NATCA Bookshelf

THE DELEGATE FRIDAY • OCTOBER 3, 2014 5 In Januar y, NATCA began an intense, 16-week organizing campaign called The NATCA Difference. The campaign led up to the start of open season on May 19. The goal of The NATCA Difference was simple: to increase membership, as well as to encourage active participation from existing members. The campaign was successful; Over 800 new members became part of the NATCA family between May and August! "This open season has been one of our largest undertakings as a union," said Organizing Committee Chair John Bratcher. "The collective efforts of our committee, NATCA leadership, and our existing union members to educate everyone about The NATCA Difference is unprecedented and a true testament to our strength. I'm proud that we're now over 800 voices stronger." NATCA launched a website dedicated to The NATCA Difference efforts, increased related social media postings, began #TheNATCADifference hashtag, produced weekly video messages to members, gave members weekly updates via the Insider e-newsletter, and hosted meet and greet events throughout the country to increase awareness that NATCA is stronger when everyone stands together. The NATCA Difference rallied every facility and NATCA member to work towards this common cause. With increased membership and activism, the effects of NATCA's influence could reach even further, and the Union could have an even greater impact on the safety and efficiency of the National Airspace System. For the past five years, NATCA has worked to build a collaborative working relationship with the FAA that ensures NATCA's front-line subject matter expertise is utilized in pre-decisional involvement (PDI). As a result, NATCA and its membership has flourished, finding a wide array of opportunities in which to advance our members' various professions, improving the safety and efficiency of the NAS, and enhancing our credibility as a key stakeholder in the aviation arena, from industry, to Congress, other aviation organizations, and the media. Rarely, if ever, have our members' voices mattered more than in the current collaborative environment. NextGen and other safety and technology projects and procedures are some of the best examples of NATCA's partnership with the FAA and testament to the power of a strong, inclusive membership. The Agency values NATCA members' frontline, subject matter expertise, as do our industry partners. Because NATCA's voice matters so greatly, new technology has the best chance of being safe and working properly in the implementation phase. NATCA members' voices also matter on Capitol Hill. A strong, unified membership helps to raise the volume on key issues that keep our air space system the world's safest and most efficient. At the local level, NATCA members' voices matter too. Any member can be a union officer and help represent the labor rights of NATCA brothers and sisters. Members volunteer for workgroups that participate in everything from Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) to local procedures to planning solidarity events. Reloaded reps help mentor new controllers. Members organize local charity events and help their communities as well as their facilities. And that's just the beginning. "Thank you," said Bratcher. "Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make The NATCA Difference so successful. The end of the open season does not mean that The NATCA Difference has ended. We continue to need our members to become NATCAvists and ask nonmembers to join our great Union. Our strength is in our numbers and our dedicated members who continue to make NATCA a better union. TIMMY AWARDS TO HONOR EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE TO NATCA WHAT A 'DIFFERENCE' A YEAR MAKES! At each NATCA convention, union members and employees who have done an exceptional job representing NATCA values are honored with the Tim Haines Memorial Award of Honor and Distinction, otherwise known as the "Timmy Award." This prestigious award was originally named the "Natty Award," first presented by former President John Carr at the 2002 NATCA Cleveland Convention, then at the 2004 St. Louis and the 2006 Boston Conventions. The "Natty Award" was changed to the "Timmy Award" during the 2008 Miami Convention in honor of Tim Haines, who, with hard work and dogged determination, successfully implemented a reclassification project into NATCA's third contract, the Green Book. Starting as a controller and then FacRep at Pittsburgh Tower (PIT), Tim Haines was elected Eastern RVP in 1991. Haines is remembered as a NATCA member who never backed down. Because of this staunch dedication, NATCA appointed him to a reclassification project that would revolutionize the way in which members of the Union are paid fairly. Many did not believe this project would be successful and thought the FAA would never agree to it. But Haines never faltered in his resolve to protect his profession and the well-being of each and every member of his Union. Aer 18 months and 200 facility visits to observe air traffic operations, Haines and his team collected loads of data and presented their proposal at the 1994 Convention in Tampa, Fla. Shortly aer, FAA managers came onboard and the project was put into effect in the 1998 Green Book. Haines passed away in 2006, and this award recognizes members of the NATCA family for their relentless dedication and Haines-worthy commitment to NATCA. Tim Haines

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