Memorandum of Understanding
With Respect To Reclassification And Associated Pay Rules Between
The
National Air Traffic Controllers Association
And The
Federal Aviation Administration
This agreement is made and entered into by the National Air
Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) and the Federal Aviation
Administration (Agency) in matters of controller pay definitions,
applications, and policies, in association with the ATC Facility
Reclassification project.
This Agreement shall be read in conjunction with the Memorandum
Of Understanding With Respect To Reclassification And Associated
Pay Rules Between The National Air Traffic Controllers
Association And The Federal Aviation Administration dated July 8th,
1998.
To the extent practical, the parties agree to conduct a thorough
analysis of existing traffic data and standard formulas within 30
days of this agreement. This analysis will review the traffic
data on record for each facility. This data will include, at a
minimum, classification index calculations, the formula used to
arrive at this figure and the amount of data used. Additionally,
the parties agree to work through the National Validation Team (NVT)
to develop procedures for addressing data problems.
The parties agree that, upon completion of the analysis and any
required adjustments, individual facilities with classification
indices that place the facility within a higher ATC level will be
upgraded provided the requirements in the section titled RAISING
FACILITY ATC LEVELS have been met.
The following is agreed to and describes the procedures outlined
in the Administration of the Standard section of the Position and
Classification Standard for Air Traffic Control Series ATC-2152
Terminal and Enroute. It is acknowledged by the parties that this
process will replace the existing upgrade/downgrade procedures
outlined in Action: Memorandum Procedures for
Effecting Air Traffic Facility Grade Level Changes,
dated November 21, 1984. This agreement will only amend those
procedures for air traffic terminal and enroute center facilities.
Aspects of this memorandum not directly related to terminal and
enroute traffic counting, reporting and processing will remain in
place.
ADMINISTRATION OF THE STANDARD
The transition into the new terminal and enroute
air traffic control classification and compensation system
requires the ability to monitor the collection of traffic data,
validate facility information and make appropriate adjustments to
facility ATC levels. The average hourly classification index will
change for a variety of reasons. However, unwarranted ATC level
fluctuations may be avoided by delaying action to change facility
ATC levels until the probable permanency of the change in the
average hourly classification index can be established.
RAISING FACILITY ATC LEVELS
The following requirements must be met by the Facility requesting an upgrade:
1) The facility is required to make every effort to have one full year of complete and accurate data.
2) The calculated CI must be at or above the breakpoint for a period of three consecutive months. The facility is eligible for upgrade at the point when the facility has been at or above the breakpoint for the third consecutive month provided a full year of data is used in calculating each of these three months CI and providing that any missing data is not attributable to the facility.
3) The Facility Air Traffic Manager shall provide a certification of the traffic count procedures used at the facility and certify that any locally designed program is registered by ATX-400, Planning and Evaluation Division.
4) Provide a copy of the monthly count export for the past twelve months.
6) Provide a 12-month, month by month, future traffic projection that demonstrates that the activity will remain at or above the break point.
7) In those rare circumstances where a facility
meets all criteria for upgrade EXCEPT the facility does not have
a full year of data, requests for upgrades may be forwarded. If
it is determined that the missing data would have no impact on
the classification index, such requests will be treated as though
a full year of data exists. Each request must contain an
explanation
as to what data are missing and why.
8) The data will be validated at the Regional and/or National Level. When all of the above requirements have been met, the facility shall be upgraded. Facilities whose CI's initially place them within a higher ATC level between the July 1999 data collection month and the effective date of this agreement shall be upgraded retroactively to no earlier than October 10, 1999, or the first full pay period after the third consecutive month the facility is at or above the breakpoint. For facilities eligible for upgrades after the signing of this agreement, the upgrade shall take effect the first full pay period after the third consecutive month the facility is at or above the breakpoint. If the administrative process is unable to be completed to meet this time frame, the upgrade shall be retroactive to the first full pay period after the third consecutive month the facility is at or above the break point.
LOWERING FACILITY ATC LEVELS
Where decreases in the hourly classification index
indicate that lowered ATC levels might be warranted, the buffer
zone of 5% will be utilized to prevent precipitous ATC
adjustments. If the calculated CI is below the buffer zone for 6
consecutive months, the facility manager shall provide:
1) A full year of complete and accurate data.
2) Certifications of the traffic count procedures used at the facility and certify that any locally designed program is registered and approved by ATX-400.
3) Copies of the monthly count export for the past twelve months.
4) A narrative explaining the reasons for the traffic decreases.
5) A 12-month, month by month, future traffic projection outlining the probable permanency of the change.
6) The data may be validated at the Regional and/or National Level. When all of the above requirements are met the facility shall be downgraded on the first full pay period after meeting the criteria. If the administrative process is unable to be completed to meet this time frame, the downgrade will occur as soon as possible.
PROCESSING FACILITY ATC LEVEL CHANGES
During the implementation of the new system, ATX-20, Air Traffic
Classification and Compensation Staff will process all ATC level
changes. It is the intention of the parties to incorporate the
provisions of this MOU into an agency directive.
When the facility manager finds that the facility
activity trend indicates that the facility will be eligible for
upgrade or downgrade an informational package will be sent to the
regional division manager for review. The regional division
manager will review the information and forward the packet to ATX-20
for review by the Classification Review Committee (CRC) within
two work-weeks of receipt. This committee is made up of equal
numbers of Air Traffic Management and NATCA representatives. It
is intended that the CRC will be a temporary work group not to
exceed one year. The CRC may be
extended with agreement of both parties. The review of the
package by the CRC will be completed within 30 days of receipt.
ATX-20 will forward notification to the regional division manager
of the findings of the CRC. Upon receipt, the regional division
manager will forward notification of ATC level change to the HR
office for processing
This agreement between the National Air Traffic Controllers'
Association and the Federal Aviation Administration is approved
this 15th day of November 1999.
________________
Michael P. McNally
NATCA President
________________
Ronald E. Morgan
AAT-1 Federal Aviation
Administration