Against the Wind - National Air Traffic Controllers Association

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Against the Wind
Martin Cole: The Washington Center controller
was a technical rep on Data Link,
which led to his election as vice president
technical of IFATCA. / Courtesy of Martin Cole
1998
The woman beamed. “Yes, I am. How could
you possibly know that?”
“I’ve read the Koran,” Hanson replied. He then
explained their plight and Aby excused herself to
speak with the station manager. Minutes later, Hanson
and Cole were sinking into their seats on the
flight and breathing long sighs of relief.
A subsequent trip to Taipei, Taiwan, where
Cole was elected executive vice president technical,
went much smoother. In his new role, he once
again endured a steep learning curve to absorb information
about a wealth of projects besides Data
Link. He also felt an added obligation to represent
NATCA at its best to help set the stage for future
U.S. involvement in the group.
Although some members from other nations
worried about the United States dominating decisions,
their fears were allayed by
Cole’s knowledgeable and
even-handed manner.
In 2001, James Ferguson,
the former Northwest
Mountain Region vice
president, was elected deputy
president of IFATCA.
Two other union members
serve on IFATCA committees.
Barry Krasner is chairman
of Standing Committee 6, which deals with con-
Feb. Feb.
19
President Michael McNally, Executive VP Randy Schwitz and
former General Counsel William Osborne Jr. appear before the
AFL-CIO Executive Council to request direct affiliation.
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stitution and administrative policy. Southwest Region
Vice President Mark Pallone is a member of Standing
Committee 3, which is responsible for finance.
NATCA sees its continuing representation in
the international organization as an
important element of its mission
to help shape aviation policy.
“If our voice isn’t heard
out there in the world, we’re
going to have to bear the
brunt of these ICAO regulations
when they come back
though the FAA,” Cole says.
“The U.S. view of air traffic
control needs to be out there.”
Breaking Away
While the union’s reputation and influence
propelled it to new heights in the aviation industry,
NATCA felt the weight of a ball and chain gripping its
ankles in the house of labor. The union was growing
increasingly disenchanted over its affiliation with the
Marine Engineers Beneficial Association.
The union that had provided NATCA with
manpower, political contacts, and $1.9 million to organize
and prosper after certification was now sinking
under dwindling membership, serious financial
problems, and fallout from a racketeering trial. Five
More than 250 participants attend “NATCA in Washington.”