All,

Derek, Amy, and I wrapped up the bulk of negotiations last week on next year’s MOUs and we hope to have the finishing touches on them in the next week or so. We will send them out to you all after that. We also have a new CPC-IT headed to the D-Area. Katrina Linder from PHL Tower/TRACON arrived last week and is in the training department now. Feel free to go say hi when you get a chance. To answer the question you are all undoubtedly wondering, she is after Hadzick but ahead of Morgan/Dippe in seniority.

BTG Times

Still working on getting both lists added to the scopes. Garret and I are coordinating with Jason Revercomb from FAST but he is on the road right now so it might still be a little while. The biggest question we are trying to figure out is if we display both times, which one goes in the data block? I will let you know when I know more.

Frequency Site Name Change

Tech Ops has requested to change the button labels on the VSCS to more accurately reflect the actual site names and bring the D area in line with the rest of the facility (as well as most facilities in the country). This will be done by 9/18. Nothing is actually moving but the names will be different. As shown below, MFR will say QKN. Site locations of each channel are still in the ERIDs and sector binders. So you might reach for a frequency expecting it to say something different than it does. It is still the same frequency and the same site, just with a different label. This will take some adjustment. You can expect something in your CEDAR about this as well.

This is from Tech Ops to explain the change:

RCAG CH #          VSCS A/G Button Label   TechOps Official Site name

6, 8, & 13             MFR                                       QKN

24                        EUG                                     QXWA

26 &39                FOT                                      QQBA

52                        FJS                                          31A

2020 Schedule

Angie and I have been working on next year’s schedule and I just wanna give it to you guys straight. YIKES. It is not looking good. There are still a few variables in play, but it looks like we will be bidding less lines than last year. We want to be cautious about bidding trainees as FPLs so we don’t end up with holes on the schedule right out the gate or not have the ability to get people trained. All that being said, as always, I am open to any and all suggestions regarding what you think our schedule should look like next year. We aren’t going to have a lot of flexibility for AWSs, but if you have one in mind, please let Angie or me know.

I do want to add one thing about the shifts themselves. I know that you all still really want 2300 mids. I am fighting tooth and nail to keep those. I am citing fatigue among many other reasons as to why we should keep them. The chief argument I am making is that we have them right now (and have for years) with NO ISSUES. So I do not understand why Lee wants to change them. All that being said, we are fighting an uphill battle.

Article 32 Section 3 of the CBA says:

The Agency shall establish three (3) core shifts: Day, Evening, and Midnight shifts and no more than three (3) ancillary shifts attached to each core shift. Absent mutual agreement at the facility level, there will be no more than three (3) ancillary shifts attached to each core shift. Any additional ancillary shifts are to be negotiated at the local level. All core and ancillary shifts will be incorporated in the annual BWS agreement(s).

So the agency shall establish the shifts. I can negotiate to get the 2300 mids added as an ancillary, but without it being a core shift, there is no guarantee that it will be assigned as part of our schedule. Even if it is, they could shift balance us back to the 2230 and not be violating the MOU.

I just want to give you all the fullest picture I can on what we are up against with keeping our 2300 mids.

In Solidarity,

Drew