Brothers and Sisters,
We know that all of you have been following the developing situation related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Everything has been exceptionally fluid and that will likely continue for some time. We are aggressively pursuing all issues of concern to our members and will be providing regular updates as new information becomes available.
As a result of the pandemic, the agency has determined that employees quarantined by a public health authority, that are not on an approved telework agreement, will be placed on excused absence. A public health authority has been defined as an agency or authority of the United States government, State, a territory, a political subdivision of a State or territory, or a person or entity acting under a grant of authority from, or under a contract with a public health agency. Examples of public health authority include State and local health departments, the FDA, CDC and OSHA.
If you believe you may have been exposed to COVID-19, we encourage you to contact your health care provider, or contact your state or local health department for guidance. Click
here.
If you are placed under quarantine, please notify your union representative and your immediate supervisor. At that time, you will be placed on excused absence for the duration of the quarantine period.
The CDC has identified a number of countries now designated on a
Level 3 Travel Health Notice, indicating widespread, ongoing transmission of COVID-19 and requiring a 14-day quarantine period. If you have recently returned from one of the identified
countries, please advise your immediate supervisor and be prepared to produce supporting documentation such as a boarding pass, hotel receipt or other itinerary indicating your recent travel. At that point, you will be placed on excused absence for the duration of the quarantine period.
As we move through this, we need to be cognizant of our personal health and the health of our immediate families. If you are experiencing symptoms and/or self quarantine, or otherwise feeling ill, please call in and take sick leave. If there is a case to be made that it should be excused absence then we will deal with that later. Please DO NOT take any chances with the health of your colleagues. If you are ill but do not have sick leave available, please work with your Facility Representative who can assist you with making a request for an advancement of sick leave from the Agency.
Article 25 of the contract contains the following provision regarding the use of sick leave:
Section 2. Sick leave must be granted when an employee meets one of the following conditions:
a. is incapacitated and cannot perform the essential duties of his/her position because of physical or mental illness, injury, pregnancy, or childbirth;
b. receives medical, dental or optical examinations or treatment;
c. would, per a health authority with jurisdiction or a health care provider, jeopardize the health of others due to exposure to a communicable disease.
d. for any activity related to the adoption of a child upon proper notification and documentation, when requested. Leave for parents who voluntarily choose to be absent from work to bond with an adopted child is covered under Article 26 and Article 30 of this Agreement.
Article 26 contains the following provision regarding the use of leave:
Section 5. In accordance with the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), upon request, an employee is entitled to a total of twelve (12) administrative work weeks of leave without pay (LWOP) during any twelve (12) month period for one (1) or more of the following reasons:
a. birth of a son or daughter and care of the newborn;
b. the placement of a son or daughter with an employee for adoption or foster care;
c. care for spouse (including pregnancy related medical conditions), son, daughter, or parent with a serious health condition;
d. serious health condition (including pregnancy related medical conditions) of an employee that makes the employee unable to perform duties of his or her position;
e. because of any qualifying exigency (as determined by the Secretary of Labor) arising out of the fact that the spouse, or a son, daughter, or parent of the employee is on active duty (or has been notified of an impending call or order to active duty) in the Armed Forces in support of a contingency operation. For this subsection only, the employee is entitled to up to a total of twelve (12) administrative workweeks during any twelve (12) month period, or a lesser period if so specified by the qualifying event.
Additional leave beyond the initial twelve (12) weeks in any twelve (12) month period shall be subject to staffing and workload. An employee may elect to substitute any paid leave for any or all of the period of leave taken under this Section.
As our communities continue to react to the mandates and/or guidance to limit social interactions, school systems across the county are being closed for lengthy periods of time. This creates serious concerns regarding childcare arrangements for many of our members. ATMs and Facility Representatives are expected to work in collaboration to review forecasted workloads (particularly in light of reduced airline schedules) and reduce staffing levels, if possible, to allow for an increased approval of annual leave for childcare purposes. If you have a specific need or concern, please work with your Facility Representative to see if solutions can be found at the facility level. We need to work together to help create solutions for our brothers and sisters who are and will be struggling: helping facilitate shift swaps to allow someone with childcare issues to have a shift more conducive for leave approval, volunteering to earn credit for a co-worker, passing on a spot leave request so someone else can be number 1 on the list, etc. Ultimately, while every request may not be able to be approved, hopefully you will all work together and take care of one another.
It is also important to remember that while we deal with this situation many will be facing additional stressors. Please be kind to one another and if you need assistance, reach out to the Critical Incident Stress Management Team. This Team can be reached on the 24/7 hotline, 202-505-CISM, or via email at
[email protected].
Any member can directly contact their regional leadership at the email below with any questions regarding COVID-19 related issues. Somebody will respond and provide an answer as quickly as possible.
Alaska
Central
Eastern
Great Lakes
New England
Northwest Mountain
Southern
Southwest
Western Pacific
Region X
In solidarity,
NATCA National Executive Board
