1) In order to meet the *huge* response of interest in this historic social event, LANS has extended the deadline for registering for this festival. The new deadline is now, er, extended.
2) In response to the *avalanche* of responses on this blog, expressing, well, I don't think jubilation is too strong a word, we have moved this post back to the top of the heap here on LTRS.
--Gussie
There, who says this blog doesn't print happy LANL news. See you there!
--Gussie
__________________________________________________________
September 13, 2007
http://www.lanl.gov/news/index.php/fuseaction/nb.story/story_id/11414 Join Laboratory Director Michael Anastasio, senior executive team members, and colleagues from across the Laboratory for a Fall Festival September 29, at Sullivan Field on Diamond Drive, across from the Los Alamos High School. The festival is from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Los Alamos National Security, LLC is sponsoring the event, and all LANS and contract employees are invited, including employees of KSL Services and Protection Technology Los Alamos. Music and food — hot dogs, hamburgers, BBQ pulled chicken sandwich, cole slaw, potato chips, cookies, and soft drinks — will be provided, as well as entertainment for children of all ages.
Each employee is welcome to bring five family members or friends and should register the number in his or her party on the festival Web site. Organizers need this information for logistics, including food. Register by Friday (September 14).
Can’t make it for the entire event? Come for as long as you can. This is a fun event, and a time to kick back and relax. See you there!
Los Alamos National Security, LLC is sponsoring the event, and all LANS and contract employees are invited, including employees of KSL Services and Protection Technology Los Alamos. Music and food — hot dogs, hamburgers, BBQ pulled chicken sandwich, cole slaw, potato chips, cookies, and soft drinks — will be provided, as well as entertainment for children of all ages.
Each employee is welcome to bring five family members or friends and should register the number in his or her party on the festival Web site. Organizers need this information for logistics, including food. Register by Friday (September 14).
Can’t make it for the entire event? Come for as long as you can. This is a fun event, and a time to kick back and relax. See you there!
41 comments:
Who wants to eat with the management that plans to drop the other shoe in a couple of weeks? I hope the only ones who attend are upper level management so they'll get the picture that none of us want to associate with a bunch of backstabbers.
Well, I was going to go, but darn it! I just looked at my calendar and wouldn't you know it? *That's* the Saturday I'm going to be polishing my hubcaps.
Honestly, that the day I am going to clean my bathroom and pick up the dog shit from my yard -
I need to wash the cat that day.
How unfortunate. The 29th just happens to be the day that I am having my Rotweiler's anal glands expressed.
Lucky you, 7:02. Expressing a Rottweiler's anal glands sounds much more wholesome, and less painful than going to a picnic with Anastasio and the LANS senior executive team members.
I'm going to train for management on the 29th - I'll be up at the stables shovelling shit!
Hey! I found a dentist who is open and available to do a root canal on a Saturday. I'm booked.
I'm thinking about using hydrochloric acid to process some chili, beer and beef the night before, and making a deposit the next morning.
Fortunately, my proctologist had a cancellation on the 29th, so the colonoscopy is on.
Actually, I have other plans for Saturday. I plan to turn up the music and have some food — hot dogs, hamburgers, BBQ pulled chicken sandwiches, cole slaw, potato chips, cookies, and beer.
With my friends. At my home.
Actually LANS are completely overwhealmed with the response of employees that they extended the registration for the festival until Sept. 20.
It's truly shocking to see how tone-deaf LANS is in this matter. To be be spending precious funds on a LANS celebration when you are about to destroy the lives of thousands who work at LANL is hard to fathom. Who are these people who are now running LANL? Are they really this clueless about how the LANL staff now feels? Do they have any idea just how low morale has become at LANL? Oh, I forgot...
Congressional Hearing Spring '07:
Congressman: "How is morale at Los Alamos, Mr. Anastascio?"
Mikey: "Uhhh... morale? Morale at LANL is good."
Won't cost them a dime. There will be plenty of shit sandwiches left over from the Udall/Richardson circle jerk for the Fall Party.
"Actually LANS are completely overwhealmed with the response of employees that they extended the registration for the festival until Sept. 20." - 9/14/07 9:27 AM
Funny, I didn't even know there was going to be a Fall Festival until I read this section just now. Late notice, but ain't going anyway.
"Actually LANS are completely overwhealmed with the response of employees that they extended the registration for the festival until Sept. 20." - 9/14/07 9:27 AM
Actually this is an old ploy to cover up the fact that few have signed up, thus managment extends the sign-up period.
Only 4 more days to register!
There's no fooling you 3:31 ;).
OK, I know this won't be a popular perspective, but...
What is wrong with showing up with your family and putting a face and personal ties next to that znumber? Hell, with what it costs these days, getting a chance to feed the whole family for free and running the rugrats tired is a pretty good deal. I think most of the people posting these pissy little comments wouldn't be pleased with anything positive the new mgt do.
There are plenty of other contractors you could be working for that would make such an event mandatory and charge you $$$ for crappy food.
The worst thing that can happen by attending is you get a free meal which could be more than what is offered by those who are asked to go.
I am also wondering why we shouldn't attend this event. After all, the expense is coming out of LANS's fee and how much could it cost anyway?
Attending might smooth out some of the bad vibes between all of us as we face the next few months of difficulties. And make no mistake about it, we ARE facing some really hard times!
Y'all can go and shmoos with the overpaid, under-performing upper managers of LANS, LLC if that suits your fancy. I prefer to break bread with my friends.
Who says you have to do anything with anyone at this event. Go with your friends and break bread at LANS expense. You could probably spend hours there without having to interact with any of the management you hate so much.
Pass, 8:25. You are entirely welcome to enjoy your Saturday as you please, but you will have to make do at the Fall Festival without the pleasure of my company.
Gee, sounds like a manager is trying to drum up some registrations.
What're the odds that any of the upper management will actually be at the picnic?
Oh 8:50, you know damn well that phoney two-faced Mike will have something else "come up". I agree that that most senior managers are not going to come since they don't want to answer questions about the RIFs. Terry will be there looking forward to all the food left over and pretending that he gets along with the other PADs and ADs. I am sure he will be eagerly talking about his new woman, Marie.
rumor today was that THREAT REDUCTION canceled all managers' vacation etc so they could work on the RIF lists....
Seems that ADEPS management is working on a RIF list too. No word from Seestrom since the RIF announcement and I heard that NONE of her DLs are willing to speak to their pleebs. No communication, nada, nothing, zilcho. But then again, maybe Sarrao (and Fallensbee) are just obsessed with Marie (little vixen) ... perhaps he (and Paul) are leaving for greener Marie pastures ... anyhow, nice basic management skills folks!
Has anyone wondered why Section 3161 of the 1993 NDAA did not apply to the effective reduction in force that hit the subcontractor workforce last year?
It seems to me that the reduction of ~600 jobs (albeit subcontractors) would easily fit into the terms of this federal law. Perhaps LANL screwed the pooch again. If so, where was our enforcer, LASO?
Some number crunching...
We are spending $9 billion per month in Iraq, purportedly to stabilize the country and to battle terrorism. I will not argue with nor pass judgment here on this battle.
The Nuclear Weapons Program in NNSA (Defense Programs, NA-10) has a budget of $6-7 billion per year. The House Mark would cut this by ~10% or $600 million in FY08.
The FYNSP (Future Years National Security Plan, NNSA's 5 year outlook in Defense programs) forecasts expenditures of $33 billion over five years.
Therefore, the entire NNSA DP budget over its 5 year detailed planning horizon will cost ~3-4 months of the action in Iraq.
So, if nuclear weapons are admittedly still a valid element of our strategic defense, why in hell is congress so intent on taking apart the entire Nuclear Weapons Complex?
I agree that we should hold the DOE/NNSA accountable and put them on notice to get their shit together (on planning and scenarios(), but why do politicians allow (demand that)communities be destroyed to satisfy their short-term political ambitions?
So, listen up you congressional idiots! Hold us accountable, give us real (not bullshit security related) mandates. But don't play politics with 1000's of peoples' lives just to get reelected.
And when you ask for scientific opinions, listen to the answers: don't just look for reasons to hit us harder.
A pissed off, rif-listed, nuclear-weapons-trained LANL staff member...
The 3 stages of a LANS RIF:
STAGE 1: "No RIF and no plans for a RIF. How many times do I have to tell everyone!"
STAGE 2: "Well, no RIF at least until October 1st."
STAGE 3: "You're all fired! Bwaaa Haaa Haaa Haaaaaaa!!!"
Contractors are not real employees and the RIF RULES only apply to regular employees. Therefore LANL can shed contractors and students and limited-termers whenever it wants. My guess is the lab has already cut loose 1,000 workers this year in these categories.
The recent "Career Fair" (aka Job Fair) for Postdocs at LANL last month was very telling. It was as if LANL was saying to them, "Don't look for work here, but we'll assist you in finding a job somewhere else."
If there is no future for Postdocs at LANL, what does that say about the future of our scientific institution?
As far as the Fall Festival goes, perhaps a better use of the Fall Festival funding would be to save it to help sponsor a future Job Fair for laid off LANL staff during this next year.
3161 applies to all workers at at DOE Defense Facility, including subcontractors.
In addition, the DOE Guidance on implementing workforce restructuring says that 3161 is triggered when at the 100-person level. Since LANL let go way over 100 people and PLANNED it (poorly, but still planned), it seems as though 3161 should have be invoked. This would not necessarily changed the subcontractor RIF, but it would have given people 120 days.
Another point from past plans: The 120 day clock and the 60 day clock are independent. Therefore, people can be let go 120 days after the DOE clock starts if they are informed 60 days before the end of that clock. This is exactly what LANL did in 1995.
"This is exactly what LANL did in 1995."
So we can probably expect the initial pink slips to start arriving in early February, with more to come during the later part of the year if the budgetary picture doesn't improve. Wonderful! It will keep everyone stressed out to the max for a full year.
"So we can probably expect the initial pink slips to start arriving in early February..."
Actually, you can expect the first pink slips in early December, 60 days after DOE approves LANL's 3161 plan.
60 days after that, out the door...
Start to finish: 120 days...
"Actually, you can expect the first pink slips in early December, 60 days after DOE approves LANL's 3161 plan."
What a wonderful Christmas present! Santa will be handing out pink slips to all the boys and girls at LANL this year! Mikey is not an ewok, he's a Grinch.
A Festival? To celebrate what, exactly?
Unbelievable.
Gotta love the front web page at LANL this morning. The banner had a large picture of a chipmunk with the words "Are you nuts? Time is running out to sign up for the Fall Festival!"
They must be getting desperate for people to sign up for this LANS party. They should have called it off the day after Mikey announced a possible RIF of 20% of the staff. What a bunch of tone-deaf idiots!
Hopefully someone attends to post a little summary of the experience for the readers here. Photos too would be great.
Actually, 10:19PM LANS announced today that one is even "allowed" to attend without registering. "Bring up to five friends". So this will be a jolly good party. I will be at the ski hill this day celebrating its 50th birthday
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