Against the Wind - National Air Traffic Controllers Association

Ray
Spickler
Air Traffic Control
Specialist
1982 — Pr e s e n t
niC k n a m e / Op e r a t i n g in i t i a l s:
Maj. Ksang / SP
ho m e T o w N : Kansas City
FO r m e r sp O u s e / CHildre n:
Jayne / Shannon, Stevie
Ot Her tr i v i a:
NATCA archives
Owns a Harley-Davidson Fat Boy ®
in t e r e s t s:
Guitar, Little League baseball coach,
active in church
ATC FACiliTies
Cu r r e n t:
pr e v i O u s: MCI
IAD
ZKC Center
Tower
Tower/TRACON
Ray Spickler dreamed of being a “top gun” pilot
while growing up in Kansas City. When the
U.S. Naval Academy did not accept him and he
could not obtain an ROTC scholarship, he studied
chemistry in college. Meanwhile, his interest in
aviation simmered beneath the surface.
Spickler applied to be a controller after the
strike and jumped at the chance to attend the
academy in 1982. He was assigned to Kansas City
Center, where working conditions were better
than many facilities. Nevertheless, talk about a
new union blossomed when managers implemented
a major reorganization with little worker input.
It was an eye-opening experience for Spickler,
who soon found himself attending organizing
meetings and serving as alternate Central regional
representative.
After certification, Spickler mounted a successful
campaign for executive vice president,
and subsequently relocated to Washington. His
wife, Jayne, accompanied him and they quickly
found an apartment—albeit a little too hastily, in
retrospect.
Enchanted by the bucolic campus of The
Catholic University of America, the couple didn’t
notice the “war zone” a few blocks away. The two
Midwesterners were taken aback that the neighborhood
grocery checker worked the cash register
from behind bulletproof glass. They moved again a
short while later.
Pr e v i o u s NATCA Po s iT i oN s / AC h i e v e m e N T s
Executive vice president 1988-91; Central provisional
alt. regional rep 1986-88; Nat’l. QTP Steering
Committee member; first ZKC local president.
hir e d
April
1982
Spickler’s new duties left him little personal
time. He and President Steve Bell had the substantial
task of setting up NATCA’s national office
virtually from scratch while juggling other pressing
issues, such as the union’s first contract. They
were also cognizant of the PATCO legacy. Spickler
recalls having to “walk a tight line” to represent
members while not appearing overly strident. “We
both really did believe in trying to collaborate with
the agency.”
Although Spickler lost his bid for re-election
in 1991, his disappointment was short-lived. “It’s
hard to turn around and walk away from that,” he
says. But the change enabled him to enjoy more
time with his children. Shannon was born four
months before he left office and Stevie arrived in
January 1993.
Spickler went to work at Dulles Tower/
TRACON and transferred to Kansas City Tower
in 1994 before returning to Kansas City Center
two years later. While he has stayed involved by
participating in various local positions and a work
group on Article 87/88 issues, he also believes in
balancing work with his private life. Active in his
church, he coaches his son’s Little League team
and plays guitar, a self-taught skill.
“I’m proud to have been a part of NATCA’s
history and to play a small role,” Spickler says.
“Thanks to the members who gave me the opportunity.”