Gettin’ personal
Posted by Paul Cox on March 26th, 2009
From the “Your Two Cents” item on the FAA’s web site, posted on March 17:
Boot To The Throat
You’re not serious are you? There’s been no leadership exemplified by FAA management for far too many years. There’s been a “boot-to-the-throat” mentality and a demoralizing of the workforce (controllers), certainly, but there’s been no leadership. Real leaders lead by example. Every controller I work with would’ve had no issues with having our pay capped if only management had done the same to their pay. Anything less is unacceptable. You want us to pay for your NextGen grandiose delusions, but none of you have contributed one penny toward the effort. I was sequencing several JFK arrivals 30 miles in trail over Nebraska and Iowa last week. It was a bit complicated with all the chop and other overflight traffic I had to contend with. In all of that, I wondered how NextGen would’ve made my life easier and I couldn’t come up with anything. More runways would be nice, I thought. Anyway, thanks for the laugh about leadership. One can’t help but be amazed that they actually pay you to write this tripe.Kevin Gilmore
Kevin is a heck of a nice guy. You can see how nice he is for yourself by reading his blog. I check it out occasionally, and even though I’ve never met him, the sense that I get is that he’s a genuine, good guy who tries to be honest about what he believes and thinks and feels.
His letter is good. Obviously he shares the feelings of thousands of FAA employees; that the agency’s leaders have not actually displayed true leadership, but instead have cut the pay of the employees (while ensuring that mangerial pay continues to rise).
He points out the demoralized workforce. He points out the “boot to the throat” mentality displayed by management- and this is on record, folks, with things like the audio recordings of Bruce Johnson exhorting the ATO managers and supervisors to return to their field facilities and delay airplanes if they have to, just to make a point to the controller workforce about who’s in charge. “We’ll back you up all the way”, said Bruce.
Kevin points out that the FAA wants to pay for NextGen by cutting controller pay, but that NextGen won’t do diddly-squat to help controllers do their job. This is also backed up by the record, with plenty of comments from Marion Blakey saying that the agency can’t afford NextGen if operational costs stay “too high”.
All around, Kevin’s letter is a good one. He doesn’t mock anyone personally (well, other than Jerry Lavey, calling his writing “tripe”- but at least he pointed out WHY it was tripe and how the FAA’s management has been a great big failure). He expresses his feelings about how the FAA leaders’ actions are hypocritical. It’s a great letter, backed by example and talking about his job- moving airplanes.
So in the next week’s “Your Two Cents”, we hear from an FAA supervisor named Frank Whitten:
After reading Kevin Gilmore’s thoughts on Jerry Lavey’s article on leadership, I had a couple of pertinent thoughts (see “Boot To The Throat” in last week’s “Your Two Cents”). Allow me to retort: “There’s been no leadership exemplified by FAA management for far too many years,” you said. You mean you can’t find any leadership, Nada, not a smidgen, not even one iota of leadership? You must feel so lost, adrift in a sea of leaderless employees. Who was your last true leader? Jane Garvey? If so, remember, she gave the farm away. Is that what you mean by “…lead(Ing) by example?”
Here’s a possible reason for the pay disparity between you and me: I’m finally being compensated for having to deal with your negative, whining, everyone’s-an-idiot-but-yourself attitude you so clearly expressed in your little written tantrum. We have a couple of Kevins at our facility, too. That’s where we supervisors earn our money. And yes, just so you’ll know, my pay is capped too.
Your writing skills are actually quite advanced. You’re not an unintelligent man. But using this gift to personally attack someone whose writing ability is far above mine and yours, and who consistently makes cogent and fair summations in everything I have read by him, indicates to me that you have some underlying anger/stress issues that might need addressing in a professional setting.
Final point: You said: “One can’t help but be amazed that they actually pay you to write this tripe.” I’ll wager that people in the private sector would be amazed to know how you feel about your bosses and actually choose to stay in your job. I’m also quite sure that if you wrote your venomous screed in a public forum while employed in a private enterprise, the choice to stay in that job would no longer be yours.
Frank Whitten
Southwest Region
Wow. Nice letter, Frank.
Frank goes off. He proclaims that he deserves his higher pay because he has to put up with employees with lousy attitudes.
Note- he doesn’t actually take on Kevin’s point, which is the hypocrisy of a management workforce which proclaims that the FAA absolutly must cut costs and uses that to justify cutting non-management pay, but turns around and keeps managerial pay raises and high pay levels.
No, Frank decides to blame it on “whiny, negative” employee attitudes. That’s why he thinks he is “finally” getting the pay he deserves. (Plainly Frank thinks all this time, he’s been getting screwed because he deserved so very much more money than the controllers.)
Then he declares that Kevin must need professional counseling, because (to Frank, anyway) Kevin’s displaying some kind of anger management issue.
Frank closes with a not-very-veiled threat that declares that Kevin’s speaking his mind would get him (Kevin) fired in the public sector.
Note that in Frank’s letter, there’s nothing about the actual points that Kevin made, like the hypocritical FAA managers; the lack of true leadership; the fact that NextGen won’t help with the actual JOB of separating aircraft for at least a decade; about the boot-to-the-throat mentality; about the failure to lead by example.
Instead, Frank actually proves Kevin’s point. Kevin was right on- boot to the throat? Yep, Frank says Kevin should be fired rather than speak his mind.
Hypocrisy? Yep, Frank declares that his job is to deal with lousy attitudes. (Remember, Kevin pointed out his OWN job- vectoring airplanes over Iowa and Nebraska for in-trail requirements to New York City.)
Leading by example? Yep, Frank declares that by gum HE deserves his high pay because he has to put up with so many lousy people. (Kevin pointed out that managers claim the reason pay for workers had to be cut was to pay for NextGen.)
In essence, Frank’s letter made Kevin’s point for him better than Kevin, or I, possibly could.
Frank’s letter hasn’t gone un-noticed. Lots of people that have worked with him have chimed in to the Follies with some tips. All kinds of stuff about him, from work stuff (afraid of traffic, only has a year or two of actual experience as an FPL controller, etc) to personal stuff (his marriage to a gal he apparently met when she was a student in the FAA’s training program at his facility- while he was still married to wife #1! Tsk tsk, Frank… and what was your job title at that time?) and so forth.
But you know what? We don’t need to let everyone know how despised the guy is, or personally slag on him (well, not too much, anyway). It’d be pretty easy, apparently, and fun, but let’s do something else, instead.
Let’s take a quick gander at Kevin’s performance rating. (He said it was okay and shared it.) Remember, Frank would love to do away with Kevin and the other negative losers like him. He thinks getting rid of Kevin will make the FAA better.
Mr Gilmore is an accomplished professional air traffic controller who combines dedication, competence, and integrity into every aspect of his job.
Mr Gilmore is a “go to” guy who always successfully contributes a high level of productivity, no matter what the circumstances are.
Mr Gilmore is a CIC and always conducts himself as an organized leader of the area, never compromising the goals of the ATO.
Mr Gilmore is an OJTI who delivers objectivity, knowledge, and mentoring to our developmentals. Mr Gilmore is directly responsible for the successful certification of a new CPC…
Mr Gilmore can work high volumes of complex traffic with no loss of service or quality, because he is always well-planned and prepared for the dynamic demands that he faces.
Mr Gilmore is a highly valued asset to the ATO, and he is integral in the success of the ATO FLIGHT PLAN GOALS.
(the emphasis in the last item was added. -ed)
So, folks, you make the call. Kevin’s boss declared him to be “integral” to the success of what we do. Kevin’s letter talked about what he sees as his job, MOVING AIRPLANES. Kevin’s boss says, basically, that Kevin kicks ass.
Frank himself declared that HIS job and how he and the FAA’s supervisors earn their pay is “having to deal with your negative, whining, everyone’s-an-idiot-but-yourself attitude you so clearly expressed in your little written tantrum. We have a couple of Kevins at our facility, too. That’s where we supervisors earn our money.”
(And that’s a direct quote from his letter, folks.)
A controller who points out hypocrisy and talks about his job moving airplanes. A phlegm (that’s Front Line Manager, FLM) who declares his job is dealing with people he perceives to be whiners.
The controller doesn’t say he wants managers fired; he just wants to see some real leadership that he can respect. The FLM says he wants to get rid of the “Kevins” of the FAA. (Thankfully Kevin’s real boss doesn’t feel the same way!)
Gee, is it any shock that many of the agency’s employees think this is a screwed up situation?
Frank, pal, just keep writing letters. I could slag on you, I could tell you all the stuff that employees at your facility passed along… but why? You are doing a fine, fine job of proving our points all by yourself. I hope you write more, Frank. Keep up that demanding work of putting up with the whiners.
(You know, the ones plugged into the scopes and talking to airplanes while you… do what, exactly? We know their job, Frank- but what’s yours? I’m sure your facility chief was delighted to hear your perception of how you’re earning your money. I’m sure the FAA’s upper level folks were even more happy to hear it.)
I’ll tell you MY perception of the FAA. The problem with today’s FAA is that there are FAR too many people with Frank’s mindset (managers deserve high pay for putting up with whiners) in charge, and not enough people with Kevin’s mindset (lead by example, stop hypocrisy, we could handle having pay frozen if the leaders did too, etc) in charge.
I hope that there’s enough of the Kevins out there to save the FAA from the Franks. And personally, I’d take a facility full of Kevins- great controllers who are gutsy enough to speak their minds- over a facility full of Franks any day.
March 26th, 2009 at 2:31 am
Mr, Whitten is right about one thing. You could be fired in the public sector for speaking your mind. It has happened at Lockheed Flight Service to many people. People that have brought up SAFETY concerns have been fired. Of course, people who brought up concerns like that in the FAA have been targeted as well.
What an A-Hole. He just goes all out with that typical “if you’re not happy here, leave or we will make you leave” attitude.
As a taxpayer, I am happy to be paying Mr. Gilmores salary. I am offended that I have to pay Mr. Whittens.
March 26th, 2009 at 3:57 am
That article was RIGHT on! I was thinking the same thing when I read it yesterday. The FAA is full of managers that look down on the “entry level” employees. Employees don’t have the BIG picture. We need more managers at higher pay to make us a successful business. The higher you go the more impressive your title is. COO’s VP’s, District Managers, Front Line Managers, Operational Managers, Transitional Managers, if we could just get a few more MANAGERS to manage us ungrateful employees we would be a better BUSINESS! SMDUJO
March 26th, 2009 at 4:19 am
Mr. Whitten, you’re backed up against the wall, the way you have to attack and justify yourself and others in the FAA Management! Kevin tells it like it is. Vectoring over Nebraska for JFK! Nextgen is going to be the cure? I don’t think so either! Leadership in the FAA? I’d like to see it. I remember going 1 million operations here at ZMP without an error, and the Praise from Management to Management for THEIR outstanding accomplishment made me sick. Take all the credit, take all the publicity because you have to make yourselves feel better. The only way this was acclomplished was by not letting Management controll planes! It’s hard to have respect for someone who cannot do this job, does not have a clue how to separate airplanes and tells me how to do it!
March 26th, 2009 at 5:32 am
I was in Kevin’s original Enroute class in 1982. Not only is he a heck of a good guy, but he has seen the same arc of insanity all of us have witnessed in the last 27 years. We had the opportunity after the strike to make this a real “model workplace” and those of our peers who moved on to “manage” this organization have failed miserably. I am ashamed to tell the new flock of trainees coming in how badly we botched the opportunity to fix this organization. It’s sad to see how those of us with over 25 years in this organization have been treated and how we are treated when we try to speak up and ask for some sanity. We can only hope that the new group will be in a better place 25 years from now and will remember where they started.
March 26th, 2009 at 5:51 am
I take great excdeption with one (only one?)part of Frank’s screed. I have over 20 years experience as a senior manager in the civilian sector. Yes, there are SOME places where Kevin would be scrutinized for his statements and possibly terminated for some trumped up ’cause”. But the companies and managers that manage that way NEVER last. Obviously Frank has never worked in the civilian sector. He certainly would not enjoy his exalted position and inflated salary with his adversarial attitude toward the very people that produce his income!
March 26th, 2009 at 6:10 am
Excellent blog today. I agree that Frank shows us so well how the management system is broken. He is quick to point out to Kevin that speaking his mind would result in his termination in the private sector but he fails to realize that his own broken management style would result in his own termination within the private sector. The fact remains, and has so for far too many years, that the FAA has no accountability with FAA management and until they start to get some there will be more and more Franks (somehow I can’t even type his name without thinking of the Frank Burns character from M.A.S.H.–identical, filled with self importance, blames others, and incompetent in his job). The FAA needs to stop the lateral/upward promotion of those who have proven that they can not do the job. If a controller tries to move to a busier facility and fails for lack of ability the FAA moves them back down to a level they have proven they can do but with management it is a golden ticket.
Also what is it with the FAA recently? You have Frank who suggests that Kevin need “professional help” for speaking his opinion, an opinion that differs from management and you have Ms. Osmus who puts out a memo on the security breech and in it she gives an 800 number for additional help and the 800 number goes to the FAA’s Mental help line! The FAA makes mistake after mistake and their new position is to send anyone who questions their actions to a shrink.
March 26th, 2009 at 6:32 am
Frank Wit-less says he’s “finally” being compensated to blah, blah, blah.
I’ve been a controller with FAA for 21 + years and sups and managers have always made more in base salary than controllers. So I don’t know what Wit-less is talking about here.
Naturally he doesn’t thank NATCA for pay reclass and getting him to the 177K federal max (or close to it) he “earns” today.
The rest of his condescending diatribe is a clear sign these FAAMA blowhards know the Obama WH is going to upset their little ATO tea party soon.
And what Wit-less really means is he wishes HE could fire Kevin G for speaking his mind. In Wit-less world, FAA FLMs could come to your home, find some trumped up transgression (dog doo on your lawn maybe) and fire you for that.
Sorry Frankie, your hero Bush doesn’t get to play POTUS anymore. And your days of playing God are coming to an end.
March 26th, 2009 at 7:33 am
It is amazing that a FLM like him can’t see where controllers get their bitterness that he finally gets paid enough to put up with.
Hey, Frank. Look in the mirror.
And Frank, how are you handling that whole FAA motto of “treating others as you would like to be treated”. Or are you just doing the right thing only when no one is looking.
If I worked for Frank directly, I would have already filed a HOSTILE WORKPLACE charge based upon his statement. Get the papers, and file. Go to any authoritative website, and his statement meets the definition of a hostile work environment. Veiled threats for speaking your mind, it qualifies.
File.
March 26th, 2009 at 7:44 am
Frank would be able to get a “civilian” job. Working for LockMart managing the FSS program. Unfortunately LM hired most from the failed FSS management ranks. A few good guys were kept, but the WCG guys, with the exception of a few, are the same useless FAA management types who screwed with FSS when we were FAA and are now helping nail the coffin lid of FSS now. Good ol’ Frank would fit right in!!!
March 26th, 2009 at 7:45 am
The fact that FAA printed Wit-less’ personal attack shows us just how dysfunctional this agency has become.
And the degree to which controllers are fair game and targets.
FLMs like Wit-less actually believe Blakey’s jive. They buy in to the John Fisher “higher skill set” rhetoric, actually think they should earn 40, 50 or 60K more than those they supervise. And you can bet they voted McCain by a large margin.
Both Obama/Lahood and several Senators at yesterday’s Nextgen hearing have made it clear, they want this labor mess fixed.
That the fix is going to involve shaking up Wit-less world, is what has the ATO management so up in arms.
March 26th, 2009 at 8:07 am
Speaking of “higher skill sets” Fisher, check out this ripoff.
http://www.advancedatc.com/about-us/leadership
$50,000 for a 12 month “technical certificate”
March 26th, 2009 at 8:46 am
Fantastic post today Paul. Couldn’t be more on the money.
March 26th, 2009 at 8:51 am
Perfect example for the answer to the “why we left early” question.
Retired at 47 was never the plan (however planned for in case), but this perfect example of what we controllers were and are dealing with in the FAA management ranks highlights the situation perfectly.
Much of the same incompetence has lead to the influx of retarded initatives since we left just a year or two ago. Plain and simple; if the people actually doing the job have no input or respect and thus initiated by people who can’t or don’t do job, the initiative will be flawed.
March 26th, 2009 at 10:23 am
>>Here’s a possible reason for the pay disparity between you and me: I’m finally being compensated for having to deal with your negative, whining, everyone’s-an-idiot-but-yourself attitude you so clearly expressed in your little written tantrum. <<
If this is a compensable item then I am thinking the FAA should start compensating NATCA Reps that deal daily with the likes of Frank.
March 26th, 2009 at 10:49 am
Frank is an example of a typical Faa Flem : comes into work only to go to the back office for a couple of hours but that is only when there are already 2 or 3 on duty watching 10-12 controllers , if he is on duty at the desk guess what he is doing , nope he is not making sure the controllers are doing ok , not making sure that the system is safe , yep you guessed it he is surfing the WEB , Frank is making over $177k(oh by the way his pay is capped) surfing the world wide web, some days he doesn’t move from the work computer, well now you know why he has so much time to talk to his buddy Jerry!!!!
You cant make this stuff up it is truly amazing
March 26th, 2009 at 10:59 am
Frank Burns is alive and well! What a Niedermier.
March 26th, 2009 at 11:26 am
The FLM is a product of “run it like a business” mentality of the former administration. only we aren’t a business. we are a safety regulating agency and guess what? THE CUSTOMER ISN’T ALWAYS RIGHT when it comes to safety!!! we don’t exist to make a profit, we don’t exist to make CEOs COOs or other managers wealthy. WE PROVIDE SAFETY TO THE AMERICAN FLYING PUBLIC!! the day a controller can’t speak up and disagree with safety aspects of the system, is the day we should shut down the FAA and drive to our destinations.
Until, the “run it like a business” model is abandoned by the current ATO, safety will suffer!
March 26th, 2009 at 11:27 am
From the FAA employee’s web site:
“Resolving the issues with controllers would set a “high standard” to show the FAA cares about its people, LaHood said. The president is also committed to moving forward with NextGen, LaHood added of the second short-term priority for a new FAA administrator.”
And:
“LaHood also noted the FAA received $200 million for Facilities and Equipment for improvements to power systems, air route traffic control centers, terminal facilities, and navigation and landing equipment. The money, LaHood stressed, will be used to improve the en route centers whose average age is 43 years old, and to replace old towers and TRACONS.”
The question in my mind is how do dinosaurs like Frank Whitten and Gerry Lavey, perfect fits in the Bush-Blakey FAA, fit in to the new Obama/Lahood vision for FAA ?
March 26th, 2009 at 11:32 am
Regarding post number 11, by “Done.” Hey Frank, HEY FAA ATO! YOUR RETIRED LEADERS ARE ACKNOWLEDGING SHORT STAFFING AND A NEED FOR CONTROLLERS! You and FRANK “maybe-probly-oughta-shoulda” get your retired higher skillsetters to edit their web page before the next congressional hearings! Or…dust off your headset Frank and fill in the void, Mr. Go-getter!
You guys are a riot.
Love, 31+ active ATC years.
March 26th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
I’m humbled by the support you’ve shown me with your post and comments. Thank you.
March 26th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
To “AS @ SCT” are you that zombie looking lame dick Kevin originally from ONT Tower?
March 26th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
Kevin, thank you, really. You had the courage to stand up and say what you think.
To me, this whole thing actually neatly sums up today’s FAA. The employee writes in and says “show me some leadership by example, all I see is hypocrisy and hogwash” and the manager writes in and says “I deserve extra money for putting up with your whiny little ass, all I see is a bunch of losers who shouldn’t have their jobs.”
Sad, sad, sad. Kevin, thing is, you are a terrific example of thousands of FAA employees nationwide; folks who genuinely strive to do a good job, who are disgusted at the attitudes and example being set by the so-called “leaders”, and tired of it. You took the initiative to stand up and say so; thank you for doing it.
March 26th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
To the zombie looking lame dick named Ahnold….no. LMAO.
March 26th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
Kevin,
Get an attorney and sue the FAA for publishing this and the manager for saying you are mentally/emotionally unstable and need professional help. I’m serious.
Max Brill
March 26th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
To Ahnold… How do you know he’s a “lame dick?” That’s way TMI about your personal life dude.
March 26th, 2009 at 8:14 pm
When I read Whitten’s comment in “Your Two Cents” I immediately went to the FAA employees home page and plugged his name into the employee directory search to see where this bonehead worked. I couldn’t find any Frank Whitten. The ATO ORDERED FAA managers to update their contact info twice in recent years. Maybe this guy should receive some discipline for disobeying a written order! Just what the ATO needs… another high maintenance employee who can’t follow directions.
March 26th, 2009 at 8:18 pm
Does anyone who reads this blog work with this Frank Whitten? Are any of you the Kevin’s he proudly writes about? How bout an old fashioned Texas blanket party for your a$$wipe flegm!
“Here’s a possible reason for the pay disparity between you and me: I’m finally being compensated for having to deal with your negative, whining, everyone’s-an-idiot-but-yourself attitude you so clearly expressed in your little written tantrum. We have a couple of Kevins at our facility, too. That’s where we supervisors earn our money”
It is no wonder that the FAA is in the situation it’s in. Traffic dodging losers like Frank Whitten have no place in the FAA.
March 26th, 2009 at 8:27 pm
Thanks, Paul!
Methinks Mr. Whitten will require, soon, some anger management classes/therapy/counseling/medication of his own after now becoming a laughingstock both inside his facility and FAA-wide. That’s tough. Sounds like a job for EAP…
March 26th, 2009 at 8:40 pm
Sounds like Ferret Face is ready for a cubicle in DC.
March 26th, 2009 at 9:27 pm
Mr. Whitten has caused me to realize that I’ve complained far too much. I should have known that Management officials deserve their continued pay increases and their year end bonuses. That’s how they do it at AIG (like a business). I know they don’t work radar scopes or do windows for that matter, but they sure put up with a great deal of complaining from people like me. They must slave for hours over their memos and orders that are continually coming out. I can do without my pay increases and I’m going to start trying to convince the new employees to be thankful they have a job at all, even if they’re working for Burger King wages. My boss tells me not to worry about their pay. She says they just love airplanes.
March 26th, 2009 at 9:37 pm
I work in the same building. Thankfully, not in the same specialty. Seeing him on the mids is enough.
His name is Frank Whiten. One T. Try searching for that.
March 26th, 2009 at 11:29 pm
here’s a bit of info
Frank’s “capped” salary
2006 165,200
2007 168,000
2008 172,200
2009 177,000
more to come ……
March 26th, 2009 at 11:50 pm
People like Frank are a big reason i quit the FAA and went DOD. I was within spittin distance of 20 years in the FAA and took a couple of grand pay cut to go to the DOD. I can’t believe how much better run and peaceful it is in DOD than the FAA.
The FAA is one of the worst run agencies/businesses i have ever seen or been a part of. I don’t think i would take a 20k pay raise to go back to the FAA. That bad. The FAA is in dire need of people with positive, constructive leadership.
March 27th, 2009 at 1:53 am
Frank is the epitomy for all that is wrong with the FAA. The FAA’s endorsement of this management representatives vile prose offers us a clear signal that they continue to endorse an anti-controller mentality well after Elvis (W) has left the building. I’m thinking a courtesy copy to The Honorable Mr. LaHood may very well be in order. What better way to set an example of “change” than the Secratary displaying his commitment to no longer tolerate this type of attitude being displayed by FAA management officials? I think I will give it a try… Frank, do the right thing, man up, and publically admit that you are sorry for insulting this Country’s still proud legion of Air Traffic Controllers!
March 27th, 2009 at 7:54 am
The Class of ’81 arose against like thinking management and were crushed. I was fortunate to be restored and when I returned in ’83 saw that there hadn’t been a lot of lessons learned. I always thought it interesting that it took less than three years for the FAA to squander the “we’re all in this together, let’s work the same way” opportunity that the Lesson of ’81 provided.
Alas, they didn’t and NATCA was born of necessity. However, there was another opportunity–the FAA screwed the pooch in their relationship with PATCO so, despite mishandling things and having NATCA appear, did they take a different tack in their interaction with them? They did not.
It never ceased to amaze me that the FAA was so consistent in making the poorest possible choices for management. In 30 years, I can count on one hand the good choices I saw them make. What a horrible percentage. And sadly, they trickled up to what we see today. Those hacks at the Puzzle Palace aren’t all political appointees.
I’m so glad I was able to get out when I did, even though it cost me a ton of money. It would have cost more to stay.
LRod
ZJX, ORD, ZAU Retired
March 27th, 2009 at 9:23 am
NATCA needs to STEP UP, and IMMEDIATELY, demand a full public apology from this Supervisor to Kevin for stating on a PUBLIC GOVERNMENT WEBSITE that Kevin has some underlying anger issues that may require professional help.
Kevin has a career in which he needs to maintain a medical clearance, and this type of PUBLIC statement CLEARLY could be damaging to his career, just as if someone in management stated they thought he was doing drugs.
Kevin, get a lawyer, and call the NATCA helpline, and demand a full and complete PUBLIC RETRACTION. Tell this guy exactly what needs to be cleared up in this retraction as well.
This Frank guy has crossed a line, a line he can’t even see because his animosity is blinding him.
NATCA, STEP UP.
Frank, if you are reading this, you should retract and apologize now. Management in the FAA resorts to personal attacks when people complain. I lost my retirement in the Flight Service switchover (after 20.5 years of service to the FAA), and when I complained about not being offered other FAA jobs, the FAA went so far as to insinuate I was not patriotic if I had a problem with it). The things FAA Management will say to deflect from the real issues being raised are beyond comprehension.
March 27th, 2009 at 11:14 am
What amazes me the most is that Whiten admonishes Kevin for calling Lavey’s drivel “tripe” by referring to what he thinks of HIS BOSSES!!! Since when is Lavey the boss of ANY controller?? This guy must be truly delusional.
I’ve read a lot of Kevin’s stuff. Whiten opines that lavey’s writing is “far above” his own and Kevin’s. Speak for yourself, Frank. I’ll take Kevin’s stuff over Lavey’s anyday. Maybe Kevin’s stuff is so good because he’s obviously a man of integrity, something that seems in desperately short supply when talking about faa management.
March 27th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
To FAA Management, I am calling you out. Do you have the balls to spend a little time to investigate if FLM Whitten’s posts were written on and sent by a GOVERNMENT computer? Do you have the balls to investigate if FLM Whitten was signed on “SISO” as doing “official business”? You damned well know if this was a controller you would turn the entire operation upside down to investigate, now do what is right and investigate this sorry excuse for a “leader”!!!
March 27th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
If I wanted to hide my name I would probably enter it as Whitenjr Oliver F also.
March 27th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
Let’s raise this up the flagpole. This should be at LaHood’s level. What does Ruth think? What will she do? What does Pat think? And do? Someone help us from ourselves! Perhaps Mr. Tourmey? Help?
March 27th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
DON’T BE A
FRANK buttons available soon! Standby!
March 27th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
What IS a frank?
1. Tube sandwich.
2. Beef and Pork by-products.
3. Weinie.
4. hotdawg.
5. Linc trainer for a “flamer”
6. Help me out…?
March 28th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Dear Frank,
If you think a couple of whiners requires a room full of FLMs (with their corresponding salaries) to manage I have to completely disagree with you. There are high-maintenance people at every level of the FAA (yes, FLMs, OMs, and ATMs too). The majority of people come in and do an INCREDIBLE job controlling the aircraft in the NAS and you never hear a cross word from them. When’s the last time you vented to your OM?
If someone has something negative to say, my recommendation would be for you to listen to it. It is your job to help solve problems for the people you work with (for that which is in your power to solve). The person has something that is important to them (even if it is not important to you) and who knows, it may be an issue/idea that can have wide-spread impact.
I know that labeling someone a “whiner” and just moving on requires a lot less work, but hey, at 177K I think the taxpayers deserve your max effort every minute of your workday.
March 29th, 2009 at 10:39 pm
FAAguy, I know you are management somewhere, but I appreciate you being levelheaded and fair. Unfortunately with those excellent personal qualities you won’t be going anywhere in FAA management, they frown on that. Sorry =(
March 30th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
FAA Guy, you just moved up a notch in my book. That puts you at notch one.
March 30th, 2009 at 6:43 pm
I told you guys all along that FAAGuy was one of the better managers. We might not agree (actually, strike “might”) on everything, but he has consistently shown that he DOES give a rip about the employees, and his post here demonstrates that he’s got his head on straight when it comes to the job.
Now if we can just get a bunch more like him and empower them to speak up when things are going sour, we might get somewhere in this FAA.
May 29th, 2009 at 10:13 pm
The the million dollar question (issue) will be over pay .
Has any other FAA employee had their pay cut 30% the last 3yrs ??
Has any other FAA employee had their pay frozen the last 3yrs ??
Has any other Federal employee had their pay cut 30% the last 3yrs ??
Has any other Federal employee had their pay frozen the last 3yrs ??
If it was really about the cost structure & the budgets of the FAA/ATO then
why has no other group ( management ?!? ) shared in the sacrifice ???????
The pay disparity between CPCs & FLMs is egregious & needs to be addressed !!
a GS-14 at ZHU in 1998 made $69,000 – 90,000
a GS-15 at ZHU in 1998 made $81,000 – 106,000
a GS-14 in Houston 2009 earns $107,000 – 139,000
a GS-15 in Houston 2009 earns $126,000 – 153,000
national base AT-11 pay band is $71500 – 102800
a newly certified CPC at ZHU currently starts at $92,000
the top of the CPC band is $132000
adjusted for inflation a new CPC makes less than one did 11yrs ago
$69,000 in 1998 dollars adjusted for inflation to 2009 is about $95,600
(that’s a fairly conservative 3% estimate)
a newly minted FLM at ZHU starts at $158,000-160,000
the top of the FLM pay is $177,000
$81,000 in 1998 dollars adjusted for inflation to 2009 is about $112,200
that’s about a 72% – 92% pay disparity from a new CPC to a FLM
even at the top of the band it’s a 26% difference
When in the 42 history of the FAA has a first line operations supervisor
ever made 75% more than a controller ?????
are FLMs 74-92% more productive than CPCs ??
are FLMs 74-92% more efficient than CPCs ??
are FLMs 74-92% more essential to the mission of the ATO than CPCs ??
Where in the private sector does a first line manager make 72-92% more than
the employees he/she supervises ??
Often when I come in to work Sunday mornings at 7am there’s 3 FLMs at
the sups desk “supervising” 7-10 CPCs
that’s $480-530k managing 7-10 people !!
Where in the private sector are the staffing ratios like that ???
It may be an uphill battle in the current economic environment but
NATCA needs to bring this issue front & center to the FAA an do their best
to rectify the pay issue !!!
http://www.opm.gov/oca/98tables/GSANNUAL/HTML/HOU.htm
http://www.opm.gov/oca/98tables/GSANNUAL/INDEX.HTM
https://employees.faa.gov/employee_services/pay_perf/pay/media/ATSPP_pay_bands_with_locality.xls
http://www.opm.gov/oca/09tables/html/hou.asp
June 26th, 2009 at 8:33 am
I went to therapy counseling when I had problems with my husband. The person who I talked to was very helpful.
June 30th, 2009 at 11:12 pm
Paul,
I meant to comment when this blog originally appeared back in March. Unfortunately it's still true:
My weiner hurts.
XXXOOO,
JTB