FAA and PASS Reach Tentative Agreement On New Five-Year Labor Pact  

January 11, 2000, WASHINGTON- After more than a year of negotiations and several months of mediation through the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Professional Airways Systems Specialists (PASS) have signed a tentative five-year labor agreement.  PASS represents about 7,700 technical and support personnel in the Airways Facilities Division at the FAA. The parties agreed not to disclose the specific provisions of the contract, pending ratification by the union's members.  In general, however, the agreement reflects the agency's modernization effort and its move to a market based pay for performance system.  It is also in line with the FAA's new "core compensation" system being adopted agency wide.  In addition, in return for higher pay levels, the union has agreed to maintain current staffing levels.

"We believe this is a fair and reasonable agreement for the agency and the members of PASS," said Steve Brown, Associate Administrator for Air Traffic.  "It means that we can meet the legitimate pay concerns of our technicians and other staff represented by PASS, improve overall efficiency, maintain our high standards of safety, and stay within the tight constraints imposed by our budget." "I believe that this agreement is one that will meet the needs of both the FAA and members of PASS," said Mike Fanfalone, PASS President.  "The final agreement was crafted through a sincere attempt to provide job security, training on new technologies, and a fair and equitable pay system."  The union will now circulate the proposed agreement to its members for ratification, a process that is expected to take about 60 days.

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