable unless there is an emergency.

Shift swaps are only going to be approved if it is before your work week has started and it has to be for the whole week.  They will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and will only be approved if the reduction of cross-contamination can be maintained.

Any assigned OT you have beyond March 28th is cancelled.

Any credit shifts you have assigned are cancelled

Any bid leave you have is still going to be honored so if you don’t want that leave used, please turn it in.

The schedule is mostly complete, I just need to get approval from Derek and management. 

That is all I have for now. I will try to update you more as I get more information.  This situation is not ideal, however; this is an extraordinary circumstance that calls for everyone to change their lives in order to slow the spread of the virus. It is going to be a tough task but I think it will be effective, and I know that we can all make this work.

Please reach out to me, Matt, or anyone on the Eboard if you have any questions.

In Solidarity,

Jared Zimmerman

COVID-19 Update March 20, 2020

Hello all,

I just wanted to give everyone a brief update of what I know and what to be expecting in the next week or so regarding how our facility is dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Sanitization: I have seen everyone using the disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizer in the area.  Don Hill has committed to maintaining our supply but has asked that we do not throw away the empty hand sanitizer dispensers.  They have bags of sanitizer to refill the dispensers but no more new dispensers.  There are also latex gloves available at the OM desk if you feel the need to use them.

Guards/Doors: In order to prevent the touching of the badges, Don has arranged for us to have a paper on our dash indicating we are an employee so they can just look at your badge instead of scanning it.  There have been discussions about making the doors open automatically to the control room when you scan your badge but, currently, the paper towel method is what the facility has chosen to go with.  

Gym: Due to the lack of cleaning that is done in the basement, the gym is closed until further notice.

Training: Any non-certified developmentals have been put on EA during the national emergency. I have asked about the possibility of expanding EA to every trainee that is not certified on normally staffed positions, but so far that has yet to be implemented.  As for the national training initiatives directing how many hours per week are required, they have been put on hold.  For those of you that are on EA, there is no need for you to call into work each day as some of you were told before.  Management has asked, however, that if you go from asymptomatic to symptomatic you need contact the facility.

Management has been briefed to only allow training when it makes sense to have a sector open. Opening only necessary d-sides will lessen the amount of individuals working in close proximity to one another. If there is someone who is only certified on d-sides, they are to be given other things to do when they are not needed in the control room.

Leave: If you are sick or are caring for a sick family member, please use sick leave.  If you have been told to quarantine by a CDC official, then it is my understanding that you will be given EA.  If you are diagnosed with COVID-19 you are to use sick leave.  The FAA has loosened the restrictions on granting up to 240 hours of advanced sick leave so if you find yourself short on hours that may be an option to consider.

I would like to thank everyone for working through this difficult situation with professionalism and with care of yourselves and your communities.  Derek and the rest of our local NATCA leadership has worked hard on ensuring that the safety of the workforce is at the forefront of every decision that is being made.  This is a dynamic situation and things change rapidly so I expect to continue to see decisions made that lessen the risk to our facility.

In Solidarity,

Jared Zimmerman

March 3, 2020 Update

Hello all,

Springtime is just around the corner.  I know we are all in need of some nicer weather but, as you all know, with the change in seasons comes increased traffic volume.  The SEA traffic count is expected to, yet again, increase significantly over the previous year.  There are currently tools being utilized, or scheduled to be in place, by the peak traffic season in order to help mitigate the impact of increased volume.  A few examples are the increased 3-mile area in all the sectors, the DOWNRIGGER MRU for the airspace in sector 3, and PDRs into sector 31 for aircraft filed over MLP (they will PDR to the Z routes).  Additionally, there are ideas in the works to help improve the overall efficiency and safety of SEA departures and PAE arrivals, but those are going to take a bit longer to develop and implement.

I would like to take a moment to congratulate the following developmentals for some major accomplishments recently:

Mike Morrow, and Colin MacQuarrie for completing stage 4 class.

Gary Cozad, Jared Fenton, and Katrina Linder for completing stage 3 class.

Mike Draper for certifying on all d-sides.

To all the other developmentals, keep up the progress and continuing working hard. It benefits all of us to have you succeed.

Speaking of training, I know that having a high volume of d-side trainees can pose a burden on the resources of the area.  There have been a few questions asked of me regarding the approval/denial of spot leave requests when our staffing is above guidelines, but we have 2 or more d-side trainees. 

Article 24, section 14 states that “…leave requests shall be approved/disapproved subject to staffing and workload…”.  It also states that the decision “shall not be subject to conditional circumstances.”

In other words, management may decide to deny a request if they can justify it with training as a workload requirement, but they are not allowed to deny leave because they fear they might take a sick leave request.

I would really like to see leave requests being addressed consistently by all supervisors in our area, and hopefully we can get there soon.  For now, if you notice that leave requests are not being handled per the contract, please bring it to my attention.

Finally, I would like to remind you that there is going to be an all members meeting on Monday, March 30th, at the Rainbow Café in Auburn at 3:00.  If you have questions that you would like to address to the local or concerns that you would like to voice, the membership meeting is a great place to do that.

In Solidarity,

Jared Zimmerman