Just a few quick things to cover since last week.
Congratulations to Trevor Laush on his appointment to Secretary. We appreciate all the interest in the position. As Amy said, it truly was a difficult decision for the E-Board due to all the qualified volunteers. We are thankful to finally have the E-Board whole again and we look forward to moving ahead with all the current and upcoming business. As a reminder, local elections are just around the corner, so if it is something that interests you, feel free to speak to one of the current E-Board members on roles and responsibilities. We are always eager to help mentor those that want to make a difference in this Local and this great Union.
Recently, a lot of questions have been coming up regarding NCEPT and the NCEPT process. Unfortunately, I am not as educated on the process as I would like or need to be. Over the next few days and weeks, I will be doing my best to get up to speed on this process so I can attempt to answer these questions to the best of my ability, as well as figure out who our resources are when there are questions that I simply can’t answer. Please be patient with me as I learn the ins and outs of NCEPT.
Over the next few weeks I will be working to scope an article 114 CWG on the activation of SUAs at ZSE. There have been several ATSAPs filed on the overall military scheduling and activation processes at ZSE, so a workgroup needs to be formed to address the issues identified by the ERC. I would like to have input from each area in this process, so if it is something you are interested in, please notify your area rep.
Finally, COS leave seems to be a recurring battle here at ZSE, especially when OT needs to be assigned to cover the COS. Management is under the impression that they can deny it if OT needs to be assigned, although it seems that every time management says they will not approve it, that decision gets overturned. The contract says COS “shall be granted.” The hangup with management is when the COS may be used. They believe that it is to be used on or after the release date, but I disagree. I will be spending the next few weeks working locally with management as well as seeking guidance from outside of the building to get this process narrowed down and make it consistent across all cases in the future. This should not be a fight every time COS is requested, so I will work to get some answers.
That’s all for now. Please remember that my door is always open and my phone is always on.
In Solidarity,
Derek Adams