This was emailed to members in these units and also posted on the NATCA site:
Region X & Staff Support Specialists CBA News Update (May 21, 2024)
May 21, 2024
Sisters and Brothers:
As you are all aware, NATCA and the FAA (collectively known as “the Parties”) recently commenced bargaining on the successor agreement to the Multi-Unit and Consolidated Collective Bargaining Agreements (the “Light Blue” and the “Purple” books). These negotiations are, by design, focused on a limited number of Articles. While we cannot bargain in public, we can share that the Parties have identified 28 Articles and CBA Appendices for renegotiations, which include topics such as pay, telework/remote work, office space, and collaboration.
Shortly after the agreement covering the bargaining ground rules was negotiated and signed in April, your negotiating team began a comprehensive review of all the existing national, regional and local Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) that had been effectuated through mid-term bargaining since the execution of the Light Blue and Purple Book term agreements back in 2011 and 2013, respectively. One of the first tasks under the ground rules was a negotiated process by which the Parties could mutually agree to retain these MOUs. Without a mutual agreement for retention, all the MOUs would automatically sunset pursuant to Article 7, Section 9 of our CBAs. Given the lengthy period between the last round of negotiations and the current bargaining cycle, your negotiating team reviewed nearly 100 MOUs for retention, sunsetting or renegotiation.
Upon completion of the review process, NATCA and the FAA met in executive session, which simply means that the Chief Negotiators from both sides met in a small group, to identify those agreements that will either be retained, will sunset, or will be included in our focused negotiations. Significant progress was made, and the Parties have agreed to retain 35, and sunset approximately 50 of the MOUs. We hope to wrap up this effort for the remaining MOUs in the near future.
Additionally, we have been able reach an agreement on three of the Articles which were identified for negotiations. When Parties reach an agreement on all language in an Article, a copy of the Article is initialed by the Chief Negotiators as “tentatively agreed upon” (TAU’d). Reaching three TAUs and reaching agreement on approximately 85 MOUs (either for retention or sunsetting) is positive movement in the early stages of bargaining. Two additional NATCA proposals have been submitted, and we are awaiting the Agency’s response.
We know that there is a keen interest in how these negotiations are progressing and we will continue to provide periodic updates as we move along through the process.
In solidarity,
Andrew LeBovidge
NATCA Executive Vice President
Chief Negotiator
Nicole Vitale
NATCA Director of Labor Relations
Lisen Minetti
NATCA Local EAC
Ed Szczuka
NATCA Local ECE
Corey Glaze
NATCA Local ENM
Mark Rausch
NATCA Local ENM
Jordan Klein
NATCA Local N90
