ZNY is happy to announce that we are, as of today, members of the newly founded VATSIM Union VATCA - the Virtual Air Traffic Controllers Association and we will be joining them in solidarity and announcing that we will be going on strike from April 15th, at 00:00z. From that time, no events nor ZNY controllers will be available to the VATSIM network until our demands are met.
For more information, please refer to the VATCA website (https://vatca.org) and see the official press release below:
Press Release
By Dory Cavis - VATCA Union President on April 1, 2022
For immediate release.
The board of VATCA - the Virtual Air Traffic Controllers Association are proud to announce the formation of the first union for VATSIM members VATCA. For a long time, VATSIM and VATUSA members have grown tired of VATUSA and VATSIM leadership not representing the toughts and ideas of the networks members, but instead, only serve their own agenda. To that, VATCA say no!
We are here to represent every VATUSA member, and make their voices heard!
As a result of the current VATUSA/VATSIM leadership, VATCA is voicing our opposition to the direction of VATUSA and announces that on April 15th, from 00:00z, VATCA members as one will be walking out on strike.
We urge VATSIM to listen to our members, and to move swiftly to take action.
# # #
About VATCA: The Virtual Air Traffic Controllers Association (VATCA) is a labor union and aviation safety organization in the United States that represents nearly 2,000 highly skilled virtual air traffic controllers, virtual engineers, and other virtual aviation safety-related professionals. VATCA was certified in 2022 by the Virtual Federal Labor Relations Authority to be the exclusive bargaining representative for air traffic controllers employed by VATUSA. Today, VATCA is one of the strongest labor unions in the federal sector and represents a range of virtual aviation safety professionals. These virtual air traffic controllers and other virtual aviation safety professionals make vital contributions to the virtual U.S. economy and make modern life possible by coordinating the safe, orderly, and expeditious movement of nearly one billion virtual aviation passengers and millions of tons of virtual freight within the virtual National Airspace System each year. VATCA is headquartered in New York, NY., and is affiliated with the vAFL-CIO.
Source: https://vatca.org/2022/04/01/Press-Release.html
