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The Kansas City Star, Mo., Randolph Heaster Column: Air Traffic Controllers Seek Help

Posted on: Thursday, 1 June 2006, 18:00 CDT

By Randolph Heaster, The Kansas City Star, Mo.

May 23--Air traffic controllers sought the help of the flying public last week at Kansas City International Airport in its stalled contract talks with the federal government.

Members of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association passed out leaflets at KCI on May 15, asking travelers to call a toll-free number that would tell congressional representatives that they support the air traffic controllers. The association is lobbying Congress to pass a bill that would force the Federal Aviation Administration back to negotiation or into binding arbitration. The agency declared that bargaining was at an impasse last month.

The FAA could impose its own terms two months after declaring an impasse, which would be June 5. If that happens, air traffic controllers believe that many workers will have financial incentives to retire instead of continuing to work, said Kevin Peterson, president of the controllers association at KCI.

Peterson said there are slightly more than 400 air traffic controllers in the Kansas City area, including 41 at KCI. If the FAA's current offer is imposed, wages will be frozen, he said. However, those who retire will continue to receive cost-of-living increases on their benefit payments.

Some veteran controllers could see their wages slashed by 20 percent to 40 percent under the FAA's proposal, Peterson said.

He added that the FAA also is seeking to change work rules that will create unreasonable scheduling requests and would no longer guarantee vacation time.

"We're saying let's get back to the bargaining table or send it to binding arbitration," he said.

The FAA said it has repeatedly responded that its current contract offer is fair and won't trigger the retirements of air traffic controllers across the country.

"The FAA regrets that NATCA failed to show the same will and determination at the bargaining table as they appear to be showing in their efforts to spread propaganda and falsehoods to the American public," said Geoff Basye, an FAA spokesman.

The FAA said in January that the average total compensation package for air traffic controllers was $166,000. Peterson said that figure was wrong and that the agency used every potential benefit to inflate the figure.

Peterson estimated the average annual wage for Kansas City air traffic controllers is about $100,000.

"What the public needs to know is that it's a high-stress job, and it's a young person's profession," he said. "We can't work past age 56, and most air traffic controllers take early retirement after 20 years because they burn out."

Air traffic controllers are barred by federal law from striking, so the union is urging the public to lobby their representatives.

Projects honored

The Kansas City Chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America held an awards banquet earlier this month recognizing the best projects of 2005. The following firms were honored based on the project size:

-- Turner Construction Co., over $25 million, for Garmin International.

-- HarenLaughlin Construction, $10 million to $25 million, for Visitation Catholic Church.

-- Turner Construction, $5 million to $10 million, for the University of Kansas.

¦Turner Construction, $1 million to $5 million, for the Overland Park Command & Control Center.

-- HarenLaughlin Construction, under $1 million, for Scuola Vita Nuova Charter School.

To reach Randolph Heaster, call (816) 234-4746 or send e-mail to rheaster@kcstar.com .

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Kansas City Star, Mo.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: The Kansas City Star (Kansas City, Missouri)

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