Air Traffic Controllers Reach Tentative Agreement with FAA

by James Parks, Aug 16, 2009

Three months after the Obama administration opened the door for mediation in contract negotiations between the Air Traffic Controllers (NATCA) and the Federal Aviation Administration, the two sides reached a landmark tentative agreement late last week.  

In May, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced the Obama administration was appointing mediators to settle the dispute.

In 2006, the Bush administration’s FAA rejected NATCA’s call for mediation to settle a contract and walked away from the bargaining table. The agency then imposed a set of work rules and wage cuts that have driven controllers out of the towers. Because of the deplorable work environment, more than 2,600 controllers have left the FAA, creating a shortage of experienced controllers and threatening aviation safety.

The FAA under Bush rejected all calls to resume negotiations and threatened to veto any legislation that required the agency to sit down and bargain with the union.

The agreement, which must be ratified by NATCA members within 45 days, provides employees with greater flexibility in their work schedules, child care support, a new grievance review process and a variety of other gains. The agreement also restores a more equitable pay standard to benefit new hires as well as veterans nearing retirement.

In a joint statement, NATCA and the FAA said:

The Obama administration recognized that not having a mutually agreed upon contract for the air traffic controllers had created an untenable situation and that ensuring the safety and efficiency of the nation’s aviation system made fair resolution a must.

NATCA President Patrick Forrey said the tentative agreement “marks a turning point in the relationship between the FAA and its air traffic controller and traffic management employees.”

We wholeheartedly thank President Obama and Secretary LaHood for addressing the tumultuous labor relations issues at the FAA by establishing a fair process that has allowed the parties to negotiate and arrive at a collective bargaining agreement that NATCA members now have an opportunity to ratify. We look forward to working with the FAA and the aviation industry and community in a collaborative process to develop and implement the much-needed next-generation aviation system.

In addition to the contract agreement, an independent arbitration team released a decision on a handful of issues not resolved by the mediation, which settled more than 100 of the issues in dispute.

 FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said:

This [agreement] marks a new day between the FAA and the air traffic controllers as we move forward with a spirit of cooperation. We are hopeful that once the review and ratification are complete, we can accelerate our efforts to adopt NextGen, the next-generation air transportation system.

In the statement, both sides said they were confident the mediated solution will provide a solid foundation that

enables everyone to put aside past differences and move forward to rebuild trust between the FAA and its employees. The process serves as a model, in fact, for future contract negotiations.

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