Members head for Capitol Hill at NATCA in Washington 2006
January’s 2006 NATCA in Washington conference event was one for the history books. Nearly 400 air safety professionals gathered in Washington, D.C., to personally brief their elected officials on the union’s most pressing issues. As the FAA maintained its clear anti-controller sentiments, these poised, professional and determined NATCA members brought one of the most comprehensive legislative agendas in the union’s history to Capitol Hill.
NATCA President John Carr began the convention with an encouraging message to conference attendees. “You will have a very powerful case to make, and a very compelling story to tell,” he remarked. “You aren’t here to ask for a favor or an act of kindness; you are here to enlist your members of Congress in safeguarding the integrity of the National Airspace System. And you are here to restore fairness, and preserve the future of collective bargaining in this country.”
As the event’s theme, “Grounded in Experience, Soaring in Safety,” indicated, this year’s NATCA in Washington attendees arrived equipped not only with years of professional knowledge and a history of staunch union solidarity, but also with the reliable reputation of consistently maintaining the safest air traffic system in the world, despite the myriad of safety concerns and workplace environment issues they face daily. Additionally, the introduction of S. 2201 — the Obama-Inouye-Murray-Lautenberg “FAA Fair Labor Management Dispute Resolution Act of 2006” — helped bolster the NATCA mission on Capitol Hill.
In an introductory legislative briefing to conference attendees, NATCA Executive Vice President Ruth Marlin explained how critical this year’s legislative issues are, far beyond the conference itself. “NATCA in Washington is a small piece of the puzzle,” she noted. “The real work happens when you go home and take these issues to your coworkers, your friends, your neighbors, and spread the word about what is happening.”
After Marlin’s briefing, Staff Specialist Deidre Hatchard of the Detroit TRACON explained why this year’s event is so crucial to the union’s mission. “We’ve brought most of these safety and staffing issues to Congress before,” she noted, “And now’s our chance to bring them back, this time with a stronger jumping-off point. The Obama bill gives us a concrete start, something recognizable that everyone knows about, and something that’s very fair and justified.”
Transportation Trades Department President Edward Wytkind then took the stage to extend his sincere gratitude and to strengthen the conference attendees’ resolve. “You are in the fight of your lives,” he noted. “It is a fight to protect the safety of the flying public; a fight to preserve, protect, and defend the finest aviation system in the world. It is a fight to ensure that our skies are not for sale, that public safety is not sold out in the name of politics or greed. It is a fight to protect the rights of workers to form a union, the right to speak up.”
After the thunderous applause and standing ovation that accompanied Wytkind as he left the stage, Marlin moderated a bipartisan forum featuring two returning NATCA in Washington guests: former Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie and former Clinton Press Secretary Joe Lockhart. Both speakers agreed that in the current political climate, NATCA members have an advantage in their being constituents and voters.
“Congressional members will be more receptive to constituents,” Lockhart noted. “As the current focus on lobbying reform goes after dealmakers, support will grow for groups with strong grassroots advocacy. Repetitive engagement will be crucial, as will using your constituency as leverage.”
Gillespie agreed, and added that a balanced argument will help the cause. “It’s tough to maintain a balance in such a polarized environment,” he said. “But a fact-based argument, without questioning motive or intent, can go a long way in gaining bipartisan support.”
As Denver TRACON Controller Curly Simmons pointed out, the information provided at such forums can be a major asset to union members. “This is the most important event for NATCA,” he said. “The opportunity to network, getting to understand the legislative process: these are the most important facets of NATCA’s ability to thrive.”
After a luncheon featuring ABC News Correspondent John Nance as a guest speaker, Carr provided a more detailed legislative briefing for conference attendees, where the focus was on bringing the reality of the situation to congressional members. “We have to focus on blunting the agency’s rhetoric,” he noted. “Debunk the FAA myths, and give your representatives the facts.”
“Just as importantly, personalize the story,” Carr continued. “Make them understand what it’s like to work in a place where intimidation is routine, where you are forced to do more work with fewer people, where you aren’t given a choice about overtime, and where your employer consistently insults you. Make it personal.”
A Congressional Panel with House and Senate Aviation Committee staffers followed Carr’s legislative briefing, after which former Rep. Jack Quinn, R–N.Y., addressed the conference attendees, stressing the importance of continuing the work in their own districts. “Individual letters and calls make a difference,” he said, “So don’t stop when you go home. Find a contact person in your district, keep in touch, and most importantly, spread the word in your facilities. Take the cause to the American people, to the voters — that’s where we can really make a difference.”
Later that night, conference attendees, Hill staff and representatives of the aviation community gathered for the 2nd Annual Archie League Medal of Safety Awards program to honor individuals who have most exemplified the NATCA mission of maintaining the safety of the flying public as their number one priority (see sidebar, page 1, for winners). “I was really impressed with the Archie League Awards,” recalled Dulles Tower Controller and NATCA Eastern Alternate Regional Vice President Paul Rinaldi. “We all have saves like that, and it’s good to finally see controllers’ hard work and professionalism being recognized.”
The following day’s general session began with remarks from Sen. Patty Murray, D–Wash., ranking member of the Committee on Transportation, Treasury, Judiciary, and Housing and Urban Development. “Hold the representatives accountable for what they do,” she advised union members. “If they value the air traffic system, they have to value those who maintain it. And if they value the system and those who maintain it, they will preserve it. […] Let them know you’ll be watching.”
Rep. Peter DeFazio, D–Ore., followed Murray at the podium and offered additional helpful guidelines for NATCA members preparing to meet with their district representatives. “Make your arguments based on facts, and deliver them according to their perspective,” he advised. “Remind them how important aviation is to this country. How do these issues affect employment rates or commerce in their districts? How would this affect voting statistics? Remind them that their votes have consequences.”
As Rochester Tower Controller Andy Lewis noted, this opportunity for direct exchange of ideas is a large part of what makes NATCA in Washington so important. “This event gives every attendant the opportunity not only to speak directly to our representatives about the important issues, but also to hear what they have to say about those issues,” Lewis said. “We get all the information we need to support and advance our legislative cause – I’d recommend this event to every NATCA member.”
By mid-morning on Tuesday, Jan. 31, most conference attendees felt well-prepared and ready for their meetings with their congressional representatives, and the S. 2201 bill proved a welcomed asset for union members. As Marlin stated Tuesday morning in her general session remarks, “When faced with an extraordinary challenge, our job is to rise to the occasion and make the save. This legislation is a new challenge, but we don’t ask for the odds, because that’s not who we are. We just make the save.”
Atlanta Center Controller Gary Morgan agreed. “This bill strengthens our case,” he said. “It’s good to have a clear message and a very specific goal to take to the Hill.” With the legislative preparation nearly complete, NATCA had one more special guest who proved to inspire the union members even more than they may have expected. After a brief introduction from Marlin and a standing ovation from union members, Sen. Barack Obama, D–Ill., delivered a rousing message in support of the “FAA Fair Labor Management Dispute Resolution Act of 2006,” further inspiring conference attendees to take to the Hill with confidence.
“The FAA is not a business, it is a federal agency charged with protecting the lives of millions of Americans,” Obama noted. “However, it is now asserting an authority that denies you and all its employees the right to bargain collectively — a right that is fundamental in this country,” he continued. “All this bill asks for is fairness: the opportunity to level the playing field.”
Obama also offered his sincere appreciation to all air safety professionals. “You do a thankless and often unappreciated job,” he noted, “and you deserve our gratitude and respect.” In return, the conference attendees thanked the senator with another boisterous round of applause and a prolonged standing ovation.
Afterwards, NATCA Alternate Great Lakes Regional Vice President George Petrovich shared his thoughts on Obama’s participation in the event. “He’s every man and woman’s senator,” he remarked. “He’s a centrist who can appeal to both sides of the aisle, and he’s also someone who understands [the union’s] position. It’s an incredible advantage for NATCA to have his support.”
Washington Center Controller Bill Holtzman agreed. “Senator Obama communicates the argument in concise terms that anyone can relate to, union member or otherwise,” Holtzman said. “He can help NATCA’s message reach everyone, including the American public.”
That afternoon, the convention attendees met with their representatives on the Hill to once again bring the union’s longstanding concerns to Congress, as well as to support a bill that is already being called the most important issue in the union’s history, and an issue that will prove crucial to the entire labor movement. That evening, as union members gathered at a congressional reception to mingle with their senators and representatives, there was a generally positive outlook on the future of NATCA’s legislative agenda.
Twelve-year NATCA in Washington veteran Frank Haelle, a controller at Las Vegas TRACON, noted the difference between this year’s event and previous ones. “Times have obviously changed,” he said. “Several years ago, we were lobbying in support of the FAA. Now we’ve got a bill to actively stop what it’s trying to do. It’s a concrete plan and a great place to start the discussion about our most important issues.”
