BWS/Leave Negotiations Update

BWS/Leave Negotiations Update

Barry and I were on a FacRep call today, the main discussion was around BWS/Leave negotiations throughout the Southwest Region. I90, AMA, DWH, BPT, LBB, ZHU, ABQ, LCH, IAH, AFW, AUS, HOU, ADS, and BTR have not reached an agreement. 12 of the 14 facilities in the Houston District have not finished their negotiations.

The driving force behind this stall in negotiations is local managers not being allowed to fully negotiate local agreements – also known as being forced to bargain in bad faith. Excessive oversight from district managers has crippled local management’s ability to bargain. In some facilities, managers are going as far as to ghost NATCA reps and avoiding negations all together. This overreach is being addressed aggressively by John Bratcher at the district level, and Nick Daniels at the regional level.

Barry and RO have done a great job taking the lead on the negotiations thus far, and have held the line on all of our members’ local priorities. While no agreements are final, we expect to keep our leave slots intact (or improve them), as well as keep our 10-hour lines. They’ve went into meetings prepared with data, kept great notes, and asked the right questions. Their attention to detail has been vital as we elevate these issues to be addressed by Nick and John.

It's natural to get frustrated with the lack of progress and not knowing when this will be done – we share the same irritation and anger. Please resist the urge to turn your bayonets inward and fight one-another. We don’t all get along and we aren’t all friends, but we do all share a common goal of negotiating great schedule and leave agreements.

Any rumors you’ve heard of NATCA drawing out negotiations or causing any delay are false. We have been eager to finish in a timely manner as we are every year. Anyone spreading that type of rumor likely heard it from management, and is not doing anything to help move the ball in the right direction on OUR behalf. As dues paying members, we are all entitled to criticize our Union and have our opinions heard. I respectfully ask that we make an effort to avoid airing our grievances in front of management. Our strength is through our collective voice. When the collective voice is fractured, our bargaining position is weakened.

You can help our cause by sticking together, and presenting a united front when discussing these issues with management.

We expect to have our final meeting with local management no later than Thursday. We have every indication that there will be an agreement by then. Anything not agreed to on Thursday will be elevated to a call with I90 and regional leadership on Friday, where it will be resolved.

If all goes as planned, we will be hosting Teams calls and doing briefings at the facility over the weekend to review our agreements. We hope to start bidding a week from today.

Thanks for all that you do every day, and your continued patience throughout this process.

Luke