Los Alamos guard company laying off workers
KOB.comLOS ALAMOS, N.M. (AP) - A company that provides uniformed guards for Los Alamos National Laboratory, SOC Los Alamos, plans to cut up to 18 jobs.
The action is being taken because of a reduction in funding, according to a company e-mail forwarded to the Los Alamos Monitor by SOC Los Alamos general manager Ken Freeman.
SOC is encouraging workers to apply for a voluntary separation to minimize layoffs.
The reductions are expected to be completed by Sept. 30.
Big deal, 18. Each time I pass by the guard station I see at least 2-3 people in the booth chatting and my arrival always seems to annoy them. Buh, bye.
ReplyDeleteBut who will keep us safe and secure???
ReplyDeleteThe odd thing about the guard station is that at other national labs, they actually search a few cars a day and employees receive constant messages about making sure their insurance and tags are up to date. Do they even search cars here or just wave people in?
My favorite is how at the Lab entrance 5 staions are open so that the Director and his possee and any "important" visitors don't have to wait and then the single station open on Pajarito at 9 every morning and right after lunch so that we have to wait in a mile long line. So what, now it will be a 2 mile long line. I say fire the whole company and bring in someone who wants to man the necsesary stations.
ReplyDeleteThe guard service, from the time of Mason-Hanger thru PTLA to now, has never been a very good operation.
ReplyDeleteI think that we should start over with a new company and new guards.
I think we should think up a good official way to get into secure areas to replace the 15 or 20 that already exist. Instead us using a hand scanner, a bar code, a guard station, a combination lock, a palm reader, a retina scanner, a different type of combination lock, a portal monitor, a one-way revolving door, or a multitude of combinations of the above, we could have a highly trained guard force to monitor entry and exit. That might require replacing the existing guard force, however.
ReplyDelete10:56 am: "Instead us using a hand scanner, a bar code, a guard station, a combination lock, a palm reader, a retina scanner, a different type of combination lock, a portal monitor, a one-way revolving door, or a multitude of combinations of the above, we could have a highly trained guard force to monitor entry and exit."
ReplyDeleteAssuming you aren't joking, you might want to sit down with your friendly local security representative and find out what the guard force's actual purpose is.
"The action is being taken because of a reduction in funding.."
ReplyDeleteBut, but, but... LANL funding is suppose to be in great shape for next year. That's what LANS has been telling everybody for the last few weeks. How could this RIF at SOC possible be?
Bret Knapp (AD Weapons) will use this as an opportunity to transfer even more of his weapon engineers to the guard stations to check badges and wave cars through. Knapp is just showboating to the other ADs that he can not only meet his 5% reduction in staff (PBI) but triple it. Fact is the only thing that Knapp has accomplished since coming from Livemore is destroy careers and transfer staff. Mikey just looks on as if "he's sees nothing".
ReplyDeleteSure, they have us emptying our own wastebaskets, checking badges is the next step.
ReplyDeleteReading and writing from DC
ReplyDeleteLike much of this blog, these letters miss an essential point. It is not the guard force or the management that makes LANL such a sick institution. It's simply the billions of dollars of bad science that was enabled by Domenici, the misuse of secrecy and ineffective peer review. The evidence is clear and comes from an analysis of DOE Office of Science grants. These guys are competent and professional and they have given out the last of the Domenici monies. There is only a remnant of disgust now that the playing field has been leveled.
All LANL has to do now is re-enter the competition and somehow undo the effect of so many years of bad behaviour.
Knapp has done more than that! Don't forget all the yes men he has put in place and programs he has destroyed. The man is an evil genius through and through.
ReplyDelete"Los Alamos guard company laying off workers"
ReplyDeleteGet ready to see the front gate shut down to only one entry lane at rush hour and for the guards to find innovative ways to slow down traffic in response to these SOC layoffs.
11:04 am: "Get ready to see the front gate shut down to only one entry lane at rush hour and for the guards to find innovative ways to slow down traffic in response to these SOC layoffs."
ReplyDeleteWow, your faith in your fellow man is humbling. SOC knows the importance of lanes in the morning rush, and to think that the guards themselves would decide to "slow down traffic" is absurd. Just because that's what you would do, don't think everyone is so puerile.
"SOC knows the importance of lanes in the morning rush, and to think that the guards themselves would decide to "slow down traffic" is absurd." - 8:20 PM
ReplyDeleteYou haven't been around this lab for very long, have you?
Rumor has it that the guards on West/East Jemez Road will be going away; guards only on Pajarito... that should help traffic flow!
ReplyDelete12:39 pm: "Rumor has it that the guards on West/East Jemez Road will be going away; guards only on Pajarito... that should help traffic flow!"
ReplyDeleteThat would require a major change in the DOE Design Basis Threat, which I don't think has happened.
7/26 11:09 pm: "You haven't been around this lab for very long, have you?"
ReplyDeleteOnly about 30 years.
1:09 pm: "You haven't been around this lab for very long, have you?"
ReplyDelete3:19 pm: Only about 30 years.
And you still don't get it.
7/26 11:09 pm: "You haven't been around this lab for very long, have you?"
ReplyDeleteOnly about 30 years.
7/27/09 3:19 PM
Slow learner!
7:11 pm: "And you still don't get it."
ReplyDeleteWell, there is much more to "get" from my standpoint, as compared to you "newbies." I understand and respect the guard force and its responsibilities. You don't. Pretty clear. Lots of yahoos at LANL who have no clue why their guard force exists will express clueless opinions here on this blog. Nevertheless, when the Design Basis Threat attack occurs, your relatives will be wondering why you are not calling home. Asshole.
so where's the story about COMPA missing it's first payroll and then paying salaries on Monday of the following week MINUS FEDERAL TAX DEDUCTIONS?
ReplyDeleteNice they had the Bechtel connection to get the multi-MILLION dollar contract since they're totally incompetent.
COMPA isn't the only new LANL sub-contractor that seems to be of very poor quality.
ReplyDeleteJanitorial services seem to be going even further downhill since LANS hired TSAY Construction (of Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo) to take over the janitorial service contract. Restrooms frequently lack soap, paper towels and toilet paper. Some of the new TSAY janitors are also very surly.
So, what is wrong with the custodial staff being surly? They have employment contracts. LANS employees are "at will."
ReplyDeleteBring your own soap, toilet paper, and paper towels.
BFD. Losing a PTLA job is like losing a penny. Time to get a job as a shopping mall security officer. The only job that the guards are unqualified for is anything requiring a brain.
ReplyDelete7/27/09 3:18 PM - Sorry, but you are wrong. And yes, I do know what I'm talking about.
ReplyDelete8/9/09 8:31 PM -- "...The only job that the guards are unqualified for is anything requiring a brain."
ReplyDeleteSpoken like a true, arrogant, conehead.
Has an EEO lawsuit been filed yet?
ReplyDelete