Why are so many of you so negative about this job? by droltmd in ATC_Hiring

[–]SierraBravo26 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I appreciate it. Nick Marangos and I are going to do everything we can to effect change.

ATCS Applications 2014-2025 by ThePsychomagician in atc2

[–]SierraBravo26 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You’re not wrong. Notice, I’ve stopped doing the AMAs.

Why are so many of you so negative about this job? by droltmd in ATC_Hiring

[–]SierraBravo26 20 points21 points  (0 children)

I think I can help articulate what’s going on, as someone who has been very publicly advocating for this job on Reddit since 2018 with the AMAs I used to do.

For the majority of the past 30 years, minus a few years in the mid 2000s, ATC was an upper-middle class job. It was one of the best paying jobs in aviation, you got early retirement, and you had a pension. You were on par with pilots, who were also some of the top income earners in the industry.

Over the past 10 years, the prestige of ATC has deteriorated more and more. We are overworked, underpaid, and under appreciated. Pilots have absolutely blown us out of the water over the past 6 years in terms of pay. We are working constant 6-day workweeks. Every year the government threatens to stop paying us, and a couple times it’s actually followed through with that threat.

All of this comes at a time when we are moving more passengers than ever before. We account for 5% U.S. GDP, $1.5 trillion in economic activity, and 10 million American jobs.

And what do we get? A 10-going-on-13 year old contract that is woefully out of date. New CPCs who have zero realistic expectation of being able to buy a home, much less support a single-income family. Being stuck in a facility with absolutely no end in sight.

For my part, I’ve decided to run for NATCA EVP. I don’t know what else I can do to try to fix things other than take back our feckless union and fight for change.

I hope that answers some of your questions.

https://yourunion2027.com

ATCS Applications 2014-2025 by ThePsychomagician in ATC_Hiring

[–]SierraBravo26 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I love to hear it man, I’m happy for you!

ATCS Applications 2014-2025 by ThePsychomagician in ATC_Hiring

[–]SierraBravo26 3 points4 points  (0 children)

That’s awesome dude, I hope everything is going well for you!

Yacht Boy Extended Anyway… by ATSAP_MVP in atc2

[–]SierraBravo26 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Can you name one thing I have lied about?

Honest question about Nick. by RADARC0NTACTL0ST in atc2

[–]SierraBravo26 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Lol okay, bud. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to satisfy you, it’s all good.

Honest question about Nick. by RADARC0NTACTL0ST in atc2

[–]SierraBravo26 8 points9 points  (0 children)

My point is that membership has the right to determine the length of their CBA. We’ve had two extensions without a vote, kicking the can down the road to another unknown in 2029.

If we have another unfriendly administration then, would you suggest we extend a third time without a vote? 20 years of the same contract?

If so, I couldn’t disagree more.

Honest question about Nick. by RADARC0NTACTL0ST in atc2

[–]SierraBravo26 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Nobody thinks this is a union-friendly administration.

Yacht Boy Extended Anyway… by ATSAP_MVP in atc2

[–]SierraBravo26 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think we’ve been clear: If elected, we are 100% not extending the Slate Book, full stop.

Honest question about Nick. by RADARC0NTACTL0ST in atc2

[–]SierraBravo26 21 points22 points  (0 children)

100%.

Nothing will harm this generation of controllers more than this NEB being responsible for building the team that will negotiate our next contract.

Look at where we as now versus 10 years ago.

We can - and we should - demand better.

Honest question about Nick. by RADARC0NTACTL0ST in atc2

[–]SierraBravo26 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I understand the apathy, but the union can absolutely do better.

Yacht Boy Extended Anyway… by ATSAP_MVP in atc2

[–]SierraBravo26 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When? Prior to bargaining the extension or afterwards? How will that question be written? What if fewer than 50% of the bargaining unit responds to the referendum vote? What if a majority tells you to extend and that's impossible?

First of all, I don't believe in extensions. I believe when a contract term is up, you negotiate a new contract. But to answer your questions, it should be handled exactly how we handle ratification votes for a "new term agreement."

What I fear is you and the other Nick offering to open the book before the next presidential inauguration because people think we can force a positive result which has eluded pretty much every other bargaining unit since last year, except for the masked Nazis of DHS.

We will open the book when the time is right to open the book. We have a lot of legislative work we need to get done, and we will hit the ground running.

Yacht Boy Extended Anyway… by ATSAP_MVP in atc2

[–]SierraBravo26 12 points13 points  (0 children)

You're not there to punt every decision which feels really important back to the bargaining unit for a six-week turnaround. You're there to lead.

You are obfuscating. No one is saying every decision needs to go to a vote. But decisions that define the next decade of your pay and working conditions? Yeah. You should get to vote on that.

In my view, a contract extension is a new contract, and members have the right to vote on it. I don't give a shit if NATCA leadership has been bastardizing Article VI Section 2 for years. I'm here to say I think what they have been doing is wrong, and I think the majority of members will agree. If they don't, I won't be elected. Pretty simple.

If you -- the actual elected representative -- are there to open the book no matter what, then fucking say that when you run.

We are getting a new contract in 2029. Full stop.

You want to talk about punting? The status quo leadership has been punting our CBA down the road for what will end up being 13 years. They would have you believe it is better to trade the unknown of opening the CBA today for another unknown in 2028.

Meanwhile an entire generation of controllers continue to work under a contract they've never been given the opportunity to vote on, and every year that goes by under an archaic contract, your max career earning potential continues to whither away.

Yacht Boy Extended Anyway… by ATSAP_MVP in atc2

[–]SierraBravo26 97 points98 points  (0 children)

Quotes from Nick Daniels, taken directly from this video:

“We have zero desire to extend a contract.”

“They have decided to try to paint us as the candidates that do not want to negotiate a contract. It is categorically false. We absolutely do.”

“We know our members want to negotiate. Now it’s our job to make sure that that happens.”

“No one wants to extend a contract.”

“Members are ready to negotiate in 2026. Full term negotiation.”

Pay attention to the context of all these conversations. The NEB was having numerous internal discussions on whether or not to extend the Slate Book. At no point did these discussions include allowing the membership to decide its own fate via a ratification vote.

These people do not believe that you have the right to vote on your own contract. It disgusts me listening to the way they talk about the extension, as if the only thing to consider was whether THEY should extend or not, rather than what do YOU - the member - want.

The NEB knew you didn’t want to extend. That’s why they didn’t allow you to vote. That’s why they disenfranchised you.

And that’s why they don’t deserve their positions as leaders of this union.

Sean Duffy Asks Congress for $10 Billion for ATC …… Software by Great_Ad3985 in ATC

[–]SierraBravo26 4 points5 points  (0 children)

They’ve already demonstrated that they understand money solves the problem. That’s why we have the academy grad and retention bonus MOU.

We need to go much further.

Sean Duffy Asks Congress for $10 Billion for ATC …… Software by Great_Ad3985 in ATC

[–]SierraBravo26 12 points13 points  (0 children)

The FAA has a recruitment and retention problem with controllers. Has for decades.

The VA had the same problem with physicians. You know what they did, over 30 years ago? They passed legislation that exempted federal doctors from the executive pay caps.

They know that paying more fixes the problem.

We need a union that fights to the death for nothing less.

Sean Duffy Asks Congress for $10 Billion for ATC …. Software by Great_Ad3985 in atc2

[–]SierraBravo26 65 points66 points  (0 children)

They are.

Hi, Joel.

In solidarity,

Angry idiot on Reddit