In the last ten years, the controller’s best friends have been (1) each other and (2) Jane Garvey. During the Clinton administration she led us to collaboration, contracts, and partnership. During the Obama Transition she advised the incoming administration on aviation issues, policy, and people.
During the “path to mediation” resolution of the White Book, Jane Garvey led the administrator’s team in resolving a rancorous dispute left by the previous administration. She was never in anybody’s pocket; she made her own calls, and she was always decent, fair, and practical.
Aero-News Network today brought the news that Jane Garvey has joined the Board of Directors of Metron Aviation, and is the first woman on their board. (Read the press release.)
Metron’s website includes a link to an article from “Air Traffic Management” featuring Jack Kies, who is now Metron’s President. Stick around long enough and you get to see people twice.
I don’t know what Jane Garvey’s joining the Board of Directors of an ATC NextGen Vendor means. In a way it’s sad to see someone of her quality joining the Beltway Bandits. If they can attract Jane Garvey, perhaps their success is inevitable.
God bless Jane Garvey, and we truly wish her all the best.
Essential Reading 2.0 to 3.0
Jane was fair? Really?
Consider this:
1. The Agency had imposed its will on the controllers with the White Book. Even the mediation team had the sense to point out that it was NOT a contract.
2. The Agency started negotiations with 1.9 Billion dollars in proposed pay cuts and despite some concessions in that direction by the Union, imposed exactly that amount of pay cuts.
3. The Agency did not negotiate in good faith, as illustrated in number 2 above.
4. The Agency was able in the mediation panel’s decision to hold onto three years of illegitimate pay cuts, at least in the sense that no back pay was allowed. This represents hundredds of millions of dollars in permanent pay cuts and prospective income loss to controllers.
That’s fair?