Narrative:

What I am submitting to you is possibly the most important report I have ever submitted describing the FAA's highest disregard for safety of flight I have ever seen -- and I have seen many. The meetings proposed herein show not only disregard for their employees who have to pick up the slack; the controllers; but disregard for air travelers and the american taxpayers in general by spending millions of dollars unnecessarily. As you most likely are aware; the FAA -- through smoke and mirror tactics -- have gained not a contract but an imposed set of work rules on the nation's air traffic controllers. We do not have a contract since a contract takes the agreement of 2 parties and natca did not agree to the set of work rules that a small group of congress allowed to go into effect by their failure to vote to preclude it. The FAA has chosen to call most if not all their mgrs to various locations to be briefed on a set of rules that are in writing and very clear. Sending one or a few mgrs from severely understaffed facilities for such a briefing in and of itself would be unsafe enough; but to require all mgrs over several weeks to receive such training will leave the entire nation's -- let me say that again -- the entire nation's facilities understaffed more than the critical level they are already during what is one of the traditionally peak traffic and travel time for the entire nation. This verges on a criminal act; especially when these briefings could; can and in fact will be done via other means in the future without personnel having to leave the facility for great periods. Rather than waiting for a less critical time to conduct these briefings; the FAA arrogantly chooses to pull critical staff out of facilities all over the nation during peak traffic. If anything; anything happens in a facility that is understaffed; and I don't know of many that aren't; it needs to be known that the FAA willingly and irresponsibly scheduled these meetings at a taxpayer cost of millions of dollars during a time when we most need supervisors in the facilities.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING FACILITY STAFFING AND FAA'S TIMING OF MANDATORY MGMNT BRIEFINGS OF THE NEW UNION CONTRACT.

Narrative: WHAT I AM SUBMITTING TO YOU IS POSSIBLY THE MOST IMPORTANT RPT I HAVE EVER SUBMITTED DESCRIBING THE FAA'S HIGHEST DISREGARD FOR SAFETY OF FLT I HAVE EVER SEEN -- AND I HAVE SEEN MANY. THE MEETINGS PROPOSED HEREIN SHOW NOT ONLY DISREGARD FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE TO PICK UP THE SLACK; THE CTLRS; BUT DISREGARD FOR AIR TRAVELERS AND THE AMERICAN TAXPAYERS IN GENERAL BY SPENDING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS UNNECESSARILY. AS YOU MOST LIKELY ARE AWARE; THE FAA -- THROUGH SMOKE AND MIRROR TACTICS -- HAVE GAINED NOT A CONTRACT BUT AN IMPOSED SET OF WORK RULES ON THE NATION'S AIR TFC CTLRS. WE DO NOT HAVE A CONTRACT SINCE A CONTRACT TAKES THE AGREEMENT OF 2 PARTIES AND NATCA DID NOT AGREE TO THE SET OF WORK RULES THAT A SMALL GROUP OF CONGRESS ALLOWED TO GO INTO EFFECT BY THEIR FAILURE TO VOTE TO PRECLUDE IT. THE FAA HAS CHOSEN TO CALL MOST IF NOT ALL THEIR MGRS TO VARIOUS LOCATIONS TO BE BRIEFED ON A SET OF RULES THAT ARE IN WRITING AND VERY CLR. SENDING ONE OR A FEW MGRS FROM SEVERELY UNDERSTAFFED FACILITIES FOR SUCH A BRIEFING IN AND OF ITSELF WOULD BE UNSAFE ENOUGH; BUT TO REQUIRE ALL MGRS OVER SEVERAL WKS TO RECEIVE SUCH TRAINING WILL LEAVE THE ENTIRE NATION'S -- LET ME SAY THAT AGAIN -- THE ENTIRE NATION'S FACILITIES UNDERSTAFFED MORE THAN THE CRITICAL LEVEL THEY ARE ALREADY DURING WHAT IS ONE OF THE TRADITIONALLY PEAK TFC AND TRAVEL TIME FOR THE ENTIRE NATION. THIS VERGES ON A CRIMINAL ACT; ESPECIALLY WHEN THESE BRIEFINGS COULD; CAN AND IN FACT WILL BE DONE VIA OTHER MEANS IN THE FUTURE WITHOUT PERSONNEL HAVING TO LEAVE THE FACILITY FOR GREAT PERIODS. RATHER THAN WAITING FOR A LESS CRITICAL TIME TO CONDUCT THESE BRIEFINGS; THE FAA ARROGANTLY CHOOSES TO PULL CRITICAL STAFF OUT OF FACILITIES ALL OVER THE NATION DURING PEAK TFC. IF ANYTHING; ANYTHING HAPPENS IN A FACILITY THAT IS UNDERSTAFFED; AND I DON'T KNOW OF MANY THAT AREN'T; IT NEEDS TO BE KNOWN THAT THE FAA WILLINGLY AND IRRESPONSIBLY SCHEDULED THESE MEETINGS AT A TAXPAYER COST OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS DURING A TIME WHEN WE MOST NEED SUPVRS IN THE FACILITIES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.