FAA, air traffic controllers to return to bargaining table

Time for the next round of FAA vs. NATCA

Many of you may not be aware that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the labor union for air traffic controllers, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) have been in contract impasse since 2006.

The Government Executive website reported today that “Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has appointed former Federal Aviation Administrator Jane Garvey to oversee a team of mediators who will seek to broker a labor agreement between the agency and the NATCA.”  Union leaders praised Secretary LaHood’s choice in Garvey and in re-opening negotiations.

While NATCA is pleased with this, and for the President “fulfilling his commitment to the safety and modernization of the air traffic control system”, some other related news got little attention or mention from NATCA.  Back on March 19, Aero-News Network reported the appointments of two new regional administrators.  What was interesting was that one of them, Joe Miniace, does not exactly appear to be contract/union friendly.

Here’s what ANN reported:

Both names may be familiar to regular ANN readers, particularly if you've kept up with the volatile state of affairs between the agency and air traffic controllers.

As Aero-News reported, months after his appointment Miniace was thrown into the quagmire surrounding contentious negotiations between the agency and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.

Under Miniace's oversight, that situation quickly devolved into the FAA declaring an impasse in talks in April 2006. To this day, controllers are working under a contract forced upon them... which, according to NATCA, has resulted in a number of experienced controllers taking early retirement (or quitting outright) leaving less-experienced trainees to fill those roles.

I’m betting this new appointee won’t be part of the mediator team negotiating a new contract.