Diane Sawyer's Wrong Report about the FAA

[FLyellowdog]

What was filmed was a short gathering on one night to meet the FAA's new Chief Operating Officer and his staff in a effort to talk with those who are calling the shots. This was not a SCHEDULED (nor ADVERTISED AS) a Christmas party. If this report was orchestrated by the wrong perception of some union rep., it is itself ironic because the REST of the week was devoted to training the managers that they would understand how to implement the changes in the new FAA contract which for the most part are to the benefit of the controllers. That was the sole purpose of those managers being in Atlanta.

I know this because my husband was in attendance at that weeklong training....he missed our 42nd wedding anniversary for this mandatory training, just as he has missed dozens of Thanksgivings,Christmases, New Years and children's birthdays because they all work shift work and the planes fly, day and night, holiday or no holiday.

Don't be so quick to jump on these government employees. We have the safest air traffic control system in the world, and it's a job that most people wouldn't want to do and probably couldn't do even they tried.

[rsmith6621]

1. The Whole Aviation Has High Demands....

......Placed on them.....I work in SOC at a major earning a lot less then the same job paid ten years ago.

and YES our ATC system is the best unfortunately it is grossly underfunded....

[FLyellowdog]

2. True, Obama is a friend to ATC and that's why the change in contract rules, I've been told.

They had to go to mediation and management was told to get it right.
:hi:



edited to clarify...

[MercutioATC]

3. ...and an opinion from an actual air traffic controller (not the wife of a manager)

Yes, what was filmed was an after-training party. Attendance was voluntary. It was a cash bar...the FAA did not pay for the booze (though managers DID dine on free shrimp and Kobe beef appetizers).

However, there are two issues here:

1) The meetings in Atlanta were a gross waste of taxpayer money. The FAA paid to fly 3600 managers to Atlanta and house and feed them for a briefing on a contract that's been in effect for 2 1/2 months...to the tune of $5M. The same briefing could have been done by teleconference/powerpoint presentations for probably 1-2% of the cost.

2) Here are direct quotes from the FAA's Employee Standards of Conduct, which all FAA employees are bound by and to which management declares it holds itself to by the highest standards.

"“It is also expected that employees will maintain professional
decorum at all times while in a temporary duty travel status or otherwise
away from their regularly assigned post of duty, such as telecommuting,
whether at home or at a telecommuting site, or attending training.”


“Those employees in direct contact with the public bear a heavy responsibility as
their conduct and professionalism significantly impacts the image of the
federal service and the FAA.”


“ Employees are also expected to conduct themselves off duty in a manner
which will not adversely reflect on the agency’s ability to carry out its
mission, cause embarrassment to the agency by the employee’s activity
or behave in a manner that will cause the public and/or managers to
question their reliability, judgment and trustworthiness in carrying out
their responsibilities as employees of the federal government.”


“All employees whose duties involve the expenditure of public funds
must have knowledge of and observe all applicable legal requirements
and restrictions. In addition, employees are expected to be prudent and
exercise sound judgment in the expenditure of such funds.”

Soliciting hookers and bragging about almost getting thrown in jail while attending a multi-million dollar "seminar" hardly seems to conform to these standards.

This was a complete waste of money...and FAA management deserves to be taken to task.


(I do not mean this post to suggest that ALL FAA managers are worthless. There are those who are exceptionally good at what they do.)

[Dennis Donovan]

4. Rec'd - I didn't see the Diane Sawyer report, however...

...any insinuation that ATC professionals are ANYTHING but "professional" is a flat-out lie.:thumbsdown:

[MercutioATC]

5. This was a report of gross excess by MANAGERS, not controllers.

As an air traffic controller, I appreciate your support...but FAA management is a completely different beast.

[hayu_lol]

6. Kobe beef appetizers?

$9/pound

[MercutioATC]

7. Your point?

(and I have no idea where you're getting your prices, but if you can get Kobe appetizers for $9/pound, grab 'em and run)

The issue is that this is an agency screaming poverty when it comes to negotiating labor contracts...yet they can spend $5M to fly all of the managers to Atlanta for a "seminar".