A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/729966
On September 16, 2016, the FAA briefed NATCA about the AIT Workforce D evelopment Listening Sessions. The FAA intends to use these listening sessions to create an AIT Workforce Strategy by exploring BUE attitudes and opinions on career develo pment and employee engagement. All participation by BUEs will be completely voluntary, and will take place over the course of one month, beginning in mid - October 2016. Since many BUEs are working in remote offices in the field, BUE listening s essions will be conducted in one - on - one phone ca lls with Joann Carroll of AIT. The FAA emphasized that its intention is to look at the aggregate information to inform their workforce strategy, and it has no intention to share individual input. NATCA has be en assured it will have access to the final aggregat e information. A t this time, NATCA is still considering whether we have any propos als relating to these meetings. POCs: AIT National Representative Ken Slausen and Labor Relations Attorney Suzanne DeFelic e . NATCA BRIEFED ON TWO NEW HIRING POLICIES On Sept . 14, 2016, the Agency briefed NATCA on two new FAA hiring policies: Policy Bulletin No. 90, ATC Hiring for New Appointments, and a HROI regarding "Testing Processes and Procedures for Filling Entry - Level Air Traffic Control Specialist Positions in Term inal and En Route Facilities." During the briefing, the FAA described how the new FAA Reauthorization b ill required certain changes to Agency hiring processes and led the Agency to pr omulgate the two new pol icies. The most significant change is that the law requires the Agency to adopt a two - track hiring process, including one that gives preferential consideration to controllers who have maintained at least 52 consecutive weeks of ATC experience within the la st five years and a track for applicants wi thout specific ATC experience. The second track includes two pools of applicants: Pool 1, which consists of applicants who are either CTI school graduates and veterans; and Pool 2, which is the general public pool consisting of applicants who apply through a vacancy announcement open to all U.S. citizens. The Agency also explained its processes for administering the Air Traffic Control Specialist Skills Assessment Battery (ATSA) and Biographical Assessment, which a re the two tests used in the hiring process for the second track. All applicants in Pools 1 and 2 of the second track must take the ATSA, which is administered by proctors, scored, and timed, and the applicants' scores are sorted by "bands." However, under this new hiring process, only general public applicants in Pool 2 are required to take the Biographical Assessment, which is an untimed , unproctored, pass - fail test. NATCA is following up with the Agency regarding some remaining questions ab out these new hiring practices. POCs: NATCA National Training Representative Tom Adcock, Special Counsel to the President Eugene Freedman, Director of Labor Relations Ryan Smith, Assistant Director of Labor Relations Nicole Vitale, and Policy Counsel Greg Shoemaker. BR IEFING REQUESTS On Sept . 20, 2016 , NATCA requested a briefing on Flight and Inter - F acility Data Interface (FIDI). We are currently waiting for a response from the Agency regarding our request. POCs: Assistant Director of Labor Relations Nicole Vitale and L abor Relations Coordinator Kendal Manson . On Sept . 16, 2016 , NATCA requested a briefing on the relocation of the Eastern Regi on Acquisition Group, AAQ - 510. We are currently in the process of scheduling this briefing.