A publication of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Issue link: http://natca.uberflip.com/i/736089
NATCA NATIONAL OFFICE DEPARTMENTAL WEEK IN REVIEW September 24 - 30 , 2016 EXECUTIVE OFFICE – SPECIAL NOTE NATCA Disaster Relief Fund Before there were GoFundMe and other fundraising websites, in 1992, NATCA created a disaster relief fund following the dev astation caused by Hurricane Andrew. In 2005, after Hurricane Katrina, when many of our members were without essentials in its aftermath, NATCA used our disaster relief fund to purchase food and all kinds of supplies. Members from Florida and Texas took th e items to our brothers and sisters who suffered the worst of the storm in Mississippi and Louisiana. Due to the generosity of our membership, the fund continued to grow after that horrific storm, and it allowed NATCA members to help those affected after H urricanes Rita (2005) and Ike (2008). There has not been a call for donations to the fund since after Ike. Since then, we have provided supplies or assistance to controllers and aviation safety professionals after earthquakes in Haiti and Nepal, wildfires in California and Canada, floods in Baton Rouge, and Hurricane Sandy. As Hurricane Matthew approaches Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas, we want to ensure that there are sufficient funds to purchase supplies our members may need. We have volunteers ready to purchase and deliver supplies as soon as we know the need. Please donate to the NATCA disaster relief fund. Through PayPal, you can use this email address: natcarelief @natcadc.org. Or you can use this link – click here. To our members in the storm's path: Please take all precautions to ensure the safety of yourself and your families. We are with you in solidarity and are here to help in any way we can. OFFICE OF GENERAL COUNSEL NATCA FLSA Lawsuit: October 6, 2016 Update from the Office of General Counsel NATCA continues to wait for the U.S. Court of Federal Claims to issue a decision on the damages portion of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) lawsuit that w as remanded to the trial court by a federal appeals court in 2014. The issue that survived the Government's appeal of the trial court's initial decision in favor of the NATCA plaintiffs and was sent back to the trial court for further resolution was whether the FAA had to comply with the government regulations, and specifically the twenty - four hours cap on accumulated credit hours, if it maintained a credit hours program. On Dec. 1, 2015, the Court of Federal Claims decided that issue in favor of the NATCA plaintiffs. The Court ruled that the FAA violated federal law when it allowed employees to accrue additional credit hours above the twenty - four hours cap and that affected plaintiffs were owed time - and - a - half overtime and an equal amount in liquidat ed damages. In pleadings filed earlier this year, the Government argued to the Court that it deserved an offset against the damages calculations that attorneys for the NATCA plaintiffs had previously submitted. NATCA counsel strongly disputed this assertio n and the parties have had to submit several additional pleadings to the Court over the spring and summer on this final issue of damages calculations. The issue has now been fully