Memorandum of Understanding

Between the

National Air Traffic Controllers Association

And the

Federal Aviation Administration

 

 

This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is made and entered into by and between the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (“NATCA” or “Union”) and the Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA” or “Agency”) (collectively the “Parties”).  For the purposes of this MOU, NATCA refers to the following Bargaining Units of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association: Air Traffic Controllers, Traffic Management Coordinators and NOTAM Specialists.

 

It is recognized that it is in the best interest of the Parties to deliver modern administrative efficiencies to the management of air traffic control facilities and develop a Cost Accounting System (CAS) within Air Traffic Services to validate financial and operational performance goals.  Cru-X serves as the air traffic program to manage those efficiencies and as the entrance vehicle to the Labor Distribution Reporting (LDR) Program.

 

This MOU is a result of the re-opening of the September 26, 2000 Implementation of Cru-X Software MOU and the LDR briefings/negotiations between the Parties. This MOU shall supercede and replace the Implementation of Cru-X Software MOU dated September 26, 2000.

 

CRU-X/LDR IPPS Interface

 

1.  The Parties agree that the LDR interface with IPPS will be in compliance with FAA Order 2700.37 and will be certified by ABA-1 prior to transmitting information for any Bargaining Unit Employee (BUE).

 

2.  The Parties agree that Cru-X will be used as the vehicle to enter data into the Agency’s LDR Program.  The Parties understand that other methods of entering data into the Agency’s LDR Program may be required on a short-term basis at individual facilities. Cru-X will conform to all applicable federal regulations, the Parties’ Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), government computer security standards and this MOU. In the event that other methods are required, the Parties shall meet at the National Level, prior to implementation, to negotiate this other method. Where references to Cru-X is made in this MOU, the Parties agree that reference applies to both Cru-X and LDR.

 

3.  It is also understood that Cru-X is not intended to change existing personnel policies, practices and matters affecting working conditions not expressly contained in this MOU. The Parties shall meet at the National Level to identify and resolve any current personnel policies, practices or general conditions of employment the Cru-X software cannot accommodate.

 

CRUSUPPORT

 

4.  CruSupport will contain, as a minimum, the following data fields for each employee in each facility: Employee Name; Employee Identifying Number; Social Security Number; Entry on Duty (EOD) FAA Date; EOD Facility Date; Service Computation Date (SCD); Operating Initials; FEGLI code; FLSA code; Bargaining Unit; Seniority Date; Work Schedule Code; Date of Birth; Retirement Eligibility Date; Retirement Mandatory Date; Certified Professional Controller Date; ATC Level; Career Level; Salary Rate; and facility information.  New data fields required will be added on the next Service Release.

 

Consistent with the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552a, this information will also be provided to NATCA National for BUEs in a manner determined by the Parties.  CruSupport will also be used to process and track personnel records, employee rosters, organizational charts, as well as to process time and attendance records, personnel actions (SF50, SF52) and track time off awards and physicals.  Employees retain the right to review all their personnel information contained within CruSupport in accordance with the Parties’ CBA.

 

CRUOPS

 

5.  CruOps shall automatically sign on air traffic operations employees at the beginning of their assigned shifts.  CruOps will automatically sign the employees off at the conclusion of their assigned shifts.  Any changes to sign-in/sign-out times, including flexitime changes, and any leave or other changes to an assigned shift, cannot be accepted by the system unless approved by the person performing watch supervision.

 

Employees will be displayed in the “On Duty” list automatically when their scheduled shift begins and will remain on the list until the scheduled shift ends.  The person performing watch supervision will be responsible for taking positive action to monitor and verify the accuracy of this information.  If the person performing watch supervision cannot positively verify the whereabouts of an employee on the list, they will be required to flag that entry for verification.  The flag will not be removed until the employee is located. 

 

6.      The Parties agree to incorporate a schedule program such as “RDO” into CruOps.

 

7.  CruOps shall be used to collect hours worked by each employee and identified projects and activities for the purposes of LDR plus leave taken during a shift.  Leave includes annual, sick, credit hours, compensatory time, and all other types of leave.  BUEs shall be shown as performing their primary LDR activity/code (“Air Traffic Control”) for all time recorded in CruOps except the “Other Duties” list. Time recorded in the Other Duties list shall include Training, specified Article 17 duties, Article 48 duties and other duties as described in Appendix A and shall be associated with LDR Project and Activity Codes.

 

Due to current system limitations, compensatory hours and credit hours are not recorded in LDR when earned but rather when they are used.  The DOT IPPS system is currently being modified to allow for recording of compensatory time and credit hours earned.

 

8.  The “Available List” shall be re-designated the “On Duty” list in CruOps and shall include all operational employees on duty.  The “Duty List” shall be re-designated the “On Position” list. The Parties recognize that Time on Position (TOP) data, generated by Cru-X, is not, in and of itself, an accurate measure of employee productivity.

 

9.  Supervisors and Controllers-in-Charge (CIC) shall have the same level of access rights in the CruOps program and only have access to Cru-X information necessary for performing required duties.

 

10.  The Agency shall immediately conduct a review of all user access levels and the data available at each level to ensure all security and privacy protections guaranteed by law, rule, regulation, or the CBA remain in full force and effect upon implementation of Cru-X.

 

LOCAL ISSUES

 

11.  Prior to the implementation of Cru-X software at any facility, the Parties at the facility level shall negotiate the setting of “on position” list alert parameters, the location of computers to be utilized by the bargaining unit for access to Cru-X and access to the FAA Intranet for these computers.  The agreements reached will be appended to this MOU as a local MOU.

 

12.  To the extent that budgetary constraints allow, the Agency will provide workstations in all field facilities to be used to access Cru-X outside the operational area as follows:

 

·        One (1) workstation for facilities with 1-15 bargaining unit employees;

 

·        Two (2) workstations for facilities with 16-35 bargaining unit employees;

 

·        Three (3) workstations for facilities with 36-69 bargaining unit employees;

 

·        Four (4) workstations for facilities with 70-125 bargaining unit employees; and

 

·        Five (5) workstations for facilities with 126 or more bargaining unit employees.

 

Until these workstations are provided, the Agency, at the local level, shall make appropriate arrangements for Bargaining Unit Members to access Cru-X outside the operational area.  These computers shall meet the minimum specifications determined by the ATS Chief Information Officer, AAF-60.

 

CRUBRIEF

 

13.  The Radar Replay Tool associated with CruBrief is not certified for Air Traffic Control separation standards and is to be used only as a training aid.  If the Radar Replay Tool is used at organizational levels above the facility level, it shall be for informational purposes only.

 

14.  Additionally, in all field facilities at least one (1) workstation will be provided to access Cru-X for each operational area that is directly supervised including Traffic Management Units.  This may or may not be the same workstation used by the area operations supervisor/CIC.  Computers may be acquired through various means, but shall meet the minimum specifications determined by the ATS Chief Information Officer, AAF-60.

 

HARDWARE/SOFTWARE

 

15.  The Agency shall immediately conduct a review of all hardware that currently has Cru-X installed and report the computer specifications, operating systems and Cru-X versions to the Mission Support Development Team (MSDT). The MSDT shall forward this report concurrently to ATX-1, AAF-60, and NATCA.  Cru-X may not be installed on any computer that does not meet the specifications determined by the ATS Chief Information Officer, AAF-60.

 

16.  It is recognized that Cru-X currently utilizes Microsoft Jet databases for its data storage.  The Agency shall begin transitioning to more formal client/server architecture.

 

17.  Facilities that have not yet implemented Cru-X will not be required to do so until the dedicated Cru-X data servers currently being deployed by ATX-400 have been installed at the facility.

 

Facilities that have already implemented all or part of the Cru-X software on existing servers will continue to use Cru-X at its current level.  No updates to any of the Cru-X modules or programs shall be installed until dedicated servers are provided to those facilities.

 

TESTING

 

18.  The Parties at the Regional Level shall jointly identify two (2) Test Site Facilities from each of the nine (9) Regions. New releases of the Cru-X software will be distributed to these test facilities for evaluation prior to nationwide release.

 

 

 

REPRESENTATIVES AND FOCAL POINTS

 

19.  The primary development of the Cru-X software is the responsibility of the ATS MSDT.  NATCA shall designate a full time Cru-X National Representative in accordance with Article 48 of the Parties’ CBA.  This National Representative shall be part of the MDST and be afforded full participation and access to all data/issues.

 

20.  The Parties will designate Regional Focal points from within each of the nine (9) FAA regions.  These Regional Focal points will consist of one (1) MSDT Customer Support Focal and one (1) NATCA Bargaining Unit representative.  The Parties at the local level will each designate Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) for each facility to resolve issues in their facility and coordinate with the Regional Focal points.  These SMEs should forward their input to the Regional Focal points.  The Regional Focal points will be responsible for resolving/elevating issues in their Region that cannot be handled locally and for providing input to the MSDT through the Bug Tracking system and/or TelCons.  These duties shall be tracked in accordance with Article 17 of the Parties’ CBA.

 

21.  The Cru-X National Article 48 Representative, Regional Focal points and local SMEs shall be afforded full access to the FAA Intranet and MSDT web site.

 

Regional Focal points and local SMEs shall be granted duty time necessary, subject to operational requirements, to accomplish their tasks.  The parties at the regional level will resolve any disputes regarding amounts of duty time required for Regional and Local Focal points.  Any travel and per diem will be in accordance with the Parties’ CBA and Agency regulations.

 

TRAINING

 

22.  Training for Cru-X will be developed by the Agency using FAA standards for training development and with input from the National Learning Council.  Prior to using Cru-X all BUEs will receive appropriate training in its use.  Additionally, the National Article 48 Representative, the nine (9) Regional and Local Focal points shall receive Cru-X training. 

 

MISCELLANEOUS

 

23.  Cru-X data shall not be used for initiating disciplinary action against BUEs; however, it may be used for supporting evidence. Management will use existing processes and procedures to manage employee performance. 

 

24.    Any changes to the Cru-X program shall be in accordance with the provisions of Article 7 of the Parties’ CBA prior to the software release.  Bug fixes may be implemented as they are identified provided the Article 48 National Representative has been notified.

 

25. The Parties agree that Appendix A can be modified by joint agreement when necessary.

 

The Parties agree to a review of this MOU one (1) year after its effective date, at which time either Party may re-open this MOU, in accordance with Article 7 of the Parties’ CBA.  This current MOU will remain in full force and effect until a new agreement is reached.

 

This MOU between the National Air Traffic Controllers Association and the Federal Aviation Administration is effective upon signing.

 

FOR THE AGENCY:                                                       FOR NATCA:

 

___[Original Signed]_____                                       ___[Original Signed]_____

Bill Ellis                                                                        Joseph Fruscella

ATX-1                                                                         Eastern Region Vice President

Federal Aviation Administration                          National Air Traffic Controllers

                                                   Association

 

 

                                                ___[Original Signed]_____ 

                                                Phil Barbarello

 

                                                                        ___[Original Signed]_____   

                                                                                    Ray Gibbons

 

                                                                                    ___[Original Signed]_____ 

                                                                                    Jeff Walukonis

 

                                                                                    ___[Original Signed]_____   

                                                                                    Bryan Zilonis 

 

 

DATE: 9-18-2002

 


CRU-X MOU – APPENDIX A

 

 

 

ATS PROJECT/ACTIVITY

PROJECT TYPE

ATS PROJECT/ACTIVITY DESCRIPTIONS AND DEFINITIONS

 

 

 

 

Project Name

 

 

Traffic Control

Project Code

AT100

D

 

Short Description

 

 

TRAFFCONTL

Project Description

 

 

Air Traffic Controllers involved in the direct control of air traffic.  Does not include FSS.

Activity Name

Activity Code

 

Activity Definition

ATC Duties

YY0100

 

Performing air traffic control operational duties. 

Controller in Charge

CB0100

 

Performing Watch Supervision

Provide Administrative Support (Article 17 Duties)*

MA0400

 

Provide Administrative support/conduct staff activity.

Provide Technological Support (Article 48 Duties, Liaisons)*

MA0500

 

Provide Technological support to agency projects.

Attend Training*

TN0200

 

Attend training and development programs. Includes on-duty travel time to/from training site.

Perform OJT

TN0700

 

Giving on-the-job training.

Receive OJT

TN0700

 

Receive on-the-job training.


 

 

 

 

 

Project Name

 

 

Traffic Management

Project Code

AT200

D

 

Short Description

 

 

TRAFFMGEMT

Project Description

 

 

Air Traffic Controllers involved in the traffic flow management of aircraft

Activity Name

Activity Code

 

Activity Definition

ATC Duties

 

YY0100

 

Performing air traffic control operational duties.   

Controller in Charge

CB0100

 

Performing Watch Supervision

Provide Administrative Support (Article 17 Duties)*

MA0400

 

Provide administrative support/conduct staff activity.

Provide Technological Support (Article 48 Duties, Liaisons)*

MA0500

 

Provide technological support to agency projects.

Attending Training*

TN0200

 

Attend training and development programs.  Includes on-duty travel time to/from training site.

Perform OJT

TN0700

 

Giving on-the-job training.

Receive OJT

TN0700

 

Receive on-the-job training.

 

Note: An asterisk (*) denotes an activity for the “Other Duties” List.