FAA spokesman Greg Martin told AVweb yesterday that while "progress is a subjective term," there has been virtually no movement on the substantive issues of the contract, in particular salaries and work rules. He said it is the FAA's goal to reach a voluntary agreement, which would be in everyone's best interest. But by calling for a mediator, the hope is to catalyze some forward motion. Ultimately, both sides need to agree to mediation, he said, and so far NATCA does not want to take that step. "We hoped that a mediator would get the two sides more fully engaged," Martin said. "The heart of it is, can we sustain the current contract, plus increases, plus improve the system and hire 12,500 new controllers?"
http://www.avweb.com/newswire/11_48b/leadn...tml?CMP=OTC-RSS
http://www.avweb.com/newswire/11_48b/leadn...tml?CMP=OTC-RSS
