ABQ Journal
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Agencies Release LANL Layoff Plan
By Raam Wong
Journal Northern Bureau
SANTA FE— The federal agencies in charge of Los Alamos National Laboratory have released a plan for carrying out possible job cuts at the lab.
In broad terms, the draft plan describes how the lab will determine which positions to cut— if need be— as well as what types of severance and health insurance are available to displaced workers.
Federal law requires that the U.S. Department of Energy develop a plan whenever "workforce restructuring" is necessary at defense nuclear facilities.
Los Alamos faces continued uncertainty over its budget for the 2008 fiscal year, which began Oct. 1. The U.S. House of Representatives this summer passed a spending bill that calls for deep cuts, likely resulting in as many as 2,500 layoffs.
The spending bill must still be reconciled with a version endorsed by a Senate committee that calls for a slight funding increase.
In the meantime, the lab is operating under a stopgap funding measure that funds the federal government at 2007 levels through Nov. 16.
While the deep cuts endorsed by the House appear unlikely, managers at Los Alamos and Sandia national laboratories have told employees they would begin preparing for layoffs just in case.
Meanwhile, DOE's National Nuclear Security Administration on Friday released the draft restructuring plan.
The plan states that its aim is mitigating the impact of layoffs on employees and surrounding communities through consultation with affected stakeholders.
"The Department recognizes that any planned reduction in employment levels at LANL could cause a high level of anxiety within the workforce," the plan states. "To minimize anxiety, LANL's contractors will communicate frequently, openly and honestly with employees."
The 14-page plan relies on language such as "involuntary separation of employees" to describe the potential layoffs.
Under the plan, Los Alamos National Security, the lab's manager, will compare the skills the lab needs to the skills employees have, in order to identify areas that can be cut.
The plan encourages the lab to offer affected employees the opportunity to voluntarily leave their jobs. However, workers who voluntarily resign will receive the same severance pay and medical benefits as those who are laid off, the plan states.
Displaced employees who were eligible for health insurance from the lab will be eligible for DOE's Displaced Workers Medical Benefits Program, provided that they don't qualify for another plan.
Laid-off workers will be given a hiring preference to fill other positions for which they are qualified or for which they can be trained.
The draft plan is available on the Los Alamos Site Office's Web site, www.doeal.gov/laso, for public comment through Friday [19 October 2007].
Ok, the CR carries us through to November 16 at last year's funding levels. Then what? Congress won't have our budget figures by then. Even on a good year we usually don't have our final approved appropriation until March. How are NNSA and LANS going to decide what the RIF list should look like?
ReplyDeleteGood question, 10:03. I'm surprised that no one has asked that yet. I expect the answer will depend on what LANS' real intentions are. If, as has been postulated, DOE/NNSA/DOE/NNSA plan to reduce LANL's mission to that of pit fabrication, then they will want to make the RIF list reflect the most pessimistic funding projections.
ReplyDeleteThe current funding uncertainties actually provide LANS with a windfall opportunity to pare off as much as 25% of the workforce in one move. LANS's $79 million award fee is not tied to the number of employees at LANL, so with fewer employees, there will be less operational expense to run the lab, and the corporate profit will increase.
I have personally not seen any action on LANS's part that leads me to believe their intentions are anything else but to downsize from current staffing levels.
10:27 am:
ReplyDelete"LANS's $79 million award fee is not tied to the number of employees at LANL, so with fewer employees, there will be less operational expense to run the lab, and the corporate profit will increase."
Well, not quite. LANS' award fee IS tied to a number of fairly specific metrics in the contract, meeting which will depend on having enough employees to actually do the work, both technical and operational/support. I don't think LANS' choices are all that easy, or obvious.
Given that the predominant metrics in their contract relate to reducing the number of reportable safety and security incidents, I'd say less is better, from LANS's point of view, wouldn't you, 11:22?
ReplyDelete"The Department recognizes that any planned reduction in employment levels at LANL could cause a high level of anxiety within the workforce," the plan states. "To minimize anxiety, LANL's contractors will communicate frequently, openly and honestly with employees."
ReplyDeleteWhat a joke! Stress levels at LANL are red-lining, and we've been given little info about what is really happening in preparation for this RIF.
Perhaps we'll learn the design of the RIF plan on the day that the pink slips are handed out and the unlucky are escorted off the property on the very same day.
ReplyDelete