COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT
NATCA FIGHTING TO PROTECT MEMBERS' RETIREMENT BENEFITS
The Communications Department is work ing with a team of National Office staff, the
National Legislative Committee, and NATCAvists nationwide on efforts to pr otect our
members' retirement benefits. A third of U.S. air traffic controllers are currently eligible to
retire - and they ' re likely to retire earlier than anticipated in order to avoid harmful cuts to
retirement benefits, such as those proposed in the House Budget Resolution . The
exodus of retiri ng controllers would be detrimental t o the National Airspace System.
Many of our members have hosted members of Congress and their staffs during facility
tours that have taken place over this current congressional recess. We chronicled many
of those visit s in the NATCA Insider last week, including at Billings with Sen. Tester
(Montana), at El Paso with Congressman Hurd (Texas), at Phoenix (Tower and also the
TRACON) with Congressman Biggs and Congressman O'Halleran, with Congressman
Lipinski at his Illinoi s office, and at Chicago Center with Congressman Davis (Illinois).
Read more .
MEMBER MESSAGE LAST WEEK: N90 HIRING AND STAFFING
Certified Profe ssional Controller (CPC) staffing throughout the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) is at a 28 - year low, and we ' re seeing the consequences of
inadequate staffing levels at many of our facilities. Unfortunately, the staffing issues
have been particularly pronounced at the New York TRACON (N90) for some time and
they are now beginning to be noticed outside of the FAA.
Read the full messag e sent to the membership on Aug. 15.
MOU: Enhanced CIP
MOU: N90 Return Rights Policy
MEMBERSHIP TELCON SCHEDULED FOR AUG. 23 – 4 P.M. EDT (1 P.M. PDT)
NATCA ' s goal in addressing hiring and staffing issues is to do so as soon as a problem
is evident and before it becomes a crisis that requires reactive measures. Our previous
member messages have explained that goal with respect to specific issues. These
issues have included proper placement, adequate staffing levels, continued and
consistent hiring, and effective training . With certified professional controller (CPC)
staffing at a 28 - year low, we are seeing the consequences of inadequate staffing at most
of our facilities.
We will be holding a membership teleconference on Wednesday, Aug. 23 at 4 p.m. EDT,
to discuss our a dvocacy efforts, current and potential initiatives, and most importantly,
answer any questions you may have on the subject.
Here are the numbers to use for the teleconference:
1 - 888 - 453 - 9924
1 - 334 - 323 - 7224
Passcode: 43021
NATCA will continue to focus on the staffing challenges in the system, as well as the
associated initiatives designed to improve the overall staffing health of our facilities. We
are hopeful that these initiatives and processes will result in a robust workforce and
sufficiently staffed s ystem.
