I’m at a fully staffed facility and my ATM recently informed us that RVA is going to “enforce” policies pertaining to leave requests. Basically if somebody requests off, and another controller isn’t willing to change their RDO to cover a shift or the manager change his shift to cover, then leave can be denied. Previous to this if somebody requested off then the manager would offer overtime to whoever isnt working and the shift would be covered. Now they’re saying unless somebody calls out sick they cannot issue overtime to cover. I just wanna hear other’s thoughts on this. Is this only my facility? We are a NATCA facility, our rep talked to the regional guy and he basically said if our leave is denied because RVA doesnt want to offer overtime to somebody to cover, it wouldnt be a solid case for a grievance.
RomeoTangoRT
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Article 34 Section 3, 4, and 5 (summarized):
[4] Absent exceptional circumstances, eligible employees SHALL BE (emphasis) authorized the use of all vacation leave earned.
Section 4 essentially summarizes the three sections. Section 5 begins with “The ATM and Principal Facility Representative will cooperate to ensure that employees are permitted to take vacation leave of their choice to the extent possible.”
Step One: Tell your manager to get bent, also ask your area manager if they’d like to participate.
Step Two: File a grievance. *Absent exceptional circumstances.* You have the right to vacation time. Notwithstanding someone having leave scheduled when you’re trying to take leave, there’s few “exceptional circumstances” that should warrant your leave being denied and “not offering overtime” isn’t one of them. Don’t hold your breath on the grievance though. Our regional reps don’t seem to give a shit about us and are more likely to drag their feet and not look out for our interests.
I’ve also gotten into arguments with our previous facility manager because they huffed and puffed anytime someone put in a leave request because “they couldn’t wait til they got controllers who actually wanted to work.” For putting in for vacation time… we are contractually guaranteed.
Source: trust me bro (I’m a facrep at an RVA facility)
I’d be curious to know what facility you’re at. There’s a chance I might have told your manager or area manager to get bent personally.
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laredo
RomeoTangoRT
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Then I’ll eat my words. South Florida region I had a transfer request in, an offer letter signed and dated, and was told I could no longer transfer until one of the other controllers (who didn’t have a bid in to a new facility and their alleged receiving facility didn’t have any availability) was able to transfer first. Back door, under the table drug deal while I followed the appropriate avenues for the transfer process. So I called up my receiving area manager, ensured if I quit they would still hire me, was assured in writing they would. Was on position and my facility manager informed me our area manager was on the phone and “just had a couple questions.” Asked if there was an issue or if I were being punished, assured multiple times that was not the case. Took the phone call and proceeded to be berated, highly unprofessionally and threateningly, by the area manager. “If you think you’re going to transfer before so and so just because you have a bid for a new job over a guy who’s been with the company for ten years then you’re wrong. … if you think [insert company VP] is going to hire you after you quit here then you’ve got another thing coming, you don’t understand how this business works and boy do you have it coming for you.”
Alright, bet. Hung up, called receiving area manager and said I’m quitting, draft up my start date letter. Got off the phone with him, typed up my resignation, emailed it to the area manager and my facility manager, printed it and set it on my managers desk and started at my new facility a few weeks later.
Long story short, staffing is a big issue in the FAA but it’s an even bigger issue in the contract world. Use that to your advantage and don’t lay down and get walked all over. I wish I were FacRep then and had more experience and I would have dragged that out and made it hell. But the satisfaction of them throwing a temper tantrum and me subsequently doing exactly what they said I wasn’t going to be able to do was enough at the time.
Alright, bet. Hung up, called receiving area manager and said I’m quitting, draft up my start date letter. Got off the phone with him, typed up my resignation, emailed it to the area manager and my facility manager, printed it and set it on my managers desk and started at my new facility a few weeks later.
Long story short, staffing is a big issue in the FAA but it’s an even bigger issue in the contract world. Use that to your advantage and don’t lay down and get walked all over. I wish I were FacRep then and had more experience and I would have dragged that out and made it hell. But the satisfaction of them throwing a temper tantrum and me subsequently doing exactly what they said I wasn’t going to be able to do was enough at the time.
radarserviceterminated
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He’s at a contract tower, not FAA. They run minimal staffing to maximize profit and have different interpretations on leave. At many of those facilities the ATM has to cover any leave approved ahead of time or sick hits. And I’d imagine each company (Serco, Midwest, RVA) has a company specific policy as far as how spot leave is handled in regards to overtime or the ATM covering for you etc.
RomeoTangoRT
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Spot leave can be approved by the CIC, doesn’t even have to go up to the manager.
radarserviceterminated
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Nice. That was not the case when I was working contract years ago.
RomeoTangoRT
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I’m not at work at the moment but it’s in the red book in the CIC section I believe. Either in the CIC section or vacation section.
RomeoTangoRT
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Revisiting this to correct myself now that I’ve got the red book in front of me.
Article 34 Section 16 states “Staffing permitting, upon request, the employee shall be granted a short period of LWOP not to exceed ten (10) days annually, except as provided in Articles 2 and 3, and Section 10 of this Article. The Controller-in-Charge (CIC) may approve LWOP for a single shift or less for the current day.”
So it’s my understanding CIC only has the authority to approve LWOP, I misspoke.
doodii
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Ah okay. I'll take my leave of this convo since I have zero clue what's going on lol.
I just want to clarify, nobody’s leave has been denied as of yet, but every so often a guy tries to take off a saturday or sunday to go to his kid’s baseball game. And if nobody wants to cover his shift and change their RDO, then his leave could be denied. Nobody has tried to take like a week off or anything yet because the holidays passed before these procedures have taken effect i just think its odd that we’re offered a benefit of the company but its totally dependent on if somebody else is willing to change their work schedule, including the manager to cover.
Also, our facility is fully staffed, so if somebody wanted to take say, a week off, we have plenty of people that could cover the shifts if overtime was offered, i don’t think anybody would say no since we haven’t gotten any overtime in a while being fully staffed.
Also, our facility is fully staffed, so if somebody wanted to take say, a week off, we have plenty of people that could cover the shifts if overtime was offered, i don’t think anybody would say no since we haven’t gotten any overtime in a while being fully staffed.
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