Wilson: Proposed cuts could cost N.M. 2,000 jobs
New Mexico Congresswoman Heather Wilson says a budget item making its way through Congress could cost jobs at Sandia and Los Alamos national laboratories.The 2008 budget for energy and water that recently cleared a House committee slashed nearly $500 million from the budget for Los Alamos National Laboratory and $100 million for Sandia National Laboratories.
“This is completely unwise and it’s a move without precedent,” said Wilson, who estimates that the two facilities will lose 2,000 jobs if the budget remains as it is currently written.
The budget still must clear the floor of the House, be agreed to by the Senate, where New Mexico’s Jeff Bingaman chairs the energy committee, and by signed off on by the president before going into effect.
Mikey sez:
ReplyDeleteNo RIFs and no plans for a RIF, remember? Here, have another refreshing cup of my delicious Kool-Aid and let's not talk about any of these silly funding problems. Everything is just fine. Terry, stir up another pitcher for the staff and make sure to put in an extra large heap of sugar. Ummm, now isn't that tasty stuff?
Of course, none of the 2000 jobs Wilson talks about will come out of the hides of the bloated managerial ranks at LANL. If there is one thing that LANL is good at, it's producing huge amounts of managerial overhead and their associated cost burdens. We're world renown experts in the science of managerial bloat.
ReplyDeleteLANL's working staff better start putting in overtime to bring in more funds to feed this money monster. LANL managers have a huge appetite and get angry when they aren't properly feed. They might even have to start terminating the TSM slackers who don't support them with funding.
I'm curious. Does anybody know just how many ADs, PADs, DPADs, etc, plus their associated support staff that we have at LANL these days? I'm sure it's setting a new record.
It's obvious that Congress is going to make some cuts at LANL, in the final version of the Bill, they may not be quite as bad as 2000, jobs, but you can bet your bottom dollar, they are going to be massive, on the order of 1000-1500 employees...and that only this coming funding cycle, there will be more to come. The shift will be to Energy Projects, hope LANL can step up to the plate in this regard, if not it's Adios, LANL....The "Stress" level has just gone up a notch, and will continue for the next few years, uncertian budget cuts, layoff's and all the fun stuff that goes along with (back stabbing to keep your job) kissing any ass that moves, how fun still wanna work for LANS?
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, Wilson's party no longer has power in Congress, and Udall's support for the labs is luke-warm, plus he's a light weight in his own party. Better get ready to hunker down and protect yourself from the coming storms. We're probably going to see a significant number of layoffs in FY'08 even if the cuts to LANL's budget are reduced from the present figures. I think LANL staff need to start listening more to their gut feelings and intuitions rather than relying on Mike's incessant promises regarding no future RIFs.
ReplyDeleteRemember the standard jobs multiplier effect. Two thousand jobs at the Labs are expected to result in 10,000 real jobs lost(e.g. the mechanics who fixed the cars of the two thousand).
ReplyDeleteIt seems that it is time for even more people to create viable plans for their own futures, a future that is,apparently, not in New Mexico.
To beat a dead horse and invite flamers (an odd image ;-) )since I have said this before, I know where to find resources that will minimize the impact to a person and their family.
Oh?
ReplyDeleteWhere's that, Eric?
(As if I didn't know what your answer would be.)
Nice crane picture, tho.
Wilson's war-mongering party?
ReplyDeleteThe sky is falling, the sky is falling!
ReplyDelete--said the Chicken Littles of Los Alamos
...Mommy!
Hey, not to worry. No money for Los Alamos, but plenty for Iraq. Plenty of employment opportunities too. Just call your local armed services recruiter and he'll set you up. Ain't conservatism grand!
ReplyDeleteHey Mr. or Mrs. 12:47 Dumbass: Incase you slept through last year's elections, the DummyCraps won both houses.
ReplyDeleteShut up and drink your Kook-aid!
Imagine how bad it would be for LANL if y'all hadn't voted in a majority of the party that panders to the emotions of the nuclear-phobic.
ReplyDeleteOh, wait..
11:13 AM. I recently took a course intended for managers. They said 950 managers had already taken the course. So I guess there are at least 950 managers.
ReplyDeleteHow many LANL employees are funded by CMRR and security upgrades funding? Is most of this funding for actual construction vs LANL employee salaries?
ReplyDeleteAfter reading some of the posts, I can tell that the "pressure level" has just increased to a mild simmer, and it's not even summer. The pressure will increase as the months go by....and then you can stsrt worrying about FY 09....Nice place to work huh?
ReplyDeleteWhaddya think about the Otowi as a Casino and the NSF bldg as a resort hotel? You could keep Northern New Mexico jobs and LANS management could clean the toilets/make the beds...
ReplyDeleteTime for Domenici to come to the rescue? zzzzz...
ReplyDeleteNow I understand why LANL set up toll booths at the entrance to the Lab. Every time you pass through, pay $5. That will pay for all the mangers!
ReplyDelete1:28PM desperately needs a couple of Prozac. Like the song goes..."don't worry, be happy ;)"
ReplyDeleteAll I see is people pointing fingers everywhere and anywhere else. When I hired on I don't remember them telling me I had a job for life. If you don't like it, leave. I work there to make a living and hopefully be a productive member of society, by doing what I can to further the efforts of those that would like to see LANL succeed. If your there JUST to collect a paycheck (many are) we could do without you....the Entitlement mentality is rampant. Like the saying goes: Lead, Follow or get out of the way. Time to start doing some work, I surely won't miss the ones that don't.
ReplyDeleteSounds like Wilson's already running for Domenici's Senate seat. Same ol, same ol.
ReplyDeleteHey baby "were a gonna ride this pony to the ground" heheheh
ReplyDeleteRIFs should not be a suprise to anyone, with the pending congressional budget cuts LANS will not have to take the blame for what they were brought in to do. If done correctly, the dead weight would be removed at all levels and the Lab will be better off for it. Unfortunately, it will not be done correctly and the brain drain will continue and upper management will be left to manage a bunch of malcontents.
ReplyDeleteWon't be RIFs. LANS has said that and you gotta believe it because they won't go back on it to save face...
ReplyDeleteBUT - I've said it before. Outsource Outsource Outsource. 2000 could be affected and for the betterment of the lab. No RIFs. You still have a job. You still get paid. But now you better perform. And if you don't you are let go. LANS didn't do it. You can only blame your own lack of skills, your own lack of entitlement factor, your own inability.
The current LANL plutonium facility is looking at a real world cut of 50% according to the House budget. Do you really think a shortfall like that can be solved by outsourcing? Are the workers at TA-55 suddenly going to be employed directly by Bechtel/BWXT? I doubt it. The most likely outcome for next year will be layoffs of around 1000 LANS employees. Many operations at LANL will go into a "moth-ball" mode, where little gets done as a means to save money. Udall is completely clueless about all this, and thinks we can suddenly used all our workforce to begin energy research. Not gonna happen. Forget what Mike has promised. Layoffs are coming in FY08.
ReplyDelete"Are the workers at TA-55 suddenly going to be employed directly by Bechtel/BWXT? I doubt it." (11:52 pm)
ReplyDeleteI don't. Sounds like a step that LANS might take to mitigate costs at LANL. ORNL did something similar with their Y-12 facility. It that regards, I see it as being a likely scenario for LANS to follow.
I thought that eventually separating out the work at 55 was part of the plan all along? Am I losing my memory?
ReplyDeleteNo, 2:24 pm. You're partially correct. The official talk was of separating out the Plutonium Pit Factory, if and when it was created. However, since it now appears almost certain it will never be built, the plan could be modified and TA-55, as it now stands, may be spun off from LANL as a means to help control costs.
ReplyDelete