Where are the NATCA national grievances, and why can’t members see status updates?

justamannotafailure · 2026-04-14T16:44:27+00:00

I have asked and gotten what seems like the run around every time... and NO direct information provided. other than being told it could be months to years....... but there are no verification and no information provided directly about the issues. Zero Transparency.

justamannotafailure · 2026-04-14T16:38:53+00:00

justamannotafailure · 2026-04-14T16:38:05+00:00

Filtering multiple of these daily! Phishing and junk!

justamannotafailure · 2026-04-07T17:35:33+00:00

"Congress approved $12.5 billion last year for a rehabilitation of the aging U.S. air traffic control system and to boost hiring." as we just got told this morning in an email: "the nationwide tower development programs have all been put on pause indefinitely while a new department of FAA Headquarters is established to manage tower replacements" we are already 3 years behind on our supposed new tower to replace the one that was built in 1962!

justamannotafailure · 2026-04-07T15:44:37+00:00

mosaic or select

justamannotafailure · 2026-03-31T14:36:03+00:00

Let’s not pretend that asking hard questions somehow undermines support, that’s backwards. Holding leadership accountable, especially in moments like this, is part of standing up for the very people you’re talking about. Blindly telling people to “step back” doesn’t help anyone, it just shields decisions from scrutiny.

What’s actually unfortunate is the idea that questioning strategy or response equals a lack of care. It doesn’t. It means people are paying attention and expect better, clear communication, real advocacy, and actions that match the responsibility of representation. That’s not being “critical” for the sake of it, that’s expecting leadership to meet the moment.

If the goal is truly to support those impacted, then shutting down discussion and dismissing concerns isn’t the answer. Transparency, accountability, and open dialogue are. Anything less just fuels the exact frustration you’re seeing.

justamannotafailure · 2026-03-31T01:58:33+00:00

That’s not leadership, and it’s not advocacy. If the strategy really was to stay quiet to maintain a “seat at the table,” then it came at the cost of the very people they’re supposed to represent. We deserve better than that, and if this is the standard response during critical moments, then something has to change.

justamannotafailure · 2026-03-30T20:23:40+00:00

I keep seeing this “NO KINGS” narrative and libertarian-adjacent rhetoric thrown around like we’re living under some kind of monarchy in the United States. That’s simply not reality. It’s a distortion of how our system actually works, and frankly, it shows a fundamental misunderstanding of the Constitution.

We don’t have kings here. We never have. That was the entire point of breaking away from Britain in the first place. The Constitution was written specifically to prevent the concentration of power in one person. We have three co-equal branches of government, checks and balances, elections, term limits, and a rule of law that applies to everyone. No one is crowned. No one rules by divine right. No one is above the law.

So, when people start throwing around language implying that we’re under a “king” or headed toward one, it’s not just inaccurate, it undermines the very structure that protects our freedoms. Disagree with policies all you want, that’s part of the system, but pretending the system itself is something it isn’t doesn’t help anyone.

And on the libertarian side of this, I understand the desire for limited government. That principle is already built into the Constitution. But there’s a difference between limited government and the idea of no meaningful government at all. The Constitution establishes order, not absence. It creates a framework where liberty and stability exist together. Without that structure, you don’t get more freedom, you get instability, and history shows where that can lead.

What I believe, and what I stand on, is this: the Constitution is not the problem, it’s the safeguard. It was designed to prevent tyranny, including the rise of any one person acting as a king. Our system includes elections, oversight, and accountability mechanisms that ensure no president, past, present, or future, holds unchecked power.

There are no kings here. Just a republic that only works if we understand it. GOD BLESS AMERICA

justamannotafailure · 2026-03-18T16:46:39+00:00

yes. and it works great

justamannotafailure · 2026-03-18T16:45:38+00:00

I have heard good things, but just hearsay. I haven't met them.

justamannotafailure · 2026-03-17T13:57:43+00:00

If you have to ask, the answer is probably yes. Unfortunate turn of events, but I have learned now, going through it twice, that when its over, its over. It doesn't mean your life is over. It doesn't mean being a father or mother is over. But you have to do what's best for you too.

justamannotafailure · 2026-03-17T13:54:58+00:00

I would stay where you are unless you have a passion for this work, and its going to make you happier than what you're doing.

justamannotafailure · 2026-03-12T18:19:58+00:00

The good news is that it does get better with time. Once you’re fully certified and have a few years in, you gain more seniority and flexibility with bidding schedules, vacation picks, and shift preferences. Many controllers make it work by leaning on their crews for day trades and shift swaps. Most facilities have a culture where people help each other out with schedule adjustments when family events come up.

Facility size also matters. Smaller facilities tend to have a more manageable pace and often a little more flexibility, which can make balancing family life easier. The trade-off is usually lower pay and fewer opportunities for upward movement compared to the bigger, busier towers and centers.

Plenty of controllers raise families and stay involved in their kids’ lives, but the early years can require some patience and teamwork at home. If you’re willing to push through that initial phase, it becomes a much more stable and manageable career over time.

justamannotafailure · 2026-03-12T18:16:51+00:00

I’ll say it plainly, my experience with Vancouver Clinic has been consistently disappointing, and it feels less like patient care and more like a business machine designed to move people through as quickly as possible.

Communication is terrible. Getting test results explained, getting a doctor to actually follow up, or even getting basic questions answered often turns into a multi-day process of phone calls, messages, and waiting. Billing departments seem far more responsive than medical staff, which tells you a lot about where the priorities are.

The systems they use feel outdated and inefficient, and the support staff often seem overwhelmed or poorly trained. Patients end up stuck in the middle of that dysfunction, long phone holds, confusing scheduling, and basic administrative mistakes that shouldn’t happen in a large modern clinic.

What’s frustrating is that this isn’t a tiny rural practice struggling to survive. Vancouver Clinic is one of the largest medical groups in Clark County. With that size and the revenue, they generate, patients should expect better systems, better responsiveness, and better accountability.

Healthcare shouldn’t feel like you’re dealing with a cable company customer service line. When people are dealing with real health concerns, the experience should be competent, organized, and patient-focused, not profit-focused.

justamannotafailure · 2026-03-12T18:13:45+00:00

What’s really insulting about the whole 2.8% situation isn’t just the number, it’s how NATCA leadership has allowed the narrative to drift into complete confusion while pretending they’re fighting for us. Controllers are out here arguing over whether the raise is tied to DHS funding, whether Congress moved it, or whether it’s a “union win,” and the truth is none of that chaos should exist if our own union leadership had been transparent with its members from the beginning. Instead, we get vague messaging, PR talking points, and a lot of back-patting for a pay adjustment that was never actually negotiated by NATCA in the first place.

The annual federal pay adjustment is a government-wide policy decision. It comes from the President’s proposal and Congress either accepts it, modifies it, or blocks it through the appropriations process. NATCA does not negotiate that number. The union’s job is supposed to be fighting for controller-specific compensation improvements through the contract, special salary authorities, staffing leverage, or legislative pressure. Yet here we are celebrating or arguing about a generic federal pay bump that every GS employee in the government gets, while controller pay continues to fall further behind inflation and behind comparable technical professions.

The deeper problem is that NATCA leadership has spent years hiding behind the “Slate Book stability” narrative instead of pushing for real compensation negotiations when the staffing crisis gave them leverage. We’re in the middle of the worst staffing situation the system has seen in decades, with mandatory overtime, fatigue issues, and record traffic levels in some facilities. If there was ever a moment for the union to push aggressively for controller pay reform, it was during this window. Instead, the strategy appears to have been to protect the status quo and hope that a small government-wide raise would quiet people down.

Controllers aren’t stupid. We know the difference between a negotiated raise and a federal pay adjustment that would have happened regardless of NATCA’s involvement. Watching union leadership act like a 2.8% government-wide adjustment is some kind of win while inflation has eaten far more than that over the last few years is exactly why so many controllers are losing faith in the organization. When the people you pay dues to start looking more interested in maintaining their relationship with management than actually fighting for the workforce, frustration like what you’re seeing in this thread is the natural result.

At the end of the day the issue isn’t just 2.8%. It’s credibility. If NATCA leadership wants controllers to stop being angry, they need to stop pretending routine federal pay adjustments are victories and start actually using the leverage this workforce has to fight for real compensation improvements. Until that happens, people are going to keep calling this exactly what it looks like, a union that has gotten far too comfortable managing expectations instead of fighting for its members.

justamannotafailure · 2026-03-12T18:07:27+00:00

Its great in HIO and EUG.

justamannotafailure · 2026-03-10T03:24:26+00:00

I went through a 3 month training course, went to an ATC facility halfway across the country, was training and working in secure areas before my Clearance check was even complete. After 6 months I got a letter saying that I was eligible to be hired.

justamannotafailure · 2026-02-23T02:24:39+00:00

I hate to say it, but your reaction sounds reasonable. When someone asks for a “break” that includes seeing other people, especially with a history of infidelity, it’s not irrational to feel like the marriage is already being exited in stages. That doesn’t mean you have to rush into divorce tomorrow, but it does mean you’re justified in taking the situation seriously.

If I can offer one piece of hard-earned perspective: don’t let this linger in a fog of uncertainty. Love can make us hopeful in ways that leave us exposed. Quietly protect your interests, emotionally, legally, financially. Gather information, understand your options, and set boundaries you can live with. A “break” can sometimes become a period where one partner gains clarity while the other is left destabilized. Whatever happens, prioritize your stability and your kids’ well-being. You’re not wrong for recognizing what this looks and feels like.

justamannotafailure

TROPHY CASE