Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2007 16:26:00 -0700
To: E-line
From: Public Affairs Office
Subject: DECISION ON LAB'S ANNUAL SALARY INCREASES TO BE DELAYED
E-LINE: DECISION ON LAB'S ANNUAL SALARY INCREASES TO BE DELAYED
Because of uncertainty with the federal budget and increased costs for fiscal year 2008, Director George Miller, with input from senior management, has decided to delay a decision on the implementation of the Lab's annual salary increases.
"I realize that delaying this decision may not be popular," Miller said. "But in light of the continuing resolution situation, we need more financial clarity in order to make an informed decision."
At that point, Lab managers will decide if there will be raises in 2008 and, if implemented, whether the increases will be retroactive back to Oct. 1, 2007.
"We've heard from a number of employees who have suggested we delay the implementation of our raises," Miller said. "In light of our budget uncertainty, I agree with them. It is my hope that this is just a delay, but we will make that decision in a few months."
The federal budget's current Continuing Resolution (CR) expires in mid-November. It is possible there will be another CR.
While LLNL employees have succeeded in "belt-tightening" in the past few years, resulting in substantial savings, the impact of national budget uncertainty, the additional contract costs associated with the management fee, taxes, health care and reduced attrition require that additional aggressive steps be taken.
Each Principal Associate Directorate (PAD) is developing a business plan that identifies scope and items that may need to be reduced or eliminated. LLNL senior management will then review the PAD business plans and prioritized work scope.
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36 comments:
The rumor of delaying or not having raises at all has been floating for weeks. One wonders why it took 3 weeks into the new fiscal morass to officially announce this. Also on the rumor mill today is the possibility of a shutdown between the holidays. For those that cashed in their vacation on the transition - time off without pay.
Also noted was that the price of medical insurance jumped dramatically due to LLNS having only 8 thousand bodies to offer as opposed to UC's 200,000 to get a cheaper rate. The lab had to hike the rates a little this year, wait for next year when they don't absorb the increase. And remember, with fewer employees next year, that group discount won't be as much as it was (or wasn't) this year.
Got to hand it to congress who thought the private entity could do it better and cheaper.
And as those congressmen retire with a full ride medical and join the Bechtel board, you know they are thinking "I got mine, who cares about you!"
I wonder of which employees the Director speaks regarding the suggestion to delay the minuscule raises we were supposed to get: himself, his obsequious lackeys, Labbies who have been promoted to senior management taking personal advantage of the transitional chaos (while Rome burns), and the other Bechtel imports? Knowing full well that they've already realized their huge salary increases, effective Oct. 1 or before? Another memo from other than PAO today had the same message (no raises) but cited a projected $130M FY2008 overrun (plus an additional 3% inflation hit, meaning about a real $160-$190M overrun). A "few months" should clarify things....right. I think that they are pretty darn clear right now: that the budget shortfall is going to be made up by the average Joes of the Lab, not the management. Duh....welcome to corporate America. Average employee raises are first to go, then it will be RIF time. And the management will be rewarded with bonuses for "taking care of the budget problem." The PAD business plans are identifying "scope and items that may need to be reduced or eliminated?" I've never been called a "scope" or an "item" before. Here's a suggestion: how about George Miller and the rest of
"senior management" volunteer what their actual compensation is (including salary, allowances, bonuses, etc.)? How about they agree to go back to their pre-LLNS salaries and other compensation? Then, they'll be "regular guys", just like us. Just a thought.
Interesting how LANL got screwed and once again they want to protect LLNL and delay. Just remember LLNL got an 11% raise last year. LANL ... not so much.
"Just remember LLNL got an 11% raise last year."
Well, I certainly didn't get anywhere near 11%. Come to think of it, I don't know of anyone at LLNL that got 11%.
Where did you pull this number from?
It must have been the haste getting the following email out, and then the rush to get the eline email out that both messages forgot to mention that Miller et. al. would be returning their huge salary increases to help rein in costs. Can there be any other explanation for that oversight? I can't think of one.
Good cheer for the holidays arriving early December. I can't wait!
To 9:36 Who got an 11% raise last year?
To: cmels-all@cmels.llnl.gov
From: Tomas Diaz De La Rubia
Subject: Update
Dear CMELS employees,
As you know, there is still uncertainty with the Federal budget. The current Continuing Resolution expires in mid-November. We believe there will be another CR that extends past the first of the year. In addition, we have identified a $130 million dollars of increased costs for FY08 and expect an annual inflation of ~3%. These costs are based on new scope, increased payroll burden/costs, and increased costs associated with the new contract such as taxes, the management fee, and increased healthcare premiums.
Because of these uncertainties, Director George Miller, with input from the senior management, has made a decision to delay the implementation of the Lab's CIP (Compensation Increase Plan) until we have better financial clarity of the Federal budget. At that point, we will decide if there will be a CIP and if the answer is yes, whether the increases will be retroactive.
As you have also heard by now (e-line Mon, 22 Oct 2007), NNSA's 3161 Workforce Restructuring General Plan is out for public comment. We are beginning to prepare the follow-on Specific Plan. This plan will address job functions and classifications and recommend the appropriate size and skills mix to ensure we have the workforce to meet the mission needs of the laboratory.
The plan will identify classifications impacted and potentially subject to a workforce reduction. It will also identify classifications and skills that will not be included in any restructuring because of special skills and laboratory requirements. This proposed plan will be submitted to DOE/NNSA for their review and approval. We expect to have more information on a 3161 site specific plan by early December.
My goal is to provide as much information as possible. I will be updating you regularly as to where we are as an organization and what is new. I will start a new round of brown bag lunch meetings will all of the divisions very soon. Details to follow.
In addition to all of this, I want to re-emphasize my optimism for the future of the Laboratory. The quality and impact of the work we do continues to be nothing but spectacular, and the country knows it and appreciates it. The changes associated with the contract transition have been challenging, and I realize this news comes at a difficult time for all of us. As George Miller said at his recent all-hands, our laboratory has had ebbs and flows before. We are still LLNL and we are still delivering on an important mission for our country. The next few months will be challenging but we must try to focus on our important work and continue to do our work safely and securely.
NewsOnLine will be launching a new section specific to this issue and information will be updated there weekly. There will also be a formal Q/A process similar to what we did with the transition for employee questions.
Be safe,
Tomás
Jackass George gets his bonus, the Bechtel trust the $80M fee, the cost of the transition is over $130M (Rubia), and the "irreplacable" workers get zilch.
"I got mine, who cares about you?", is not limited to Congressional meatheads.
Couldn't demotivate people faster if you hit 'em with a truck. Count 'em knocked out. Maybe even dead. Why will anyone support mock-leaders who treat them this way? Can't seem to see this picture clearly. So ends this social contract.
NNSA pulled a Enron. UC is pure genius in comparison.
Question. Is Bodman is as effective at destroying US assets as Hanssen, Philby or Ames?
And thy lied when they said jobs would be preserved for one year after the transition.
And they lied when they said total compensation would be substantially equivalent.
And they lied when they said the transition costs would be paid out of current funds (It is paid by employees lost raises and benefits)
And they lied when they said employees were a valuable asset.
And they lied when they said LLNS would be an improvement over UC
And they lied when they said corporate experience and reachback would help achieve mission excellence.
And they lied when they said term employees would be treated like indeterminate employees.
I just shipped my card to SPSE. I don't care if it helps or hurts. Time to slow the liars down.
I work at LLNL and I have recieved 1% raises two years in a row because I am at the top of the salary range. Management said I needed to get reclassified so I did that less than a month ago. Now , not only will I get a zip raise but no reclass money. As an added bonus I will no longer be eligible for overtime pay. I, for one, am tired of being ass fucked by George Miller.
It would seem De La Rubia gives good head...
Management just proved
1- they are fucking assholes
2- they are groissly incompetent
3- i bet they are all geting their greedly little hands filled with big raises and bonuses
4- if the raises are not retroactive to 10/1 is suggest a class action and e work standown
this also goes to the staff......are you just going to lie there and get kicked time after time, or are you going to stand up to the big bad bully? I know i am rallying to get people fired up and say enough because unfortunately one voice is not enough
"are you just going to lie there and get kicked time after time [...]?"
History, at LANL at least, would indicate "Yes"!
http://llnlthefinalstory.blogspot.com/
"are you just going to lie there and get kicked time after time [...]?"
LLNL can't seem to pull off running a decent blog on their own, so what do you think?
I think the majority of the LLNL staff will bend over extra hard to take a full measure of Miller's corporate 'generosity'. Soon enough, you'll be beaten down as bad as the employees at LANL and be willing to fight for any crumbs on the floor and you'll think those rotten crumbs are delicious.
So I wonder if LLNS is considering lowering the 6% TPC2 matching contribution and dropping the service credit match dollars, since these costs come out of current year operating budgets. Plus there no contractual requirement with NNSA to provide matching funds at a set rate.
"additional contract costs associated with the management fee, taxes, health care and reduced attrition require that additional aggressive steps be taken." Miller says.
??????????????????????WTF
reduced attrition require that additional aggressive steps be taken
Let some of the double dipping geezers go !
Save my ass Mr M.
I have sat quietly while these fat pieces of shit decide how to pay for there bonus. How about the top 5 take a hit on there bonus. How about giving me a 10K check for performing for the last 3 years with 1% raises.
Eat me G.M and LLNS
LLNS the joke of the science world since 2007 in the ag
6:27 a.m. Not sure if De la Rubia gives good head but he's apparently a pretty sharp scientist. Just been elected an AAAS Fellow.
http://www.llnl.gov/pao/news/news_releases/2007/NR-07-10-04.html
7:02 PM
You must be his secretary?
De la Rubia is not the bad guy, he got the employees the word before the direct GM said a thing. If it wasn't for De la Rubia you still may not have know anything was coming. Hat's offs to De la Rubia and anyone else that has gutts.
"So I wonder if LLNS is considering lowering the 6% TPC2 matching contribution and dropping the service credit match dollars, since these costs come out of current year operating budgets."
As everyone who followed the contract process knows, lanl and llnl are both in the same basket for the coming ben-val study and will get their 401k deals reduced by the same amount, at the same time.
LANS/LLNS does not have to be considering it. DOE/NNSA will demand it at the scheduled time provided in the contract.
De la Rubia's "heartfelt"/"good guy" memo was virtually verbatim with another I saw yesterday from another manager from another part of the Lab. Looks like they had a script, just like usual. Written by one of the propaganda ministers?
De la Rubia was the first to pass along the information. LLNL’s public affairs office couldn’t get anything out until the end of the day (aren’t those type of announcements supposed to come out after hours on Fridays. They must’ve thought they had two more days before releasing that “minor” detail) I don’t know when the other PADs told their people.
I don’t know if De la Rubia is being blindsided, or he thinks science will be able to continue here. He appears very knowledgeable about what is going on in lot of areas.
No, I'm not his secretary. I went to the LLNL web site to find his position at the lab and that link was on the home page.
"We've heard from a number of employees who have suggested we delay the implementation of our raises," Miller said. "In light of our budget uncertainty, I agree with them.
I would like to know the level of employees who made the suggestion. Is'nt George an employee?
As mentioned above:
"Himself (George Miller) his obsequious lackeys, Labbies who have been promoted to senior management taking personal advantage of the transitional chaos (while Rome burns), and the other Bechtel imports? Knowing full well that they've already realized their huge salary increases, effective Oct. 1 or before?"
He sure didn't ask me or anyone I hang out with. He didn't put out an email asking for input. He also shut off the LLNS Q&A capability. Of course, with that "tool" you had to identify yourself when asking a question....if it's a hard one, you risked moving up the RIF list. If George really wanted people's opinions, he'd read this blog or allow anonymous questions to be asked.
"When you're slapped, you'll take it and like it." Sam Spade
Awwww........you mean I have to wait to get my 2% sub-inflation raise???? boo hoo.
Let's see, you are complaining about waiting until after the RIFees depart to distribute the raise pool, instead of giving them some of your money? No wonder you are known as Livermorons !
"Let's see, you are complaining about waiting until after the RIFees depart to distribute the raise pool, instead of giving them some of your money? No wonder you are known as Livermorons !"
I've already been informed I'll be giving up $3,800 out of my own pocket this year - $1,500 due to reduced per diem, $500 for short term disability coverage I used to get for free from UC (my maximum CA SDI premium), and $1,800 stipend for medical insurance premium. That doesn't include the amount of the raise deferral. On top of that, I may lose my job because NNSA gave our facilities to NSTec.
I'm not feeling very generous right now - what do you expect?
And, no - I'm not 4:50 PM.
"I'm not feeling very generous right now - what do you expect?"
I expect you to suck it up and donate to United Way.
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