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The Delegate: Issue 1

A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association

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THE DELEGATE WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2016 3 GROBERG, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 suspect. At this time, Captain Groberg confirmed the bulge was a suicide vest and with complete disregard for his life, Captain Groberg again with the assistance of the other member of the security detail, physically pushed the suicide bomber away from the formation. Upon falling, the suicide bomber detonated his explosive vest outside the perimeter of the formation, killing four members of the formation and wounding numerous others. The blast from the first suicide bomber caused the suicide vest of a previously unnoticed second suicide bomber to detonate prematurely with minimal impact on the formation. Captain Groberg's immediate actions to push the first suicide bomber away from the formation significantly minimized the impact of the coordinated suicide bombers' attack on the formation, saving the lives of his comrades and several senior leaders. Captain Groberg's extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty at the risk of life are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect credit upon himself, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division and the United States Army. ✪ PANEL PREVIEW // SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT NATCA President Paul Rinaldi and Executive Vice President Trish Gilbert have made it a priority to fully understand air traffic control operations from around the world. As a result of these efforts, NATCA has developed a strong relationship with the Canadian Air Traffic Control Association (CATCA). Building on that relationship, NATCA controllers Dawn Johnson (Atlanta Center) and Richard Kennington (Portland ATCT) visited facilities in Canada during the week of Aug. 15. On Thursday, Sept. 1, Johnson and Kennington will lead a panel discussion on the Canadian air traffic control system and how NATCA controllers can learn from that operation. Gilbert and Special Counsel to the President Eugene Freedman will participate, along with David Doerksen, Regional Vice President, Central Region, CATCA; Paul Berry, Toronto ACC Controller, CATCA; Todd Gable, Calgary Tower Controller, CATCA; and Gordon Howe, Buttonville Tower Controller, CATCA. The focus of this discussion will center on the experiences of Johnson and Kennington as they discuss the pros and cons of operations in Canada versus the United States. As the National Airspace System (NAS) continues to risk falling farther behind in technology and capabilities, the need to learn from other countries about what could work in our own system grows increasingly important. The status quo is unacceptable and NATCA aims to build the best possible system for aviation to thrive in the United States. The safety of the NAS remains paramount through any possible changes. ✪ D aw n J o h n s o n R i c h a rd Ke n n i n g to n THURSDAY KEYNOTE: Ed Wytkind, Transportation Trades Department NAV CANADA : Their Reality vs. Our Status Quo As president of Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), Edward Wytkind oversees the organization's daily operation and serves as TTD's spokesperson and chief strategist. He collaborates with the presidents and other officers of TTD's 32 affiliated unions, including NATCA, to fight for long-term investments in our transportation system and to protect and expand the rights of workers to have a union voice. He also positions TTD to develop substantive policy expertise and dynamic public messaging in order to ensure that our nation's transportation system is an engine for good, safe, middle-class jobs that grow our economy. Ed is a trusted expert in Washington and beyond, often called to testify before Congress and speak to industry, labor, and government audiences on key transportation issues. He is adept at speaking with politicians across the political spectrum and in all branches of government, and at generating consensus among those from disparate parts of the transportation sector. Ed has the audacity to believe that everyone deserves safe workplaces, fair wages, and the unencumbered right to form and join unions, and that our nation's transportation system should be among the strongest and most modern in the world. With Ed at the helm, TTD has led transportation unions through the rewrite of major transportation laws and through critical debates over the safety and security of our transportation system, represented transportation labor's interests on international trade issues, injected workers' voices into debates about major transportation investment endeavors, and spoken out against outsourcing and contracting out proposals that threaten jobs and bargaining rights. A native of Los Angeles, Ed holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He serves on the Labor Advisory Committee for Trade Negotiations and Trade Policy, which advises Congress and the President on trade policy issues, and on the Board of Trustees for the Mineta Transportation Institute. ✪ Ed Wytkind

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