2008 Web-Posts
Dec.
3, 2008
Outgoing Lame Duck Bush takes
another jab at Unions. It's difficult to understand his hatred of federal
unions, but this goes a step farther.....read
more here.
Nov.
25, 2008
Well, the ballots are in and counted. See
the results.
Our congratulations go out to the new President, Rich Casey and Vice
President, Monte Engler of IL3, and I'd also like to take this
opportunity to thank our current President, Bob Swan for all the hard
work and his dedication to the advancement of our Illinois Chapter, and
PASS in general.
Nov.
10, 2008
WAAS
Approaches Outnumber ILS
The FAA recently commissioned its 1,333rd WAAS approach (technically
known as Localizer Performance with Vertical guidance or LPV) and that
means there are now more of them than ILS approaches. The agency calls
it a milestone in the transition to universal space-based navigation.
The system is in use at 833 airports and the agency says it's planning
to add 500 approaches a year until every qualifying runway in the U.S.
has one. "This is clearly a turning point for aviation and the way
pilots navigate," the agency said in a news release.
Something the agency doesn't mention but which is undoubtedly a factor in the rapid deployment of LPVs is they cost of a [sic, jerry] fraction of the millions of dollars that ILS systems cost. WAAS, or Wide Area Augmentation System, was commissioned in 2003.
Oct.
5, 2008
PASS has filed a National Grievance against the FAA for Unilaterally
imposing a new (and we believe ILLEGAL) method of doing cost comparisons
for Travel. Once again, PASS is looking out for your interests....
Read
more here
Sept
20, 2008
AFL-CIO letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
The Honorable Harry Reid Majority Leader
U.S. Senate S-221 Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Majority Leader Reid:
On behalf of the AFL-CIO and our Transportation Trades Department we
are writing to ask for your assistance in enacting legislation to
resolve the broken collective bargaining system at the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), which is jeopardizing aviation safety.
Specifically, we are asking you to ensure that language resolving this
problem is included in legislation that will pass the House and Senate
this session and be sent to the President for his signature.
read
more here And
here
August 1, 2008
The Article 41 Section 4 arbitration
(Holiday In-Lieu of Issue) took place earlier this month (July). Usually
both parties have 30 days after the hearing to send in their final
briefs. The arbitrator usually takes 60 to 90 days to research the facts
and render their decision. Don't look for a ruling until the
October time frame.
Chuck Siragusa
PASS Region 1 VP Assistant
June 11,
2008
The FAA is continuing to avoid the agreed-upon number of
Technical Employees on-board as per the 2000 PASS / FAA Agreement.
See PASS President Brantleys' letter
to Steve Zaidman concerning the FAAs' LACK of compliance.
April 30, 2008
Senate FAA
Funding Bill, S-1300 in play.
White House Warns President May Veto Senate
FAA Funding Bill....more
April 15, 2008
Due to a family emergency involving the Agency's main witness, the 4-3-08 arbitration hearing involving the Agency's repudiation of Art. 41, Sec. 4, has been postponed to a later, yet-to-be-determined date. Please encourage all employees who are involuntarily scheduled off on their day in lieu of holiday to continue to file grievances so we can demonstrate damages and identify back pay recipients.
Thanks.
Mike Derby,
PASS Counsel
April
2, 2008
Tomorrow, April 3, PASS will be presenting it's case
Mike Derby
PASSLaw-one
March 31, 2008
Surveillance
Video Released From FAA Headquarters
March 24, 2008
FAA INSPECTORS UNION QUESTIONS TIMING OF
$10.2 MILLION PENALTY AGAINST SOUTHWEST AIRLINES
Union Appalled That It Took Over a Year and a
Congressional Investigation to Prompt Decision....read
more
March 21, 2008
FAA will FINALLY Adhere to the Hiring of the 6,100 Technicians and will expedite hiring as per the PASS Contract and the numerous grievances & Unfair Labor Practices (ULPs) that PASS has WON against the agency. The agency is FINALLY solving this issue and seeing the light.
March 20, 2008
This is the latest plan that FAA want to impose on
Engineering Services.
See the pdf
file and the powerpoint
file.
Bob Swan.
IL3PASS Chapter president.
March 18, 2008
Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on Comp Time. signed recently by PASS and the FAA.
March
5, 2008
PASS Fears 'Labor Fatigue' Getting In Way Of NextGen Talks
Today, Aero News Net's Jim Campbell talks with
representatives of the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists about
concerns they expressed at AOPA Expo 2007.
Is the FAA letting "labor relations fatigue" push unionized
employees out of discussions concerning NextGen Air Traffic
Control? Listen
Here
Feb.
11, 2008
See Aero-TV's Conversation With P.A.S.S.
Feb. 2, 2008
Airline Safety: A Whistleblower's Tale
A new report spotlights how FAA inspectors must battle not only carriers but their own agency, too...read more about how this PASS Member was treated by the very same agency that PUNISHED the very same inspector for trying to do his job.
Jan
24, 2008
O'Hare Radar System Is Criticized
By TARA BURGHART
CHICAGO (AP) — A new ground radar system designed to prevent runway collisions at the nation's busiest airports loses accuracy during snowstorms at O'Hare Airport and can fail to see snowplows, baggage carts and other vehicles, the president of the local air traffic controllers union warned on Thursday.....more