Against the Wind - National Air Traffic Controllers Association

Shaking his head, Gary Molen signed the papers,
commenting, “Well, it’s their money.”
“What’s the big deal?” Dan Brandt said with
a shrug.
One by one, they each stepped up and scribbled
their name, including Bell after he cooled down
and returned to the room a few minutes later. But the
incident left some of the controllers with a lingering
mistrust of MEBA and Thornton.
Even as NATCA held its convention, FAA Administrator
Engen steadfastly maintained that few
controllers were unhappy. “I have been to every air
traffic facility ... and I haven’t found strong support
for a union,” he told USA Today. “This is a very vocal
minority that probably stems from PATCO.” 10
Yet signatures continued to pour in. When
NATCA filed its national petition with the FLRA on
January 5, 1987, they totaled 5,800, far more than the
3,750 needed.
The final tally represented 46 percent of the
work force. New England outpaced the other regions
with signatures from more than 71 percent of its
controllers. Reflecting the region’s strong anti-union
sentiment, a mere 18 percent had signed petitions in
the Southwest.
The solid showing in the Northeast was due in
large measure to Howie Barte’s efforts marshaling his
contacts in the field. Barte was so relentless in pursuing
the new union that he once called another con-
11
June
troller on Thanksgiving, forgetting it was a holiday.
When the controller reminded him, Barte quickly
apologized and hung up.
The FLRA approved the petition in March
and scheduled a mail-in vote for all controllers during
May and early
June. This time,
the FAA did not
appeal the decision.
A Union
at Last
More than 80 percent of all controllers vote in NATCA’s certification
election. Seventy percent approve the union as their sole bargaining agent.
MEBA President Gene DeFries characterizes the results as a “victory for
Washington, D.C., awoke to warm, sunny
skies on the morning of Thursday, June 11, 1987. The
pleasant, though humid, weather matched the upbeat
mood of NATCA’s regional representatives as they
bantered at MEBA headquarters. A few bloodshot
eyes betrayed early revelers who’d begun celebrating
the night before.
John Thornton had told a reporter he estimated
that 70 percent of controllers would vote in favor of
the union. The accuracy of his prediction would be
tested shortly when ballot counting commenced.
Confident of victory, the nine board members filled
out a NATCA membership application and FAA form
1187 to authorize payroll deductions for union dues.
They piled into taxicabs, rode to FLRA head-
Chapter 3: A Long and Winding Road
NATCA archives
all air traffic controllers who have carried the nation’s air traffic system on
their backs for nearly six years with excessive overtime and stress.” Charter
members begin signing membership and dues deduction forms.
89