FederalDaily - October 22, 2007

Costello Urges DOT to Include Controllers in Talks

Rep. Jerry Costello, D-Ill., on Oct. 18 asked Transportation Secretary Mary Peters to include air traffic controllers and pilots in talks on reducing air traffic congestion in New York airspace. In a letter, Costello, chairman of the House Aviation subcommittee, noted that pilots and controllers should be allowed to contribute to any strategy to cut down congestion at airports in the area. “No one is better suited to discuss ways of improving congestion and delays and the practical implications of altering policies and procedures, than our air traffic controllers and our nation’s pilots,” Costello wrote. “It is disconcerting to me that this administration continues to shut out all interested stakeholders, in particular labor, when making important operational and safety critical decisions.” In September, National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) President Patrick Forrey testified at a House hearing that there are now fewer controllers on staff than on 9/11—and that the New York airports are experiencing more traffic than ever. There are now just 11,467 fully certified air traffic controllers on staff, the lowest number in 11 years, and 1,113 fewer than on 9/11, Forrey said. For more, go to: www.natca.org/mediacenter/press-release-detail.aspx?id=456

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Bill Would Revive Federal Labor Council

Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, and Rep. Danny Davis, D-Ill., on Oct. 18 introduced a bill in the Senate and the House that would reestablish the National Labor-Management Partnership Council established by former President Bill Clinton in 1993. The legislation, Federal Labor-Management Partnership Act of 2007, is intended to improve the working relationships between federal labor unions and agencies. The legislation would establish a new Labor-Management Partnership Council—consisting of federal agency officials and employee representatives—to advise the president on matters involving labor-management relations in the executive branch, Akaka said in a statement. The entity’s activities would include supporting the creation of local labor-management partnership councils and promoting partnership efforts in the executive branch. “It is essential that both management and labor work together to address issues facing the federal civil service,” said Akaka, who is chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce and the District of Columbia. Colleen Kelley, president of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), applauded the measure. “Labor-management partnership fosters the pre-decisional involvement of front-line employees,” Kelley said. “Such involvement is critical to an organization’s success.” For more, go to: http://akaka.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Home&month=10&year=2007&release_id=1883

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TSP Contribution Limit Unchanged for 2008

While some pension plan limitations will change for 2008 because of new cost-of-living adjustments, the limitation affecting elective deferrals to 401(k) plans and to the Thrift Savings Plan will remain unchanged at $15,500 next year, IRS said. The agency announced the new cost of living adjustments on Oct. 18.  The adjustments apply to dollar limitations for pension plans and other items for the 2008 tax year. So-called catch-up contributions to the TSP for individuals who are age 50 or over during the 2008 calendar year—and who already are contributing the maximum—also remains unchanged at $5,000. To see more, go to: www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=174873,00.html.

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