Hoo Boy! It's about time!!

from CNN:

Air traffic control technicians plan nationwide protest

July 15, 1999 Web posted at: 4:57 p.m. EDT (2057 GMT)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Technicians who maintain the nation's air traffic control system planned to leaflet 21 airports across the country Friday, complaining that equipment is being rushed into service without sufficient testing or training.

The Federal Aviation Administration, which is responsible for ensuring the system's safety, said the labor union representing the 10,000 technicians is merely trying to spur along stalled contract negotiations. The union has been without a contract since February 1997.

"We go through an extensive development and testing of equipment before it is even sent to the specific air traffic facility," said FAA spokesman William Shumann.

Air control outages prompt union's concern

The Professional Airways Systems Specialists union says a "rush to modernize" the system has caused equipment outages and traffic delays at facilities controlling air travel in several cities, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, New York and Los Angeles.

Indeed, there have been at least six serious outages from New York to Seattle since January, but they have been blamed on a variety of causes. Among them have been power failures, faulty computers and software glitches.

Another outage on July 8 in Miami was caused when a contractor working on a communications system accidentally tripped circuit breakers.

"The biggest problem is that the Federal Aviation Administration is not listening to its highly skilled technicians about how the outages can be avoided," said a statement by union President Michael D. Fanfalone. "The agency has also refused to provide appropriate staffing levels or to train employees on new technology so they can quickly deal with equipment failures."

FAA says replacements not compromising safety

The FAA says a $13 billion upgrade of the nation's air traffic control system now under way should reduce such problems and make maintenance easier.

Shumann, the FAA spokesman, said contract negotiations have bogged down over pay, job security and the amount and type of work that can be transferred to private contractors.

The agency adamantly denied that its equipment replacements have jeopardized air traveler safety.

"On major systems, we introduce them gradually into operation so both the technicians and the controllers are fully aware of the systems and comfortable with it when we use it exclusively to control air traffic," Shumann said.

He also complained that leaflets distributed by the union on July 2 did not disclose that the union was in the midst of negotiating a contract with the FAA.

The system specialists planned to distribute leaflets in Atlanta; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Beaumont, Texas; Buffalo, New York; Corpus Christi, Texas; Covington, Kentucky; Dallas; Houston; Indianapolis; Jacksonville, Florida; Knoxville, Tennessee; Memphis, Tennessee; Nashville, Tennessee; Oklahoma City; Orlando, Florida; Pittsburgh; San Antonio; Seattle; Tampa, Florida; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Tyler, Texas.

The leaflets provided the telephone number for the Capitol switchboard and urged readers to call their local congressman and register their views.

Copyright 1999 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

-- Roland (nottelling@nowhere.com), July 15, 1999

Answers

TOP

-- Roland (nottelling@nowhere.com), July 15, 1999.

"Technicians who maintain the nation's air traffic control system planned to leaflet 21 airports across the country Friday, complaining that equipment is being rushed into service without sufficient testing or training. "

Guess they got the testing ultimatum..er, ah, "ultimate testing", also...

-- a (a@a.a), July 15, 1999.

Professional Airways Systems Specialists

http://www.passnational.org/

Since 1977, PASS has provided exclusive union representation for over 10,000 Technical and Aviation Systems Specialists employed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Today, the PASS bargaining units comprise: Airway Facilities Technicians and Systems Specialists; Flight Standards Aviation Safety Inspectors and employees; and Office of Aviation Standards Pilots and Procedures Specialists. PASS also represents a growing number of Department of Defense (DOD) Systems Specialists.

On a daily basis, our FAA and DOD Systems Specialists and Technicians install, repair, maintain, operate and certify over 37,000 facilities and equipment used in air traffic control and national defense. Meanwhile, our Aviation Safety Inspectors oversee and inspect every aspect of the commercial and general aviation industry. Finally, our Systems Standards Pilots and Procedures Specialists maintain the National Airspace System through flight procedures development, flight data collection and navigational systems quality analysis.

PASS News

http:// www.passnational.org/News/news.html

Note the Press Releases area on the PASS News page. With topics like...

 July 8, 1999 FAA Contractor Causes Major Outage in Miami.
 July 2, 1999 FAA Technicians Issue Holiday Travel Advisory
 June 30, 1999 FAA's STARS Project Falls Behind Again.
 May 28, 1999 FAA/PASS Agrees to Mediation
 May 7, 1999 FAA Haste Brings On Significant Chicago Outage
 April 7, 1999 Statement on the Federal Aviation Administration's STARS Program.
 March 8, 1999 FAA Budget Fiasco Threatens Air Safety
 February 4, 1999 FAA Rush to Modernize Air System Unraveling
 February 2, 1999 FAA Pushes Air Traffic Computer Into Service
 January 22, 1999 Air Safety Considerations BYPASSED BY FAA
 January 4, 1999 FAA Delays Live Testing of Air Safety Computers

Also...

Broadcast Message for Monday, July 5, 1999. (Talks about leaflets for July 16th)

http:/ /www.passnational.org/News/070599broadcast.html

Under the Legislative Review area are some Testimony links...

http://www.passnational.org/Legislative/legislative.html

Interesting.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), July 15, 1999.

Dianne,

Please briefly describe the situation. Then I will determine whether it's worth spending hours on. EVERYONE has 24 hours in a day.

Thanks,

-- Mike (midwestmike_@hotmail.com), July 15, 1999.

Mike,

Our members try to advise the FAA on necessary repairs and proper testing of systems, but they just ignore us in a rush to meet deadlines, Fanfalone said. If the FAA won't listen to its own experts, our only choice is to take our concerns to the American public. After all, it's the traveling public's safety and satisfaction that's at stake.

http:// www.passnational.org/News/pr070299.html

Basically, a lot of errors are being made by inexperienced contractors, who are rushing to meet deadlines and those mistakes are endangering flying public safety. (Not to mention the FAA rush with equipment that doesn't work).

PASS represents some 10,000 FAA and Department of Defense workers who install, repair, maintain, operate and certify air traffic control and national defense equipment, oversee the commercial and general aviation system and maintain the National Airspace System.

They dont SAY Y2K deadlines, but, we all suspect, thats what they mean. This year.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), July 15, 1999.