Here is another scary one written by an ATC controller.
It caused quite a stirr in the AOPA forum since there are pilots being pissed off because they have a hard time raising ATC on the radio and FAA guys getting all worked up because of these pilots. Wow!
It's a Frank-length post but it's well worth reading it.
PLUS the little link is pretty cool!
Friends,
I hope you guys can download the link below. Think your airplane is
the only one up there? Think again. Notice at 30 seconds, the severe
weather (in red) covers Memphis airport, aircraft begin holding, and
the ones running out of fuel head to their alternate airports. Taking
three strings of airplanes going 400+ mph and putting them into a nice
line so you can jam them into an airport that is about to close is
quite impressive. To do it with thunderstorms takes skill, practice,
and steely nerves. I am fairly certain that this controller left
work that day with a headache. Our job is fun sometimes. This wasn't
one of them.
http://www.dauntless-soft.com/PRODUCTS/Freebies/ThunderstormFedex/Last summer, our union, NATCA, and the FAA started negotiating a new
Contract. The last one was signed in 1998. On the day before
negotiations started, the appointed head of the FAA, Marion Blakey,
used taxpayer money to fund press conferences around the country
telling the American people that their controllers are overpaid and
underworked. On April 5, Blakey took advantage of a provision that
allowed her to send her last offer to Congress. If they do not act
within 60 days, then she gets to IMPOSE her pay and work rules on Air
Traffic Controllers. Knowing this, she had NO incentive to negotiate
with us in good faith. FAA declared impasse (or stalemate) on April
5th at 3:04PM. At 5:00PM, she submitted a 300 page last-offer
document to Congress, right before they left on a two week Easter
break. So, instead of sixty days, they only had about forty six.
Smart? Maybe. Telling of her character and true 'bad faith'
intentions? Definitely. Up until 3:04, the FAA was still obligated
to negotiate in good faith by trying to reach a voluntary agreement.
While NATCA worked through the night Tuesday to offer even more pay
concessions, the FAA was instead preparing their submission to
Congress to start the 60 day clock before they left town.
On June 5, the new and unimproved work rules and pay cuts will serve
as a disincentive for retirement-eligible controllers to continue
working. There were 15,300 U.S. controllers two years ago. Under
Blakey's leadership, there are now 14,300. By 2007, 4000 controllers,
hired en masse after the 1981 strike, will be eligible to retire By
2011, over half the work force (8000) will be eligible. Five years
may seem like enough time to get ready; however, it takes about three
years to get a controller fully certified. NATCA believes pay cuts,
stricter dress codes, and other work rule changes guaranteed to lower
morale even further will exacerbate current staffing problems by
convincing veteran controllers to turn in their headsets. Speaking of
dress codes, do you care if that Memphis controller was wearing jeans
or even shorts and a golf shirt, or is it that important that he was
wearing dockers and a button down? Obviously, we like being
comfortable when we work.
What does this mean to general aviation aircraft, airlines and their
passengers? Well, take away the Dallas Cowboys' right tackle and a
wide receiver and see how many points they score. Take away the
right tire changer on a NASCAR pit crew. Send two DEA agents to bust
up a drug ring when they really need four. Cut the number of firemen
at your local firehouse by a quarter. You won't notice....unless
there's a fire. Tell the surgeon who is about to do that by-pass that
he has to work with one less nurse. Don't backfill when your
Assistant Pastor leaves and demand the Senior Pastor provide the same
level of service.
The FAA is trying to do more with less. That's an OK business model
unless, of course, your business happens to be safety. The FAA has
bragged about staffing their supervisor ranks at 100%, while the
controller ranks are staffed at about 86% and dropping, partly because
they promote their supervisors from the controller workforce. MORE
supervisors watching FEWER controllers work MORE airplanes. Makes
sense to me! For now, controllers are good enough to make it work,
but you can only stretch a rubber band so far before it snaps.
The FAA wants the public to believe this is all about money. Of
course, money is always part of any contract negotiation, but it is
also about what happens to the system if you give a large group of
controllers a disincentive to stay. Although I'd like to keep my
current salary and get the same cost of living adjustments that all
federal employees receive, my family can and will adjust to a pay cut
just like many Americans do every day; however, like all controllers,
I am forced to retire at age 56. Many people can continue earning a
good salary into their sixties. I cannot.
Controllers are NOT asking for a penny more than we get now. In
fact, in the last few days of negotiations, NATCA offered $1.4 Billion
in salary cuts over the five year contract, while the FAA "moved" from
$1.9 Billion to $1.9 Billion. Again, NATCA moved $1.4 Billion in a
desperate goodwill attempt to reach a voluntary agreement, and the FAA
moved zero. They claim they need the money for equipment upgrades.
In Texas, we have a term for that explanation, and it starts with
"bull." This is all about exerting their control over the people who
keep you safe and trying to break their union, a union by the way
which was at the forefront of every successful implementation of
equipment and procedure upgrade from 1998-2004.
On 9-11, controllers did something we've never trained for or even
discussed, the clearing of U.S. airspace. In about two hours,
controllers landed 5000 planes without a single incident. In 2005,
controllers in New Orleans worked around the clock coordinating
thousands of rescue flights even though some of them had lost their
homes. They slept whenever the could, wherever they could. In Baton
Rouge and Lafayette, controllers worked almost four times their normal
traffic levels for weeks. Controllers from Florida, Texas and across
the South took annual leave to rush to the scene bringing food, water,
portable toilets, etc. to help keep the operation going. During Rita,
Beaumont and Houston controllers stayed on duty while their families
evacuated. Time and again, controllers have come through for the
American people. Now, we need you to come through for us and your ATC
system.
If you are interested in helping...
Call 1 877 FAIR FAA. You will be connected to your Senator. Tell
them you want them to support Senate Bill 2201 which will restore
fairness to the FAA and NATCA negotiating process.
Go to
http://fairfaa.com and click on "FairFAA" to send an EMail. It
might take three minutes to do both.
Senate Bill 2201 guarantees us nothing but a fair shake. It simply
says that if the two sides reach impasse and Congress does not act,
the Parties go to Binding Arbitration. It would take away the FAA's
disincentive to negotiate in good faith. There are currently a
majority of House members who have co sponsored the bill, including
about 60 Republicans; yet, under White House pressure, Speaker Hastert
refuses to allow it to come up for a vote. In the Senate Bill, we
have about 40 co-sponsors, but there are others who say they will
support it if it comes up for a vote. That is where your phone calls
can help.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following is a current snapshot of most of the airplanes in the
United States. Click on during a weekday late morning or afternoon.
This doesn't include VFR aircraft and most other general aviation
aircraft, which would probably add about 30%. It will give you an
idea of what is going on up there. When you are comfortably seated on
your next flight, think about us, because I can promise that we're
thinking about you.
You get from Point A to Point B safely because of professional
controllers, pilots, mechanics and other workers, not because of
Marion Blakey.
http://www.natca.org/flight-explorer/united-states.aspxFeel free to forward this message to anyone who flies.
