Hello all,
I just wanted to give everyone a brief update of what I know and what to be expecting in the next week or so regarding how our facility is dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sanitization: I have seen everyone using the disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizer in the area. Don Hill has committed to maintaining our supply but has asked that we do not throw away the empty hand sanitizer dispensers. They have bags of sanitizer to refill the dispensers but no more new dispensers. There are also latex gloves available at the OM desk if you feel the need to use them.
Guards/Doors: In order to prevent the touching of the badges, Don has arranged for us to have a paper on our dash indicating we are an employee so they can just look at your badge instead of scanning it. There have been discussions about making the doors open automatically to the control room when you scan your badge but, currently, the paper towel method is what the facility has chosen to go with.
Gym: Due to the lack of cleaning that is done in the basement, the gym is closed until further notice.
Training: Any non-certified developmentals have been put on EA during the national emergency. I have asked about the possibility of expanding EA to every trainee that is not certified on normally staffed positions, but so far that has yet to be implemented. As for the national training initiatives directing how many hours per week are required, they have been put on hold. For those of you that are on EA, there is no need for you to call into work each day as some of you were told before. Management has asked, however, that if you go from asymptomatic to symptomatic you need contact the facility.
Management has been briefed to only allow training when it makes sense to have a sector open. Opening only necessary d-sides will lessen the amount of individuals working in close proximity to one another. If there is someone who is only certified on d-sides, they are to be given other things to do when they are not needed in the control room.
Leave: If you are sick or are caring for a sick family member, please use sick leave. If you have been told to quarantine by a CDC official, then it is my understanding that you will be given EA. If you are diagnosed with COVID-19 you are to use sick leave. The FAA has loosened the restrictions on granting up to 240 hours of advanced sick leave so if you find yourself short on hours that may be an option to consider.
I would like to thank everyone for working through this difficult situation with professionalism and with care of yourselves and your communities. Derek and the rest of our local NATCA leadership has worked hard on ensuring that the safety of the workforce is at the forefront of every decision that is being made. This is a dynamic situation and things change rapidly so I expect to continue to see decisions made that lessen the risk to our facility.
In Solidarity,
Jared Zimmerman