Well, we’re into the fourth week of dynamic scheduling with no known end in sight. It all seems to be running smoothly but if there is a problem that we’re not aware of, please let us know so we can address it. Employee Assistance Program is available to address a broad and complex body of issues affecting mental and emotional well-being, such as alcohol and other substance abuse, stress, grief, family problems, and psychological disorders. This is a stressful time for everyone and we just want you to know about the help available should you need it. Information is available on the OPM website.
Masks
Some masks that NATCA National designed and ordered will be distributed shortly. These are not by any means medical grade and if nothing else, will remind you not to touch your face. They could be used in addition to another mask that you may already own or I have also heard of some people folding Shop Towels (those sturdy blue paper towels you can find in the auto section of stores) and putting them inside your mask for additional disposable protection.
Night Differential
NATCA National has been working towards getting some of our differentials paid even when we are in an administrative leave status. The details of this are not completely clear at this time, but it should be rolling out during the next few days/weeks. Once this is finalized, it will still need to be negotiated at the local level to determine exactly what it will look like. We need to verify fair and equitable distribution while still making it an easy implementation by the area reps and schedulers. More to come on this as it progresses. In addition to that, the agency has already been directed to pay any night differentials missed during the first week of dynamic scheduling due to schedules being changed inside of 7 days. We can’t say yet that this will be reflected on the upcoming paycheck, but we will be monitoring this closely as well.
Annual Leave
As we are rapidly approaching the season for higher annual leave usage there are a few things that should be discussed. We are all still entitled to the annual leave that we bid, but we also have the right to convert it to administrative leave. We also can use annual leave during our five days of work, but that obviously leaves the crew short. Since this is such a delicate subject and each person will be approaching their options differently, we ask that you work with your area reps and schedulers to determine exactly what you want to do with your bid time off. It has been suggested that if you are going to leave the commuting area or simply do not want to be subject to recall during the time that you bid, you keep it coded as annual leave. Otherwise, it can all be converted to administrative leave. We realize that there is a lot of nuance to this, so please reach out to your area reps or the Eboard to determine the best course of action for you and your bid time off.
Thank you again for all your hard work and please let us know if we can help with anything,
Derek Adams and Amy Sizemore