May 21, 2008

E-LINE: A message to Lab employees from Director George Miller

On Thursday and Friday, we will say goodbye to approximately 440 of our career indefinite colleagues as part of Phase 3 of our Workforce Restructuring Plan. It will be a difficult two days and I encourage everyone to provide support to fellow employees. Dedicated employees will be leaving the Laboratory and I want to extend my thanks to them for their contributions.

If you recall, we originally estimated that up to 535 career indefinite separations (combined with 215 VSSOP departures) would be necessary in order to reach our workforce restructuring goal of 750 separations and to position our Laboratory effectively for the future. After a thorough evaluation of our workforce, attrition and scheduled end of assignments in our flexible workforce, we've decided that we can achieve our workforce restructuring goals by releasing approximately 440 career indefinite employees and up to 100 additional employees from our flexible workforce.

To prepare for this, Strategic Human Capital Management will be re-issuing a WARN Act letter to approximately 500 flex-term employees in affected work groups. It will be mailed out from the Laboratory later today and it will provide 60 days of "notice" to potentially affected employees, with departures of these flex-term employees slated to begin June 26, 2008.

It is my intent that with these final workforce actions, the ISP release this week, along with as many as 100 flex-term reductions in late June, we will be in a position to manage our Laboratory in the stable fashion that has occurred in the past. These actions will conclude the involuntary phase of our 3161 Workforce Restructuring Plan and I do not believe, given the information I have now on our budget situation for FY08 and what we might expect for FY09, that future involuntary separations will be necessary.

I know this is a difficult time. We have tried to provide as much support as possible to our employees who will be leaving the Laboratory. The HR Resource Center (Bldg. 41) will open Tuesday, May 27, to provide services and support to employees who have been given a layoff notice. One-on-one counseling appointments to discuss benefits, retirement and payroll considerations will be available as well as outplacement support and training. A job fair has been planned for June 19 for ISP-selected employees and flex-term employees who will receive the WARN Act notice. The Resource Center also has more than 1,100 job postings, including opportunities with our parent companies, in an updated job bank.

It is a time of change and challenge. It is crucial that we pay attention to the Laboratory's day-to-day operations and to ensuring that all work is done safely and securely. Thank you for your patience during this time and for all you do for our Laboratory and the nation.

Regards,
George H. Miller

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Here a LANL, 420 left. Their chairs weren't even cold when Bechtel started running job ads for their homeboys...

Anonymous said...

That's OK. They are being replaced by more competent people.

Anonymous said...

Sorry, George. This is not the end of the involuntary layoffs at LLNL. It's just the beginning. But, don't worry. LANL will be joining in on the fun in the not too distant future. That should help make you feel better.

Anonymous said...

Looks like the staff layoffs planned for LLNL on this Thursday and Friday are going to be brutal!


llnlthetruestory.blogspot.com

Wednesday, May 21, 2008
What to expect Thursday and Friday

It's going to get pretty nasty tomorrow. Employees will have one hour to pack their office. The escort is only to allow items like pictures and awards to be packed. EVERYTHING else will be reviewed by management and if it it determined to be yours, they will pack it and ship it to you.

As for your computer, you will be allowed to create a folder and copy your files to it. Management will review that file when they get around to it and make a CD and send it to you. You will not be allowed to say goodbuy to friends and coworkers - it's off to the exit center.

The lab will create an email bounce that will basically say the employee you contacted no longer works here. If this is lab business contact someone else. You may contact this employee at home@email.com. The 200 series with more than 10 years aren't much different.

I told you to pack early!

Posted by Neko at 7:19 PM

Anonymous said...

"That's OK. They are being replaced by more competent people.

5/21/08 10:00 PM"

Not really.

Anonymous said...

Poster 10:00 PM sounds like one of our new Bechtel managers. They've been popping up all over the lab of late.

Anonymous said...

The Bechtel trolls can be brought in to fill any position. Those positions need not be advertised. We really have deteriorated to an US verses them (Bechtel) environment.

For the DOE, this is a bit like the story of Uncle Remus and the Tar Baby. The have this mess and anything that is done just makes it worse. The only possible solution is to terminate the contract of LANS.

Does anybody note that none of these problems that LANL and LLNL are having are taking place at LBL?
The UC LBL contract was extended.

Anonymous said...

"Does anybody note that none of these problems that LANL and LLNL are having are taking place at LBL?" (5:30 AM)

Nor are they happening at DOE labs that are run by the non-profits, such as PNNL and ORNL (both run by Battelle).

Bechtel is using LANL and LLNL to serve their own purpose. They don't give a damn what happens to these labs, especially in regards to the science.

Anonymous said...

5:30 am: "The only possible solution is to terminate the contract of LANS."

Solution to what? Obviously no one in power sees a problem that needs a "solution." If you can't convince anyone in power that there's a problem, proposing a "solution" just gets laughs. No one cares.

Anonymous said...

No one cares. - 5/24/08 8:12 PM

Right now, that's true. Wait another decade, though, when the process is complete and the National Labs have been turned into empty shells of their former glory. Then Congress will start the blame game about who killed US science and left our strategic research capabilities in such shoddy shape. America is quickly heading down hill. We're losing both the will and the ability to "fix things".

Anonymous said...

We're losing both the will and the ability to "fix things". (1:17 PM)


What about D'Agostino and his current slogan to "Get it Done". He's "Solving the Problems" and "Leading NNSA to Excellence".

With cool NNSA slogans like that, how can we not see things turn around?

Anonymous said...

Miller is a liar. That ends this thread.

Anonymous said...

ORNL, when through same type of "human resource" reduction in 2000, and 2001 when the contract was given to a joint manager made up of the University of Tennessee and Battelle (UTB) or BUT with Battelle running the show. Watch out for Battelle! I believe they will be telling DOE what to do n a few short years.
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