Yin and Yang

Your Federal Government reached a new low under George W. Bush with the hiring of one Joe Miniace. He was hired for one specific purpose -- to hurt the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. NATCA is the union that represents the nation’s air traffic controllers.

FAA Names New Strategic Labor Relations Head

”WASHINGTON, DC — Administrator Marion C. Blakey today named Joseph Miniace as the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) Deputy Assistant Administrator for Strategic Labor Management Relations. As a recognized expert in employee and management relations, Miniace will help advance the FAA’s strategic goal as a governmental leader in personnel and labor management. “

”Miniace comes to the FAA after serving as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) beginning in 1996. At PMA, he championed a ten-year strategic plan that revolutionized the west coast shipping industry, which had been plagued by long-standing labor unrest, excessive work stoppages, and productivity declines. “

In short, Mr. Miniace is a hired gun -- a union buster. (That’s still my favorite cover BTW.)

Yesterday, the FAA announced that Mr. Miniace will become Regional Administrator for the Central Region. This won’t do. Mr. Miniace needs to return to the depths from which he came.

Now would be a good time to reflect upon Mr. Miniace’s and Ms. Blakey’s accomplishments . What did they do for the FAA besides cost it thousands of years worth of irreplaceable experience in air traffic controllers ? And, by the way, what did the FAA do with all that money they supposedly saved ?

On the flip side, take a gander at this story in the Washington Post.

President's Visits Buoy Federal Employees

”Two months into office, Obama has visited seven federal agencies' headquarters, each time appearing with his Cabinet secretaries and addressing workers. As he makes the rounds, Obama is inspiring longtime career employees with his speeches and asking them to be a partner in his agenda to change the culture of Washington.

"There's clearly an excitement and sense that you have a president that is aggressively and optimistically moving forward with making government cool again," said Max Stier, president of the Partnership for Public Service. "That's the charge that President Obama said he wants to meet, and across the board federal workers feel that energy and need to perform. . . . That sense of importance and a critical role is something I sense in the federal workforce." “


It’s like a breath of fresh air isn’t it ?

Don Brown
March 18, 2009