Ineffective management of mid-term bargaining and pay setting provisions in the FAA’s collective bargaining agreement with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association led to unanticipated costs from mid-term bargaining and the agency remains at risk of further cost increases, the Department of Transportation inspector general has said.
It said the FAA’s internal controls have been ineffective in part because FAA headquarters has not followed its established policies to control costs.
For example, of the 40 national negotiations between FAA headquarters and NATCA since 2009, only one received a required budget analysis, according to the IG.
It said that because the agency has not followed its internal control policies, the total number of mid-term agreements and their true cost impact remain unknown.
The FAA agreed with recommendations to hold local managers accountable for following management requirements for negotiating with unions, enforce the involvement of labor relations office representatives during all mid-term bargaining prior to committing the agency, clarify the roles and responsibilities of the labor relations office and the labor technical liaison, as well as to provide refresher training to air traffic managers who interact with NATCA on labor relations management, including legal responsibilities and negotiation skills.
