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National Air Traffic Controllers Association - We Guide You Home NATCA FACEBOOK PAGE POLICY (adopted by the NEB Nov. 2022)

1. Understand and follow all rules.

The NATCA Facebook (FB) page was created to encourage open discussion about issues important to NATCA and its members. We require that you read and agree to abide by the rules here.

2. No offensive content/language tolerated. Users should not post material which is a violation of the NATCA National Constitution and/or the NATCA Code of Conduct, which prohibits discriminatory, offensive, obscene,

libelous, threatening, harassing, or intimidating messages.

3. Not a reporting forum for inappropriate behavior. This is not a forum to report inappropriate behavior, Code of Conduct violations, or harassment or mistreatment. To report such incidents, please contact the NATCA Chief of Staff, the NATCA General Counsel, or your NATCA Regional Vice President.

4. No sharing of private information and copyrighted materials. Sharing of sensitive personally identifiable information is not allowed in this group, nor is content infringing on a person’s or entity’s copyrights, including but not limited to other web sites, media, etc. NATCA will not indemnify or hold harmless any user for copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property infringement.

5. No promotions or spams. Self-promotion, multi-level marketing posts. spam, coupons, promo codes, and other irrelevant content is not allowed.

6. Use of content disclaimer. When content is shared or uploaded to our channels, you agree to grant NATCA a non-exclusive license to host, use, distribute, modify, run, copy, and publicly perform or display the content in conjunction with NATCA business.

7. Removal from the group. Failure to adhere to those rules may result in being blocked from posting and commenting on our channels.

09/06/2026

The minutes from the National Executive Board (NEB) meeting in Nashua, N.H. on Aug. 4-5 are now available on the NEB minutes page of the website: https://natca.org/neb-minutes/.

09/05/2026

Save the dates for 2027 NATCA Academy classes! Dates and locations are now set for next year’s Academy offerings. NATCA will be using a new registration system for 2027 classes. Registration for these 2027 classes is expected to become available in the coming weeks. NATCA will announce when the new system is available. In the meantime, please save the dates for any class that you would like to attend.

Also, it’s not too late to sign up for the remaining 2026 NATCA Academy classes. Registration for 2026 Academy classes ends on Sept. 24, 2026 (55 days before the start of the last class).

To find the full list of classes and locations for 2026 and 2027, please visit www.natca.org/academy.

09/04/2026

All CFS content lives in one place: the official mobile app for NATCA’s Communicating For Safety (CFS) conference, Sept. 14-16 at the Horseshoe Las Vegas. Session details, speaker updates, and networking tools are available exclusively through the app, so download it now to stay connected to the conversation shaping national aviation safety.

https://event-app.cvent.me/dl/7jX8Vs?feature=openEvent

09/03/2026

Sept. 3 marks 20 years since the Federal Aviation Administration imposed work rules on NATCA's bargaining unit employees after declaring an impasse in negotiations. Under 49 U.S.C. Section 40122 as it then read, the FAA could send its final offer to Congress and implement it after 60 days without our Union's agreement. An impasse was declared April 5, 2006. Congress took no action, so the imposed work rules took effect on Sept. 3, 2006, the day before Labor Day.

The imposed work rules, also called the White Book, tested our young Union. Less than 20 years after NATCA's founding, we faced one of our greatest challenges yet. Though they tried to divide us, our Union stood strong. We fought the FAA's two-tiered pay scale, which would have harmed incoming certified professional controllers by cutting their pay by more than 30 percent. Our Union refused to leave behind the next generation because NATCA's future depended on it.

Even as the imposed work rules lowered morale and led many to leave the profession, NATCA's legislative activism kept the pressure on. In May 2009, the FAA and NATCA were directed back to the bargaining table, and on Sept. 25, 2009, the Red Book was signed, ending the imposed work rules. The Multi-Unit CBA followed on April 7, 2011. In 2012, NATCA's legislative efforts helped secure an amendment to Section 40122, so that impasses now go to binding arbitration.

The White Book era reminds us why we must remain united in the face of adversity. Our solidarity is our greatest strength.

09/02/2026

Thirteen NATCA members completed the Occupational Safety and Health/Office of Workers’ Compensation Program Training (OSHA/OWCP) in Las Vegas from Aug. 12-13. The training provided members with the knowledge and understanding needed to address employee safety issues on the job.

Joshua Curtis (Seattle Center, ZSE) described the class, “Gaining the knowledge from OSHA/OWCP class prepped me with an almost immediate CA-1 claim upon returning to my facility, that I otherwise may have struggled to handle in a timely manner had I not attended. Specifically, which federal regulations dictate the process that management must follow after a traumatic event occurs. I was able to cite the regulations and educate a management group that had no clue how to handle the process. It took time, but we were eventually able to get the member taken care of, so they could focus on recovering.”

Members completing the two-day course were:
Kevin Brothers (Seattle Center, ZSE)
James Burgess (Binghamton ATCT, BGM)
John Culwell (Florence ATCT, FLO)
Joshua Curtis (ZSE)
Nicholas Geldi (Torrance ATCT, TOA)
Eric Klender (Charleston ATCT, CHS)
Jessie Reese (Centennial ATCT, APA)
Eric Rutherford (John Wayne ATCT, SNA)
Joseph Sardina (Great Falls ATCT, GTF)
Bryan Schwappach (Kansas City International ATCT, MCI)
Michael Shields (Lafayette ATCT, LAF)
Hiraku Takeda (Long Beach ATCT, LGB)
Wyatt Vowell (Kansas City Center, ZKC)

Class instructors were Xavier Rivera (Indianapolis Center, ZID) and Jackie Fragas (Los Angeles Center, ZLA).

There are additional NATCA Academy classes scheduled for 2026. If you are interested in participating in one, please see future dates and locations here.

09/01/2026

NATCA’s National Executive Board (NEB) is meeting Tuesday, Sept. 1, and Wednesday, Sept. 2, in Rochester, N.Y.

NATCA’s President, Executive Vice President, and Regional Vice Presidents constitute the NEB. The NEB is responsible for the creation of policy for our Union between our conventions.

08/29/2026

NATCA members Omar Chaudry (Akron-Canton ATCT, CAK), Wilbert Peay (Cleveland Center, ZOB), and Judd Wallace (ZOB) recently participated in the 2026 Props and Pistons Festival in Akron, Ohio. The two-day festival was held Aug. 19-20 and focused on aviation education and STEM outreach. The festival featured historic military and commercial aircraft. The festival also offered aviation-related educational opportunities.

NATCA’s booth provided an opportunity to engage directly with festival attendees and share information about the important role of air traffic controllers within the National Airspace System. The Props and Pistons Festival is sponsored by Inspire Aviation, an Ohio-based nonprofit organization that provides educational opportunities for youth and adults, exposing them to careers in aviation and other STEM-related fields.

08/28/2026

NATCA members welcomed U.S. Rep. Kim Schrier (Wash.-8) to Seattle Center (ZSE) on July 7, 2026. The visit included a tour of the facility and an opportunity for NATCA members to engage with the Congresswoman on issues specific to NATCA members. Congresswoman Schrier said it was important to visit the facility to thank air traffic controllers for their work in keeping the American flying public safe while flying and to discuss how best to support ATCs in Congress. NATCA would like to thank Rep. Schrier for taking the time to visit ZSE and to spend time speaking with Union members.

08/27/2026

The NATCA 2027 Convention will be held in Chicago, April 27–29. Amendment submissions are open now. Don't wait for the Dec. 3, 2026, midnight deadline! Submit early and the National Constitution Committee will work with you one-on-one to refine your language before it reaches the floor. Email [email protected] per Article XIV, Section 1.

Save the date and watch for updates at natca.org/convention.

08/26/2026

NATCA member Renee Zapf (Hillsboro ATCT, HIO) attended a two-day legislative briefing with U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon and his staff. The briefing took place June 19 and 20 in Portland and Salem. Zapf discussed the potential use of artificial intelligence in air traffic control, system-wide upgrades, and the need for modernization of equipment across the National Airspace System. NATCA would like to thank Sen. Merkley for his continued support of both aviation and labor.

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