Volunteer Solicitations
We have a couple different projects/programs coming up that we are looking for volunteers for. The first is for IST. We are looking for 2 people from each area.
IST Training Dates:
Cadre training: Either December 7-8 or 9-10, you choose
Workforce training: February 6-19 -you would not be obligated to teach every day during this but the more people that we get to volunteer then the less classes each person will have to teach.
The second one is for DataCom and it gets a little trickier. This will be split up into two parts and the first part is for the TTL (DYSIM) scenario building portion. Because our timeline for this is limited, this is reserved for SGET certified or SGET knowledgeable people and the training will be November 8-12. That person will be off the floor for approximately 5 weeks building scenarios.
The next solicitation portion of DataCom will be for instructors to teach the workforce. We will need 2 people from each area as well. The cadre class for this will be January 18-27. No SGET knowledge necessary. Then the workforce training will start soon thereafter and will last many months but each class will be 3 days long.
If you have any interest in any of these, please let your area rep know as soon as possible. The IST one will be need to be finalized very shortly because that schedule will be posting soon.
Employee Express
If you have tried to check your LES at home in the last couple of days you noticed that it does not work without your PIV card. This was a surprise to us and was not collaborated on at any level. The national office immediately started tracking down information and it sounds like the FAA doesn’t even know who allowed this and why it happened. They are still tracking it all down but whatever happened it is complex enough that it cannot be simply reverted back to the way it was. If you need help with an LES or anything you can contact the national HR Office or agency payroll office at 888-367-1622 or the payroll_helpdesk@ios.doi.gov.
Continuing Resolution (CR) and Debt Ceiling Information
Congress faces two massive tasks in coming weeks: funding the federal government’s operations and raising the federal debt ceiling. Fiscal year 2021 (FY 21) appropriations expire at midnight on Sept. 30. If new appropriations are not signed into law by that time, the government will shut down, and federal employees may once again face furloughs. In addition, Congress must increase the debt ceiling (the amount of debt the U.S. government is legally allowed to carry) by mid-to-late October. Failure to increase the debt ceiling would lead to default, a potential economic recession, and a save-money furlough.
This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a short-term government funding bill (a continuing resolution or “CR”) that would provide funding through Dec. 3 at FY 21 funding levels. The bill also includes language to suspend the debt limit until 2022. Although the bill passed the House, it may face opposition in the Senate. If it is blocked in the Senate, congressional leaders and the White House will need to consider other options, such as removing the debt ceiling portion and voting again on a so-called “clean” CR that could potentially gain bipartisan support to avoid a shutdown. However, the path forward currently remains unclear.
NATCA’s Government Affairs team continues to advocate on Capitol Hill for Congress to avoid a shutdown. At the same time, as we have done in the past, NATCA’s Labor Relations team has engaged the FAA to negotiate an agreement that will establish the procedures in the event there is a shutdown.
We will continue to update our members in the coming days as the legislative process continues.
Still no details about the vaccine mandate but we will be sure to put them out as soon as we get them.
Amy Sizemore and Drew Stewart