FACILITY OF PREFERENCE

Any employee who has completed a minimum of eight (8) years fully certified at his/her current facility shall be considered to have achieved priority bid status for inter-facility ingrade/downgrade bargaining unit vacancies/positions. The employee shall not normally be eligible to receive any permanent change of station (PCS) benefits unless the selection was made in conjunction with a vacancy announcement where PCS benefits were authorized. In that case, the individual requesting voluntary transfer shall be entitled to the same benefits as advertised on the vacancy announcement.

Eligible employees shall be given priority consideration within the same bargaining unit for any ingrade/downgrade bargaining unit vacancy at any of those facilities for which he/she is qualified. Release dates are subject to the staffing requirements of his/her current facility, as well as the needs of the target facility. To the maximum extent possible, the Agency shall provide a release date within six (6) months of selection.If a six (6) month release date is not practicable, the Agency shall propose a fixed date that the employee may accept or decline.

Applications shall be filed in accordance with Article 42, Section 5 of this Agreement and shall include a cover letter stating: "Filed in accordance with Article 60, NATCA/FAA Agreement for a position at (specify facility identifier)." In addition, the employee shall forward a copy of the application to each facility to which the applicant desires consideration under this Article.

Employee requests under this Article shall remain active for twenty-four (24) months. If no selection has been made within that period, the employee may reapply.

Upon request, if a priority placement/consideration status candidate is not placed in the vacancy, the Agency shall prepare a written narrative statement listing all reasons for non-placement. The Agency shall submit such written narrative to the employee’s Service Area Director/AFSIAG Manager with a copy to the employee and the Union at the employee's current facility within seven (7) days of a non-placement determination.

Nothing in this Article shall be interpreted as affecting management's right to fill vacancies from any appropriate source.

The express terms of this Article apply separately and distinctly to each of the following bargaining units: Air Traffic Controllers, Traffic Management Coordinators/Specialists, FSS, and NOTAM Specialists.