Progress in Engineering Services

Details: Published: April 02, 2015

By Kevin Van Haren, Engineering Services Academy Workgroup Representative

As a PASS union representative for Engineering Services in New England, I sometimes hear folks ask, “Why should I join the union? What can the union do for me?” Well, I have some pretty solid reasons for joining PASS from firsthand experience.

Being a member of PASS gives you the opportunity to shape your work environment for the better. There are many PASS members currently engaged in several collaborative workgroups consisting of Engineering Services’ management and members from NATCA and PASS. These workgroups are aimed at improving the products and services that Engineering Services delivers, as well as improving career development and promotional opportunities for all employees covered by the PASS bargaining unit. These workgroups are doing important work in areas such as:

Organizational structure: This includes the recent realignment of Engineering Services under Air Traffic Control Facilities (ATCF); defining the roles and responsibilities of the Engineering Services presence at headquarters; and piloting nine new Project Integrator positions to work with the districts on resource utilization, scheduling, resource issues, etc.
Workforce development: This includes participation on the Workforce Development Workgroup and Academy/Engineering Services Workgroup. The Workforce Development Workgroup is developing a mentoring program for Engineering Services as well as individual development plan templates to make it easier and more transparent to develop the skills required for career progression. And the Academy/Engineering Services Workgroup is developing protocols to obtain more Academy training for Engineering Services personnel.
Process improvement: This includes the Resource Sharing Workgroup, which established a process to utilize resources as effectively as possible across Engineering Services, and the creation of obligation strategies in order to define the efficient and effective vehicles for obligating project funds quickly and easily.

In addition, the Engineering Services Communications Workgroup (ESCW) was formed with some very specific goals and deliverables, including increasing the visibility of Engineering Services. The new team was a collaborative formation of members from all three services areas and headquarters, with representation from management, NATCA and PASS. I became a member of the new workgroup and was elected to lead the team. In the last year, the ESCW has produced a logo, tagline, and branding elements for Engineering Services. We have also published a marketing booklet and new website. The group is currently working on an Engineering Services video and other branded products.

But the biggest impact has been in the area of career progression for all PASS bargaining unit employees. Ben Johnson, PASS representative for Engineering Services in Los Angles, has been working with management to open up more I-band coordinator positions and J-band supervisory positions for PASS bargaining unit employees, and his efforts are beginning to show results. Just last month, several of these positions were put out to bid, and we fully expect more to come.

So when folks ask what PASS can do for them, there are plenty of concrete examples to discuss. PASS members are helping shape the future of Engineering Services, as well as shaping the future of all PASS bargaining unit employees with more opportunities for career progression to the highest levels of the organization.