A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/629688
Senior Communications and Public Affairs Associate Sarah McCann : smccann@natcadc.org ; 202 - 220 - 9813 Multimedia Specialist Jordan Thielker : jthielker@natcadc.org ; 202 - 266 - 9875 Communications Specialist Sarah Zilonis : szilonis@natcadc.org ; 202 - 266 - 9844. WEEKLY MESSAGE FROM ATO COO TERI L. BRISTOL Toward a Diverse Workforce Hi everyone. Monday, Jan. 18 was Martin Luther King, Jr . Day. Across our nation, Dr. King's leadership and contributions were acknowledged and honored - and all will have an opportunity to reflect on the importance of diversity and equal opportunity. In t he FAA and the ATO, we're committed to having a workforce that reflects the diversity of our nation. A diverse workforce enables us to effectively draw upon different perspectives and be more innovative and creative so we can make better decisions as an ag ency. The ATO's Diversity Office will soon release the 2016 annual Diversity and Inclusion Report. According to the report, more than 74% of ATO managers and 23% of non - managers completed an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) training class. I encourage ev eryone to take one of these training classes, which are available on eLMS, or in lecture format through the Civil Rights office. You can choose from about 20 different courses that cover topics like diversity, bullying and harassment, and disability awaren ess. I'm pleased to note that EEO formal cases have declined by one third, and Accountability Board cases have declined by 16% since 2008, because of greater awareness of EEO issues, and more use of Alternative Dispute Resolution – a way to resolve conflic ts before they reach the formal complaint stage. I call on all offices and facilities in the organization to continually foster an inclusive environment where all employees feel respected , are treated fairly, provided work - life balance, and an opportunity to excel in their chosen careers. In FY15, the ATO hired 38 people with targeted disabilities, helping the agency meet one of its key hiring goals. These are individuals with the most severe disabilities. For this effort, the FAA was honored with the Trans portation Secretary's EEO/Affirmative Action Award. If you're a hiring manager, you can learn more about the process of hiring people with targeted disabilities by consulting the hiring specialists in your office or contacting the ATO's Diversity Office. A s we continue our hiring efforts, we're working to attract a broad pool of talented applicants by reaching out to colleges and trade schools, and veteran, minority, and women's communities. I encourage you to volunteer with one of the agency's outreach eff orts. You can get more information by contacting Mark Hoover in the ATO Diversity office or Tammy Jones in HR's Corporate Recruitment office. Another way we can influence our diversity is to reach out to people from all walks of life, including kids and yo ung people and tell them about career possibilities at