A Walk Down Memory Lane

After my blog on Flight Service I had an FSS specialist write me privately the other day saying, "What the hell did you ever do to try and stop the privatization of ATC?  And what did you do to try and save us FSS specialists?"

The answer is long and fairly complex and there were many things we did that were either done by spies or stealth and can never be revealed.  But for those of you who wonder, like my correspondent did, if NATCA tried to go to bat for the FSS specialists, we did.  I did personally, and NATCA did organizationally. 

In fact, in one of my old Weekly Updates to the NATCA membership I described asking Marion Blakey, Russ Chew and Bruce Johnson for every single one of the FSS specialists to be placed in air traffic control facilities in either the terminal or enroute environment.  EVERY SINGLE ONE.  I knew then that we had a staffing crisis on our hands, and I knew then that we faced a tsunami wave of controller retirements, and I wanted every single one of those bodies strapped in to a control position, learning the craft and preparing to take over.  I wanted them ALL to have a job, and a shot at a future, and a chance to finish their careers as public servants.  But the FAA said no.  I asked the AFL to intercede, but the agency still wouldn't budge. 

The FAA rejected the idea.  They said no to me privately, and they said no when our respective leadership teams met, ATO-NEB.  My efforts on this particular issue are well documented...as is their intransigence.  Hell, I think I might even have mentioned wanting to take all of the Flight Service Station employees into control positions in one of my many congressional testimonies.   

In fact, at the time we were only asking that the agency comply with the existing PCS MOU, and place the new transfers into ATC9 (or lower) facilities so that existing staff at those facilities could bid on and move up to higher level, more challenging facilities.  It made perfect sense then and now, for the FSS employees as well as any other employee new to the Tower/TRACON/Center environment.  (In fact, frankly...they should STILL take all those FSS employees and put them into training in the towers, TRACONs and Centers.  They would be a quick infusion of bodies and in all likihood rapid checkouts.  But the FAA is too stubborn or stupid to allow that to happen.  They didn't have the bright idea so it can't have any merit.)

There is absolutely no reason to throw a new controller into Chicago O'Hare or Atlanta or Dallas.  It isn't fair to the new controller and it does nothing for the system.  We always advocated putting new hires in the lower third of facilities, creating movement in the system by promotion, and giving everyone a chance to move up and around as they certified.  We called that building a "career ladder."  The FAA was more interested in building their own funeral pyre.  It is starting to crackle now, and the pungent smell of smoke is wafting into the workplace.  Mmmmmm....barbeque tonight. 

As far as other efforts... time begins to dim the memory.  Funny thing...I wrote a Weekly Update nearly every week for six years and didn't keep a single week's copy!  I was too busy doing it to save it, and on my last day in office I left the laptop and the BlackBerry on the blotter at the desk.  I think I always thought someone else was cataloging my great writings.  Ha!  Thank God for the Internet!

But for you FSS'ers out there, I assure you---there is evidence of NATCA's work on your behalf, jungle-telegraphed rumors to the contrary. 

As far as fighting privatization in general goes, for the Reader's Digest version of one season's worth of public kicking and screaming, from the opponent's perspective,

Click here, and enjoy a little trip down memory lane, when we were writing language into Executive Orders, and our enemies were plenty red-assed about it.

Comments

[wesl]

JTB, I think you need to do an article on the great Bill Peacock and his stint at the FAA, contract towers and his employer after the FAA, SERCO. Coincidence? How about Lockheed, FSS and Lynne Cheney? Another coincidence? People need to understand that privatizing gov't functions only benefit those that set up the programs. It never is in the best interest or safety of the public.

[It's all about me.]

This may be narrow minded and unpopular but here go's.

When we are all in this together, I never really felt FSS was Air Traffic Control, but rather an separate career field like AF,FSDO, NTSB. (Why did they have 2152 titles)?

If they wanted to be treated as controllers, why didn't they want NATCA to represent them, rather than NAATS. So for them to question you about what you did for them is way out in left field.(although you did speak for them under NATCA).

I also hope their senority doesn't drop a true controller for their "day"
off and vacation time.

IMO

[ExATC]

There is one reason and one reason only that the FAA refused to allow FSS personnel to continue their government careers - they had promised Lockheed a workforce. If even 25% of FSS people had been given other government jobs Flight Services would have collapsed on October 3, 2005.

[mikey]

Here's more memories from the same place: http://www.reason.org/commentaries/poole_20050901.shtml

Be sure to read the comments by Kathleen Roy, AOPA spokesperson, getting all misty eyed over the coming improvements to the FSS system:

"This will absolutely benefit pilots," said Kathleen Roy, spokesperson for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, which represents private pilots. "This will accomplish modernization and be much more efficient. There obviously will be large savings in money, with no loss in safety."

Bet she wishes those words would disappear from the net.

[FormerAFSSAO]

To "It's All About Me": As the wife of a "real" controller BUT also an FSS employee for 17 years (1 1/2 of them with LM); we were treated like second-class citizens by you my whole FSS life. Even the co-located ATCT 2152s had many who felt we were overpaid and riding on their coattails. So why would we trust NATCA?? I personally spoke to JTB who said he wished he could employ each FSS specialist . . . but no one was going to be able to stop that train. LM is now finding that they should have done things a bit differently. But I am very happy for my co-workers who did make it to towers. Too bad there are still those 2152s out there who wish they never had.

[720 and a wakeup]

Bull,
You magnificent bastard. Another bullseye into the dark disturbed heart of the FAA. You're doing the lord's work here sir, please keep it up. You are about the only thing giving those of us out here "on the line" any hope. God bless.

[I <3 the FAA]

If even 25% of FSS people had been given other government jobs Flight Services would have collapsed on October 3, 2005.

Instead of April 3 or so.

Six whole months on the vapors left by your angry, departed federal workforce, LockMart. Let's hope your air traffic controllers carry you that long, when they award our jobs to you.

[just a citizen]

It's freightning how there is no response from congress on this issue, waite, never mind, that's in a perfect world. The FAA could care less. All they (manglement) want to do is collect their pay check and play mine sweeper un-interupted all day. This ship is already sunk, we're just waiting for high tide to come in and seal it's fate.

[atc/fss]

fss was the first basic atc function that is why they were 2152's. offering jobs to people that have been contracted out? not very anti-outsourcing. NAATS had lasted a long time before NATCA was created. why would they think they couldn't get the job done? NAATS worrying about pecking order? i think NATCA did the same thing when some FSS prior radar/tower controllers started getting hired. many people, all issues valid, just need to stay on the same page and not let them take these great careers away. thanks

[Rebecca]

I hope you will be willing to testify, if called, for our age discrimination lawsuit against the agency. I believe their extrordinary efforts to keep our workforce from integrating with the radar facilities is two fold. First, they had to guarantee LM a workforce, second they wanted to cut our benefits off. I lost at least $15K a year in retirement benefits for the next 30+ years. Multiply that by 2000 workers. If this effort succeeds they will be knocking on NATCA and PASS door soon. You had better get organized and loud..

[John Carr]

Rebecca,

Absolutely. Make sure your lawyers have my contact info. I can tell them a ton.

JTB

[Teak]

I believe they could send every FSS specialist to level 9 and below towers and few of us would actually bid up. Why leave an ATC-7, endure the nightmare of training, and get no raise, or actually take a pay cut? Especially when you consider how close most of us are to retirement.

Too little, too late and too freaking bad. We may occasionally be dumb, but we ain't stupid.

[RHV]

Ditto what "Teak" said

[Rusty]

The scandalous decision to use LOCKMART instead of the MEO is based on falsehoods. The LOCKMART bid was only $166 million lower than the MEO, and the LOCKMART bid was based on false salary information. LOCKMART is already asking for $177 million more based on higher salaries while the MEO used realistic numbers in their bid. In addition, the OIG report says the cost savings are inflated by $500 million based on retirement savings that should not be used. ALSO, the FAA knew when they selected LOCKMART that they would introduce equipment that has yet to be certified and connected to other FAA technological systems. It was never even tested before the selection. FS21 has not performed as advertised.

[One of the Lucky Few]

ExATC is right. Lockheed Martin needed a work force so the FAA violated RIF procedures and never offered the majority of FSS people other positions within the FAA or Federal Government.

As a side note Grant Thornton is doing some sort of staffing study at some towers in the NY area. Just got an R & I today. Those of you who were (are) FSS people will remember this company. They did the feasibility study on the privatization of FSS. Be afraid be very afraid