PASS Concludes Successful Convention

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25 Aug

This week, PASS held its constitutional convention in Steel Town, aka Pittsburgh, PA! As a nod to the union steelworkers who built the city’s economy, the convention theme was “Forging our Future.”

“We are here to build PASS into a Great Union and Forge our Future,” said National President Dave Spero in his opening remarks. “We are here because we care,” he continued. “Not only for our union, but for the working families we represent daily. We care about assuring that good federal jobs are available for the next generation.”

National Secretary-Treasurer Carlos Aguirre reflected on his own union background and his parents, who came to the U.S. from Ecuador in the 1950s. They both joined unions. “To them, being part of a union meant having a good paying job, one that paid decent wages in order to raise a family,” Aguirre said. “It meant saving for a nice vacation every once in a while. It meant being able to save for a down payment to buy a house and having a pension to carry you in retirement.”

The union also paid tribute to its founding president, Howard Johannssen, who passed away in October 2022.

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PASS Calls Out the FAA for Contract Violation

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24 Jul

Last week, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) sent a video message from its Management Board to employees—including the approximately 11,000 FAA employees PASS represents—telling them that they will need to return to the office a set number of days per pay period beginning October 9. This was a clear violation of the collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) that PASS has with the agency.

The union was misled early last week when a senior labor relations official informed PASS that a notice would be forwarded to unions prior to an announcement to employees. “This would have allowed us the opportunity to clarify to upper management that this message conflicts with our CBAs and to bargain if necessary over the matter,” said PASS National President Dave Spero. Instead, the message was sent directly to employees, bypassing the unions who represent them. PASS finds it disingenuous that management stated in the video that FAA leadership is committed “to work closely and thoughtfully with all of you [employees] and our labor partners during this process.” That didn’t happen.

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PASS on the FAA Reauthorization Bills

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14 Jun

PASS welcomes the introduction of both the Senate and House versions of FAA reauthorization legislation this week but sees limitations with the House bill.

The House- and Senate-introduced legislation both include a 5-year authorization: the House for $103 billion, and the Senate for $107 billion. The bills are being marked up this week and will have to be reconciled before going to the president’s desk for his signature. The FAA’s current five-year reauthorization expires on September 30.

The union fully supports the Senate FAA reauthorization bill which includes several PASS-initiated provisions that National President Dave Spero discussed in his testimony before the Senate Commerce Committee hearing, Strengthening the Aviation Workforce, on March 16.

“I’m pleased the Senate’s bill took into account the concerns we have about staffing levels within the workforces we represent,” said President Spero. “The agency is expecting to do more for the National Airspace System with less. And that is not sustainable.”

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PSRW Celebrates PASS Public Servants

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27 Apr

Despite some hiccups within the aviation industry over the last few months, PASS knows that the dedicated public servants we represent at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Department of Defense (DoD) have continued their critical work on behalf of the American flying public, ensuring that their safety is never compromised.

Since 1985, Congress has designated the first full week of May as Public Service Recognition Week (PSRW) to show appreciation for the people who serve our nation as government employees. PSRW may only last a week, but PASS celebrates its members every day for the work they perform on behalf of the American public.

“PSRW is the perfect opportunity to shine a spotlight on PASS members and other federal, state and municipal public servants who serve this country,” said PASS National President Dave Spero. “The workforces we represent are highly skilled, experienced and dedicated to the job of keeping our skies safe,” he continued.

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PASS Calls on Congress and the FAA to Address Workforce Staffing and Retention

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16 Mar

Investing in the FAA’s Technical Operations and Aviation Safety employees can create lasting change for the aviation community and build confidence in the FAA’s ability to provide new services and technologies, National President Dave Spero told Congress today.

PASS represents 11,000 FAA employees across the agency. Technical employees in the Air Traffic Organization’s (ATO) Technical Operations install, maintain, repair and certify the radar, navigation, communication and power systems making up the National Airspace System (NAS). PASS also represents aviation safety inspectors and other employees within the Office of Aviation Safety (AVS). Aviation safety inspectors are responsible for certification, oversight, surveillance and enforcement of the entire aviation system.

“The work of FAA technicians is vital to the safe and efficient operation of the NAS,” said President Spero. “Sufficiently staffing this workforce can lead to the upgrade of the NAS in a much more efficient and cost-effective manner.” To that end, PASS is asking that the FAA be directed to establish a Technical Operations Workforce Plan and consult with PASS in its creation and implementation.

The PASS leader also addressed his concerns about the FAA’s inability to effectively and consistently staff the inspector workforce, and the agency itself has recognized the need to maintain a robust inspector workforce.

President Spero's statement to Committee

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Telework Bill Passes House

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22 Feb

Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) chair of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee introduced, and the House passed, the Stopping Home Office Work’s Unproductive Problems Act (H.R. 139, the SHOW UP Act) which intends to make federal agencies’ remote work policies more strict. The legislation would require agencies to go back to telework policies in effect on December 31, 2019. It also requires a study of “how telework during the pandemic impacted agencies’ missions and customer service.”

“The idea that federal employees engaging in telework have not been working during the pandemic is a misperception,” said the committee’s ranking member Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.).

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