u/Local-Emu9654

Just received an 11 page notice of public hearing & proposed utility rate adjustments from the city. The notice included a proposed rate increase of 20% per year for the next 5 years. This is to cover the significant increase in inflation (since 2021), supply chain delays, rising labor costs, and a significant amount of unfunded maintenance/improvements. Why aren’t we operating as a utility?! I mean we are providing an essential public service much like a utility service! We are continually asked to do more with less only to receive negligible raises that lag severely behind the rising cost of living. If my utility can raise their prices 20%/yr for 5 years straight, I think we should be able to do the same. It seams that the FAA and NATCA leadership thinks that they can get away with giving us peanut raises and somehow then use that “achievement” to get cushy jobs representing airlines afterwards.

Staying in the union is not going to bring about any meaningful change because the entire leadership is rotten and it’s impossible to vote everyone out at least in one or two rounds. The most EXPEDIENT solution to get the changes we so desperately need is stop our dues deductions. The more people that do this the faster we will see change. With no money, they can’t fund their travel, collaboration BS, and spend our money on drinks, restaurants, hotels, and flights. Also, why are we doing CFS or conventions in person when the last two conventions achieved nothing and we are still stuck in the same hole; underpaid, understaffed, and shittier working conditions? We stop those too and force the remaining members to recognize NATCA for what it truly represents, a social club and a barrier to improved pay, benefits, and working conditions for all members.

This is especially true for NATCA. In fact, the higher up the authority ladder you go (both FAA & NATCA) the less they care about what is happening in your life and what challenges you may be facing. They just need a body to show up and do the work without making THEM look bad in front of THEIR superiors/peers. Take care of yourself and do what’s in YOUR best interest. I am shocked by how much time controllers spend volunteering for shit or offering free labor to the union and paying dues for very little to nothing in return. Once you are gone, the FAA and NATCA will replace you with yet another body. They rely on your goodwill to do a lot of the heavy lifting for the organization but everything they do is always first and foremost in THEIR own best interest. Prioritize your goals and your wellbeing. I am not saying be a dick to your fellow controllers but know how to separate what’s required of you and what isn’t. I recommend sitting down with your loved one(s) or by yourself during a weekend (preferable at least a 2-day weekend) to really consider what your time is worth to you and what your goals are in life. I really love this quote: “If you don't design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else's plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much." -Jim Rohn

We are being robbed, and NATCA is complicit!

We are about to get that massive 1.6% NATCA raise! 😅