Trump Budget Proposal calls for moving ATC outside of Govt

Not too sure how to feel about it. Maybe it is good for CTI students because then they would all get first priority since they went through school specifically for ATC.

What is NATCA's position?

Are we able to join NACTA as trainees at the academy?

What is the actual plan of transition besides a proposal to transfer?
 
NATCA says they want "...predictable, stable funding..." aka supporting privatization, in my opinion. They'll say it isn't privatization because it is "non profit," even though it is essentially run by the airlines, and they don't "technically" support moving away from the federal government.

You cannot join NATCA while at the academy.

No one knows a plan to transition yet as money hasn't been exchanged under the table...
 
NATCA says they want "...predictable, stable funding..." aka supporting privatization, in my opinion. They'll say it isn't privatization because it is "non profit," even though it is essentially run by the airlines, and they don't "technically" support moving away from the federal government.

You cannot join NATCA while at the academy.

No one knows a plan to transition yet as money hasn't been exchanged under the table...
Thanks for the info. Is there a sense of the majority of controllers feel on privatization? Is it a split decision, majority for it, or majority against it?
 
Thanks for the info. Is there a sense of the majority of controllers feel on privatization? Is it a split decision, majority for it, or majority against it?
Honestly, I think it is rather split with maybe a slight majority wanting to keep things as they are currently. We voted, two conventions ago though, to basically explore ways to keep controllers from being furloughed like in 2013 and that was the recent spark that caused the union to change from the motto "...air traffic control is inherently governmental..." to "...predictable and stable funding..."
 
Makes me wonder what, if anything, will happen to the federal contract towers. Will they still receive govt funding, new atc entity funding or would it be on the city/county/state.
 
From the language that previously went before the house, current controllers would be grandfathered in meaning we get to keep our current healthcare options, life insurance, tsp, and FERS retirement. In fact, controllers who are eligible to retire could retire as federal employees, collect their pension, and be 'rehired' by the new corporation a day later. The new corporation will be responsible for providing a pension, health and life insurance, as well as 401k options to new hires. That's the main source of the uncertainty, will they be comparable? Will you have to pay more? Could they be slashed or changed at any time?
I was always in favor of staying a federal employee, but if being privatized is able to streamline hiring and allows for controllers to actually have a semblance of job growth and career advancement, I'd be open to hearing more about it.
 
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What would happen to pay, benefits and retirement etc.?
I don't trust the airlines. They've thrown so many of their own people under the bus with pensions and such, I have no doubt the same would happen to us. We wouldn't be getting huge pay raises. We wouldn't be able to strike. We would have less job security than we have today. I am 100% against it, but I'll let others weigh in.
 
NATCAs support of the AIIR ACT was completely mind boggling. Still haven't figured it out. And I would very much like to see a membership vote on the issue.
But this would be different anyway because the AIIR ACT didn't pass so all that language would be void I'd assume. Which is why NATCA just said they'll review the new proposal when they get it. But I don't know. It is pretty complicated. I'd like for a controller who is definitely all in for privatization to sell me on it because the only thing I'm convinced of from either side is that if we detach from the government then in 25 years when this generation is ready to retire our pensions will be gone. The suits have been killing pensions in the private sector for years. It'll be priority 1 on the list to maintain a sustainable system into the future.
 
NATCAs support of the AIIR ACT was completely mind boggling.
Not sure how true it is, but I read that the NATCA leadership was against privatization until they were eligible for retirement. Then once they were eligible and able to collect retirement and work for the new company they became in favor of privatization.
 
Not sure how true it is, but I read that the NATCA leadership was against privatization until they were eligible for retirement. Then once they were eligible and able to collect retirement and work for the new company they became in favor of privatization.


That is correct. Once that group hit retirement eligibility they were all for it along with the ERR MOU. Remember though people voted against term limits at convention.
 
Remember though people voted against term limits at convention.

I'm surprised that was voted against. I heard it being discussed at my facility and the argument against term limits was that if you didn't like the current leadership, just vote in new people.
 
Do you think the new privatization would do away with pension all together and just match higher on TSP (401k)?? A match number like 10-15% that could make up for the pension. I know American Airlines matches 15% or some crazy amount. Being from Detroit I've seen pensions go to shit... One day a company/city/government could just say, hey sorry, we can't pay you what we promised, and there's nothing you can do about it, there's no money in the pipeline to give ya.
 
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