Unofficial National Election results

President:
Marlin 2866
Rinaldi 2375
Forrey 1609

There will be a runoff between Marlin and Rinaldi

Vice-President:
Gilbert 4064
Santa 2699

Winner- Gilbert

PDC change yesterday

All,

 

Yesterday, I was advised that some unilateral changes were made to the PDC system and Andy was told to start sending the 2500 foot restriction via PDC (sounds like old times).  I spoke with Jim Swanson this morning and he advised me that in trying to get a waiver through the Safety Management System process for us the issue the 2500 via PDC, he needed to send a few to get ACARS screenshots from the cockpits of a few aircraft.  He advised that it was a 20 minute test and it is not ongoing.  Since this is the case and no ill effects have been noticed, I will not press the issue.  I do appreciate Jim working on re-establishing procedures that will make our job more efficient.  Enough said on that topic.

 

If you become aware of any further changes to PDC, please notify me immediately.

 

Thanks

Ray

 

 

Release of TAUd articles

From Pat Forrey

Today at 3 p.m. ET the parties will be releasing the TAU'd articles;  
you will be able to view these on the NATCA Members-only web site.   
Each of the TAU'd articles will come with a brief description  
explaining the meaning. The NEB understands that there is an enormous  
amount of interest surrounding these agreements so we have scheduled  
two telcons tomorrow (Friday) for FacRep's to ask questions and  
receive some clarification from contract team members.  The calls will  
take place at 12 noon ET and 3 p.m. ET; we'll put out the numbers for  
the lines later today.  There will also be a section on the BBS for  
members to ask questions on each of the TAU'd articles. We are  
currently scheduling a ratification tour for several locations around  
the country; we'll let you know where and when as soon as those plans  
are finalized.

Pat

I'll post them when I get them. 

Ray

 

NATCA meeting August 3rd at Terminal One

All,

 

The NATCA e-board has agreed to hold the kick-off NATCA meeting on August 3^rd at Terminal One from 1pm to 5pm.  NATCA will provide appetizers and drinks for members.

 

I’m strongly urging all bargaining members to attend, even if you can only make it for a few minutes.  Let’s make this a true show of solidarity among us.

 

The agenda is to be determined, but I hope to gain input from all of you about what EWR should look like going forward.  This is an excellent time to set our course for the next 5 years or so.  If you don’t show, you’ll miss your chance.

 

If you can, please let me know that you’ll be attending so the e-board can plan.

 

Fraternally,

Ray

 

 

 

 

Today's conversation with Jim Swanson

All,

 

Today I had a half-hour conversation with Jim Swanson.  After the recent spate of letters I sent, he decided to call me to smooth out our working relationship.  It was an amicable, informative and productive conversation about many of the issues that are going on at EWR.  We discussed the recent changes to the 7210.56 Quality Assurance order referring to OE reporting, the pen-and-ink change to the LOA regarding visual approaches, ASDE-X implementation, staffing and a host of other important things. 

 

I was pleasantly surprised by the tone of the conversation considering the events over the past year or so.  What is apparent to me is that Jim wants to move forward from the “dark ages” (my term) of the dreaded (my term again) EM.  Our agendas are similar on many operational issues and even some work environment issues.  I look forward to working with Jim on these issues where we can move the facility in a common direction.

 

Look for more updates in the future.  As always, call me if you have any questions or concerns.

 

Fraternally,

RY

 

 

A perfect example of the value of the NATCA PAC

An update from Jim Martintti, FACREP at MIA.  For those of you who don’t know Jim, he is one of NATCA’s best and most effective representatives.  Jim has been trying to prevent the consolidation of the PBI TRACON into MIA since the Bush/Blakey team decided to combine facilities for the hell of it.  When you read this you’ll see the impact that NATCA’s PAC has.

Lahood/Babbitt PBI Update
The strength of Union was in full force yesterday. The proposal by the FAA to consolidate Palm Beach TRACON to MIA and leave Palm Beach Tower isolated has been going on for over four years. There have been two studies, in 2002 and 2004, completed by the FAA to support Palm Beach Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) having a new building built on PBI Airport property and expanding service north to provide approach control service to Ft. Pierce and Vero Beach. There is more, but this update is going to be long enough as it is and the basis of what the agency is attempting is easily understood.

Here are the players:
• Secretary of Transportation Ray Lahood
• FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt
• Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, D-FL
• Congressman Alcee Hastings, D-FL
• Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart, R-FL
• Congressman Ron Klein, D-FL
• Congressman Rooney, R-FL
• Representatives from the offices of Senator Bill Nelson, D-FL, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-FL, Congressman Kendrick Meek, D-FL, Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart, R-FL, and Congressman Robert Wexler, D-FL.
• Hank Krakowski, ATO COO
• Chief of Staff, FAA
• Deputy, Chief of Staff, DOT
• Brian Langdon, FAA, Government Affairs
• Diana Louis, Airport Director, St. Lucie County
• AOPA representative
• Palm Beach Airport representative

Some of the legislators brought several assistants. There were numerous other people in the room and I counted a total of forty-seven in attendance.

I was extremely proud that NATCA was holding nothing back for this meeting. Pat Forrey, Paul Rinaldi, and Victor Santore joined Mitch Herrick, Shane Ahern, Steve Wallace, and I at what will most likely be the turning point of this issue. It was an honor to be representing NATCA and have our President, Executive Vice President, and Regional Vice President with us.

Welcome
Congresswoman Wasserman-Schultz opened the meeting. She was the host and she is the reason that we were able to have the opportunity to meet with Secretary Lahood due to their friendship while he was a congressman. Debbie gave a clear and concise overview of the issue and turned the meeting over to Congressman Hastings.

Alcee had everyone in the room introduce themselves so that the Secretary and Administrator knew who they were speaking to. Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart spoke first as he had to leave early.

Mario has been one of NATCA’s biggest supporters over the past three years. He expressed a lack of trust for the FAA and frustration in the way the FAA has dealt with the Union in the past. He stated that all stakeholders needed to be involved and that the current FAA plan to move PBI TRACON is a bad one. Mario then reminded everyone of the FAA’s past failures, specifically mentioning how the FAA ignored the warnings of the workers when building our new tower and shortly thereafter our new runway, both of which had to be re-done shortly after being commissioned because we were right and the FAA was wrong.

Alcee took over and introduced NATCA. The congressman has been our champion on the PBI issue since the beginning. At first it was a matter of trying to reason with both sides, but when the FAA didn’t return the congressman’s phone calls of letters he began to take things personally. Then the FAA lied to him and treated him as they have been treating us and Alcee made it his mission to get answers and hold those responsible accountable. Alcee Hastings and his staff have been invaluable and we will always be indebted to him for his unwavering support.

NATCA
Mitch started things off. Our plan was for Shane to follow Mitch with more specific PBI related issues and I would wrap things up.

He began by thanking all of our honored guests for attending this most important meeting and pointed out that NATCA was of one voice on this issue and the fact that our President, EVP, and Regional Vice President were present indicated this. We truly are Team NATCA. He specifically thanked Debbie for organizing this meeting and Alcee for championing this cause as his determination and insight have been an inspiration and his leadership on the issue has been unparalleled.

Mitch mentioned a recent response by the FAA on July 14, 2009 to Congressman Kirk from Illinois where he was told “There is no relationship to the location of a TRACON and the quality or safety of the services.” Mitch described a recent FAA Focus article in which the controller was credited for a potential life-saving assist to a GA pilot because he was familiar with the roads and terrain and was able to describe landmarks to the pilot. It clearly showed how being certified in both the tower and an associated radar room is a benefit.

Mitch stated that there were many Archie League award winners (he described what these awards are for) where the ability of the controller to be aware of the local terrain was vital to saving the lives of the people in the aircraft. He stated that if there was time during the meeting that he had a recording of one such event. Alcee jumped in and said, “Mitch, let’s hear it.” The tape was from Terre Haute and the recording had people riveted as they listened to the controller trying to work with the pilot who had encountered icing and was losing altitude (The pilot had descended from 4,000 feet to 1,100 feet and the MVA is 2,200). The controller was able to get the pilot safely back to the airport by describing landmarks such as roads, a mall, and a McDonalds.

Mitch did a great job showing the short-sighted way in which the FAA does business and proved that there is a “relationship to the location of a TRACON and the quality or safety of services.” Just because the technology exists does not mean it (consolidating facilities) is the right thing to do. Recently the Secretary was told that aircraft in Afghanistan are being worked by controllers in Miami. This was news to me. Mitch explained that the military does control drones in Afghanistan, but it is over a war zone, in uncongested airspace, and are surveillance and bombing missions. He said if this is a prelude to “NetGen” then I do not want to be the person trying to sell to the American public the idea of controlling airplanes full of grandmothers and grandfathers over congested Miami and New York from a building in Kansas (no shot at people from Kansas intended). People make the system work and there are still too many variables to begin allowing remote passenger aircraft to be worked by controllers thousands of miles away.

Mitch ended by describing the poor way in which Palm Springs was consolidated into Southern Cal TRACON and Pueblo was consolidated into Denver TRACON. We handed out informational packets entitled “ATC Realignment Gone Wrong” which gave a history of these two failures at realigning ATC facilities.

Then Shane stepped up and described how PBI management continues to act in as arrogant a fashion as ever and seems to relish in the fact that they believe there is nothing that can be done to stop the consolidation. Well, let them act smug and feel important. We will continue to fight for what is right and we’ll see what the end result is. Shane got this whole game started over four years ago and was instrumental in educating Congressman Hastings when this issue was still in its infancy. Shane also mentioned how there is a lack of engineering studies concerning the PBI construction.


The Users and PBI
Alcee then asked Diana Louis, Airport Director for St. Lucie County (north of Palm Beach), and asked for her opinion. Diana said that she did not want to take sides, but had polled many of the users at her airport. The users stated that they believed there was a degradation of service due to Miami Center currently being the controlling facility.

The representative from AOPA was next and he stated that they would like a way to provide input. AOPA does not feel that they are part of the process where they are able to communicate the impact of decisions on the users.

The representative from Palm Beach Airport was asked about the status of the new tower construction. He said that it was one and a half years from completion. Alcee asked that if the decision was made to build a new TRACON in Palm Beach would it be possible and the answer was yes. There are no issues pertaining to available land.


More NATCA
Things seemed to be wrapping up and Debbie asked if anyone else would like to speak. Well, Mitch, Shane, and I had a plan and I was going to carry my weight for the team.

I started by saying that we need a visionary. We needed someone who would not be short-sighted, but would think big and consider what is best for the users, the workers, the local communities, and the national airspace system. It cannot be simply to save a buck. I told them (Lahood and Babbitt) that they were a sign of hope and the light at the end of the tunnel doesn’t have to be a train, it’s sunlight.

I reiterated the two FAA studies that fully supported PBI getting both a new TRACON and assuming the VRB/FPR airspace to the north (it is currently worked by Miami Center). I told our esteemed guests that the Southern Region Division Manager had put a team together and tasked them with doing a comprehensive study for addressing the future of aviation for South Florida. This MATRIX Team put together a “detailed briefing paper” recommending that PBI get a new TRACON and assumes the VRB/FPR airspace. The Division Manager agreed. I then stated that the Division Manager at the time was Rick Day, the current Senior Vice President of Operations for the ATO. Hmmm…I think I know who’s getting a phone call this morning.

I threw out the rhetorical “so what has changed.” I explained that the previous FAA Administrator had decided to run the agency like a business. Well, our business is safety and business has been pretty good, but we can never take things for granted. We can never lower the bar because of cost. The main concern of a business is the bottom line and that cannot be how you run things when safety is the priority. We have the largest, most complex, and safest ATC system in the world and we are proud of that fact, but we must work to make it better. We should not wait to react when there is a collision or an incident similar to what occurred in the eighties when the FAA decided to move forward with LLWAS only after a Delta aircraft crashed. We need to be proactive.

I mentioned something about putting a band-aid on a compound fracture and saying that it is healed. The agency needs to stop putting band-aids on problems and start fixing things the first time. As Mario had stated earlier, I reiterated the failures of the recent past. You would think the three strikes rule would have caught up to the agency and I stressed how this issue was following the same path. I told them how the agency refused to listen to the controllers prior to beginning construction of our newest runway six years ago. We told them it was unsafe. Once the concrete was poured we had an average of thirty aircraft a day almost land on the wrong runway (documented). Finally, after working with our local legislators and getting major media attention the FAA fixed the problem and we have not had one problem since.

The FAA needs to stop fighting with its workers and embrace them for the talents they possess because we all want the best system possible. We need to work together. No single entity can do it alone and the “we” I spoke of was every person in the room—the agency, the workers, the users, the local communities, and the legislators whose responsibility is to serve us. I repeated what I said at the beginning about needing visionaries and stated the three main items that we wanted:
1. Build PBI a new TRACON in Palm Beach.
2. Expand PBI airspace to the north to provide approach control services to VRB and FPR.
3. Utilize a process by which all stakeholders are involved—FAA, NATCA, the users, and the local communities.

After I got the first two or three sentences out everything else seemed to flow. Much of it is a blur. Reviewing my prepared statement I saw that I had indeed hit on everything that I had planned to say. I felt it was important to speak from the heart instead of reading a prepared statement. I thanked everyone for their time and turned it back over to Debbie and Alcee.

Alcee again thanked everyone for attending and hoped for a quick response to this issue. He addressed the NetGen term by calling it “WhenGen.”

Lahood/Babbitt
Secretary Lahood said that this is not your mom and pop’s FAA. There will be changes. He gestured towards Babbitt and said he was a visionary and this was going to be a new FAA. Babbitt said he was looking forward to moving things forward and will listen to everyone. Hank Krakowski said nothing during the meeting.

Lahood committed to us that a decision would be made by September 30.

Shane questioned the time period for an answer as the FAA continues to move forward with new Tower construction and the FAA loves to drag things out so that eventually they can say “we are to far along to stop or change now, sorry.” Lahood asked the Palm Beach representative if there was time to add a TRACON if so determined and the answer was yes.

It is an incredible honor being able to represent NATCA as we did today. We have stayed the course and moved forward regardless of the agency’s repeated attempts to derail us and kill our spirit. We fight the good fight simply because it is the right thing to do. Having our entire national leadership present was vitally important and we are incredibly thankful to Pat, Paul, and Victor for attending. Pat and Paul flew in late Sunday and flew out right after the meeting. Victor flew in a couple of hours before the meeting and left after the meeting. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I want put out one more thank you to all of the people who were not mentioned in the update, but were no less a part of the success of getting this issue to the level that we saw today. Solidarity is alive and well. It may take a hit from time to time, but we are one union.

Following the meeting there was the expected throng of media outside. Of course, they wanted to hear from the Secretary, the Administrator, and our legislators first. All of the NATCA guys were standing together and when the press turned to us we pointed them to Pat. He is our President and he is our voice. There were many pictures taken and I hope they get to the national office. For those of us locally we are merely soldiers trying to do what is right. Again, I can barely describe the immense feeling of pride from being able to work on behalf of my union brothers and sisters and I know that Mitch, Steve, and Shane feel the same way.

Let me stress one more thing. None of this could have happened if not for the NATCA PAC which has allowed us to build relationships with all of our South Florida legislators. The PAC does not buy votes or get us instant support. We still have to go in and educate our elected officials. Once you do this you have a friend for life. As you can see from our list of attendees we have support from the Ds and Rs alike. We don’t care what color a person identifies with, only that safety is the priority.

Jim/MIA

---

Posted: 21 Jul 2009 10:58 AM

 

 

Raymond Adams

National Air Traffic Controllers Association

New Jersey Legislative Coordinator

President Newark Airport

Safety Representative

cell 201-362-9305

rayadams@yahoo.com

Twitter: EWRPresident

 

Briefing on change to LOA

All

Please advise me immediately if you receive or have received a briefing about the LOA change regarding visual approaches.

Ray

Raymond Adams
National Air Traffic Controllers Association
New Jersey Legislative Coordinator
President Newark Airport
Safety Representative - Newark Airport
Cell 201-362-9305
Twitter: EWRPresident

Pen and ink change to the LOA

Jim,

 

The Union requests a full briefing on the pen and ink change to the Letter of Agreement between EWR and N90.  As a matter of law, the Union representative must receive notice and a briefing on any change to working conditions prior to briefing the bargaining unit members. I request you cease and desist from briefing the controllers until such time I receive a full and complete briefing and any questions I have are answered to my satisfaction.

 

As per FLRA case law, it is not your determination of whether this is a de minimus change to working conditions.  The Union foresees a potential impact to the bargaining unit.

 

Please advise me of a convenient time and place we can meet to complete this briefing.   I am the only authorized representative of the Union at Newark Tower.

 

The Union does not waive any rights in this matter and may seek further redress on the matter.

 

Please respond before close of business today July 21, 2009.  An email response or phone call is acceptable.

 

Raymond Adams

National Air Traffic Controllers Association

New Jersey Legislative Coordinator

President Newark Airport

Safety Representative

cell 201-362-9305

rayadams@yahoo.com

Twitter: EWRPresident

 

Unfair Labor Practice charge

Today, I filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge against the FAA (Swanson committed it but you must charge the Agency as per law). The charge stems from the two information requests I filed on July 6th regarding overtime assignments and the Report of Investigation that Masterson ordered against me. Under the law that governs Federal Labor Management Relations (5 USC Chapter 71), the Union is entitled to information necessary to determine if management committed a violation of law, regulation or contract. There are some limitations, but the requests were filed within the scope of the law and all of the information is readily available to Swanson and his band of merry men.

The Federal Labor Relations Authority holds the jurisdiction to investigate and rule on Unfair Labor Practices. An FLRA agent will contact me shortly to investigate the complaint. From there, I would hope Swanson decides to comply with the law.

Here's the kicker, it's not that Swanson denied my requests. He actually didn't even answer them (in true Ed Masterson style). Problem with that strategy is that the LAW requires him to respond either way. His "head-in-the-sand" tricks will not fly on this one. Eventually, he will be required to respond to my requests.

I didn't come into this position looking for a hard-nosed battle on all these issues. I'm simply trying to do the job I'm tasked with: Provide you with the best representation I can. Swanson is making it apparent that he doesn't care about that.

The fight goes on.....

Second request to Swanson for formal meetings to discuss issues related to the bargaining unit

July 20, 2009

Jim Swanson
Air Traffic Manager
Newark Air Traffic Control Tower Bldg. 118
Newark, NJ 07114

Via Fax 973-824-4603 email: jim.swanson@faa.gov and regular mail

Dear Mr. Swanson,

On July 6, 2009 I sent you a letter via email, fax and Postal Service proposing twice weekly formal meetings to discuss matters impacting the Union and members of the bargaining unit I represent. It has been two full weeks and you have not responded to my request.

My predecessor, Mr. Ed Kragh has advised me that he met with you at least twice per week on average during his tenure as the facility representative. This begs the question; why are you tacitly refusing to meet with me? I ask you for the same courtesy you provided Mr. Kragh.

It is in the best interests of the facility for us to regularly exchange information and ideas regarding the air traffic operation, morale of the employees and other pertinent matters. Beyond even the facility’s interests, there are legal obligations on both parties to be met.

As the exclusive representative of the NATCA Newark Local bargaining unit, I once again reiterate my request for meetings as outlined in my July 6th letter which I have included in this correspondence.

Please respond to this letter by July 22, 2009 in order to provide for effective, lawful representation of the bargaining unit. I am available to discuss these matters anytime by phone at 201-362-9305.

Sincerely,



Raymond Adams
President NATCA EWR

Email to Jim Swanson: Letter regarding non-compliance with information requests

Jim,

I have attached a letter dated 7-17-09 regarding your non-compliance with the Union’s information requests both dated July 6, 2009. Please comply as required by law. Additionally, the two original requests are also attached.

Text of the attached letter:

July 17, 2009

Jim Swanson

Air Traffic Manager

Newark Air Traffic Control Tower Bldg. 118

Newark, NJ 07114

Via Fax 973-824-4603 email: jim.swanson@faa.gov and regular mail

Mr. Swanson,

As of this date, you have not responded to my two information requests dated July 6, 2009 with end-in-sight dates of July 16, 2009. Under Tucson AZ and National Border Patrol Council, Local 2544, 39 FLRA 650-(1991), Boston Region, a ten day time limit on requests was held valid.

Under 5 USC 7114(b)(4), you are required to respond to my information requests. Both requests were made lawfully, and the material is readily available to you and maintained by the Agency. The union is entitled to the information in a timely manner.

Further delay in providing this information to me will result in the filing of Unfair Labor Practice charges against the Agency. As you may or may not know, the FLRA is now moving forward with prosecuting cases against agencies and officials who do not comply with the law. I do not need to show malicious intent to prevail under FLRA statutes.

As I indicated in my requests, the information will be used to determine if a grievance and/or other legal remedy is required to protect the rights of the bargaining unit employees and/or the union. Please be advised that NATCA reserves the right to grieve or be provided with further relief in this matter upon review of this material.

To refresh your recollection, I have included the two formal letters requesting the information.

Since you will not allow me access to the NATCA office or facility, please send the information to Ray Adams, 297-2 Spring Street, Red Bank NJ 07701.

Please respond in good faith as to avoid further legal action,

Raymond Adams

President NATCA EWR

Received by:_______________________________ Date: ___________________

Raymond Adams

National Air Traffic Controllers Association

President Newark Airport

ATSAP implementation

Here is my email to Jim Swanson this morning regarding the implementation of the ATSAP program at EWR. NATCA EasternRegion does not support the ATSAP program at this time EWR will not participate in it. The NASA ASRS form is the proper method of complying with the "no disciplne" procedure for OE's.

Jim,

It has come to my attention that Mr. Rick Day has issued a memorandum, dated June 30, 2009, to all managers regarding the implementation of ATSAP at all facilities. While I understand that NATCA has entered into an agreement with the Agency regarding the implementation of ATSAP, I must make it clear now to avoid any misunderstanding or confusion in the future.

The ATSAP program is voluntary and NATCA and NATCA bargaining unit employees of Newark Tower will participate on a schedule determined by the Union at the Regional and local level, not by the Agency and certainly not by Mr. Day.

If the Agency is interested in addressing the concerns of the Union at the local level regarding participation in the ATSAP program, please feel free to have Mr. Day contact me directly

If you have begun implementation, I firmly maintain that you cease and desist from imposing this voluntary program unwillingly on members of the bargaining unit.

Raymond Adams

National Air Traffic Controllers Association

New Jersey Legislative Coordinator

President Newark Airport

Safety Representative

cell 201-362-9305

rayadams@yahoo.com

Twitter: EWRPresident

FW: Briefing on the changes to the 7210.56 and the impact on the workforce

My email to Jim Swanson today regarding the 7210.56 QA Order changes

From: Raymond Adams [mailto:rayadams@yahoo.com]
Sent: Thursday, July 16, 2009 1:30 PM
To: 'jim.swanson@faa.gov'
Cc: 'Phil'; 'mwilson@natcadc.org'
Subject: Briefing on the changes to the 7210.56 and the impact on the workforce

Jim,

I am requesting a formal and detailed briefing on the changes to FAA Order 7210.56 and all associated changes. These changes impact the bargaining unit and also I am still a controller at Newark Tower and must be briefed in that respect also.

Please advise me when I can attend a briefing session. I request an answer by Monday July 20, 2009.

Raymond Adams

National Air Traffic Controllers Association

New Jersey Legislative Coordinator

President Newark Airport

Safety Representative

cell 201-362-9305

rayadams@yahoo.com

Twitter: EWRPresident

New Op Error rules and NASA forms

Hey everyone,

 

As you may know, FAA has begun briefing everyone (except me) on the changes to the Quality Assurance regulations.  This is the change I broadcast to you a few days ago where FAA will no longer try to chop your head off if you have an inadvertent error.  Here is the key to the new regulation though.  You MUST file a NASA form within 10 days of the error to invoke the “no discipline” rule.  This is similar to the way it used to be, but 3 years ago FAA just decided to ignore that and went head-hunting.  Funny how things change back after an election…When ATSAP comes our way, the NASA requirement will probably change.

 

First of all, this does not remove your obligation to report operational errors.  You can and probably will be disciplined for covering up an OE. No matter what, please remember to call me immediately if you are aware of an OE.  We can then ensure you are protected under the new regulations.

 

I’ll be working with JO to get NASA forms put in an accessible place.  I’m thinking in the break room/quiet room and a PDF file on the computer that can be printed out if needed.  I believe you can also file online.  I’ll work on getting a link put on one of the computers (if we can still access NASA from the i-net).

 

This change will not remove any previous OE’s from your record, but it’s a step in the right direction.

 

Fraternally,

RY

 

USA Today: Air disasters raises concerns on safety

Air disasters raises concerns on safety By Alan Levin, USA TODAY Commercial jet crashes around the world are climbing and a spate of recent air disasters threatens to push accident totals to levels not seen since the 1990s. The number of major crashes during the past five years is higher than recent five-year periods, a disturbing trend to aviation safety advocates who have seen steady and dramatic improvements in recent decades. "If we continue at this pace, we'll be turning the clock back 10 years on safety," said Bill Voss, president of the non-profit Flight Safety Foundation, which advocates around the world. "This ain't looking so good." MORE: 168 killed in Iran plane crash This year, the foundation reports, there have been 11 major crashes worldwide, including Wednesday's crash in Iran that killed 168 people. In June alone, an Air France jet carrying 228 people disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean and a Yemenia Airways plane crashed while attempting to land in the Comoros Islands, killing all but one of the 153 people on board. If that rate continues, there could be 20 or more crashes this year, the most since 24 jets crashed in 1999. The foundation defines a major crash as one in which the plane was destroyed, multiple fatalities occurred or one person died and the jet suffered significant damage. Both 2007 and 2008, with 17 and 19 major crashes respectively, had totals higher than their preceding years. Voss said the trend toward fewer accidents had been going on for so long he could not find a five-year span in which total crashes increased. The trend holds true even when gradual increases in jet traffic is considered. Even with the recent uptick, flying on a commercial jet remains one of the safest forms of transportation: Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Arnold Barnett calculates that the odds of a passenger dying on a large jet in the U.S. are about one in 20 million. With plane crashes so rare, experts caution not to jump to conclusions when a handful occur within a month or two. Voss and others agree, however, that the upward trend has been going on long enough to raise concerns. There is no obvious connection between the recent crashes or a common cause, Voss said. Still, the increase is discouraging because new technology has succeeded in dramatically reducing certain types of crashes, such as midair collisions. Michael Barr, an instructor at the University of Southern California's Aviation Safety & Security Program, said he is concerned that the steadily decreasing accident rates of recent decades had bred a false sense of security. "The longer you go without accidents, the more complacent you get," Barr said.

 

Find this article at: http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2009-07-15-worldcrashes_N.htm?csp=YahooModule_News

 

Rockefeller, Hutchison, Dorgan, Demint Introduce Bipartisan Aviation Bill

The Senate version of the FAA Reauthorization contains the change to Title 49 that pertains to FAA/NATCA contract resolutions. Eliminates the Blakey weapon of mass destruction. Impasses go to binding arbitration instead of...well, you know.

Rockefeller, Hutchison, Dorgan, Demint Introduce Bipartisan Aviation Bill
Key Focus on Increasing Safety and Modernization

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV (D-WV), Ranking Member Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Chairman of the Aviation Operations, Safety and Security Subcommittee Byron Dorgan (D-ND), and Ranking Member of the Aviation Operations, Safety and Security Subcommittee Jim DeMint (R-SC) joined together today to introduce legislation that will reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The bipartisan legislation will accelerate modernization of the nation’s air traffic control (ATC) system, address critical safety concerns in the national airspace system (NAS), and improve rural community access to air service.

“This bill goes a long way toward improving safety, reducing congestion, and modernizing our aviation system so we adapt to future growth in air travel,” said Senator Rockefeller, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. “For over 15 years, I have been fighting to improve air travel for passengers, airports and airlines. This bill reinforces the “one level of safety” standard across all commercial aircraft operations, updates our nation’s antiquated air traffic control system, and most importantly protects consumers, placing efficiency and modernization center stage. We must work quickly to pass this bill and have it signed into law for the safety and future of America’s air passengers.”

“This bill represents an important commitment to modernizing our nation’s air traffic control system and improving the safety of air travel across the country,” said Senator Hutchison. “The benefits of Next Generation air traffic control include increased efficiency and expanded capacity, along with critical safety enhancements that are long overdue. This legislation must be a top priority for Congress, because it will provide the FAA with the resources it needs to improve America’s current air travel system and prepare for the future.”

“This FAA reauthorization bill is critical to transforming and modernizing our air traffic control system. Our current radar-based system is outdated and does not deliver the kind of service necessary to ensure the safety, security, and reliability of a modern air-transport system,” said Senator Byron Dorgan, Chairman of the Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security Subcommittee. “This bill also addresses safety, the number one issue for my subcommittee. The bill improves access to pilot records for hiring decisions, enhances the FAA’s oversight of pilot testing, training schools and safety inspections of regional carriers. It also requires the FAA to address the recommendations of the National Transportation Safety Board, all with the goal of improving the safety our skies. This is a bill that the millions of people who fly every day can be proud of.”

“This is important legislation that rightly focuses on modernizing the air traffic control system and aviation safety, while avoiding extraneous provisions that could slow its progress in the Senate," said Senator Jim DeMint. "I'm very pleased that the bill incorporates many necessary improvements in safety in response to the crash of Flight 3407, which will help ensure we learn from this tragedy and save lives in the future. Hopefully the provisions dealing with pilots records, fatigue and regional airlines will protect against another accident like Flight 3407.”

KEY PROVISIONS OF THE BILL:

Aviation Safety

Requires the FAA develop a plan to provide runway incursion information to pilots in the cockpit, and initiate improved processes for tracking and investigating operational errors.

Mandates an independent study of the latest scientific research on pilot fatigue be applied to FAA’s required rulemaking on flight time limits and rest requirements for flight crews.

Improves safety for helicopter emergency medical service operations by mandating that the FAA standardize dispatch procedures, and requiring the use of terrain awareness and warning systems, and flight data and cockpit voice recorders on board such helicopters.

Addresses inconsistent application of Airworthiness Directives (ADs) by: improving voluntary disclosure reporting processes to ensure adequate actions are taken in response to reports; limiting the ability of FAA inspectors to work for air carriers which they had oversight; and conducting independent reviews of safety issues identified by employees.

Requires enhanced safety oversight of foreign repair stations.

Takes steps to ensure “one level of safety” exists in commercial aircraft operations including a mandate that all carriers adopt additional safety oversight programs and by promoting cooperation among carriers to share best practices and other critical safety information.


Air Traffic Control Modernization and FAA Reform

Improves federal oversight of the NextGen initiative.

Accelerates implementation of NextGen technologies.

Establishes clear deadlines for the adoption of existing Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation technology, including Required Navigation Performance (RNP) and Area Navigation (RNAV), by mandating 100 percent coverage at the top 35 airports by 2014, with the entire National Airspace System (NAS) required to be covered by 2018.

Directs FAA to accelerate planned timelines for integrating Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) technology into the NAS, requiring the use of “ADS-B Out” on all aircraft by 2015 and “ADS-B In” on all aircraft by 2018.

Creates an “Air Traffic Control Modernization Oversight Board” to provide oversight of FAA’s modernization activities.

Establishes a “Chief NextGen Officer” position at FAA to be responsible for the implementation of all NextGen programs, and requires federal agencies participating in NextGen to designate a single office in their Department to be accountable for NextGen.

Requires the FAA to complete a comprehensive study of ATC facility realignment or consolidation in relation to airspace system modernization.

Establishes a new process to make sure collective bargaining labor disputes at the FAA are adequately resolved through mediation and arbitration if necessary.


Airline Service and Small Community Air Service

Requires air carriers to develop contingency plans to address situations in which the departure of a flight is substantially delayed while passengers are confined to an aircraft, and allow passengers to deplane after a three hour delay.

Mandates improved disclosure of flight information when tickets are purchased.

Proposes a number of improvements to the Essential Air Service (EAS) to allow communities greater flexibility in attracting desired air service.

Substantially increases authorized funding for EAS to $175 million annually, a $48 million increase. Maintains support for the Small Community Air Service Development Program (SCASDP) which is authorized at $35 million annually through FY 2011.


Airport Improvements

Streamlines the Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) process by simplifying approval requirements for imposing or amending PFCs, while still retaining audit controls, and FAA project and expenditure oversight. The title does not change or increase the maximum allowable PFCs that are currently permitted under the program’s authority.

Provides greater flexibility for the use of various AIP entitlement funding, and establishes a number of pilot programs to consider concepts for strengthening the program.

Update: Separation of Boeing 757 aircraft and the new ICAO filght plan issues

All,

It was brought to my attention that in light of the July 9^th memo from Swanson, some people were confused about the requirement to ask B757 drivers if their aircraft were considered “heavy”. I spoke with Jim this morning and he advised me that he has not implemented any requirement to ask. He states that if you are aware that an aircraft is not a heavy, the 4 mile separation may be used instead of the 5 mile “heavy” sep.

As of now, continue to err on the side of caution and apply the 5 miles unless you are sure the aircraft is not a heavy.

Ray

Email to Jim Swanson regarding B757 Memo weight classifications and separation requirements

Jim,

I received a copy of the memo you put in the control tower regarding the Boeing 757 confusion with the ICAO flight plan information. I believe I understand the intent of your memo, but it is unclear if controllers have any requirement to determine the actual weight classification of Boeing 757 aircraft under their control.

Are you making any requirement for any controller to verify the weight status of any Boeing 757 aircraft?

Ray

PITTSBURGH, PA - Retirement/Benefits Seminar

Details regarding the Retirement/Benefits Seminar happening in Pittsburgh, PA, on Sept. 10th have been posted on the web.

Members can begin registering to attend by logging-on to the website http://natca.sharmansite.com

FERS & CSRS Retirement/Benefits Seminar
September 10, 2009 (Thursday)
8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.Courtyard by Marriott Pittsburgh Airport
450 Cherrington Parkway
Coraopolis, PA 15108
Hotel Reservations Number: 412-264-5000

Registration Deadline – August 31, 2009

CNN Video: Jet makes landing with football-sized hole

CNN Video: Jet makes landing with football-sized hole

• Story Highlights
• Southwest Airlines jet makes emergency landing in Charleston, West Virginia
• Football-sized hole in fuselage causes cabin to depressurize, oxygen masks to drop
• No injuries reported aboard Boeing 737; Flight 2294 was traveling at 34,000 feet
• No determination of what caused the hole in middle of cabin near top of aircraft

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/07/13/us.jetliner.damaged/index.html#cnnSTCVideo

(CNN) -- A Southwest Airlines jet made an emergency landing in Charleston, West Virginia, on Monday after a football-sized hole in its fuselage caused the cabin to depressurize, an airline spokeswoman said.

There were no injuries aboard the Boeing 737, which was traveling at about 34,000 feet when the problem occurred, Southwest spokeswoman Marilee McInnis told CNN.

The sudden drop in cabin pressure caused the jet's oxygen masks to deploy.

Southwest Flight 2294 was en route from Nashville, Tennessee, to Baltimore, Maryland, with 126 passengers and a crew of five aboard, McInnis said.

It landed at 5:10 p.m. after the crew reported a football-sized hole in the middle of the cabin near the top of the aircraft, McInnis said.

What caused the damage to the jet had not been determined, she said. Both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident, FAA spokeswoman Holly Baker said.

"There is no responsible way to speculate as to a cause at this point," Southwest said in a statement Monday night. Watch as passenger describes watching the hole form »

"We have safety procedures in place, and they were followed in this instance to get all passengers and crew safely on the ground," the airline said. "Reports we have are that our passengers were calm and that our pilots and flight attendants did a great job getting the aircraft on the ground safely."

Southwest dispatched a replacement aircraft to take passengers on to Baltimore. See map of flight path »

Charleston airport spokesman Brian Belcher said a local pizzeria provided food for the passengers as they waited.

The damaged jet will remain on the ground there until federal inspectors can examine it, he said.

In addition, all 181 of Southwest's 737-300s -- about a third of the airline's fleet -- will be inspected overnight after the emergency landing, McInnis said. Southwest does not expect the inspections to create delays, she said.

An update to the update on AOV/OE's part deux

All,

Management’s new policy appears to be to keep you on position after an OE.

I just want to remind you all, if you have an OE and you are not feeling up to remaining on position, please request to be relieved from the position. This is a matter of safety. A loss of separation can be very distressing and distract you from your duties.

Please consider this if management does not relieve you from the position.

Ray

AOV and OE's update part deux

All,

According to Jim Swanson this morning, there were no operational errors assigned to any controllers by AOV as a result of their recent visit. The last info I had came from Rob Lehmann. I’m gonna consider this a dead issue now. I’m sure these type of things will pop up occasionally, so let’s keep our operation clean. Please contact me if you have an OE or are asked to participate in an investigation.

There are some changes to the way OE’s are handled and I’m doing my homework on them. The NEB has a briefing guide that I will obtain shortly.

Here are the changes from the recent NATCA update:

Information from your Safety Committee reference the changes:

Overview of Changes:

References to any OEs/ODs/PEs are no longer included in your TTD (Technical Training Discussion)

• An employee is no longer associated with any OE/OD/PE documentation. To include the FAA training and Proficiency record (FAA Form 3120-1), Preliminary operational error/deviation investigation report (FAA Form 7210-2), and Final operational error/deviation report (FAA Form 7210-4).

· There is no longer a requirement to remove an employee from position after an OE/OD. While there is no requirement, our CBA still requires that an employee shall be removed from position as soon as possible. There is also a change to paragraph 5-1-3 that explains what they mean. The CBA overrides this order, it is advised that after an incident you take the opportunity to take a breather and clear your head prior to resuming your duties actively controlling traffic. In the event management does not want to relieve you from position, make the request to be relieved.

o Paragraph 5-1-3 of the change states: “Managers should rarely remove employees from any operational position pending the outcome of an OE/OD/PE investigation. For serious safety events or significant performance concerns, it may be necessary to remove an employee from operational duties either at the determination of management or at the request of the employee.”

o The CBA states: Employees shall be relieved from position as soon as operationally possible when the occurrence of an operational error/deviation is known or suspected.

· There is no longer a requirement to interview an employee in an OE/OD investigation. Mr. Hansen suspects that these will continue as indicated in paragraph 5-1-5 of the change, but they should focus more on why an event occurred versus who is going to be blamed for the error.

· Paragraph 5-1-5 of the change states the following:

b. Interviews. To ensure effective safety investigations and analysis it is imperative that all valuable information and insights are gathered from any and all sources. All employees must be aware that the sharing of valuable safety information is a fundamental tenet of a safety culture and a primary function of their job regardless of position. Failure to provide safety information erodes the very foundation of a true safety culture and must be discouraged through available and appropriate means. When conducting interviews, it is crucial that they be conducted in an atmosphere of shared concern that is designed to determine the underlying causes that may be indicative of risk in the NAS. It should be noted that, while certain operational personnel may have taken action(s) or failed to take action(s) that were directly related to the OE/D being reported, management personnel conducting interviews should emphasize the information-gathering purpose of any interview so that as much usable information as possible can be collected. Personnel interviews should be conducted to the extent necessary to determine if an operational error/deviation has actually occurred. In addition, it will at times be necessary to gather additional information from operational personnel that were providing air traffic services during, or were witnesses to, an incident to properly complete FAA Forms 7210-2 and 7210-3. Since many personnel in a facility, e.g., controllers, air traffic assistants, and supervisors may be knowledgeable of, or actually were providing air traffic services during an incident; it is recommended that operational personnel be interviewed as appropriate.

· For management or employees acting in the capacity of a CIC the reporting requirements for most OEs/ODs/PEs is now the next duty day versus the current 4 hour requirement. The 4 hour reporting requirement still applies to those items defined as “significant events”. Significant events are defined as a suspected or actual separation loss, 1) involving Presidential aircraft, members of Congress, or media; or 2) resulting in a Category A OE; or 3) that will likely generate significant media interest.

· There are a lot of changes to paragraph 5-1-8 Performance Based Actions.

o It directs management to conduct performance management on an ongoing basis versus being triggered by an event.

o It includes language for facilities under ATSAP that they must comply with NOTICE 7210.705.

o It also incorporates the language out of Notice 7210.707 that grants employees’ protection from discipline for filing a NASA ASRS report within 10 days of an event, was inadvertent, and did not violate Section 609 of the Federal Aviation Act.

· The employee no longer receives a copy of the final OE package; however, the Principal Union Representative will receive the package, and will have 5 days to submit comments or recommendations to the ATM.

· The following paragraphs were deleted in their entirety: (according to the agency they were deleted for the following reason ---- “These paragraphs were deleted to reflect that individuals are not named in the OE/OD report and that training should be accomplished IAW agency directives and the CBA.”)

5-1-9 RETURN TO OPERATIONAL DUTY

5-1-10 WHEN THE AIR TRAFFIC MANAGER IS INVOLVED

5-1-11 FOLLOW-UP PERFORMANCE SKILL CHECK

5-1-12 SKILL ENHANCEMENT TRAINING

Ray

Newark airport still plagued by delays, data show

July 12, 2009

Newark airport still plagued by delays, data show

The Associated Press

NEWARK, N.J. — Newark Liberty International Airport remains plagued by flight delays, despite continuing efforts to get the planes on time.

The airport ranked last in 2008 for on-time arrivals and was next-to-last in on-time departures.

And federal data released this month showed nearly 8,000 planes were delayed there in April. That’s about twice more than in September 2008, which was around the time officials slashed the number of peak flights there by 12.6 percent to ease delays.

Newark’s performance then improved slightly in May, though it still had 37 percent more delays than the September benchmark.

The Federal Aviation Administration cites the airport’s heavy volume and weather issues, saying the 5,292 storm-related delays there in April was among the highest ever.

Critics say federal officials haven’t modernized the facility and failed to provide enough staff to guide planes through.

 

 

Safety culture returning to FAA

A change to the Quality Assurance order. Is FAA getting the hint that decapitating controllers for op errors is not a prudent policy. This might point in that direction.  I'd like to hear thoughts on this. 

 

http://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Order/CHG2ATQ7-14-09.pdf

British Airways Strike Risk Grows as Unions Attack Walsh Plan to Cut Jobs

Bloomberg News, sent from my iPhone.

British Airways Strike Risk Grows as Unions Attack Walsh Cuts

July 10 (Bloomberg) -- British Airways Plc is risking its first major strike in a decade as Chief Executive Officer Willie Walsh presses unions to accept almost 4,000 job cuts he says are needed to reduce costs and survive the recession.

Walsh called in a state-funded mediator to chair talks with representatives of 22,000 cabin crew and ground staff when four weeks of direct negotiations failed. Three days of arbitration have failed to produce a deal, with unions today attacking the cuts as "misguided" and "damaging." BA declined to comment.

"There is every sign that a conflict is looming if this last throw of the dice does not succeed," Mick Rix, the leader of the GMB union, said in a telephone interview before the start of talks at the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service. "BA needs to seriously shift its stance in the negotiations."

British Airways, once the world's most profitable carrier, wants to slash jobs and wages after total pretax earnings for the past 10 years were 1 billion pounds ($1.6 billion) lower than in the previous decade. Sales have been squeezed by competition from discount carriers Ryanair Holdings Plc and EasyJet Plc. Walsh says lucrative business flights may never reach previous levels as a slump in demand forces a lasting change in travel habits.

"BA's management are opportunistically using the recession to force through changes which are more far-reaching and damaging to BA's future," the Unite union said today in a draft letter to be handed to shareholders at the company's annual meeting on July 14. "They are also talking down the airline, destabilizing the business, undermining our merger strategy with global partners and putting in jeopardy the futures of 40,000 employees."

Part-Time Working

British Airways says it's seeking 3,700 job cuts. Unite says the plans would lead to 4,400 people leaving and that the equivalent of thousands of positions could instead be eliminated through increased use of part-time working. The union's letter says cabin crew should be offered the same 2.6 percent wage cut as pilots, with a raise in basic pay deferred for two years, allowing it to match 220 million pounds in savings sought by BA.

A strike would be the first major dispute involving directly employed staff at London-based British Airways since July 1997, when flight attendants walked out for three days in a protest that wiped 110 million pounds from earnings.

Andrew Light, a London-based analyst at Citigroup Inc., said that Walsh is right to press his case.

"Strike risk is high but worth taking for permanent cost savings," Light wrote in a July 6 note. "Cabin crew and airport staff could strike, but defending outdated work practices looks untenable given the current economic climate and record losses."

Share Decline

British Airways has declined 33 percent this year, compared with a 23 percent drop by Deutsche Lufthansa AG and 9.7 percent for Air France-KLM Group. The stock rose 0.1 pence, or 0.1 percent, to 120 pence in London today, valuing the carrier at 1.38 billion pounds.

Walsh, who took over as CEO in 2005, says British Airways needs more cost cuts even after the carrier reduced the workforce by 25,000 over the past nine years through a combination of job losses and less hiring.

The 47-year-old Irishman, who as head of Dublin-based Aer Lingus Group Plc cut 2,000 jobs, or one-third of the workforce, says that in order to survive, British Airways needs to preserve 1 billion pounds of cash this year out of a balance of 1.38 billion pounds as of March 31. He also wants revised contracts for existing workers and more frugal terms for new ones.

British Airways spokesman Euan Fordyce said today that the talks at ACAS were continuing. He wouldn't comment further. Steve Turner, a spokesman for Unite, which represents about 14,000 flight attendants, also said negotiations were ongoing.

Record Loss

The carrier had a 375 million-pound loss in the year ended March 31, the steepest in its history and the third deficit in 10 years. Passenger traffic fell 3.8 percent in June, led by a 15 percent drop in first- and business-class travel.

The company's credit rating, already two levels into junk status, was lowered by one grade to Ba3 from Ba2 yesterday at Moody's Investors Service, which said declining traffic and higher fuel prices are likely to "further weaken metrics" in the fiscal year through March 2010.

Credit-default swaps on British Airways had widened by 10 basis points to 835 basis points as of 4:30 p.m. in London, according to JPMorgan Chase & Co. An increase in the price suggests deteriorating investor perceptions of credit quality.

CEO Walsh has already agreed terms with pilots to cut 78 jobs, reduce pay by 2.6 percent, boost working hours and pare benefits, and he has also reached an accord with engineers. About 4,000 employees have separately volunteered to take unpaid leave, with another 1,400 agreeing to go part-time and 800 planning to work full-time for free.

'Crucial Stage'

"We are at a crucial stage in the airline's history and they cannot carry one person more than they can afford to," said Howard Wheeldon, a senior strategist at BGC Partners LP in London. "The problem is that there's no flexibility with the cabin staff. It's been entrenched for 20 or 30 years."

BA is "not a low-cost airline and cannot compete in these markets," Unite said in its letter, adding that the carrier plans to employ cheap labor on short-term contracts of three to five years, bringing "an end to lifetime career opportunities."

Nick Cunningham, an analyst at Evolution Securities in London, said British Airways can expect only a slow recovery in traffic and profit even when the global economy returns to growth, with average ticket prices, or yields, likely to continue an extended decline that has eroded profitability across the airline industry over recent decades.

"Digging in your heels and saying no change -- that's not going to work," said Cunningham, who has an "add" rating on the stock. "The yield environment is going to remain very poor."

Steeper Drop

While Walsh's focus on premium-class passengers has led to a steeper drop in traffic in the recession, he could expect a surge in earnings if business travel rebounds.

British Airways has sacrificed less lucrative routes to focus on providing a maximum number of daily frequencies to the busiest destinations, reducing its network to 148 cities as of March compared with 168 a decade ago.

The carrier has the biggest share of business travel across the North Atlantic, with 37 percent of all seats between the financial centers of New York and London. That compares with 24 percent for Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. and 18 percent for American Airlines, according to United Business Media Ltd.'s OAG flight planning unit.

Premium Ventures

British Airways also established a subsidiary, Open Skies, to target premium travel to New York from Paris and Amsterdam using crews employed on cheaper local contracts, and has begun selling tickets for a business-class-only service from London City airport to New York that begins flights in September.

The airline is seeking to cement its dominance across the North Atlantic through an alliance with AMR Corp.'s American Airlines, for which the pair are seeking antitrust immunity.

Walsh is also discussing a merger with Iberia Lineas Aereas de Espana SA of Spain to narrow the gap with Air France and Lufthansa, which have used purchases to leapfrog British Airways in sales and traffic.

Wheeldon says the airline and its employees may both ultimately have too much at stake not to reach an agreement.

"There has to be some form of compromise, because you can't have an airline without cabin crew and the cabin crew need the jobs," he said. "A strike would be very, very foolish and it would only make things much worse."

To contact the reporter on this story: Steve Rothwell in London at srothwell@bloomberg.net

Find out more about Bloomberg for iPhone: http://bbiphone.bloomberg.com/iphone

Raymond Adams

National Air Traffic Controllers Association

New Jersey Legislative Coordinator

President Newark Airport

Safety Representative - Newark Airport

Cell 201-362-9305

Twitter: EWRPresident