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