Be Careful What You Wish For
Posted by Paul Cox on June 9th, 2009
So a couple of weeks ago, Seattle Center played one of our twice-yearly friendly soccer games against the Vancouver controllers. We play spring and fall, and usually the Canucks beat us. (This year was no exception; even with the exchange rate, where one of our goals is worth more than one of theirs, we lost 6 to 3.68.)
Afterwards, we head to a local pub or restaurant, drink some beer, and have some lunch. We sit around and shoot the breeze about ATC, life, whatever.
This year, after the game, I sat at a table with a guy who’s a manager up there. (Both teams have managerial types playing for them; it’s the Pacific NW, after all.) He is roughly equivalent to a hub manager in the US, running Vancouver Tower along with the towers of several smaller airports in the greater Vancouver region.
We had a good chat about the transition that NavCanada made to a private, non-profit corporation that runs their ATC system. It was nowhere near as smooth as the proponents of privatization want you to believe, and they still have significant funding issues; the very times they need to spend MORE money are the same times when revenues from their customers (users of the system) are going down.
But a couple of things jumped out at me. First of all, their front-line supervisors are members of the union and while they’re in a position of relative power, making management-type decisions, they’re still thought of as being more of the front-line workers than our supervisors are.
The second thing was that NavCanada had changed its direction on staffing significantly since they transitioned over back in 1996.
Back then, the initial emphasis was put on reducing controller staffing. This had predictable results; ATC services suffered considerably. I can remember times when we heard that an entire area in ZVR was staffed for evening shifts by three controllers; one worked all of the high altitude sectors, one worked the lows, and one was on break (presumably smoking some meth to try and muster the energy to go back in and work). We had restrictions and often had to give them 20 or 30 miles in trail simply because they couldn’t handle too many airplanes.
They had labor problems, too. They had a hard time coming to agreement with their unions, nearly winding up with a strike. (Rules about controllers striking are more liberal up there, as they are in most of the rest of the industrialized world.)
Now, though, things are running much more smoothly. They have been working out contracts before the expiration of the old deals, and staffing is at healthy levels. Yet they’ve cut significant costs from their overall operation. How?
They’ve slashed management jobs.
Their supervisors are asked to do more- considerably more. In fact, they are some of the most important jobs in their workforce; they’re actually expected to truly accomplish leadership roles, guidance and coaching of their peers (remember, supes there are part of the controllers’ union) and if they don’t perform, they sometimes wind up back in plain old controller jobs. (When was the last time you heard about a supervisor who did a bad job getting demoted in the FAA?)
And more importantly, their mid-level managerial jobs have gone away. They used to have tower managers at all of their smaller operations; now that’s all run by the hub manager. He told me that he relies heavily on the supervisors doing a good job, because he just can’t micromanage everything… and you know what? He says it works, too.
He said that the trick is that he’s got to get good people who are truly strong leaders into the jobs, and then he’s got to empower them to get those jobs done. And it works.
The warning here, the cautionary tale, isn’t for the general ATC workforce in the United States. In the long run, thanks to a more powerful union, the Canadian controllers are doing better.
No, the warning of “be careful what you wish for” goes to the vast numbers of managers in the FAA. From supervisor on up, you guys better be careful in your cheerleading for a NavCanada-style private corporation, because the reality that they’ve had to live with is this: The people that actually do the work- the controllers, the technicians, the inspectors- those folks have done well. There’s more of them and they’re paid better.
The people who WATCH other people doing the work- the second-level and third-level managers, the many managerial denizens of the various regional and national offices… those folks are going away. The organization can’t afford to have as many of those around. What they found is that when they kept those folks and got rid of the ones who’re actually doing the work, the operations suffered… but when they’re getting rid of those mid-level types, things just keep chugging along reasonably well.
FAAMA and SUPCOM should pay attention to this and learn the correct lessons from NavCanada’s example.
June 9th, 2009 at 9:48 am
Paul,
Sorry I missed the match. I hope the post match festivities were up to par. ( I assume they were)
Former player
June 9th, 2009 at 9:51 am
Thanks Paul. For the rest of you….if you get a chance go outside the good ‘ol USA. Better yet, meet some ATC types from other parts of the world. They are not much different from us. Not surprisingly, many places have many of the same issues we have. Staffing being number one. Stupid management being number two. A few years back I was chatting with some ATC types from Belgrade. They said they were still working in their old tower with blown out windows and bullet holes. They were happy to have two-way radios that worked. I don’t think they were worried too much about management.
It appears we are close to an agreement with the F’n AA. I hope our working conditions improve with the new contract. In the meantime I will be wondering how our brothers and sisters around the world are doing.
Thanks to the NavCanada guys who hosted the game etc. They are a great bunch (including the manglement types). Maybe someday….you never know.
Ciao….
6 months and hoping
June 9th, 2009 at 11:38 am
Ingrid says……….get in line to………….get a headset or get out…….
June 9th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
I always thought it was ironic that management folks were cheerleading privatization. The “run it like a business” mantra of the last few years is even more ironic. I can’t think of a single successful business that has as much management baggage as the FAA. And they certainly don’t promote people who can’t even do the “lower skillset” front line jobs.
There’s seems to be so much dysfunction in the ATO that privatization might be the only way to save it. It would be kinda nice not to have to worry who’s gonna be in the White House every four years; living in fear that some idiot that voters would rather have a beer with will get elected and try to make an ideological example out of us at the expense of safety and common sense.
From what you’re saying Paul, it sounds like NavCanada is starting to get it figured out and is at least making some positive progress. Am I picking up what you’re laying down?
June 9th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
The FAA has always been top heavy with those that “can’t do”, and short of those that “do”.
If the FAA were to “decentralize” management and put the power to make decisions at the facility or “district” level, the savings would be astonishing! What have “no service areas” really done to improve the situation?
They just dump the work back on the facilities!
June 9th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
I’ve always found it funny hearing Manglement-types talk about what a boon it would be to the budget if ATC were contracted out. Too bad the bozos rarely realize that when a corporation attempts to “streamline” it’s “core goals” to be a “flagship facility” the first people kicked to the curb are “middle management.”
The Canuck controllers sound cool. Too bad they are probably Vancouver Canucks fans.
June 9th, 2009 at 3:22 pm
Private sector employees are able to strike as well. You cannot take an oath for a private company now can you?
June 10th, 2009 at 5:33 am
Funny – when Lockmart took over Flight Service they increased the number of mid-level managers that just watch people work, and the current failure of Flight Service is directly attributable to them.
June 11th, 2009 at 9:24 am
Running it like a business was nothing but another Blakey slogan.
To get the buy in she wanted from the “higher skill set”, after she stole some of our wages and imposed her work rules, she gave management the keys, cut NATCA completely out of the process, and the results have been predictable.
214 out of 216 on the last federal employee satisfaction survey. And that wasn’t just controllers. Plus ATO manager’s ranks stuffed to the gills and not a dime in pay cuts.
So why wouldn’t management keep their boot on controller’s throats when they’re being so handsomely rewarded in terms of compensation and in their staffing numbers, to do so ? They couldn’t care less if the FAA finished nearly dead last in the latest survey.
And FAAMA is a joke too, continuing to go to Congress asking for more and more FLMs.
We have close to 70 people assigned to SCT with an MSS 2 or higher pay grade, to “supervise” 250(controllers, staff, TM and trainees).
There isn’t a span of control anywhere in the private sector that looks like that. One manager for every 3.5 employees….you won’t make a profit with that ratio.
June 11th, 2009 at 11:12 pm
At what point do we as controllers accept someones decision to enter management? Some folks aspire to do things other than run traffic for 20 years. If management is not for you, it may be for someone else. So what? Someone has to do that job, a few of them actually WANT to be good supes but we wont let them. In our eyes, they’re all worthless sellouts who could never run traffic anyway. We will NEVER be where NAVCANADA is because NATCA will never feel that there is a need for FLM’s in this agency. That horse is dead, the “FLM’s are worthless mantra” is old and tired. Us wishing they would get fired or suffer pays cuts does nothing for our cause. My supe never took anything from me, and I don’t dislike him for getting a pay raise last year. I wish I got one, but I didn’t, so why worry about what someone else got? I betcha all the Seattle Center guys made more $$ than the Vancouver guys last year, but they still enjoyed a game of “football” together. I could care less how many supes are in my building, or how much they make. How do those things impact my life when I go home to my family? The answer: They dont.
June 12th, 2009 at 7:28 am
Why worry about what someone else got? Because they climbed all over your back to get it. The pay reclass was a NATCA idea that ended up also benefitting management. (Ant was probably trying out for JV Soccer when that happened) After Management got on board they threw NATCA off the train in order to hog all the raises for themselves. They make the controllers work short – deny requests for leave – and harass perople legitimately using sick leave in the name of “protecting the resources of the government”. This is not the way decent people behave. My guess is Ant is hoping to move into the mangement ranks someday. Careful buddy, your Mormon underwear is showing.
June 12th, 2009 at 7:57 am
Less pay for controllers, more FLMs and more promotions within management. Paid for with the funds stolen from A and B scale controllers.
That is the fact of the matter.
If that doesn’t bother you, then sure, bid in to management already, or STFU. Because I don’t want to hear that I shouldn’t be outraged by what has happened.
If you’re an A scale controller at an AT 11 or 12 CIP facility, the enormity of the Bush Blakey pay and future pension earnings rip off, is ASTOUNDING.
And the rip off on salalry for the B scale is just as bad.
June 12th, 2009 at 8:17 am
Grateful Retiree,
You’re bitter….. and retired. You should sit back and relax. Play your position. I’m not that far behind you, so your JV comment was a high “swing and a miss” Decent people are decent no matter what they wear to work. I know some real troublemakers that I call my “Brothers” in NATCA. They wouldn’t be much better in any other position, it’s just who they are.
AS,
I am a AT 11 transfer to AT 8 prior to 2006, so I kept most of my money. I went from middle of AT-11 to top of AT-8 (a-scale), so I’ve lost a healthy sum because of the IWR’s. I make a great living. I’d take a supe job if I thought I could be respected for all the work I’ve done thoughout my career. I’d love those pay raises and all the leave I wanted. But the reality is, we’ve pushed so hard on the anti-management wall, that they have no choice but to push back. Maybe if we were stonger as a union this wouldn’t be happening. The handshake and slap on the back bridge building we’ve done has destroyed the working class of this profession.
But, what do I know? I should just bid that supe job and STFU I guess. Because if I don’t agree with you in wishing harm on another human being, I must be management material.
Bad supes are in place because good union members/controllers are not allowed to bid those jobs. Someone has to sit behind that desk, i’d rather it be someone who knows what the heck I’m doing.
June 12th, 2009 at 10:40 am
Not wishing harm, merely demanding I get back what was illegally taken.
I’ll say it again, you’re not the arbiter of my outrage.
June 12th, 2009 at 11:01 am
Am I on the BBS? Ant asks a reasonable, albeit controversial question and rather than have a rational debate, the name calling starts. Sheesh…