Big Meeting Coming at the FAA

S

Snare17

Well-Known Member
Just got a call from my HR rep about 5 minutes ago. There's some sort of big meeting coming up in the next couple of days (before Christmas) and the hiring numbers are being cut way back. I already got my FOL for January 20th, but that is in doubt now. Not sure what I'm supposed to do as I've already started making preparations.
 
Hopefully I will get my FOL soon, I have been waiting since June. I am suppose to go to Fairbanks, AK. Wonder whats going to happen for those that have already received their TOL.
 
well this sucks... can't say i'm all too surprised tho.. after the recession I would expect that 50% of the short-timers decided to stick on staff.

assume the position for insertion of the proverbial veiny, throbbing government shaft.

well, at least they're working on getting us decent healthcare - because without this job I've got nothing... except government cheese... which i'll probably be living on for the rest of my life.
 
Saw this post and an image of a dark funnel cloud appeared in my mind already moving into an area full of cloudiness.. looks like another year or two wait for me!
 
Got word from someone that went to a meeting in ATL last week that the FAA is going to be hiring about 1200 people within the next year. They also said that they are not giving age waivers to those that are up for retirement unless they have a REALLY GOOD reason. :beer:
 
SnareMV17 said:
There's some sort of big meeting coming up in the next couple of days (before Christmas) and the hiring numbers are being cut way back.
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Are you sure she said "hiring" numbers, specifically? There's conversation going on about that call on SM -- sounds like the ZOA-bound people who were scheduled for Jan. 20 all got it -- and nobody else mentioned that it was about hiring numbers, just that they may be postponing the class.
 
Yes, she did mention hiring numbers being cut back. Not sure what the means exactly as she said "I don't know" to basically all of my questions. I just read the threads at SM about this also. I have a very bad feeling about this.
 
JackieOtt said:
Got word from someone that went to a meeting in ATL last week that the FAA is going to be hiring about 1200 people within the next year. They also said that they are not giving age waivers to those that are up for retirement unless they have a REALLY GOOD reason. :beer:
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since i couldnt edit this post i wanted to clear it up. The person who gave me this information is a someone that has been with the FAA over 20 yrs and attended the meeting last week where they said that they will be hiring 1200 controllers this year and not giving out age waivers. Maybe this is the info that HR reps are going to be getting this week.
 
JackieOtt said:
since i couldnt edit this post i wanted to clear it up. The person who gave me this information is a someone that has been with the FAA over 20 yrs and attended the meeting last week where they said that they will be hiring 1200 controllers this year and not giving out age waivers. Maybe this is the info that HR reps are going to be getting this week.
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With all of the talk about many classes being canceled for FY2010, I can't see how that number is possible. I will, however, remain optimistic and hope that we are blessed with a wonderful surprise this Christmas. Also to all of you who, like me, have FOL's for ZOA (which are now in doubt), we'll find some way to get our feet in the door. Hang in there!
 
My source actually called me today and told me to get comfortable doing whatever I am doing at this time because of the following...

He is supposed to be calling me back later on this afternoon to go in depth, however, he did say that because of something related to the additional troops that Obama is sending overseas, the funding or staffing (not sure which one) is somehow being affected that is in direct relation to the Academy. This may sound very vague at the moment as it was when he was telling me, however, he said it briefly and said that we will discuss in more detail later today. All I know is that whatever he is mentioning is going to push back the anticipated timeline that he has been giving me up to this point which has been somewhat consistent with those that I have seen giving to others here. As optimistic as I am wanting to be, I see that dark cloud looming as well.

After he said that, I came on here wondering if anyone else got word of this and seen this thread, so I am almost certain that is what that meeting is going to be referencing.
 
SnareMV17 said:
With all of the talk about many classes being canceled for FY2010, I can't see how that number is possible.
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That's just it, though... it's just talk. Doomsday rumors like this come around every six months or so, and while there's been a lot of talk about it, there's been very little substance. Meanwhile, the class schedule shows 15 class dates for En Route Basics between now and August. If there's about 18 per class, that's room for 270 students... which is a lot of room.

Can that change? Maybe. But you can be pretty secure in the knowledge of two things:

1. The FAA MUST hire replacement controllers. The workforce is facing mandatory retirement, and there has to be people put in their place. Refusing to hire new people is simply not an option, so it's going to curtail any sort of "cuts".
2. If you're at the point in the process where you're waiting on a class date -- that is, the clearances are all done and you've got your TOL -- the FAA has already spent over $1,000 on you. It's unlikely that they're going to say "screw it, we've got too many, let's dump some and see what the new guys'll come up with." People further back in the process don't have that assurance, unfortunately, but we're in a good place.

lukemorehouse said:
He is supposed to be calling me back later on this afternoon to go in depth, however, he did say that because of something related to the additional troops that Obama is sending overseas, the funding or staffing (not sure which one) is somehow being affected that is in direct relation to the Academy.
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I don't mean this as a knock or you or your friend, honest, but that sounds completely off the wall. A troop surge wouldn't result in staffing cuts in the FAA. It's just... nonsensical. They're completely unrelated entities; they're not even in the same Department. It's not a thing where a beancounter in the OMB is at his desk, thinking, "Hmm, you know, sending these extra troops to Afghanistan's gonna be expensive. I know, I'll take some money out from the FAA's training budget to help cover it." Just... no.
 
Good point Rossta. I was thinking to myself last night about it and it wouldn't make much sense for the FAA to shake off hundreds of applicants who have now (since getting clearances and TOL's) more or less become assets to the future and continuity of the air traffic industry.

Perhaps the worst that will happen is that they will not require the release of any new applications for a few years while waiting for the manditory retirements to kick in.

but who knows.. let the specuation wars begin.
 
Rosstafari said:
That's just it, though... it's just talk. Doomsday rumors like this come around every six months or so, and while there's been a lot of talk about it, there's been very little substance. Meanwhile, the class schedule shows 15 class dates for En Route Basics between now and August. If there's about 18 per class, that's room for 270 students... which is a lot of room.

Can that change? Maybe. But you can be pretty secure in the knowledge of two things:

1. The FAA MUST hire replacement controllers. The workforce is facing mandatory retirement, and there has to be people put in their place. Refusing to hire new people is simply not an option, so it's going to curtail any sort of "cuts".
2. If you're at the point in the process where you're waiting on a class date -- that is, the clearances are all done and you've got your TOL -- the FAA has already spent over $1,000 on you. It's unlikely that they're going to say "screw it, we've got too many, let's dump some and see what the new guys'll come up with." People further back in the process don't have that assurance, unfortunately, but we're in a good place.



I don't mean this as a knock or you or your friend, honest, but that sounds completely off the wall. A troop surge wouldn't result in staffing cuts in the FAA. It's just... nonsensical. They're completely unrelated entities; they're not even in the same Department. It's not a thing where a beancounter in the OMB is at his desk, thinking, "Hmm, you know, sending these extra troops to Afghanistan's gonna be expensive. I know, I'll take some money out from the FAA's training budget to help cover it." Just... no.
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I'd have to agree with what Rossta is saying here. That doesnt make any sense. Also I dont understand how they plan to ever get caught up with all the people eligible for retirement and the "hiring crisis" if they cancel half the classes. You can go and look at the schedule, it will say if they've been cancelled. So I guess we'll see if this meeting really is happening or not. And as far as slowing down the process, can it get even slower??? :drool:
 
I totally agree. However, Rossta's logic is sound up to a point, and that point is where we have to realize that if people fresh out of the Academy are just sitting around at their facilities (as has been suggested) waiting for training, what sense would it make to just shove even more of us down the pipe right now? Furthermore, I've been told on a couple of ocassions by HR that they give out class dates based on whether you have all your clearances and when they expire. So the longer we sit around, the more money they have to put in to us to get new medicals (which is only a couple months off now), new psych evals, new drug tests, etc. I would think that they would try and get us off the books and into the system ASAP.

The January 20 class is less than a month away now. My departure date is less than 4 weeks. I am assuming that until I hear otherwise, I'm still going. Otherwise may only be a day or two away, though. We'll see. It would be REALLY messed up to not hear back until January 4th, though. I mean... that's 2 weeks before the class starts. And what about the January 4th types that JUST got their FOLs? They could be given less than 2 weeks notice before getting thrown back into the waiting pool.
 
Rosstafari said:
2. If you're at the point in the process where you're waiting on a class date -- that is, the clearances are all done and you've got your TOL -- the FAA has already spent over $1,000 on you. It's unlikely that they're going to say "screw it, we've got too many, let's dump some and see what the new guys'll come up with." People further back in the process don't have that assurance, unfortunately, but we're in a good place.
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It's just the thought of the clearances expiring that bothers the hell out of me with the cutbacks. I was told that we would have to start over with the medical AFTER the expiration date. You can't even get started on it early according to E.M. even if your HR rep knows it's going to expire. Has anyone heard of an applicant's medical clearance expiring in the past?
 
I am at the academy right now. I haven't heard any talk about canceling any scheduled classes but there has been a lot of talk going around about cutting back a little on the hiring as people are staying around longer than they anticipated. This may or may not be due to the current state of the economy. Just thought I would through in my .02 worth about what is being said down (or up depending on where your from) here.
 
For what its worth I am a Pubnat2 applicant. They had a mix up with some of my paperowrk and I have been working with them to fix it. I have had a TOL for ZME since Jan 09. I just talked to my HR rep and she told me that ATO had significantly reduced the hiring numbers for this fiscal year. She told me not to expect a class date until fiscal year 2011 at the earliest. I guess I will settle in for a long wait!
 
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