IMPORTANT MESSAGE from PASS Region IV Vice President Ben Struck

Dear Region IV Members,

I hope this message finds you well. As you have no doubt seen from communications from the National Office and likely heard from your fellow members, we have reached an agreement on our new AVS contract. The AVS bargaining team completed the third session of mediation on June 27th at the Agency’s William J. Hughes Technical Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Our intent going into bargaining and ultimately mediation was to secure a fair and equitable contract that reflects the interests and needs of all bargaining unit employees and not agree to any language that would harm the bargaining unit. Although we made some significant progress in our discussions with the Agency during those three-week sessions in mediation, we hit a gridlock on a few key areas that “We” consider to be priority, and it required a few additional discussions to solidify the final articles.

It’s been my honor and privilege to lead the AVS bargaining team in these efforts, and I am extremely proud of the work accomplished by the team. We all wanted to ensure the best contract possible for our members and due to the unique work of Region IV, we decided as a team that I needed to be actively involved in the negotiating process. While the protracted nature of bargaining brought about challenges and sacrifices for all of us, including shifting priorities and juggling schedules, I believe my leadership of the team was one ingredient to our success. Each member of the team brought their own experiences and viewpoints to the discussions, everyone’s voice was heard and considered, and we effectively reached consensus as we determined a path forward for each Article we revised or created. Building on the legacy contracts as a starting point, this contract establishes a great foundation for our members, the workforce we represent, and the Union for years to come.

Now begins the important and critical work of education, ratification, implementation, and transparent accountability.

Beginning tomorrow, we will educate our members on the ratification process and why the bargaining team supports ratification. We will then need to participate in and lead discussions around the new CBA with our members and Representatives. Some of that education will also need to be jointly designed and executed to ensure the messaging is consistent. Implementation will require additional steps to execute. Lastly, and perhaps most critical is ensuring that we hold the Agency accountable to the Agreement. We’ve begun to outline the requirements and commitments secured to document what expectations we should see beginning on day one of the effective date of the CBA. We are laying out a clear timeline of what should happen in the first and second pay period, within 30/60/90 days, etc. And, since this contract has a multi-year term, we are also laying out what annual requirements exist – when should we receive certain information and/or briefings? When should employees be asking their managers for certain information or providing other items, if required?

I began my role on the bargaining team with the single goal of ensuring the best contract possible for our members and due to the unique nature of Region IV, I provided valuable insight from my position as the RVP to the bargaining table of issues affecting our entire Region. I would especially like to thank the Region IV National Assistants, Grant Gilman and David Schumacher, for their dedication and coverage of meetings and handling issues while I was engaged in bargaining sessions. I also offer my gratitude to the entire membership including the RBAs, Division Representatives, and Principal Representatives for raising issues, filing grievances, and supporting our journey to a successful contract.

When negotiations began PASS requested your feedback and insight by conducting a contract survey to better understand your priorities and concerns. The survey results solicited were invaluable in guiding our negotiation strategy.

“We” not “Me” thank you. The membership’s input reinforced our focus on key areas such as competitive wages, improved benefits, and enhanced working conditions. We are excited to share all that the team achieved. Your support and engagement were crucial as “We” worked together to achieve a contract that reflects our collective interests, values, for the Union and the members we represent in the Aviation Safety workforce.

I humbly ask for your support as I seek to continue to lead Region IV as your Vice President for the foreseeable future; together “We” will make this Union great!

In Solidarity,

Ben Struck
Region IV Vice President
PASS 4 ALL!