Natca Endorses Obama for President

By Chad Trautvetter

June 10, 2008
ATC, Government

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (Natca) late last week endorsed Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) for president.

According to the controllers union, Obama is “a champion of fair collective bargaining rights for controllers [and] a fierce advocate for aviation safety and holding the FAA accountable. Two years ago, Obama introduced the FAA Fair Labor Management Dispute Resolution Act of 2006, which would have required neutral binding arbitration in the case of an impasse in labor-management negotiations.

“I recognize that negotiations between the [FAA] Administrator and the air traffic controllers are difficult,” the senator said at the time. “Only neutral arbitration can produce a fair outcome that the entire organization can accept.

The bill did not pass, but Obama’s prediction of an unhappy ATC workforce did. “This is a workforce in crisis due to the failed management of the FAA [and] the agency’s imposed work and pay rules,” noted Natca president Patrick Forrey.

“We need a president who will once again demand accountability and fairness in the FAA [and] restore collaboration with controllers…Senator Obama will be that president.

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