Against the Wind - National Air Traffic Controllers Association

mium while pointing out its drawbacks. Testifying
at an Office of Personnel Management hearing before
the FAA implemented pay demo, then-Executive Vice
President Ray Spickler acknowledged that the chosen
facilities deserved the extra money. But he also raised
the issue of divisiveness.
Thousands of other controllers “have been left
out in the cold. The perception at these facilities is
that they were not selected because they lack the
visibility or political clout to get them on the FAA’s
‘A List,’ ” he said. “We trust that Congress and the
American public do not believe for one moment that
the Pay Demonstration Project is anything more than
a Band-Aid on a hemorrhage.” 5
Pay demo was extended by Congress in 1994
and was later replaced by a program known as Controller
Incentive Pay that provided variable differentials
to facilities based upon the local cost of living.
Going for the Gold
Oct. Oct.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issues a full federal registration
for the NATCA logo, with its distinctive control tower
and radar sweep.
2
Despite the significance of pay demo, the program
was far from comprehensive and its longevity
hinged on the whims of Congress. The 5 percent operational
differential also landed in the cross hairs
when Capitol Hill took aim at balancing the budget
during the mid-1990s. * These issues prompted
NATCA more than ever to pursue an agenda of negotiating
pay with the agency.
The goal had eluded unionized
controllers for a quarter century. But
several factors came into play throughout
the Nineties that put the brass ring
within reach.
Other than legislative action by
Congress, the only way the union could
change pay for all controllers was through
an appeal to the Office of Personnel
Management, which had the authority to
declare government occupations unique
and remove them from the standard
General Schedule—or GS scale. But persuading
the agency and OPM to agree to
Chapter 5: The Art of the Deal
* In what became an annual rite for several
years, heavy NATCA lobbying helped to
preserve the 5 percent premium.
149
Bay TRACON: Given the Bay Area’s steep
cost of living, facility rep Bernie Reed
worked to ensure that the TRACON was
included among pay demo sites. / Japphire
Longtime NATCA activist and Northwest Mountain Region Vice
President Gary Molen retires from the FAA. James Ferguson of
Salt Lake Center replaces Molen on the Executive Board.