NCF at Convention 2020: Register Now for 5K Run/Two-Mile Walk Snowdrop Stampede
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NCF at Convention 2020: Support the Thorn Charity--Order Your T-shirt Today
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Register for the 18th Biennial Convention and Hotel
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Honoring Our Engineers: An Interview with Member Jason Holland
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NATCA's National Office: Recognizing Employee Service
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FAA WorkLife Solutions Website is Changing
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March Child Care Chat Teleconference
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NCF at Convention 2020: Register Now for the 5K Run/Two-Mile Walk Snowdrop Stampede
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The NATCA Charitable Foundation (NCF) proudly announces its support of the Snowdrop Foundation at this year’s Biennial Convention in Houston. Snowdrop Foundation assists patients and families at the Texas Children’s Cancer Center by providing funding to help eliminate childhood cancer and by providing scholarships for college-bound pediatric cancer patients and survivors.
One of the events NCF will host in its efforts to raise funds and awareness for this cause is the Snowdrop Stampede 5K Fun Run/Two-Mile Walk at Buffalo Bayou Park in downtown Houston on Tuesday, May 26 at 7:30 a.m. The run will start behind the Hobby Center parking garage and take you through the scenic east half of Buffalo Bayou Park, past points of interest such as Eleanor Tinsley Park, Jane Gregory Gardens, Tolerance Meadow, Rosemont Bridge, and the Houston Police Officer’s Memorial. The run/walk will be a fun and healthy way to start the week of NATCA’s 18th Biennial Convention on Wednesday, May 27.
Not able to make convention or arriving after the run? NCF encourages those that will not be in Houston for the run to choose the virtual 5K option. The virtual 5K is simple.
Register via the NCF square site
, run where you normally run, and take some pictures of yourself completing the run. Run at your place and at your pace between Thursday, May 21 and Tuesday, May 26.
Submit your photos to
[email protected]
with your name, facility, and a description of the run you completed before Convention.
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Race medals for runners (pictured left) will be donated to the children at the Texas Children’s Cancer Center. Every participant will receive a button with pictures of children who are battling childhood cancer and are supported by Snowdrop Foundation.
Please consider joining us to help raise awareness of childhood cancer and money for this worthy cause.
Registration is now open
. Fees are $35 for pre-registration of the 5K run and $25 for the 2 mile walk. Prices increase the day of the event to $45 for the run and $35 for the walk. The virtual 5K registration is also open and closes May 25.
We look forward to seeing you out there!
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NCF at Convention 2020: Support Thorn--Order Your Shirt Today
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Thorn is one of the charities that has been identified by the NATCA Charitable Foundation (NCF) and our Convention Planning Committee to be highlighted at the 18th Biennial Convention.
Thorn is a nonprofit technology company, started in 2012, that builds software to defend children from sexual abuse. Co-founders Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore learned more about the issue of child sex trafficking from a documentary highlighting what was happening to children in Cambodia. They described it as a moment where you learn something about the world you can’t un-know. As they started to research more about the issue, they realized it’s just as prolific of a problem here in the United States as it is overseas.
NATCA has joined Thorn in raising awareness and money with the launch of the T-shirt campaign.
Join your brothers and sisters in purchasing
this unique, one-of-a-kind long-sleeve T-shirt. Let this shirt start the conversation to educate those around you of the horrific problem we are facing.
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Houston Convention and Hotel Registration
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NATCA's 18th Biennial Convention in Houston begins in less than three months, May 27-29. W
e continue to prepare for what promises to be both an important and exciting event.
Now is the time to register and make your hotel reservations. Registration for the convention is a TWO-STEP process:
STEP 1: Register for the Convention
here
.
STEP 2: Reserve your hotel room at the Marriott Marquis
here
.
Your registration is not done until you have completed both steps.
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Honoring Our Engineers: An Interview with Member Jason Holland
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In continuance of recognizing our engineers for the great work that they do, we had a chance to sit down with NATCA member and Engineer Jason Holland, New England Region (ENE). He also serves as the National Legislative Committee's Region X Representative. Holland had these things to say:
You worked for the New England Navigational Aids Construction/Installation group for almost 10 years. Tell us about that job and that group?
Navigational Aids (navaids) include things like approach lights, electronic navigation equipment, and instrument landing systems. The projects we design and install help pilots navigate to their destination and land safely when they get there.
My job as an electronics engineer in the install group was to work with civil engineers, construction contractors, and the local FAA Tech Ops to make sure the equipment was installed properly and met all of our performance requirements. The activities included wiring between equipment, building cables and connectors, planning and performing the integration between new and existing equipment, electronic configuration and testing, and final handoff of the equipment to the maintenance folks.
What does a typical workday look like for you and what are your responsibilities?
Now that I’m in the Navaids Engineering group, my work involves getting a project ready to go to construction. I’ll work with other engineers to put together installation and construction drawings, specifications, and installation details. We coordinate between the people providing the equipment and funding, the local controllers, management, and local tech ops. Luckily, there aren’t too many meetings, and most projects start with a site visit to the airport or site we’ll be working on. It is nice to not be in the office all of the time.
What is the best part of your job?
The best part of the job is having a tangible product to deliver when we are done. It is really satisfying to see something that started as a design become a real, useful thing that may help a pilot and their passengers get home safely.
What is the most rewarding part of your work for the Union, particularly as the NLC Region X Representative?
The most rewarding thing is getting to work with the incredible people that are involved at all levels of the Union. Every time I work on something, I’m surrounded by people who are smart, motivated, and want to make the job better for everyone.
When things are going well, I love having the opportunity to work together to make improvements. When things aren’t going well, there is no other group of people I would want fighting for us. This is particularly true of the National Legislative Committee. I’m lucky to be part of such a great group of hardworking activists.
Tell us about the level of activism among your bargaining unit and around Region X and what things you are doing to help grow and strengthen that activism?
Region X has some unique challenges because of our structure. We are spread around the entire country, many of us are frequently on travel for work, and we cover many lines of business with different key issues.
One of the big things we’ve done recently to work on this is setting up a national Region X legislative team. The idea is to have a member of Region X from each geographic region that can serve as the main point of contact for that region’s NLC Chair. This allows the NLC to have better access to the specific expertise that folks in Region X may bring to legislative efforts, and gives us a way to be more connected to what is happening for local legislative events.
This was a great idea started by NATCA members Samantha Giberson, Curt Howe, and Steve Weidner. With the support of our current Regional Vice President, Brad Davidson, I see this new group playing an important role in our legislative efforts.
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NATCA's National Office: Recognizing Employee Service
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NATCA salutes our amazing National Office staff members who come to work each day committed to providing our members with the very best service and representation in organized labor.
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PAC and Political Representative Matthew Carter
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Matt Carter is fairly new to his position, beginning in November 2019, but was already well-acquainted with NATCA long before he started. In his role as the PAC (Political Action Committee) and Political Representative in the Government Affairs Department, Matt manages the day-to-day operations of the PAC, including Federal Election Compliance (FEC) compliance, contributions to the PAC from our members, and supporting the Government Affairs Department and the National Legislative Committee (NLC).
Originally from Chichester, United Kingdom, Matt grew up in Norway and Maryland, and now considers Breckenridge, Colo., home. He was working in Washington as a fundraiser for members of Congress and became acquainted with NATCA in that role. “I was fortunate to be considered when a position opened up here,” he said.
Matt does not have any family members who are involved in unions but considers himself the proud first. The most rewarding part of his job, Matt says, is when a member of Congress offers their support to NATCA, or a particular problem is overcome, as a
direct result of his work with NATCA’s Government Affairs Department and the NLC.
Outside of work, Matt spends most of his time focusing on and preparing for ultramarathons and mountain running events in the summer and ski racing in the winter. He also spends a fair amount of time baking.
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The Website and URL to Access the FAA WorkLife Solutions is Changing
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You are already familiar with
www.Magellanhealth.com/member
. As part of the WorkLife Solutions commitment to providing you with a fresh approach, new technology, and new programs, the FAA WorkLife Solutions experience will be taken up a notch with a new website on Tuesday, March 15.
- A new, clean design that features the programs and services most important to our FAA workforce and their immediate family members.
- Simple navigation and a mobile-friendly user experience.
- Fresh, new content on a variety of topics, updated regularly.
Magellan and WorkLife Solutions look forward to providing the FAA and its employees with a positive and helpful WorkLife Solutions experience.
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March Child Care Chat Teleconference
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Join NATCA Article 114 National Child Care Rep Jennifer Malloy in the next monthly NATCA-
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
-hosted child care chat, where you can find answers to your questions about parental leave, child care subsidies, and more.
Click here
to join the call on March 10.
For questions, contact Malloy at
[email protected]
.
The FAA WorkLife Program provides the FAA workforce with resource and referral services to promote work-life balance and assist with employee resilience. The Child Care Program at FAA is a valued WorkLife service that enhances the family and strengthens the workforce.
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Volunteer at EAA Airventure Oshkosh 2020
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EAA's AirVenture Oshkosh 2020 is just around the corner, happening July 20-26. If you would like to volunteer to participate in the World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration, there are multiple opportunities to assist NATCA with #OSH20. This year marks the 51st anniversary of the fly-in convention, which has become the perfect place to bring aviators together.
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Fayetteville Members Speak to Kids about Air Traffic Control
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Fayetteville Grannis ATCT (FAY) members Caanon Thomas and Legislative Rep James Clark had the opportunity to speak with kids at Alderman Elementary School about air traffic control. "It was a great experience to see their excitement in learning about our profession," said Clark. "There could possibly be a future air traffic controller in the crowd. It's never too early to start learning about different professions."
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Austin ATCT Hosts Solidarity Event
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NATCA Executive Vice President Trish Gilbert and Southwest Regional Vice President Andrew LeBovidge joined Austin ATCT (AUS) FacRep Mark Fellner and members for a solidarity event at Blazer Tag. Gilbert and LeBovidge gave a briefing on the content and ramifications of the 2018 executive orders that affect federal employee unions, provided an update on NATCA’s legislative strategies for 2020, and encouraged the members to attend the upcoming 18th Biennial Convention in Houston. Gilbert was also able to provide an update on the latest legislative activity to correct the loophole for the Paid Parental Leave Act.
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Members Take Part in Remote Tower Working Group Meeting
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NATCA Executive Vice President Trish Gilbert and NATCA NextGen Rep Adam Rhodes represented U.S. aviation safety professionals and our Union at a meeting of the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) remote tower working group recently.
“We discussed international updates on remote tower projects across the world,” Rhodes said. “The meeting was great and laid out next steps in aligning all of our interests.”
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2019 Archie League Honorable Mention Awardee Recognized
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Denver Center (ZDV) members Royce Bockelman (left) and Jake Zakrzewski (right) were recognized for their 2019 Honorable Mention Archie League Medal of Safety Award.
In March 2019, an aircraft experienced severe turbulence upon descent into Stevens Field Airport, which caused a major loss of instrumentation and hydraulic issues that interfered with normal landing gear operation. Zakrzewski’s calm demeanor and professionalism on frequency helped the pilot land safety.
Read more here
from the NATCA Northwest Mountain High-Lights newsletter.
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The Archie League Medal of Safety Award highlights aviation "saves." Some involve a team of professionals working together, while others are the result of just one person's efforts. Any NATCA member can nominate another member in good standing year-round. The nominating period for the 2020 Archie League Awards is still open and covers aviation events that have occurred from May 1, 2019 to April 30, 2020.
Click here
to complete the nomination form.
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Store Item of the Week: Beer Glass
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Features of this product:
The 16 oz. NATCA Beer Glass is the ultimate drinking buddy!
Featuring a sleek and clean shape, this glass is a nod to the classic beer can design and is a perfect addition to any space. No matter the occasion, this glass fits right in your hand and is great for serving beer, soda, ice tea, and cocktails.
This glass includes a black NATCA imprint and is union-made in the United States.
Price:
$7.
To see the item and how to order:
Click here
. Select USPS or UPS as your shipping preference on your orders. To check on stock availability or for further assistance, call 800-266-0895 or email
[email protected]
.
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Benefits Spotlight: Interline Travel
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The NATCA Benefits Committee is proud to continue our partnership with cruise travel leader Interline Travel by Dynamic Travel and Cruises.
If a cruise on the high seas sounds like a fantastic vacation, then this benefit is for you. NATCA has partnered with Interline Travel to bring our members exclusive discounts.
Members can go to
natca.interlinetravel.com
or
NATCABenefits.com
to check out the savings, or call one of Interline Travel's experienced agents at 800-766-2911 to find potential bigger savings. NATCA members can also join the Facebook Travel page at
facebook.com/groups/TravelNATCA
to get travel advice and tips, get questions answered, and share travel experiences with other NATCA travelers.
You will be required to provide your NATCA member ID number to register on the interline website. If you need assistance with getting your member ID, go to
portal.natca.org
.
Whether this will be your first time getting your sea legs, or you’re a seasoned sailor of the high seas, Interline Travel by Dynamic Travel and Cruises makes ocean travel the most affordable you can get.
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