Our Event App Coming Soon
The 17th NATCA Biennial Convention has gone mobile again this year with a user-friendly event app. The #NATCAphilly2018 app is chock full of valuable info for members and attendees! Download the app to have access to awesome features, like:
  • The full event schedule
  • Detailed info about speakers, exhibitors, and sponsors
  • Notifications of important updates, special offers, and more
  • Social sharing on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn 
  • List of attendees (Attendees may choose to publish their own contact info.)
The NATCA Biennial Convention app (called "NATCA events") soon will be available for download for iOS and Android. Keep an eye out on NATCA's social media channels and in future updates for download information.
Act Now for NATCA Hotel Rate
If you have not already done so, please reserve your hotel room as soon as possible.
Hotel rooms are not automatically booked when you register for Convention. NATCA arranged discounted rates in three union hotels located in downtown Philadelphia. Two of these three hotels already are sold out. And rooms at the remaining hotel - the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown - are booking up. Once NATCA's reserved hotel rooms are fully booked, no additional rooms will be added and you will have to find your own accommodations!

Click here for more information and a link to book your room(s).
Pre-Convention Classes:
We hope your travel plans will allow for arrival into Philadelphia in time to take advantage of our exciting lineup of pre-convention classes on Tuesday, April 17, at the Convention Center. No advance registration is needed.
Building a Stronger Local
Instructors: Reloaded Committee
Time: 2:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Description:  This is an interactive class designed to enhance the strength of your local by emphasizing the importance of teamwork, education, and communication. Learn how everyone - from FacRep to member - plays an essential role within the local.
Why you should take this class: Building a stronger local all starts with your local leadership and those members who step up to fill other important roles from legislative activist to safety rep and much more. Increasingly, each individual member plays a role that has a direct and profound impact on the strength of the entire local.
How to Have A Difficult Conversation
Instructors: Reloaded Committee
Time: Noon - 2 p.m.
Description: Not every problem has a perfect solution, but communication is the key to working through difficult conversations and finding the right path forward. Communicating can be hard, even more so when there is a conflict or disagreement, a personal issue, or a problem to address. This class is an opportunity for NATCA members to learn constructive ways to have those tough conversations.
Why you should take this class: As a NATCA leader, whether attending Convention as a representative for your local or a passionate NATCAvist, you face situations frequently where you have to deliver bad news, share feedback people don't want to hear, or correct erroneous behavior or practices. This class will help you learn to carry out these tough discussions while maintaining collaborative relationships in solidarity for the good of your brothers and sisters.
How to Keep your Local out of Jail
Instructors: Finance Committee
Time: 1 - 3:30 p.m.
Description: Learn the correct ways to keep track of your local's financial records and various other documents, and improve your knowledge of NATCA, the Department of Labor, and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) rules. Understand the importance of strict record-keeping, having consistent financial records for your local, and how to provide written documentation to meet financial guidelines.
Why you should take this class: If you have any role dispersing or keeping the finances for your local, you can't afford to make mistakes - it really could land you or someone else in jail. Don't miss this opportunity to gain a better understanding of what you need to have on record to keep your union local running smoothly and legally.
Importance of Pre-Construction Meetings
Instructors: OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Committee
Time: Noon - 2 p.m.
Description: Construction and maintenance activities can have occupational safety and health, and environmental related impacts on air traffic and airway facilities operations. As aviation safety professionals, your attendance and attention to these important collaborative events is vital.
Why you should take this class: Meetings might not sound like the most exciting way to spend your time. But NATCA members know that as stewards of the National Airspace System, any opportunity to learn how changes to a work environment or situation could impact the health and safety of members and/or the flying public is one you should seize. This class will share the tools needed to motivate members to attend, teach what to listen for, and show you where to get the resources that are at your disposal during such a critical time.
Know your OSHA and OWCP Rights
Instructors: OSHA and OWCP Committees
Time: 2:30- 4:30 p.m.
Description: Learn the requirements and rights that apply to you as related to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP).
Why you should take this class: As a NATCA representative, part of your role is working to protect yourself and your brothers and sisters from an unhealthy or unsafe working environment. Use this opportunity at the Convention to become fluent on the basics of OSHA and OWCP requirements and how the two regulations work hand in hand to keep members safe and the National Airspace System safe and effective.
Mock Convention
Instructors: Convention Committee
Time: 45 min. Duration.
Classes begin at:
  • Noon
  • 1 p.m.
  • 2 p.m.
  • 3 p.m.
Description: It can be intimidating to go to the microphone during Convention. Learn techniques to better prepare yourself, with special guest President Emeritus John Carr.
Why you should take this class: Members will watch and may volunteer to participate in a mock convention. This immersive experience will help participants understand the process of conducting business at Convention, including how to address the Chair of the Convention and make motions to conduct business on the convention floor. You will learn about the history of Convention, how to make changes to proposals, and the parliamentary procedure of using Robert's Rules of Order.
NATCA 101
Instructors: Reloaded Committee
Time: Noon - 2 p.m.
Description: This class is a basic education of what NATCA is, where our Union comes from, what NATCA can offer members, and why. The class is intended to introduce newer members to the organization and structure of NATCA, as well as refresh and encourage those looking to get more involved.
Why you should take this class: Even for veteran NATCA members, NATCA 101 is a great look at labor history, including an overview of the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO) and NATCA history. This class also educates members about the many national and local resources available to them. Don't miss this chance for a refresher on all things NATCA, whether it's your first Convention or you're honing your NATCAvist fluency in Philadelphia.
NCF101
Instructors: NATCA Charitable Foundation
Time: 2:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Description: This class is a brief overview of the history of the NATCA Charitable Foundation (NCF) and the organization's current structure. You'll learn about the symbiotic relationship between NCF, the Union, and its members.
Why you should take this class: NCF exists for the benefit of the communities in which NATCA members live. Make a difference in the lives of the people and causes dearest to you by learning how to organize and participate in the wide range of charitable programs NCF sponsors by getting involved at the individual, local, regional, and national levels.
Say Again: Effective Communication Techniques
Instructors: Reloaded Committee
Time: 2:30 - 4:30 p.m.
Description: Whether it's a face-to-face conversation, a text, or a written email exchange, a meaningful message entails establishing a connection that leaves a powerful impression. Discover the different methods of communication and the best ways to use them.
Why you should take this class: NATCA's recent legacy has been our commitment to collaboration - working with others to find mutually beneficial solutions to the hardest problems facing the National Airspace System. Working well with others is impossible without effective communication. Join your NATCA brothers and sisters in this continuing push by learning to communicate effectively, no matter the circumstance.
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