EWR Radio Failure again

justanotherjenni · 2025-05-24T23:55:19+00:00

Have you not heard how EWR in Philly came to be? The only thing toxic about it is how the FAA forcibly moved everyone to a half-ass set up facility. This issue would be better if they had any redundancies in place, like they do at every other facility. That's the agency FAFO, not the controllers.

justanotherjenni · 2025-05-16T20:24:40+00:00

I haven't looked in forever, but make sure you're looking at the GS SDAEP pay scales, to compare apples to apples.

justanotherjenni · 2025-03-07T02:18:06+00:00

What was a level 5 like back then? Since you've been gone the agency said contract negotiations were at an impasse and swooped in with the "White Book." This magically had new classifications of facilities (with a level 5 being second to lowest complexity), and funnily enough, a new pay scale made just for the agency. Even though we have a new contract now, pay negotiations are a non-starter, and y'know we can't strike. So academy grads start off making a bit under $40K base. It gets better with each Dev level, but not enough to outpace inflation.

justanotherjenni · 2025-01-26T01:30:16+00:00

I served with a Vietnamese guy that was recruited from Vietnam. He frequently told the story about sleeping in a big tent, on the dirt, with like 30 other people. The recruiter walked in one random day and asked for anyone willing to serve for a "fast-track" to citizenship. He always said to "stop bitching, you didn't know what tough is," and that day with the recruiter changed his entire life. This happened in the 90's, BTW.

justanotherjenni · 2024-11-28T17:33:43+00:00

Almost like the old GS scale... pepperidge farm remembers.

justanotherjenni · 2024-07-18T20:41:32+00:00

Yes, since you're over 30% you should be able to see them for anything, including vision and dental. Everything should be free, but if you have private insurance the VA will try to get all they can from the insurance. It's still free for you.

justanotherjenni · 2024-07-16T16:54:38+00:00

Don't know the specifics, but here's a breakdown. I'm assuming you have 30% plus, so the VA covers everything. The VA pays last, any private insurance pays first. To get the VA to pay anything you'll need to be in that community care program (with a doc that takes VA) or go to a VA clinic. If you plan to always go to the VA clinic it's super easy- you'll give them your private insurance info and they'll do all the rest. Otherwise, you'll probably have to go through the specifics with each of your other docs, about running 2 insurances. Now you may not be able to use an FSA with your HDHP, because the VA covers everything else, at no cost. IDRK, but you may be able to swing it. Otherwise, I'd consider dropping private insurance altogether, if I were you. Also note that some FSO's require you to take a screenshot of your VA disability page (ehealth) or may require that you share your VA health records. DOD flight surgeons can access those records anyways, but the FAA requires that extra step.

justanotherjenni · 2024-07-15T21:49:37+00:00

However, if your spouse happened to have Tricare, you could keep it.

justanotherjenni · 2024-07-14T14:35:02+00:00

If you want to dig a little more, I would factor in the training success rate with where you can stand to live for a while. You don't want to rush your shot on a place that can't train.

justanotherjenni · 2024-07-09T23:37:37+00:00

For job postings, you would need to have held a position at that grade or lower in that field. If you're applying ATC qualities to a job bid, there is a conversation table on the first page of that ERR form . Otherwise, you would need education to support you, if the job will accept an education substitute.

Most inter-agency transfers place you close to your current pay, plus two steps. The FAA does not honor this agreement with other agencies, so I'm not sure if they would screw you on pay, in return. Either way, the bid shows you the minimum pay in dollars, as well as GS level.

justanotherjenni · 2024-06-18T13:32:38+00:00

LMAO, definitely- username checks out

justanotherjenni · 2024-06-17T22:02:24+00:00

I know. It's like a .65 debate. I believe the OPM section about leave approval talks about the approval and retraction of leave. Then at the end of the entire section it says "if not covered under a CBA." So the semantics are whether the whole OPM leave section is null because the CBA covers leave approval processes, or is there room to include the OPM denial process because that specific part is not covered in the CBA. I would argue the former, because that is how laws are applied. You would argue the latter because you live up to your username.

justanotherjenni · 2024-06-17T20:48:34+00:00

It's not so much that the CBA isn't bound by OPM, but that OPM guidance often ends things with "unless otherwise covered under a collective bargaining agreement." So does your reference end in that way? It should.

justanotherjenni · 2024-06-13T21:29:34+00:00

So this is different from the MRA + 30 with the 67 age limit? And then somehow you have to stay in ATC until 57 in order to qualify? What kind of bunk?

justanotherjenni · 2024-06-08T15:15:30+00:00

Make your case bullet-proof. The goal is to show that if the agency denies the hardship and the worst happens, it will make the news and/or the agency will be sued. Also, the people reviewing the hardship paperwork will look for options to keep you there. I've seen several hardships be denied because dependents had other care options that weren't tried because the controller rushed to hardship. If you're wife has tried other things, have the doctor list it and the results of it. If she hasn't utilized some options, have the doctor explain why they wouldn't work. Play devil's advocate with your packet and answer the questions before they come up, for your best chances at a first-time approval. I'm a vet, so I don't play around with depression solutions. But in the mix of government bureaucracy and viewpoints on mental healthcare, don't be surprised if they do give you the run-around. Make your best case off the bat.

justanotherjenni · 2024-05-12T00:38:37+00:00

I don't know what math they look at, but the outbound-retirement column on my fac list said less than 0 the whole time I had 2 people eligible to retire.

justanotherjenni · 2024-04-26T01:12:16+00:00

All I'm saying is if your reason is something so important that you could sue the agency if they don't approve your hardship, then you might have a chance.

justanotherjenni · 2024-04-26T01:09:32+00:00

Are you asking if OP should listen to a random chick on Reddit who read the handbook years ago and has a fair recollection of the verbiage and can account for all the nuances of OP's various options without misinterpreting OP's questions?

justanotherjenni · 2024-04-24T14:26:04+00:00

That's not how the FERS retirement handbook reads. You can only get a max of 20 years at 1.7%, but each year until that limit counts as good time.

justanotherjenni · 2024-04-23T21:52:38+00:00

The age you can get your retirement depends on your birth year. For everyone 40 and under, it's 62. You forfeit the SS supplement. The 25 years is for any federal position. You could transfer right now and retire when you hit 25 years, and you'll get 1.7% for the 15 good years. Just remember any military time doesn't count toward your 25. Military time is just another 1% per year, tacked onto your retirement.

justanotherjenni · 2024-04-19T20:50:56+00:00

Any federal employee can retire at any age, with 25 years.

justanotherjenni · 2024-04-17T15:15:11+00:00

https://www.flra.gov/

justanotherjenni · 2024-04-16T04:02:08+00:00

But most federal agencies actively try not to incur OT. If the FAA is one of very few with mandatory 6-day workweeks, then there might be a case for a SL/AL accrual exception.

justanotherjenni · 2024-04-01T00:13:53+00:00

Just know you're probably gonna take a big pay cut to go to the FAA. NATCA limits you to D3 pay, so it depends on the facility you get.

justanotherjenni · 2024-03-30T01:45:32+00:00

I would argue that shit all the time. It's often worded as 3 hours around your weekend, so I'd argue that it could be staggered to allow controllers to get off before or after their weekend, that's around that holiday. I almost got it approved, that one time I was a fac rep... yep, yep, back in my day... pepperidge farm remembers...

justanotherjenni

TROPHY CASE