The FAA and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association have concluded mediation by agreeing to a draft labor agreement. Union members must still ratify the agreement, but in a joint statement, the parties called the agreement a “milestone on the final road to settlement."
The agency has been operating under workforce rules imposed by the agency after it declared an impasse to labor negotiations in 2006 and imposed its last offer as the contract, as was its right under special labor law in use there. Since Congress did nothing to intervene, since that time the NATCA has had to campaign on the sidelines.
The joint statement said the two parties were able to resolve more than 100 issues, and that independent arbitrators were called on to resolve five others, including compensation. Union members don’t get to vote on those five issues.
The agreement provides for more flexible work schedules, childcare support and a new grievance review process, the statement said. It also said the agency now has more flexibility in redeploying labor to congested airports using incentive pay, and restores more equitable pay standards to benefit new hires and veterans nearing retirement.
