Apr 6, 2007

Custodial Support Changes

We've received several requests for anonymous posting that we weren't quite sure what to do with. For example, we didn't know what to make of this one at first. Once we put our mousey little brains together the answer became clear. Let's make fun of it!
Pinky and The Brain


From: owner-mst-8@maillist.lanl.gov [mailto:owner-mst-8@maillist.lanl.gov] On Behalf Of [Somebody]
Sent: Thursday, April 05, 2007 5:17 PM
To: mst-all@lanl.gov
Cc: [A few more people]
Subject: Custodial Support Changes



Colleagues (at least those of you who live in MC-FOD space),

You may have noticed new trash bins popping up in your neck of the woods. This is a reflection of changes in our level of custodial support, driven by increasing costs. While all the details are not fully sorted out, it seems quite likely that office trash cans will be emptied at a much lower frequency (perhaps never) than has been the case in the past. The plan is that you'll empty your own trash cans into the bins, and a reduced custodial staff will empty the bins into dumpsters. In addition to this change, bathrooms will be serviced less frequently. A number of other changes are also being made to our level of service agreement, but these two will likely be the most visible.

I appreciate that this may be frustrating, especially as we work the bugs out of the new system, but I would request your patience, at least in the short term.

When you empty your trash into the bins, please only used tied bags - i.e., don't dump loose items, or we're likely to exacerbate smell/mess issues. If the bin is full, please find another. We'll work on the frequency of bin emptying and their geographic distribution. We have been assured that when bins are full and we call the local facility coordinator, every effort will be made to promptly empty them.

If you notice acute issues with janitorial service (beyond just 'the trash can is full," but rather conditions that are un-safe or un-sanitary), feel free to contact Martin Aguilera (5-4720, aguilera@lanl.gov), the maintenance services group leader in MC-FOD.

If you have issues with the bins being full, please contact your local facility coordinator (FC). Contact info can be found at
http://int.lanl.gov/orgs/mcfod/documents/mcfod_geossign_03-19-07.pdf

Thanks for your support,
Posted by at

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's good that we are saving money on a $40/hour custodial contract by having $200/hour staff members emptying their office trash. Maybe the dumpster will be the new "water cooler" where LANL staff gather to discuss the latest blog postings. We could put the coffee pot nearby for ambience AND efficiency. A win-win.

4/6/07, 2:08 PM
Anonymous said...

This trashy news is a metaphor for the new, improved LANL. The new LANS motto is: "We don't fix problems, but we do provide plenty of trash cans."

4/6/07, 2:13 PM
Anonymous said...

The "perhaps never" also applies to vacuuming and cleaning out the bathrooms. However, I have noticed that the janitorial staff at my TA seem to have lots of time this week to chit-chat in the halls and sit out in the sun at the picnic tables, while the TSMs take out their trash and break down boxes and take them to the recycle bins (custodial staff used to that too) and sweep up the floors, etc. I think for recruiting people to LANS they should be told "Be all you can be, come to LANS not to do any science or work but you can do the floors and so much more..." I really do not know what the LANS management think they are accomplishing with this except make it very clear that they do not value TSMs in MC-FOD. Is this happening anywhere else at LANL?

4/6/07, 6:46 PM
Anonymous said...

Cripes, Aguilera costs as much as five custodians. Enjoy your dumpsters.

4/6/07, 9:10 PM
Anonymous said...

Hey, now that Bingaman has come to town and told people there will be no RIF's people seem to feel reassured.

Now, Bingaman is a politician, and politicians are known to lie......

4/7/07, 2:23 PM
Dr. Strangelove said...

After mis-spending most of my youth and middle age at LANL, I have seen a lot of things come and go.

One of them has been custodial support. I've spent months at different times emptying my own trash and sweeping up my own floor. It is not that I don't think our custodial staff does a good and important job, I've never had to clean the bathroom or polish the floors... and it is nice that the common/publish trash bins are emptied quietly and efficiently by someone else.

Taking out the trash? Picking up after myself? My mother taught me to do that a long time ago.. it's like taking a short coffee or smoke break... get a breath of fresh air and stop whining!

4/7/07, 5:36 PM
Anonymous said...

One does have to wonder why the staff is having to take out the trash because nobody "budgeted" in custodial services when you see what the senior 5 and ADs are making that Mikey got a huge salary bump recently. But we don't have funds for custodial services...

4/7/07, 7:23 PM
Anonymous said...

I too have a Z# that starts with a zero and have had to do the janitorial duties for my building during ZiaCo strikes. At least then it was expected to be a short-term solution. I fear that this merely sets precedent for Lab staff to do this in perpetuity, or however-long LANS has the contract!

4/7/07, 7:50 PM
Dr. Strangelove said...

Starts-with-Zero -

I acknowledge that this is not a long-term solution... and that it bodes ill... and that lack of budgeting/planning is what put us there... very few companies except shoe-string startups expect their staff to provide their own custodial services.

I suppose my "stop whining" was intended to offer up how petty these kinds of things can sound to the public.

4/8/07, 2:52 PM
Anonymous said...

I am another Z# starting with a "0". Not many of us around anymore. I don't mind emptying my own trash. I'll even tolerate a dirty change room/toilet... if I know the reasons behind it and what the plan is. I just find this new M&O totally secretive, dispicable, egotistical, maniacable, etc....

They all want their bonuses and the hell with everything around them. How can Anastasio take a $20K pay raise and then look around and see what HIS LLC is doing to the Lab, to people who believed in this place, to a state and country who believed.

Every morning when I go to work and see the little BMWs, Audi's, Porsches, Mercedes whipping around traffic heading up the hill from Santa Fe (and some of them have the audacity to still run with Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia plates). They are all short timers in this corp... here to reap their bonus, fuck the livin' shit out of us, and head on to the next assignment or conquest. None of them are here for the long haul and could care less about a history, an era, a life's dream and work. How many of them thought about doing a pilgramage to Santuario de Chimayo.. to most of them the pilgrams were just one more pain to endure and the sooner it was over the better. Or they participated only to say they did something in northern NM.

I'm fed up. I still have 3 more years. I'm going to be a good little boy. I ain't going to make waves. Don't want to be a poor worker, but don't want to be a shining star either. Just get me through this era.

Be angry with my ideology. But I have to survive this piece of my life.

I know... blah, blah, blah. yada yada yada. Hey LANS.. how about given us a fuckin clue. Throw us a bone. Help us to help you. If I know you don't care then we're equal.. because I don't care anymore.

4/8/07, 10:33 PM
Anonymous said...

10:33, sounds like you are ready to go balistic, be careful, with the new "Big Brother" policy, they (LANS) could seek you out and offer you a bit of "help" like in Anger Management Dept.or according to the new Conduct of Op's, making a bad judgment: Like blabing on the blog..remember Big Brother is watching.

4/10/07, 8:35 PM

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