Finally, Something They Can Agree With The FAA On

They didn't want it at first... but NATCA acknowledged this week that contract talks between the air traffic controllers union and the FAA have deteriorated almost to the point of no return, and has requested a federal mediator to step in.

Aero-News has reported extensively on the contentious war-of-words between the FAA and NATCA since the current contract talks began last summer. Last November, the FAA asked for a mediator to step in to help sort things out -- a move NATCA at that time called a "publicity stunt."

Now... not so much.

"We are unhappy with the pace of negotiations in the last two weeks," said John Carr, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, to Reuters. "Our goal from the very first day of talks was to reach a voluntary agreement with the FAA and we still believe that agreement is possible."

Unresolved issues include pay, work hours, and staffing issues. This week, NATCA also accused the FAA of planning to hire as many as 300 fewer controllers than the 1,249 cited by the agency this year... a number that NATCA believes to be too low to meet current attrition rates to begin with.

In his blog Wednesday, Carr (right) wrote the FAA is "gutting their own hiring plan by 300 air traffic control positions. ... They aren't gutting our plan. They aren't gutting someone else's plan. They are gutting their own plan, the very first year it was supposed to begin having a net positive effect on the profession."

Carr noted the number is much more than the 1 percent cut for all federal agencies Congress ordered in December for FY2006. A one-percent cut in staffing would mean 12 fewer controllers would be hired... not 300 fewer.

The FAA replied it wasn't sure how many controllers will be hired in fiscal 2006. Perhaps the mediator will help sort that out, as well.

FMI: www.natca.org, www.faa.gov