Sun, Jan 09, 2005
Association expresses concern over agency's implementation of
"Reduction in Force" policy
In what was scheduled
as a public relations visit to the Altoona (PA) and Islip
(NY). Flight Service Stations (AFSS), FAA Administrator Marion
Blakey, with Vice President of Flight Services Jim Washington, and
Assistant Administrator for Human Resource Management Ventris
Gibson, declared the FAA would create a Preferred Placement Program
and the Age Exemption Program for AFSS employees. Initially this
news brought accolades from those employees in attendance, most of
whom are uncertain as to their FAA futures as a result of the FAA's
planned reduction-in-force (RIF) action and subsequent loss of
jobs.
However, Ms. Gibson (photo, above) later stated that the
435 new positions under the FAA hiring plan this year have already
been set aside for individuals outside of the FAA who have no prior
experience. She later informed the controllers at Altoona AFSS that
there would be employees involuntarily separated as a result of the
FAA's competitive outsourcing initiative.
"This year there are over 435 controller jobs that could be
filled by qualified employees from within the FAA, employees that
the FAA may involuntarily separate later this year," said Kate
Breen, president of the National Association of Air Traffic
Specialists (NAATS), the union that represents the controllers in
the Flight Service Option. "I would have hoped that the
Administrator would announce a plan that is finalized and that the
plan would address all the needs of the controllers and the
FAA."
Breen (photo, above) went on to say that she is concerned
that the FAA will implement its Reduction in Force (RIF) policy in
a limited manner. Although the RIF policy requires a hiring freeze,
NAATS is concerned the FAA will place a hiring freeze on only a
portion of the jobs available within the FAA and not all jobs
available to include external hiring.
In NATA's opinion, the FAA should resort to a RIF only after all
other reasonable attempts have failed to place every affected
employee. Their latest announcement of a policy appears, in the
opinion of NATA, to fall short of accommodating the employees
affected. Breen comments, "I hope that when the policy is finalized
it reflects what seems to be an attempt by FAA management to do the
right thing by employees."
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