Updates!

Happy Friday to you!

I had a great time being on Banks Lake for a week and spending time with my family. Glad to hear everything went well while I was gone :)

I also wanted to share that I have accepted the nomination for C Area Rep. Thank you for your continued support of me in this position. My goal has always been and will continue to be doing what is best for the area and those who inhabit it. I not only appreciate but welcome feedback when it comes to how our area operates, and I will do my best to ensure your voices are heard and valued.

There are a couple of updates to share with you, unfortunately nothing ground breaking, but I want you to know that things are moving behind the scenes.

There were many goals in the development of the GPI/MSO procedures: Help our fellow coworkers in ZLC who are desperately short staffed, streamline the procedures to help things work more efficiently, incorporate procedures ZLC has with MSO to be similar. There were many hands and minds involved in the process, and while our intent was good, the outcome and actually implementation did not turn out how we had hoped. Having said this, I have requested that we meet with ZLC and GEG to discuss what is and isn’t working right now. We have a very good idea of what isn’t working for us, but we will meet with them (soon, I have asked) and see what we can do about coming up with a better solution. I have had a lot of feedback about this, and while I would be happy to list off the concerns, know that they will be addressed. Eric Winn is the C Area Airspace Rep and also is well aware of what needs to be revisited. I will keep you posted when we hear more. Thank you for your hard work with this and your patience while we go through the trial and error process.

Automated hand offs with Edmonton Center should be up and running mid-September. Be on the lookout for a briefing about this. Automated hand offs with Vancouver are in the works. The hope is we get an LOA done soon and they start at the same time as Edmonton, but no word as to whether or not that will be the case. I’ll follow up when I hear more.

Eric & I are meeting with the A Area and TMU today to discuss showing total delay times for metering. I will update you when there is more to share.

To the best of my knowledge, we are still moving forward to create a CWG to have a rep from each area work with TMU about delays and suggestions to help areas out. I will follow up with this so hopefully I have more to share in my next email.

My favorite season update - none really. Carly & I met with Robello before I left and discussed guide numbers, we need to get together again and finalize that before we get into schedules and start times.

I hope this finds you enjoying your summer, or as much of it you can from the parking lot. There is still a lot of overtime going around, but know that you are appreciated for your hard work and sacrifices.

Please let me know if you need anything or have any suggestions, comments, complaints (with suggestions or solutions) or questions. I am here for you!

Thanks for all you do,

Crumbley

360-635-8244

We made it to July

Hi C Area!

Here’s hoping you had a great 4th, and if you worked, thank you so much for being here. The swing is a difficult one to get home from, so I truly appreciate your time and effort!

First - a big CONGRATS to the Rodriguez Family with the arrival of their beautiful baby girl, Frankie! Her picture is in the area for your viewing pleasure - welcome to the great parenthood adventure, J-Rod! :)

Congrats and High 5’s to Andreas for certifying on 07/11! Welcome to the eligible for overtime gang, we have T-shirts. (no we don’t but it sounded fun)

In other news, I will be on vacation and will not be available to be reached due to my own choices, but Devin Carlisto has graciously offered to be available if you need anything before I return. His number is 619-818-5335. I’ll be gone the 14-24th of July. If you have any questions about this, please let me know.

I’m not sure if you’re aware of this or not, but there is a supervisor in our area that spends his spare time dreaming up new ways of making my life difficult, or maybe just giving us learning opportunities as to what sups are NOT supposed to be doing. At least, that’s how it would seem. If you hear something from this sup that doesn’t sound right, like us taking Spokane’s airspace on mids, PLEASE reach out to me right away so I can make sure it is dealt with. **We are not taking Spokane’s airspace on mids

**PRC’s are to be conducted away from the area, and certainly not while you’re working live traffic. You also must be afforded the opportunity to review the FALCON replay and listen to the recording (Article 95 section 2 & 3).

OK - other updates

• I met with a bunch of very smart guys about the frequencies in our area. We are looking into cross-coupling, but only 2 frequencies can be cross-coupled at a time. I would like some feedback if we are able to do this on lows. What would you like to see…? 18/8? 18/9? 8/9? Not at all? We can cross couple 07/11 and 47/48 but when the highs are all combined, not all 4 freqs. (If you’re not familiar, cross-coupling would allow pilots to hear what is being broadcast on the other frequency which would reduce them stepping on each other so frequently).

• QLC UHF frequency has had some intermittent staticy noise on it, I believe it’s from a radio station that is crossing over onto the frequency (praise God I’m not in charge of all this, I’m trying to recap without attempting to get too technical). The idea is to reduce the filter level at the site and hopefully the interference will stop. It might reduce the coverage, but not by much.

• PUW BUEC was requested to be an RCAG. It sounds like that is an option, which will give us a main and standby TX & RX at that site, and would make the Cottonwood RCAG a BUEC. We don’t have room for another RCAG, so just adding PUW as a RCAG is not an option. If the funding comes locally, then the change may be able to complete in a few months. If it has to come from outside the building, it could take a few years.

• It was suggested to see what we can do to increase 118.55’s coverage on the east side of 48. It’s not as big of a deal now that we don’t have as many DH8’s across our airspace, but they said now was the time to ask so I figured I’d throw it out there. The technicians are going to see if there is anything they can do to increase the coverage there.

It’s coming up on my favorite season, and Carly has been working hard to put together a schedule that will totally rock. I know she talked to some of you about what you would like to see, and we will work hard to address everyone’s requests. It’s not always an option, but I understand if we can get you something that makes your life outside of work better, that is a huge goal. If we can bid 37 (which is what we’re projecting right now….) there might be some options for 4/10’s or 5/4/9 shifts. Be aware - if you do want or end up bidding a 5/4/9, you CANNOT earn credit. It’s an administrative thing and I’m happy to give you the Crumbley version of why that is if you want to know. No promises on the alternate schedules, but know that effort is being made on that front. Please let me know if you’re interest in a 4/10 line or 5/4/9 line so we know where to focus our efforts.

I think that might be everything for now. I am here for you if you need anything, and PLEASE reach out with any questions or concerns and I will do my best to address them. You’re never bugging me, but if I’m busy and I don’t answer right away, know that I will as soon as I’m able.

I appreciate you!

Crumbley

360-635-8244

Updates for you

Happy Mid-June C Area! Just a few things for ya…

First - a BIG congrats and oodles of HIGH 5’s to JR for certifying on 47/48, joining the ranks of CPC! Many thanks to all the OJTI’s and fellow controllers who helped along his journey to success! Well done, all!

Additionally, lots of congrats and high 5’s all around to Jun for certifying on D47/48! Great job to all the controllers and OJTI’s who aided Jun in his success! Congrats!

Housekeeping - Still looking for someone to please wipe down the fridge in the back of the area for June.

Training checklists - if you see something that maybe shouldn’t be on a list, please make a * respectful * note on the checklist or email or text me what you would like to see changed. I am hoping the lists can be reviewed soon to make sure they are accurate and helpful towards training.

Glenn Wood has been given the info for the KPSC, KALW, KRLD arrival agreement between sectors 09 and 01, basically giving sector 09 control for descent for these three airports. Hoping it gets added to the route chan soon and briefed to the floor, but do watch for this in the future.

I also just received an email from Glenn about the aircraft using HOODOO without coordinating correctly. It sounds like NUW will be changing their internal SOP so it will be a requirement for an outside user to get a full briefing on the NAS scheduler on the airspace and how it works. Please let me know if this is still occurring or if you’re having any more issues with this.

I have been told about ZLC allowing aircraft to merge over PDT at the same altitude. I had a conversation with the ZLC VP and the area rep for U41. They are going to put it out to the workforce to remind the controllers to alleviate this situation if they see it building. Again, keep me posted if this isn’t resolving.

Summer is upon us, so I will throw out a gentle reminder to review your schedule as we have people on leave and you may be used for coverage here and there on shifts you weren’t expecting to have. If you have an overtime shift that you cannot work due to life (what? you made plans on your day off??), please help your fellow controllers by not leaving their shift short. Ask me to help you with ideas if you’d like, see if there is someone you can swap shifts with, or if there is someone who can cover your shift for you. Pay it back later if you can help cover for someone else at another time. I know time off is valuable and we all need that time away from the building, so please remember that we’re all in the same boat with not wanting to work short.

The C Area time slot to talk to the team to review frequency issues is the 28th at 8:00am. We are looking to make the Cottonwood BUEC the main since we use it so much, and the question about cross coupling has been brought up. I will let you know when the meeting is over how it went and what the results were.

Happy Fathers Day to all you 2-legged and 4-legged dads out there!

As always, I’m here for you if you have any questions, comments, or concerns you would like to see addressed. Please reach out if you need anything.

Thank you for all you do, I appreciate you!

Crumbley

360-635-8244

Lotsa Stuff for you

Here we are at the end of May. I have a lot to share with you and ask for your input on.

So - please read through to the end and know I do very much want to hear from you!

A few general announcements and info to share…

• A big WELCOME BACK to Blaser! We are so happy to have you back on the floor!

• Congrats and many high-5’s to Xylen for certifying on all the lows! A big thanks to all who helped him reach his goal. Well done!!

• Andreas is almost done with the dysim, we are looking forward to having you on the floor soon!

Some general info for ya…..

• I am still working on getting control for PSC arrivals from 01 for descent. The Route Chan order is being reviewed to have the section on control cleaned up a bit, so my goal is to have the new procedues included in this change.

• Airspace has sent an amendment to the depiction of the airspace where 01/09 overlap near ELN that will mirror what the LOA says to dispel any confusion on who has what altitudes. Be on the lookout for this change to take place.

• A gentle reminder - if a supervisor requests to talk to you and you aren’t sure if it’s involving or could lead to discipline, PLEASE ASK FOR A REP IF YOU’RE NOT OFFERED ONE. I (and any other area or facrep member) would rather you ask for one and it be nothing than you wishing you would have had someone in the room with you. If you have any questions about this at all, PLEASE ask!

• Our last round of IST went over EAP and CISM. I know it’s a public environment, so I thought I would send this contact info to you privately so you can save it if you wish. I encourage you to do so, but please don’t feel like it’s mandatory.

  • EAP 800-234-1327 http://www.magellanhealth.com/Member

  • CISM 202-505-2476 CISM@NATCA.NET

And, my favorite part……. How you can help!

• If you are interested in being the C Area QA Article 5, please let me know

• Tell me your thoughts on seeing the total delay for aircraft arriving SEA (not that we would take the total delay, but that we could see their total time and work with the A Area as to how much delay we would leave them with)

• I know these emails can be long, but the E-Board is working to get recording equipment to create a podcast of sorts. Please let me know if you’d be interested in hearing me drone on, or just reading me drone on in your own voice.

• If you have any thoughts on the Constitutional Changes that are being proposed, please let me know via text or email so I have a written record of your thoughts. I will share those with Drew and Amy as they get ready to share the facility’s position on the amendments being put forth. I strongly encourage you to attend the facility meeting Monday June 5th at 1:00. If you’re not able to make it, they will be sending out a link that you can listen to it through. This is your opportunity to share directly with them your position on these issues and get instant feedback from them.

• Thank you Liz for volunteering to clean the fridge in May! We need some more people to step up and pick a month to wipe down the mini-fridge in back of the area. Thank you for your help!!

• There will be a team of FAA Engineers (the radio technician peeps) at ZSE June 27-28 to do an audit of our existing Radio Frequency Interference and coverage problems. They are inviting a NATCA rep from every area to discuss the issues their area is having with this topic. Please let me know what issues you would like to have addressed, and I will send them to Garrett who is spearheading this. Be as detailed and thorough as possible, sector number, VHF/UHF, channel numbers, site names, and an overview of the issue in operational or practical terms. I will need this info before June 16th. If you would like to be the C Area point of contact for this, please let me know.

That’s all I had on my list. Thank you for all you do! I appreciate you and am available if you need anything.

Happy Memorial Day to you all!

Crumbley

360-635-8244

c.area.natca@gmail.com

Fridge and stuff

Happy April C Area!

I want to start off by congratulating Jackie Knox for getting a permanent position in Airspace! He has officially vacated the C area, which means we are in need of an Article 5 for Airspace. If you are interested, please let me know.

The status of the fridge behind the area (yes, there is a mini-fridge back there) has reached the status of 4th grade science fair award winner. Management is happy to throw the fridge away, but I will put that off for as long as we can, or as long as people are wanting it back there. I am going to clean it out today (MyTy sent me to work with 409 and gloves), but we as an area need to work together to keep the fridge from sending us into an ATC-0 status.

There will be a sign up sheet at the fridge, please pick a month and wipe down the inside and throw away anything that looks like it’s starting to colonize.

With all the overtime we’re starting to see, please let me know if management is doing anything weird with cancelling/adding….basically if management is having any “oversights” when it comes to following the MOU or contract.

As a reminder - I’m on vacation starting tomorrow. Devin will be around if you need any assistance before I get back.

I appreciate you all, have a wonderful Easter!

Crumbley

360-635-8244

2 Happy Guys

A few updates for you to round out March.

First - I would like to welcome Christopher Costanzo to the C-Area! He has been great about coming down to visit the floor and monitor the operation. Welcome Christopher!

Our 3 new D-side trainees will be joining us on the floor full time this week. There will be a LOT of training happening in the area, which is a great thing. A couple of gentle reminders for everyone…..

• We will all be impacted by the amount of training we need to get accomplished so we can get people certified. Please be patient and kind when it comes to getting our trainees time.

• Please remember to check your schedule on a regular basis! There is a lot of overtime coming down the pike as we roll into summer, and I completely understand that we can’t schedule our lives outside of work based on if we might get assigned overtime. Having said that, if you need out of your overtime, please do some leg work and see if there’s anyone you can swap with or cover part of your shift. If you need a 2nd set of eyes to help you navigate this, please reach out, I would be happy to look at this with you.

We finally got the ZSE/ZLC LOA back and I will review it soon. Pending everything looks good, you can expect to be briefed on it mid-April before it goes into effect towards the end of April. I will keep you posted.

I will be on vacation 4/6-4/15 and while I may be able to be reached if I am in cell service, I don’t want there to be any confusion on whether or not I care or want to be contacted. Having said this, I would rather you have Devin to fall back on while I’m out of town (thank you for being available Devin!) or you can save your concerns/complaints/comments/questions for when I return. If you have any questions about this, please feel free to ask.

There are no recent updates on the chair situation, but I will follow up with it and keep you posted. There have been some concerns about the broken or slow-moving chairs in the building but there has not been any follow up lately with it.

I am happy to report that both CZ and PM are in possession of the photo frames that were signed for them!

As always, I am here if you need anything and will do my best to ensure you’re getting info in a timely manner. Thank you all for everything you do, and know I appreciate you!

Take care,

Crumbley

360-635-8244

Happy March!

Iditarod started this past weekend with the smallest amount of mushers in the history of the race, 33. One has already scratched, but we will be sending good vibes to the rest of the participants that they have a safe trip to Nome!

Some other fun news - if you haven’t seen the announcement, Shanna delivered a healthy baby girl 2/25 named Clara. Sounds like mom and baby are doing great!

Spencer Sangiorgio certified on 47/48 and is now working on lows. Congrats to Spencer and all those who were involved in his success!

Congrats to JR who certified on 7/11! Well done to all who helped him achieve this goal! 47/48 is in your future!

Mike Seo is all nestled in at P80 learning everything about the Portland world, and Chaz worked his last shift with us last week before he heads south to warmer pastures. The next controller leaving the C Area will be Alex Unruh in May, followed by the retirement of Sierra Echo in June.

Help me to welcome Andreas Swanlinjung, our CPC transfer from Chicago Center. He is upstairs studying but has visited the floor a few times to introduce himself and hang out. Welcome, Andreas!

Some area updates….

We are still waiting for the LOA/AIT with ZLC regarding GPI and MSO arrivals to come back to us. I will keep you posted when that happens.

Lee has put in a request to have our broken chairs fixed or replaced, but (are you sitting down?) the agency is quick to note that they just might not move as quickly as one would hope. Or something like that. If you notice a chair being broken, please leave Lee a message or label the chair so we can hopefully get some good equipment in the area and some bad equipment out.

I just saw what I did there…. sitting down….

I have been talking to the A Area about getting control for PSC arrivals from Sector 01. Doesn’t sound like it will be a hard sell, and they are wanting to continue to look into some kind of change so point outs don’t have to happen to lows as often from 01 on the CHINS arrival when SEA is on a north flow. I will keep you posted if anything changes and will not implement anything until it has been run past you all.

Everyone liking the new carpet?? I have asked when the rest of it will be replaced. Basically, once the tiles that were removed have been cleaned and had the new carpet glued on (away from the area to prevent any residual fumes) we will discuss an installation date.

Here’s hoping this spring goes smoothly for us, as CPDLC and TEAM are rolled out. Please know I’m here if you have any questions or concerns, I always appreciate any help or input for the good of the area.

You are appreciated!

Crumbley

360-635-8244

February updating

Well, C Area - here we are, about halfway through February. Things are going well to the best of my knowledge, so let me give you a few updates and solicitations…..

First - staffing. We are coming into a big training season, having 3 new D sides, 2 supervisors, and 1 R side coming to the floor within the next couple of months. There will be lots of training happening, so please be patient with the needs of the students so we can get them done. Know that we will all be having a hand in providing OJT as well. There is an OJTI class coming up in April and we will be sending as many people as we can afford to get off the schedule to it. Additionally, please help welcome Alex Fontaine to the area, he is our newest Academy Grad and is upstairs studying when he isn’t in the area monitoring. He won’t be on the floor until probably after summer. We have a CPC-IT coming on the 28th and an Academy Grad March 6th (with more to come throughout the year, I will keep you posted).

Solicitations - We will be in need of an Article 5 starting around 5/8 for 3 weeks for the CPC-IT coming this month.

Amy is requesting volunteers for the Events Planning Committee for ZSE. If you’re interested in helping plan facility functions, please let me or Amy know!

Some other things going on……

The flooring in the area will be replaced soon. Get your spills out of your system so we can have somewhat of a clean floor…..! I will be working with Trevor in the D area to set a date for this to happen (they will be replacing the C and D areas the same night), so watch for that date to be announced. It will most likely be on a mid.

There was some concern about having enough cleaning supplies in the area. If you ask for some and it’s denied, please let me know. Management isn’t going to order as much as they did during covid, but there still needs to be some available in the area.

A big thank you to Ryan Cook who has volunteered to be the C Area SGET person! He will be going to OKC in early June for training so we can get our scenarios up to date for all our training needs. Thanks Ryan!

I finished TEAM training Wednesday this week. We still have a few things that need to be ironed out for our facility, but know that you will be getting training on how to use it starting Saturday. Training has been scheduled for 2 hours per class and will be held on day and swing shifts.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about anything. I am here to help and continue to move our area in a positive direction, and I appreciate you all for what you do.

Have a great Superbowl weekend!

Crumbley

360-635-8244

Winter Salutations

Hey C Area - we’ve made it through another month, through the schedule transition to new days off, through the beginning of a new year, and are heading into a spring of new information and changes.

Thanks for all your patience while I was out of town, I had a great time in Scotland with my mom and girlfriend from NORCAL. Back to the grind now!

Another big thank you as you patiently waited for my grievance to result in the change of duty assignments for the OS’s in the area. Lee is no longer doing the schedule, it is currently with Devon which has so far been a huge improvement. He is collaborating and talking with Carly in a constructive and open manner which is making everyone’s jobs a little easier, and is ensuring the schedule gets out timely which is nice.

There has been talk of reviewing all the options available to send a message to sector 01 when 09 is open. These are merely suggestions and are not requirements, and I will not be pushing for a requirement to be put into place. We need to continuously operate as if every position is open all the time so we don’t get into any bad habits, and I will be bringing this up when this topic arises. Having options to alert 01 that 09 is open isn’t a bad thing, but again - NOT A REQUIREMENT. If you have any questions about this, you have my digits.

There is talk of automated handoffs with Canada, MD is looking into other facilities that have LOA’s with Canada to see how they do it. Expect to hear more about this in the next coming months.

If you have any recommendations for anything you’d like to see changed within NATCA, amendments to the constitution will be received until 2/20. Please contact Drew Stewart and he will help you write it up.

We still need 1 TEAM Cadre if you are interested. The class is 2/7 & 2/8 from 8:30-1:30 online, and controllers will be taught how to use it in 2 hour classes, much like refreshers or briefings happen.

A CWG to help the ZSE areas work with TMU is gaining ground, so expect to hear more about that soon. The new ATM has a much more communicative relationship with NATCA, so you can expect to hear more good things in the coming future.

I have been in touch with the GEG Facrep, Cassie, about rumors that they will be having to give up YKM airspace. They are very short staffed for the month of February due to some family leave situations (as in staffing 8/8 for 7 positions), so we may see YKM opening more often just until March when people return from leave.

As always, please reach out if you have any questions or concerns. I appreciate all you do!

Have a great rest of January,

Crumbley

360-635-8244

January Updates

Hey there C Area!

I hope everyone had a great New Years - a fresh start to a new year full of opportunity, change, and volunteer opportunities!

SGET - We can still use a volunteer to go to Oklahoma City for training to be the C Area SGET person. There are a lot of scenarios that need updating for our area use.

TEAM - I don’t have a date for this, but we can use a TEAM Cadre. This is the program that we’ll use for filling out training forms and keeping track of training (to the best of my knowledge, I don’t know a lot about it other than it’s super helpful).

OJTI/CIC - There is an OJTI course and a CIC course coming up soon. If you haven’t been, don’t be surprised if you get to go!

IST - IST Cadre class is 3/14-15 or 3/16-17. We can usually use 2 cadres for this.

If you would like to volunteer, please let me or your Sup know by 1/15.

I know this is a lot to ask, and that there is a lot going on in general right now. Know that I don’t take your offers of your time lightly, and appreciate all you who are willing to step up and help. Our area is going to be pretty short this year, especially over the summer, and it’s going to take all of us working together to keep each other’s spirits up. Shift balancing is a bit of a necessary evil, unfortunately, but know that it IS tracked, and every effort is made to minimize the impact to your schedule and distribute the changes as evenly as possible. I know sometimes it doesn’t feel like this, so please have patience and understanding when your schedule doesn’t look like you had planned.

On another note, I will be out of the country and unavailable beginning the evening of Thursday 1/12 - the evening of Tuesday 1/17. Devin Carlisto will be available if you need anything while I’m gone or have any questions.

*I just got word, as of 1/27, COP will pretty much be done. They’re going to be asking for “medical proof” that you contracted COVID at work to approve COP.

There was talk spurred by the latest round of IST to get TMU to show the total delay of metered aircraft to the C Area. This wouldn’t mean that we would be required to eat the total delay, but we would set up an amount of time to give to the A Area. The idea of using this process and incorporating ZLC into setting up a reasonable amount of a delay for us has been brought up, but not discussed out of our area just yet. I would love your thoughts on this, please feel free to email them to me so I can keep them all together. The idea of a CWG that would work with TMU on how to help us when we go red is still smoldering, but with all the other things going on, it’s smoldering on a back burner. I will let you know when it is gaining ground, and would love someone to step forward to be a part of that.

As always, I appreciate everything you do to make our area super. Have a great rest of your week, and know that I’m available if you need anything. Or you can just add it to my list on the white board. Whoever suggested “remove this board” - thanks for the easy out! :)

Take care,

Crumbley

360-635-8244 (Unless it’s 1/12-1/17 = Carlisto)

Merry Happy Everything

Happy Saturday, C Area!

Now that I have power and WiFi service, I can send out a quick note to you all, expressing my gratitude for your patience as I navigate the day to day struggles, triumphs, challenges, and learning opportunities that have presented themselves to me these past few months.

Coming to the center from a terminal environment was a big change for me, made easier by your kindness and willingness to lend a helping hand. I continue to be reminded of things I maybe already should have known, and embrace the newness of the things that I get to grow in.

Reflecting on this Eve of Christmas, I hope that regardless of your circumstance, you take an opportunity to give thanks to those around you who help to make your world whole, who support and lift you up, who help you grow, and who ground you in your journey through life. We are very much pulled in a lot of external directions as a family member, employee, care taker, etc., and this can create a lot of internal pulls as well. Know that I appreciate all you do for our area and those who we serve.

A Merry Happy Holiday (whatever one it is in your home) to you all, and I look forward to what 2023 has in store for us (including our 5.15% pay raise!). We have a lot of change on the horizon and I hope you join me in celebrating the many upcoming life events we will get to share in.

Festively,

Crumbley

Moving forward

Hi there C Area!

My favorite season has come to a close. Bidding season is officially over, and as sad as I am to see it go, I will look forward to not having to log into bidATC for a while!

SPOT LEAVE REQUESTS - Spot leave can be entered for 2023 starting this coming Sunday, December 11th, at 2:00am. To be clear, that is this Saturday night-Sunday morning at 2:00am. If you have any questions about what Sunday at 2:00am means, please let me know. I will be posting this information in the area and reach out to anyone who may not be receiving this information. Any leave requested prior to 12/11/22 at 2:00am will be removed.

A big ‘ol CONGRATS to Jennifer Hilton (NextJen) for achieving CPC status! High 5’s to her and all who helped achieve this awesome goal! Well done all!

I’m available if you have any questions about anything. Thanks for all you do and for getting us through bidding timely! On to the next thing!

Have a great week, all

Crumbley

360-635-8244

Forgot something

Wanted to remind everyone that it is open season. This is the time to review your healthcare plan, dental, vision, and if you’d like, to sign up for an FSA account.

FSA is a way to help out with healthcare costs. You select the amount you want to have access to (you can do any amount from $0-$3000 (it’s somewhere around $3000, can’t remember the specific number)) and it will be divided amongst all your paychecks for the year. That amount gets withdrawn automatically each pay period, and you can use it for co-pays, glasses, contacts, prescriptions, basically anything healthcare related. It also is deducted pre-tax so it brings your taxable income down, which is always helpful.

fsafeds.com is the website, and if you have any questions that would be a great place to start.

OK, I’ll save whatever else I forgot for next time.

Crumbley

360-635-8244

Ending one season and beginning another...

Well, C Area, bidding is coming to a close here soon. We finished round 4 yesterday and I’m hoping we start round 5 today so we’re all done.

A reminder - if you’re interested in an AWS or any shift change requests, please fill the form out by this Thursday. If you’re not here (but still reading my emails - thanks! :) ) and want something submitted, please reach out to me and I’ll make sure it’s done.

Please don’t forget to submit you’re OT preference on bidATC. If you need help with this, I’m available.

As we approach the end of my favorite season, Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving Potlucks at work are just around the corner. If you work a swing shift on Thanksgiving, the B area has the master list of who is bringing what, so please sign up to bring a Thanksgiving food item to share with your fellow participants.

And then there’s the return of the much awaited C-Area C-Cret Santa! At the back of the room behind the leaning Christmas tree (I’ll look at it today) are short surveys in a little pocket on the wall. If you would like to participate, please fill one out and put it in the envelope to the right by December 1st. Names will be drawn at random and put in a super top-secret envelope. You’ll find your envelope with who you get to shop for in your headset box after 12/4. Please have your (work appropriate…!) gift under the tree by 12/15. There will also soon be stockings hanging in the area with everyones initials on them. Feel free to put little treats in them if the season inspires you!

There is a new addition to the C-Area, a white board with cork board under it, meant to hang announcements and other things on. I’m at a bit of a loss for where to put it, so it’s hanging on the back exit door for now. I tried finding another good place for it but I wasn’t very successful. If you have ideas or suggestions, I’m all ears.

And, to leave the best for last, a big High-5 and congrats to JR (no longer RJ) for certifying on the lows! Well done to him and everyone who helped make this possible. Nothing like a pay raise to enhance the holiday season!

Thanks everyone for doing great things and being awesome. I appreciate you all.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Crumbley

360-635-8244

Updates

Good Thursday C Area!

First, a BIG congrats to Chase Griffin who can now hang up his Action 5 News blazer for good! Well done to Chase and everyone who helped in reaching his CPC status. High 5’s all around!

CPDLC stuff - Please check your schedule. I mean, check it regularly anyway, but make sure you’re aware of when you will be in class. You will have a D08NF, D07NF, D06NF. These are your class dates. I know there are changes to your schedule that aren’t always helpful or your favorite, but if you don’t get through this class, you will be assigned another one. If you have any questions about this, please let me know.

Also - there will be a line in the next update to ERAM on your map. It will be in the upper right hand corner from 11 & 08 and will make a little triangle that heads up towards Canada. My descriptive drawing skills were never my forte, just know that there will be a line that you will learn the meaning for it in your CPDLC class. Questions…? You know the drill.

We will start round 4 this morning, sorry it’s taken so long. Needed to get a few things figured out before I hit start. We have an “extra” pay period next year, essentially pay period 1 starts Dec 17 and gives us an extra pay period of leave hours for the year. For round 4, 8-hour earners can bid up to 7 days. Please keep the bidding moving so we can get the leave requests entered ASAP and not lose any slots in January.

If you haven’t already heard, we will be receiving a pay raise in January of 4.6%. I don’t have the exact locality change yet, will let you know when I hear.

I have been getting word of the E75’s requesting lower going into PSC from sector 1. I will follow up with this with the A area to see if we can get control of these guys. If you’re seeing anything else that could use some attention with all the changes we’re going through, please share.

As a housekeeping note - lets all be nice. If you’re working a mid with someone who doesn’t work it the same way as you, work with them to discuss the plan. Or if it looks like it will be busy, keep it split. Management is looking at how things are run after 9pm and what we DON’T want is for them to have to mandate how late things are kept split or open. Be back from break on time. Check on those who are working if you’re here late. All things we do a great job with normally, lets keep it up and keep management from wanting to meddle as much as possible.

I know Vancouver has been clearing aircraft direct JAKSN on the GLASR arrival, and this has been forwarded to airspace for them to look into.

I’m probably forgetting something, so I’ll try to remember for next time. Have a great week and keep on keepin on.

Crumbley

360-635-8244

AWS/Swap requests

Hello C Area,

I am putting AWS/Swap request forms in the area today. If you are interested in submitting a request, please fill out a form and put it in the envelope under the forms by 11/24 so we can organize them and have them addressed as soon as possible.

Some things to note -

Annika is leaving as of this Friday for a 2 year detail. The interim OM will be Stan, and Robello will be the OM as of the beginning of December.

If you submit a request of a 5-4-9 nature (where your 80 hours is not divided up evenly between the two administrative work weeks), you cannot earn credit.

We have added a section at the bottom for any requests or goals you might have with your shifts. Example - “I would like to not work earlier than an 8 on my day shifts”. This doesn’t mean they will always get approved, but if someone is requesting to work shifts that help you get to those 8’s, we can work to help both parties get something a little closer to what they would ultimately like.

As always, let me know if you have any questions. Have a great rest of your week!

Crumbley

360-635-8244

Round and round we go!

Round 3 starts today! This is the round where you can bid 5 non consecutive days, so start looking at the available slots and making your list of days you want to bid off. This will help keep the rounds moving.

Trainees - your round 2 started today. Please let me know if you have any issues with selecting your days. 5 consecutive days for you guys on this round, and no bidding around full slots. Bidding around your RDOs is A-OK.

If you need any help bidding, please reach out.

Happy Bidding everyone!

Crumbley

360-635-8244

Update

Happy Wednesday C Area,

A BIG congrats to Hunter for getting certified in the area! YAY! Another CPC! High 5’s all around to everyone who worked hard to guide him along his path to success. Well done, all!

We’re doing great on round 2 of bidding. A couple things for you about bidding and next years schedule.

The 1330’s on the schedule for next year will have a full 30 minute flex on them, meaning you can come in at 1300. The “B” schedules won’t be regularly assigned, but please look over your schedule in case management assigns it to you.

Round 3 is your opportunity to bid 5 non-consecutive days, and I will make sure to let you know when that begins.

Please remember - if you are notified while on duty status, you have 1 hour to complete your bid. If you’re having any issues with this, or anything to do with bidding, please let me know.

Have a great rest of your week and a fantastic Halloween!

Crumbley

360-635-8244

Round 2

First of all, I want to thank you all for your patience. Saturday was a bit of a mess, but with a lot of phone calls and verifying, I got the seniority issues all fixed and we were on our way. I have learned a lot and am really hoping to retain some of this knowledge so it goes even smoother next year!

A BIG congrats to Grant for finishing training completely! Well done to you and all who made your success possible. Give a high five to our newest CPC when you see him.

Another big congrats (you’ll get all caps when you’re done :) ) goes out to Chase for certifying on 47/48. Again, great job everyone involved in his continued success!

I spent the morning working with management to reallocate leave and get some more slots in areas that will help a bunch of people out. Some of the changes -

Extra time around spring break (both weeks depending on the school districts) and mid winter break

Extra days around the 4th of July

Extra days around the end of school and the beginning of the school year

An extra leave slot on Halloween and the day after

An extra week of leave around Thanksgiving

An extra week of leave around Christmas

We will start round 2 soon. I am working to make sure our trainees are in BidATC so they can start the bidding process as well.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns with anything. I appreciate all you do! Have a great rest of your week!

Crumbley

360-635-8244

Bidding

Good morning,

So, I don’t know if you know this, but I’m new at all this and was a bit slow at starting the bid process this morning. But I did and Jackie is up! :)

REMEMBER - look at the lines you’re bidding for the notes about the Mid Priority Line, especially Sat/Sun and Wed/Thurs. (provided that’s where Chaz and Alex bid).

REMEMBER - to ADD WEEK before hitting submit so you get your 2 weeks of leave on this first round.

Trainees - we will get your lines figured out as soon as the CPCs have bid.

Please reach out with questions and I’ll get them answered ASAP.

Happy Bidding!

Crumbley

360-635-8244