FAA computer specialist files complaint against union

A computer specialist at the Federal Aviation Administration has accused the National Air Traffic Controllers Association of failing to represent its members.

In February, Joe Coonce, a computer specialist in FAA's Logistics Division, asked the Federal Labor Relations Authority to investigate NATCA's actions to secure a governmentwide pay raise for information technology workers represented by the union.

When the Office of Personnel Management announced the IT pay raise two years ago to help agencies fill entry-level positions at lower grades, FAA did not automatically give the raise to its eligible employees when it took effect in January 2001. FAA officials contended that unions must negotiate for the pay raise because the agency's pay system does not fall under the General Schedule. When FAA announced its position, Coonce, who is a member of NATCA, said he asked the association to file a grievance against the agency.

"At that time NATCA advised me that … there was no reason for us to attempt it, that they would attempt to bargain raises during pay negotiations," Coonce said.

But while NATCA decided to address the issue in negotiations, the Professional Airways Systems Specialists (PASS) union, which represents a group of computer specialists at the agency, proceeded to file a grievance on behalf of its members in February 2001. After much wrangling, PASS in September 2002 won the raise for its members retroactive to Jan. 2001. In its decision, FLRA said nothing in the law prevented FAA from giving eligible employees the IT pay raise.

"When PASS won the arbitration and subsequent appeals, I again repeatedly asked that NATCA file this grievance, and get its members the raise," Coonce said. "This is a separate issue from any negotiations, since we should receive this raise without the benefit of negotiation, as stated in the PASS decision. Also any raise or decision made in negotiations would do nothing about any back pay."

When NATCA officials again declined to address the IT pay raise issue through the grievance process, Coonce filed a complaint with FLRA alleging that NATCA was "derelict in its responsibilities to its members."

"This charge is based on two issues," Coonce said. The first was for "not filing the grievance when the opportunity first presented itself" and the second was "that by continuing to make this issue a pay negotiation item, they are giving the agency too much leverage."

According to NATCA spokesman Doug Church, union officials are working hard to negotiate a contract that covers the pay raise, as well as other issues affecting its IT members.

"NATCA is providing the best representation we know, which is active negotiation at the bargaining table," Church said. "We stress patience, because we are in contract negotiations on the very things that he is bringing to light here."

The complaint is pending.