Shoot The Breeze

[Super Salt]

Yeah ideally we would go from 18 to 15 or maybe 15.5 and we reduce our staffing number a little and get rid of the 4 10s in exchange for some releases. I think most people would be on board and I seriously don't think I talk to more than 1 plane a week from 10pm- midnight. I should probably start keeping track of it to document how sad this place is.

Staffing changes (increase/decrease) and operating hours are handled in DC HQ. You’ll need a miracle, at a minimum, for anything to be done.

 

[Acquired Taste]

Staffing changes (increase/decrease) and operating hours are handled in DC HQ. You’ll need a miracle, at a minimum, for anything to be done.

Any idea how often they look at those kind of things? Do the work on suggestions? Can I email them and say hey, please take a look into this potential cost saving measure that will 0 effect on traffic since the traffic doesn't exist?

 

[Rico]

Update: it appears in this particular instance, it did not pay to be a scammer so that's good.

New question though: Has anyone ever seen or had experience with a facility's hours being reduced permanently? If so, how does that process work? Who's in charge of that kind of stuff?

There is an order that covers this. JO 7232.5G

 

[Acquired Taste]

There is an order that covers this. JO 7232.5G

Much appreciated! I'll look into this.

 

[32andBelow]

Any idea how often they look at those kind of things? Do the work on suggestions? Can I email them and say hey, please take a look into this potential cost saving measure that will 0 effect on traffic since the traffic doesn't exist?

NATCA is never going to support reducing the amount of controllers

 

[Acquired Taste]

NATCA is never going to support reducing the amount of controllers

I don't understand why they take that stance. Clearly the faa has trouble maintaining staffing numbers throughout the NAS. Why wouldn't they want to move bodies from facilities where they are not needed to places where they could actually help the NAS and where they would actually like to be. No joke, I've talked to one overflight who was on my frequency for less than a minute so far tonight, there's a 99.9% chance that is all I will talk to. 1 plane for 1 min over the course of 10 hours worked. I think yesterday I talked to 2 planes. No one, not even Santa, can say with a straight face that not only are we needed but that we shouldn't even explore the possibility of reducing the hours even slightly.

I'm young, my brain is sharp, and my chance of success working high level traffic will never be higher than it is right now. Instead I'm forced to rot in solitary confinement for 40 hours a week indefinitely. I thought the constitution was supposed to protect against being subjected to cruel and unusual punishments

 

[AB19]

I don't understand why they take that stance. Clearly the faa has trouble maintaining staffing numbers throughout the NAS. Why wouldn't they want to move bodies from facilities where they are not needed to places where they could actually help the NAS and where they would actually like to be. No joke, I've talked to one overflight who was on my frequency for less than a minute so far tonight, there's a 99.9% chance that is all I will talk to. 1 plane for 1 min over the course of 10 hours worked. I think yesterday I talked to 2 planes. No one, not even Santa, can say with a straight face that not only are we needed but that we shouldn't even explore the possibility of reducing the hours even slightly.

I'm young, my brain is sharp, and my chance of success working high level traffic will never be higher. Instead I'm forced to rot in solitary confinement for 40 hours a week indefinitely. I thought the constitution was supposed to protect against being subjected to cruel and unusual punishments

I’ll never understand how a level 4 even has a tower, like CTAF is surely sufficient

 

[Acquired Taste]

I’ll never understand how a level 4 even has a tower, like CTAF is surely sufficient

We're a level 5 up/down that's slower than any level 4 out there. I have argued this many a times.

 

[Robert_Boucher]

We're a level 5 up/down that's slower than any level 4 out there. I have argued this many a times.

Some of it's just political, small town airport wants to claim they are a 24/7 airport, a mayor knows a senator etc. I'm not saying this is your circumstance but I know of a facility that has mids because a guy crashed while a center was providing approach services.

 

[32andBelow]

I don't understand why they take that stance. Clearly the faa has trouble maintaining staffing numbers throughout the NAS. Why wouldn't they want to move bodies from facilities where they are not needed to places where they could actually help the NAS and where they would actually like to be. No joke, I've talked to one overflight who was on my frequency for less than a minute so far tonight, there's a 99.9% chance that is all I will talk to. 1 plane for 1 min over the course of 10 hours worked. I think yesterday I talked to 2 planes. No one, not even Santa, can say with a straight face that not only are we needed but that we shouldn't even explore the possibility of reducing the hours even slightly.

I'm young, my brain is sharp, and my chance of success working high level traffic will never be higher. Instead I'm forced to rot in solitary confinement for 40 hours a week indefinitely. I thought the constitution was supposed to protect against being subjected to cruel and unusual punishments

I think Union 101 is to always grow the Union. Not shrink it. I don’t disagree with you but I’m just saying

 

[Termine]

We're a level 5 up/down that's slower than any level 4 out there.

If you look in the contract, Level 5 is the lowest any up/down is allowed to go. And there are some slow ones out there, like where the tower ops would make them a Level 2 if that was available.

I know it's been said before but they really need to do a comprehensive study of all the towered airports in the country and bring the busier contract towers into the FAA while contracting or closing the slower FAA towers.

 

[Acquired Taste]

Some of it's just political, small town airport wants to claim they are a 24/7 airport, a mayor knows a senator etc. I'm not saying this is your circumstance but I know of a facility that has mids because a guy crashed while a center was providing approach services.

Yeah one of the only places I think that has it worse than us is maybe HTS. About the same ops/day but they're 24/7 and the were recommended to sustain operations when they were looked at for 804. Hate to see that. At least it looks like a good chunk of their ops are air carriers or cargo.

I think Union 101 is to always grow the Union. Not shrink it. I don’t disagree with you but I’m just saying

I get it, but if they want to grow they should look at the expanding and unionizing more contract and dod facilities. The goal of the union should really be to act in the best interest of the members, not to serve itself at all costs.

 

[32andBelow]

Yeah one of the only places I think that has it worse than us is maybe HTS. About the same ops/day but they're 24/7 and the were recommended to sustain operations when they were looked at for 804. Hate to see that. At least it looks like a good chunk of their ops are air carriers or cargo.

I get it, but if they want to grow they should look at the expanding and unionizing more contract and dod facilities. The goal of the union should really be to act in the best interest of the members, not to serve itself at all costs.

Lol well yah you’d think. That’s why it made no sense they let thousands of trainees forgo raises. Their behavior is odd.

 

[Phillytroll69]

Quick edit for clarity-this is outside of the contract and solely an faa thing see post below

Ok let's slow the roll here-for the non high risk individuals-should we organize a letter to send to state senators and congressPEOPLE (keep it appropriate) about the 25,000 cares stuff tossed around last year.
Something about federal front line employees HAVING to work during covid.

Now that we are basic watch I think we should fight for that for the people/trainees that worked the whole time.

Also, do I need my facreps approval to send a letter like this, would anyone be interested in a template.

HANDWRITTEN letters actually carry weight when sent to the boomers in office-thoughts?

 

[AB19]

Ok let's slow the roll here-for the non high risk individuals-should we organize a letter to send to state senators and congressPEOPLE (keep it appropriate) about the 25,000 cares stuff tossed around last year.
Something about federal front line employees HAVING to work during covid.

Now that we are basic watch I think we should fight for that for the people/trainees that worked the whole time.

Also, do I need my facreps approval to send a letter like this, would anyone be interested in a template.

HANDWRITTEN letters actually carry weight when sent to the boomers in office-thoughts?

Boomers in office don’t care about constituents

 

[32andBelow]

Ok let's slow the roll here-for the non high risk individuals-should we organize a letter to send to state senators and congressPEOPLE (keep it appropriate) about the 25,000 cares stuff tossed around last year.
Something about federal front line employees HAVING to work during covid.

Now that we are basic watch I think we should fight for that for the people/trainees that worked the whole time.

Also, do I need my facreps approval to send a letter like this, would anyone be interested in a template.

HANDWRITTEN letters actually carry weight when sent to the boomers in office-thoughts?

I think the best is to call them if you are serious

 

[Peter Gibbons]

Ok let's slow the roll here-for the non high risk individuals-should we organize a letter to send to state senators and congressPEOPLE (keep it appropriate) about the 25,000 cares stuff tossed around last year.
Something about federal front line employees HAVING to work during covid.

Now that we are basic watch I think we should fight for that for the people/trainees that worked the whole time.

Also, do I need my facreps approval to send a letter like this, would anyone be interested in a template.

HANDWRITTEN letters actually carry weight when sent to the boomers in office-thoughts?

I'd like to see NATCA/other fed unions litigate for hazard pay, but I don't see it happening, but I'm willing to be pleasantly suprised.

I mean I know we've had this discussion ad nauseum, but I don't see how we take all the precautions we did the last 15 months or so and say there was no biological health hazard.

 

[MJ]

Ok let's slow the roll here-for the non high risk individuals-should we organize a letter to send to state senators and congressPEOPLE (keep it appropriate) about the 25,000 cares stuff tossed around last year.
Something about federal front line employees HAVING to work during covid.

Now that we are basic watch I think we should fight for that for the people/trainees that worked the whole time.

Also, do I need my facreps approval to send a letter like this, would anyone be interested in a template.

HANDWRITTEN letters actually carry weight when sent to the boomers in office-thoughts?

I'm not sure what you're talking about, but if it's for hazard pay, there's already a lawsuit by AFGE in the courts. It wouldn't apply to FAA controllers, but it would be precedent. Either way, writing state senators congress is meaningless.

 

[Phillytroll69]

Hear me out.
A sunrise with a flag slowly being lowered to half mast.
A morgan freemanish voice comes on over some faint music,
"during the worst pandemic this century" a loud boom boom boom with each boom flashing an image of doctors and hospital beds,
faint music slowly increasing
"many people were able to telecommute to keep their families safe"
screen pan to a firefighter who says "but fires still raged"
a tsa agent then says, "doctors and nurses still had to travel"
flash to a busy tracon controller=and someone had to help them get there
Morgan freeman voice like continues-" as things get back to normal"
flash to a few paramedics doing cpr-"we were here the whole time"
tsa person checking vaccine container-"making sure these were safely loaded"
the case is now with a patient on an air ambulance\quick flash to tower controller landing plane-"making sure they landed safely"
a usps employee now says delivered safely
and a federal nurse or doctor says administered safely.

Flag climbing to full flying, music intensifies

Morgan freeman-because for some the danger of the unknown was not more than their since of duty.

(someone under 30%bmi) federal employees kept working, days nights, etc. even though they didn't have to.

Let's support the backbones of our country and bring back the (coronavirus name money thing)

This message brought to you buy a bunch of unions.

I think police should be included but i didn't want to turn anyone off since that's a touchy subject now-but the idea was keeping things safe etc

 

[Phillytroll69]

I'm not sure what you're talking about, but if it's for hazard pay, there's already a lawsuit by AFGE in the courts. It wouldn't apply to FAA controllers, but it would be precedent. Either way, writing state senators congress is meaningless.

this is outside of the hazard pay thing in contract. I don't think the contract is worded to provide us hazard pay.

https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/the-state-worker/article250003744.html (more recent)

Up To $25,000 Hazard Pay For Essential Workers ‘One Of Our Very Highest Priorities’ (what i'm referring to last year)