For Us DoD Civilian Controllers

Irish Rookie Ohio

Here is my question for us DoD Civilian Controllers. In section "C", it obviously talks specifically about DoD Civilian Controllers and what their pay will be, but I believe we would also fall under section "B" (New Entrant). We are current Federal Employees who have never been employed by the FAA as air traffic controllers. In section "D", it says "When any employee meets MORE THAN ONE of the criteria in this Section the employee?s pay will be initially set using the criteria that provides the employee with the highest pay". What do you guys think? I can't put this in the other threads because too many people chime in that have NO CLUE about DoD Civilian Controller.

Section 4. New Hire/New Entrant/Reentrant Pay Setting.

B. A New Entrant is a federal employee who has never been employed by the
Agency as an Air Traffic Control Specialist in the terminal/en route option. A
New Entrant, whether or not he/she is required to attend the FAA Academy,
will retain their current Federal Pay up to the maximum of the Developmental
3 pay band (career level G) and receive further increases in accordance with
section 5.

C. For a Military or DOD Civilian controller with 52 consecutive weeks
experience as a certified air traffic controller that completes training at the
Academy (if required) and reports to their assigned facility, pay will be set at
the minimum of the lowest developmental level pay band for the assigned
ATC facility.
4

D. When any employee meets more than one of the criteria in this Section the
employee?s pay will be initially set using the criteria that provides the
employee with the highest pay.

TomOZR Rookie

I assume you are a Federal Employee talking transfer from DOD to FAA.

If you transfer directly from a DOD facility to a FAA facility and start your training your pay is set as described in para B.

However, if you hired on and were directed to go to the Academy by the FAA prior to arriving at your new facility then your pay is set as described in para C.

If you have left the DOD knowing you were going to the academy prior to assignment then you really have little recourse now. Of course you can always argue your case but I think you will have little chance of winning.

If you are looking in to a future transfer, then make sure it is in fact a transfer. That is, choose your facility, have the FAA approve your transfer, and start training at your new facility from day one. Always get the facts up front before you make the jump.

Of course all this could be moot as there is a new contract that will be going to ratification shortly. There could be new transfer provisions in it.

nsu7 Newcomer

The above post doesn't sound like it makes that much sense. The rules listed are ones that will be ratified (hopefully).

As a former DoD employee as I read this to mean you will save pay when you get picked up from any recruitment avenue.

Hopefully HR will interpret this the same way...

Irish Rookie Ohio

That is the same way I was reading it, but a lot of people seem to be very confused about it. I sure hope it's this way.

nsu7 Newcomer

I've requested confirmation of this from Jeff Walukonis who handles some of the list serve mailings for our RVP Hammid Ghaffari.

TomOZR Rookie

My apologies for not reading the original question thoroughly. After re-reading I agree that pay will be set at the higher of the two rates. However, if this is the new pay rule to be ratified, it doesn't sound like much of a win for DOD transfers. If I read it correctly, the maximum you will start at is $79525 IF you transfer to a ATC12 Facility. Not too bad IF you are a GS11 or below in DOD. You would save pay. But what are the chances of a GS11 tower controller directly transferring to a ATC12? If you are GS12 step 2 in a DOD Radar Facility you will not save pay even if you are hired at a ATC12 Facility. Obviously, other factors such as career progression will enter in the money equation but in the short term I think you will be fortunate if you do indeed save pay when you transfer. Anyway Irish, best of luck in your career.

nsu7 Newcomer

Are you taking into account that the numbers you mentioned are WITHOUT locality?

As a former DoD who left GS12 step 3 with 25% SSR and the 5% retainer, I would have much more liked to come to the FAA under the soon to be rules than when my DoD HR specialist couldn't get it through the FAA HR individuals head that it was still a transfer and I had leave and such that DID transfer, regardless of the "unconsionable" pay cut as Jane and friends have labeled the "draconian" IWRs... 80k to 37k, with no promise then of the IWRs being abolished.

TomOZR Rookie

Well I guess you could call this proposed contract provision a improvement but you have remember prior to 2006 a DOD FPL directly transfered to the FAA at the CPC payscale and saved pay period. Now a return to those pay rules would be a win in my book. In 2004 when ZMA,ZME,ZJX,and ZTL put out a DOD recruitment bid we lost a bunch of controllers to the FAA due to this fact. It was the major impetus for the Army pioneering a SSR pay rate to retain DOD controllers.

nsu7 Newcomer

No doubt, this is not as good as it used to be because not only did they SAVE pay, but they got raises for walking in the door in most cases. I was an E-Nothing at Miramar and watched a gs13 making 77k (before USMC got SSR) go to Memphis Center and get bumped to the bottom of the D-3 band = 95K...

wn1480 Newcomer

After reading all of this and being a DOD controller currently it led me to a question... How do you go about a Transfer to the FAA? Only thing i've been able to do is apply under the reinstatement announcement and the VRA announcement? Any help would be appreciated.