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We're hearing NIF will be short $80M for FY-14 which means we'll see more layoffs. Compound that with LLNS medical cost going up 80% as of 1/1/2014 due to Obamacare costing them $100M more than planned brings their $deficit to $180M putting NIF and LLNS is in deep sheet. On second thought I guess $180M doesn't really mean anything since their cure will be as it always is, lay off 600 people and they're good to go. It sure would be nice to see (2 weeks pay for every year served ) and cut the population by 50% in two weeks. How about it NNSA and Parney. Lets get it done, now.
So are layed-off from the Lab because of rising costs of Obamacare and you voted for the savior (Obama) here is a list of do nots,
1) Do not blame the Lab 2) Do not be one of the ignorant Entitlement generation and believe a bunch of lies about why you were cut 3) Do not blame Bush !!! 4) Do not blame Republicans. 5) Do not deflect the blame from the Democrats
Basically look in the mirror and say to yourself "Self I voted for a community organizer who fibs a little here and there and it is my own fault for helping to destroy our country".
SO although Obama doesn't do anything wrong then it is ok to be layed-off because of Obamacare and I will TOFTT.................
Then I can sit at home and talk on my free cell phone.
The Lab covering everyone is not the issue. Rates are going up to cover the cost of insuring those with past conditions and also dependents out to age 26.
You are a perfect example of a person who's entire outlook on the world is shaped by Beck, Hannity, Limbaugh. If you take a moment to stand outside the problem you would see that health care costs are and have been going up (regardless of Obamacare) and have been for decades. That is what health reform is about. Unplug for a moment and do some research on your own. See if you can draw conclusions without the neocons telling you how to think. If you posit cogent arguments people on this blog might take you seriously.
A controversial and perpetually troubled laser fusion project would get a hefty funding reduction under the president's 2014 budget request for the Department of Energy (DOE). The cuts to the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California appear to be a direct consequence of the project's failure to create a burning fusion plasma by its 2012 goal. NIF has long had critics, who contended even before the multibillion-dollar machine was built that it would never work. After numerous delays and cost overruns, NIF finally began operations in 2009, and managers set a 30 September 2012 goal of achieving "ignition" by using its 192 lasers to crush a tiny capsule of hydrogen fuel. But the device fell substantially short of that goal, and late last year officials told Congress that they weren't sure NIF would ever be able create a burning plasma. NIF advocates have argued that the project, even if it didn't achieve ignition, is useful for conducting experiments that would help engineers understand and maintain the nation's stockpile of nuclear weapons. That is now NIF's focus, although some outside experts and members of Congress are skeptical of that use. They also question the wisdom of giving NIF any more time or money to achieve ignition. The budget request appears to reflect some of that skepticism. To help pay for maintaining the nuclear stockpile during a time of austerity, "the Budget proposes to achieve savings by reducing investments in the National Ignition Facility, which failed to achieve ignition in 2012 as scheduled, and by implementing several management efficiencies," it states. In particular, the budget calls for ending NIF accounting practices that allowed Livermore officials to charge some of the project's costs to other programs—a practice that critics said effectively obscured NIF's true cost. It's not clear exactly how big the proposed NIF cuts are, because the project receives funding from several programs within DOE's National Nuclear Security Administration, which oversees the nation's nuclear weapons program. A Livermore spokesperson tells ScienceInsider that NIF's operating budget request is $329 million for 2014, down 20% from 2012.
"The Lab covering everyone is not the issue. Rates are going up to cover the cost of insuring those with past conditions and also dependents out to age 26."
I assume covering pre-existing conditions is offset by much larger pool, greater economies of scale, more preventative care/less emergency room care, etc.
Covering young people until 26 is going to cost very little.
So, how does this add up to $100m of additional cost to LLNL per year???
Where did you get / how did you calculate that number? Or anything even close to that?
The point that is being missed is that the proposed NIF budget has nothing to do with health care and everything to do with the failed ignition campaign and austerity. It isn't a big surprise either. I am sure you will see Dem's and Repub's agreeing on this one and it will make it into the final budget. Clearly management thinks so, ask the 100 or so contractors that were shown the door last week.
It sure would be nice to see (2 weeks pay for every year served ) and cut the population by 50% in two weeks. How about it NNSA and Parney. Lets get it done, now.
April 21, 2013 at 12:57 PM
Give it up. Do you think continually lobbying for your pipe dream is actually going to make it happen? Get a grip. They can show you the door without giving you anything. If they get pressed into a corner, that's what's going to happen.
Expect to be offered one week of pay for every year of service. The next two months will see Lab management's reaction to both sequestration and the gloomy FY14 budget.
Two years of unemployment at this time in my career would be perfect. I look forward to the RIF.
Isn't the cost of health care per person about $10K + a year? LLNS pays 80%, employee pays 20%? Anyone looked at their W2 that can answer that? An 80% increase per employee is a lot of money for LLNL to come up with on top of the cuts coming.
Curtailing NIF is tantamount to birth control in the same way the higher CAFE mileage standards imposes those same immoral values on the rest of society. The anti NIF sentiments here are also un-American, anti-Christian and anti-family and I am calling you out for it. Atleast the left wing California politicians supporting nif and the Lab know better than to cross god and the righteous. Those patriots working hard at the lab have our support and prayers to overcome those naysayers who will face damnation.
What protected employees. Wouldn't a VSIP be open to anyone who wants to leave no matter what postion they are in. This isn't the military and I can't see how they can tell anyone YOU CAN'T GO for any reason. As far as disparagement pledge/contract WFC, I'd be so glad to be gone it'll take me about 15 minutes once I out the gate to forget all about this place, what I ever did or who I ever knew. They can just color me gone and never to look back.
That's what happened at LANL a couple of years ago. They didn't say "you can't go" but said "you're not eligible for the separation incentive."
April 22, 2013 at 1:34 PM
That was not a couple of years ago and it was brought to LANL courtesy of Charlie. A couple years ago Mike was still in charge and he had the good sense not to do such things.
A couple years ago Mike was still in charge and he had the good sense not to do such things. -- 4:19 pm
What planet are you living on, 4:19? I hope you are simply trying to be sarcastic.
Mike also had a retirement incentive at LANL back around 2008 and he did the exact same thing. Only difference was his plan had far more people placed into the "strategic" category and, thus, unable to take the early retirement incentives.
Charlie's VSP had far fewer positions "locked out" from taking the incentive!
Depending on how many people LLNS is covering you can take the $12,750 a years that showed up on my W2 this year (LLNS portion) and up that by 80% making for the NEW Obamacare premium for each individual the company insures. I would expect this 80% increse will come out of their opearting funds of which they will be $80M short already for FY-14. This mean LLNS will have to come up with these additional funds as of 1-1-2014. I thing we can safely say the $12,750 for each person is going to go to $22,959 per person. If LLNS is insuring 4000 FTE's they ll need to come up with $90M. It's just money that'll have to be made up by unemployment of just a few more individuals.
The money is there (in the operational funds), its a matter spending priority (remember the $80 million funneled to NIF through complex accounting?).
No one area is the total spending cut answer, look for redundant effort, unneeded managers, welfare science, no CIO, etc.. It may not be the answer but certainly a start.
We always hear how the employees are the number one asset, time to back up those words with action.
Well, lets see now. How many people were just let go to make up NIF's 32M tax bill? My bet is if you take those # of people and X it by $300K it will equal the 32M they needed to get out of debt. Would you like to bet if they have to come up with $80M in FY-14 you'll see 266 people hit the road unless of course they steal $80M from all the other facilities outside NIF. Time will tell. I jsut hope this rumor of a VSIP in June and asking 300 to 500 people to go is true.
Did they already get rid of EBAs? If so, then you have your shortfall covered right there. If not, then I suspect that number of non-NIF high performers will leave over the next 12 months as they have been reading the writing on the wall. That program money freed up will cover some of that shortfall. After all, the lab is not hiring, and non-NIF facilities are not maintaining capabilities by replacing retirees and departures.
Can someone please confirm there is going to be a VSIP in May where 300- 500 people will be asked to depart by mid June. I want to be first in line and do not want to miss this boat for any reason. This will be the best gift I have ever received.
Can someone please confirm there is going to be a VSIP in May
April 23, 2013 at 11:05 AM
How can anyone on this blog "confirm" such a thing? It sounds like you are getting your hopes WAY too high. All signs are that there will be no VSIP, just a small-to-medium RIF.
Shucks just when I was hoping to get the heck out of there with a little help from my friends. Retirement just can't get here fast enough. Being far away from all the demanding AH's who all think they're #1 will really be nice. yes, they're #1 in my books but not the way they think.
This video reminds me of all of you, as if the email content was directed to all of you in a different lifetime. Listen to these words and learn. These words were meant for you.
The VSIP needs to be opened up lab wide and there should be no limit and exceptions. They needs to let go whoever wants to go even if that means they lose 50% of the lab in one month. It is time to get it done and be fare.
There is a mile wide gap between what you think needs to be done (i.e., the right and honorable thing), and the reality of what will actually happen. The lab gets no benefit from giving more benefits to people who are going out the door. The funds to pay for it are gone forever, and down the drain in the scope of the lab. The lab is better served by offering better incentives to people that it needs to keep, because that mutually benefits the lab and the remaining employees.
As much as I think the management at LLNL is a complete joke, they do not owe out-going employees anything other than what they are obligated to provide legally and contractually. They will offer more if there is benefit to the lab (greater savings compared to lost capability) Unless the risk of class action lawsuit is high (which is mitigated by you being incented to sign a bunch of papers saying you will not sue and that you will agree to arbitration), you shouldn't hold your breath for a bigger package.
There will be no bigger package. All we can hope for is Parney will give a VSIP lab wide and not cap how many can go and not limit it by classification. It needs to be open to all classes and with no cap on any class. I would hope all those people would make a B-line to HR and be processed out in two weeks cutting the population of LLNL from 6000 people to about 3000people. Now that would be a worthy accomplishment of a bonus-check and their $82M+ fee.
There will be no bigger package. All we can hope for is Parney will give a VSIP lab wide and not cap how many can go and not limit it by classification. It needs to be open to all classes and with no cap on any class. I would hope all those people would make a B-line to HR and be processed out in two weeks cutting the population of LLNL from 6000 people to about 3000people. Now that would be a worthy accomplishment of a bonus-check and their $82M+ fee.
What would be the point of that, on an anonymous blog?? No one either within the lab or at NNSA is talking about a VSIP. NNSA must approve either that or a RIF and the RIF option is much more attractive to management in terms of retaining needed expertise. If you are one of the fanatic goofballs who think the LLC simply wants to gut the lab and destroy its capabilities, you will soon find out that maintaining capability is the ONLY thing that concerns them; all deadwood must go. Missed performance objectives? You are gone. Salary out of alignment? You are gone. Lead on a cancelled WFO program? You are gone. Established troublemaker? You are GONE! Make plans now.
That is the unfortunate sad truth. I would like to think that LLNS will send off people with a decent package to keep them on their feet. But it's just not feasible, considering the shortfalls. The lab needs to not only survive, but it also has to keep making progress along its mission.
Just watch out for yourselves and your families, and take advantage of any career search and training opportunities that the lab offers. It's a decent thing for them to atleast offer those. It may be hard financially and emotionally for many of you. Others may be elated. Just stay strong, positive and healthy.
I wonder if Parney and company realize how many of the so called old want out of the labs and could care less about the mission or for that matter any future mission. They are there because they have to be financially. My bet is if anyone 60+ just had two more years on their age they'd be gone. The young are there as a stepping stone waiting for the economy to turn around so they too can make like a tree and leave.
My feeling on the sujcet matter is this VSP's and RIF are going to become the norm. Will all the sleeper cell, US citizens who are terrorist, many Bostons to come from all directions and all types I'd say someone in DC should divert all funding from alternative fuel and weapons research to national security, FBI, CIA, NSA, NAI, etc. Organizations that actually do the nation some good. If I were running the show this would have already happened.
"My bet is if anyone 60+ just had two more years on their age they'd be gone."
Exactly why they're not going to do a VSIP, because they want to keep collecting 7% (post tax = 14%) pension payments on you. Not to mention 80% overhead. You're a goldmine.
That only applies to those people that took TCP-1. TCP-2 old folks don't have the donation issue and seemed to have made a better choice. As soon as LLNS has had enough PBGC will be more than glad to give the TCP-1'r what they think you deserve. However I still think we should stay on topic and hope Parney allows anyone take the VSP with no cap on any classification.
I don't understand why some people are so quick to discount the possibility of a VSIP (or VSP). I hear arguments that a VSIP does not serve the best interests of a for-profit company, but companies offer voluntary separation packages all the time. Los Alamos offered one last year. Why isn't it reasonable to expect LLNL to do the same? It may not happen, but it is a perfectly reasonable consideration.
The rumor on the street is that an announcement will be made in the next week or two. Of course, as we all know, a rumor is a rumor. But that doesn't stop me from passing it on. Personally, I put the odds of a VSIP (e.g., one week for every year) being offered by July 1 at around 35%.
Since I'm on the verge of retirement, 35% is good enough odds to make me stick around a couple more months to see what happens. The worst that can happen is that I'll make a little extra income and increase my HAPC. A VSIP will be frosting on the cake.
companies offer voluntary separation packages all the time. Los Alamos offered one last year.
April 25, 2013 at 6:32 PM
Look again at the conditions LANL placed on who could qualify. Many people who wanted to take the incentive and leave weren't allowed to. It sounded like an incentive but acted like a RIF. Incentives were given to dead wood to leave. Valued employees didn't qualify.
That's right. If the incentive was offered to everyone, you will get valued key individuals who are easily able to get another job, and will be more motivated to leave and receive the freebie. My opinion is that they should leave anyways. But the option to get a big wad of cash may be the thing that pushes them over the edge and decide to take the plunge with Google or Cisco or Intel. Many people working on NIF could easily get very nice jobs in the high tech sector.
And they think by forcing people to stay in an environment that's terrible is going to make the employee work harder and faster so they can die earlier and get no benefits? Anyone who works on NIF and is of the right age is going to take this. They'd be a fool to not. We want out and we want out now and we don't GAF about fusion. We care about projects that actually work and will keep the country safe not some toy for a bunch of Phd's to play with who couldn't plan a birthday party if they tried. NOT!
Look again at the conditions LANL placed on who could qualify. Many people who wanted to take the incentive and leave weren't allowed to. It sounded like an incentive but acted like a RIF. Incentives were given to dead wood to leave. Valued employees didn't qualify.
Is this true? I thought almost everyone qualified at LANL last year. However, I have no direct knowledge. I'm basing my statement on only the few articles I read in the paper.
LANL had some extremely strange categories of workers who were not allowed to take the VSP offer in the Spring of 2012.
For example, in the P (Physics Division), no highly trained research staff were stopped from running out the front door. However, low-level computer support people were on the "Cannot Take the VSP" list! Saw the same strange situation in many other LANL divisions. It was truly bizarre. Absolutely no rhyme or reason to most of the positions on the "excluded" list.
However, low-level computer support people were on the "Cannot Take the VSP" list! Saw the same strange situation in many other LANL divisions. It was truly bizarre. Absolutely no rhyme or reason to most of the positions on the "excluded" list.
April 26, 2013 at 11:30 PM
At LANL Engineering Services (ES) Division, Dan Steinberg (former Becthelian) excluded ALL his Cognizant System Engineers (CSE) and Facility Engineers (the largest Group excluded from the LANS VRIP, ~ 300 folks).
The ES-Division Management was of course eligible to take the VRIP as well. Then, Steinberg retired a few weeks later, taking the LANS VRIP, TCP-1 with 45-years of service, and 1-year severance payment, with only 5-years of service at LANL. What a deal!
Expect these same kind of shenanigans by Bechtel at LLNS.
60 comments:
We're hearing NIF will be short $80M for FY-14 which means we'll see more layoffs. Compound that with LLNS medical cost going up 80% as of 1/1/2014 due to Obamacare costing them $100M more than planned brings their $deficit to $180M putting NIF and LLNS is in deep sheet. On second thought I guess $180M doesn't really mean anything since their cure will be as it always is, lay off 600 people and they're good to go. It sure would be nice to see (2 weeks pay for every year served ) and cut the population by 50% in two weeks. How about it NNSA and Parney. Lets get it done, now.
Where did you get the 100M$ for Obamacare?
Where did you get that NIF sets their own budget?
They're not short, they need to spend within the budget their client pays.
So are layed-off from the Lab because of rising costs of Obamacare and you voted for the savior (Obama) here is a list of do nots,
1) Do not blame the Lab
2) Do not be one of the ignorant Entitlement generation and believe a bunch of lies about why you were cut
3) Do not blame Bush !!!
4) Do not blame Republicans.
5) Do not deflect the blame from the Democrats
Basically look in the mirror and say to yourself "Self I voted for a community organizer who fibs a little here and there and it is my own fault for helping to destroy our country".
SO although Obama doesn't do anything wrong then it is ok to be layed-off because of Obamacare and I will TOFTT.................
Then I can sit at home and talk on my free cell phone.
Why would Obamacare cause any impact to LLNL healthcare costs? We already cover everyone. Please explain.
The Lab covering everyone is not the issue. Rates are going up to cover the cost of insuring those with past conditions and also dependents out to age 26.
Nothing is really free, someone has to pay for the free stuff.
Unfortunately those that work pay.
3gformaApril 21, 2013 at 2:03 PM
You are a perfect example of a person who's entire outlook on the world is shaped by Beck, Hannity, Limbaugh. If you take a moment to stand outside the problem you would see that health care costs are and have been going up (regardless of Obamacare) and have been for decades. That is what health reform is about. Unplug for a moment and do some research on your own. See if you can draw conclusions without the neocons telling you how to think. If you posit cogent arguments people on this blog might take you seriously.
A controversial and perpetually troubled laser fusion project would get a hefty funding reduction under the president's 2014 budget request for the Department of Energy (DOE). The cuts to the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California appear to be a direct consequence of the project's failure to create a burning fusion plasma by its 2012 goal.
NIF has long had critics, who contended even before the multibillion-dollar machine was built that it would never work. After numerous delays and cost overruns, NIF finally began operations in 2009, and managers set a 30 September 2012 goal of achieving "ignition" by using its 192 lasers to crush a tiny capsule of hydrogen fuel. But the device fell substantially short of that goal, and late last year officials told Congress that they weren't sure NIF would ever be able create a burning plasma.
NIF advocates have argued that the project, even if it didn't achieve ignition, is useful for conducting experiments that would help engineers understand and maintain the nation's stockpile of nuclear weapons. That is now NIF's focus, although some outside experts and members of Congress are skeptical of that use. They also question the wisdom of giving NIF any more time or money to achieve ignition.
The budget request appears to reflect some of that skepticism. To help pay for maintaining the nuclear stockpile during a time of austerity, "the Budget proposes to achieve savings by reducing investments in the National Ignition Facility, which failed to achieve ignition in 2012 as scheduled, and by implementing several management efficiencies," it states. In particular, the budget calls for ending NIF accounting practices that allowed Livermore officials to charge some of the project's costs to other programs—a practice that critics said effectively obscured NIF's true cost.
It's not clear exactly how big the proposed NIF cuts are, because the project receives funding from several programs within DOE's National Nuclear Security Administration, which oversees the nation's nuclear weapons program. A Livermore spokesperson tells ScienceInsider that NIF's operating budget request is $329 million for 2014, down 20% from 2012.
"The Lab covering everyone is not the issue. Rates are going up to cover the cost of insuring those with past conditions and also dependents out to age 26."
I assume covering pre-existing conditions is offset by much larger pool, greater economies of scale, more preventative care/less emergency room care, etc.
Covering young people until 26 is going to cost very little.
So, how does this add up to $100m of additional cost to LLNL per year???
Where did you get / how did you calculate that number? Or anything even close to that?
The point that is being missed is that the proposed NIF budget has nothing to do with health care and everything to do with the failed ignition campaign and austerity. It isn't a big surprise either. I am sure you will see Dem's and Repub's agreeing on this one and it will make it into the final budget. Clearly management thinks so, ask the 100 or so contractors that were shown the door last week.
It sure would be nice to see (2 weeks pay for every year served ) and cut the population by 50% in two weeks. How about it NNSA and Parney. Lets get it done, now.
April 21, 2013 at 12:57 PM
Give it up. Do you think continually lobbying for your pipe dream is actually going to make it happen? Get a grip. They can show you the door without giving you anything. If they get pressed into a corner, that's what's going to happen.
Expect to be offered one week of pay for every year of service. The next two months will see Lab management's reaction to both sequestration and the gloomy FY14 budget.
April 21, 2013 at 6:26 PM
Two years of unemployment at this time in my career would be perfect. I look forward to the RIF.
Isn't the cost of health care per person about $10K + a year? LLNS pays 80%, employee pays 20%? Anyone looked at their W2 that can answer that? An 80% increase per employee is a lot of money for LLNL to come up with on top of the cuts coming.
I've looked at my pay check and I pay 50% of my health coverage. It is a lot.
Hey Tri-Valley cares bloggers - who needs your jaded opinions? get a life...
Curtailing NIF is tantamount to birth control in the same way the higher CAFE mileage standards imposes those same immoral values on the rest of society. The anti NIF sentiments here are also un-American, anti-Christian and anti-family and I am calling you out for it. Atleast the left wing California politicians supporting nif and the Lab know better than to cross god and the righteous. Those patriots working hard at the lab have our support and prayers to overcome those naysayers who will face damnation.
I'm looking forward to the VSIP in June. Sad about the departing bucks after taxes, only 26 weeks and no unemployment but that's the way it goes.
The lab will require protected employees to sign a form, moving forward, that amounts to a kind of loyalty and non-disparagement pledge/contract.
April 22, 2013 at 8:25 AM
What protected employees. Wouldn't a VSIP be open to anyone who wants to leave no matter what postion they are in. This isn't the military and I can't see how they can tell anyone YOU CAN'T GO for any reason. As far as disparagement pledge/contract WFC, I'd be so glad to be gone it'll take me about 15 minutes once I out the gate to forget all about this place, what I ever did or who I ever knew. They can just color me gone and never to look back.
This isn't the military and I can't see how they can tell anyone YOU CAN'T GO for any reason.
April 22, 2013 at 12:12 PM
That's what happened at LANL a couple of years ago. They didn't say "you can't go" but said "you're not eligible for the separation incentive."
That's what happened at LANL a couple of years ago. They didn't say "you can't go" but said "you're not eligible for the separation incentive."
April 22, 2013 at 1:34 PM
That was not a couple of years ago and it was brought to LANL courtesy of Charlie. A couple years ago Mike was still in charge and he had the good sense not to do such things.
Looks like an incentive, acts like a RIF. Beautiful!
A couple years ago Mike was still in charge and he had the good sense not to do such things. -- 4:19 pm
What planet are you living on, 4:19? I hope you are simply trying to be sarcastic.
Mike also had a retirement incentive at LANL back around 2008 and he did the exact same thing. Only difference was his plan had far more people placed into the "strategic" category and, thus, unable to take the early retirement incentives.
Charlie's VSP had far fewer positions "locked out" from taking the incentive!
April 22, 2013 at 10:43 PM
Depending on how many people LLNS is covering you can take the $12,750 a years that showed up on my W2 this year (LLNS portion) and up that by 80% making for the NEW Obamacare premium for each individual the company insures. I would expect this 80% increse will come out of their opearting funds of which they will be $80M short already for FY-14. This mean LLNS will have to come up with these additional funds as of 1-1-2014. I thing we can safely say the $12,750 for each person is going to go to $22,959 per person. If LLNS is insuring 4000 FTE's they
ll need to come up with $90M. It's just money that'll have to be made up by unemployment of just a few more individuals.
The money is there (in the operational funds), its a matter spending priority (remember the $80 million funneled to NIF through complex accounting?).
No one area is the total spending cut answer, look for redundant effort, unneeded managers, welfare science, no CIO, etc.. It may not be the answer but certainly a start.
We always hear how the employees are the number one asset, time to back up those words with action.
Where does this "80% Obamacare premium" increase come from?
Sounds like talk radio BS.
Math on that makes no sense.
Only 16.7% of US pop is uninsured. Why would it take an 80% premium increase to cover them?
14% increase in CA, not 80%!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/03/29/how-will-obamacare-hit-premiums-lets-break-down-the-numbers/
April 23, 2013 at 5:49 AM
Well, lets see now. How many people were just let go to make up NIF's 32M tax bill? My bet is if you take those # of people and X it by $300K it will equal the 32M they needed to get out of debt. Would you like to bet if they have to come up with $80M in FY-14 you'll see 266 people hit the road unless of course they steal $80M from all the other facilities outside NIF. Time will tell. I jsut hope this rumor of a VSIP in June and asking 300 to 500 people to go is true.
Did they already get rid of EBAs? If so, then you have your shortfall covered right there. If not, then I suspect that number of non-NIF high performers will leave over the next 12 months as they have been reading the writing on the wall. That program money freed up will cover some of that shortfall. After all, the lab is not hiring, and non-NIF facilities are not maintaining capabilities by replacing retirees and departures.
Can someone please confirm there is going to be a VSIP in May where 300- 500 people will be asked to depart by mid June. I want to be first in line and do not want to miss this boat for any reason. This will be the best gift I have ever received.
Can someone please confirm there is going to be a VSIP in May
April 23, 2013 at 11:05 AM
How can anyone on this blog "confirm" such a thing? It sounds like you are getting your hopes WAY too high. All signs are that there will be no VSIP, just a small-to-medium RIF.
April 23, 2013 at 11:28 AM
Shucks just when I was hoping to get the heck out of there with a little help from my friends. Retirement just can't get here fast enough. Being far away from all the demanding AH's who all think they're #1 will really be nice. yes, they're #1 in my books but not the way they think.
This video reminds me of all of you, as if the email content was directed to all of you in a different lifetime. Listen to these words and learn. These words were meant for you.
http://www.wmmr.com/shows/preston-and-steve/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10534790
April 23, 2013 at 5:20 PM
The VSIP needs to be opened up lab wide and there should be no limit and exceptions. They needs to let go whoever wants to go even if that means they lose 50% of the lab in one month. It is time to get it done and be fare.
There is a mile wide gap between what you think needs to be done (i.e., the right and honorable thing), and the reality of what will actually happen. The lab gets no benefit from giving more benefits to people who are going out the door. The funds to pay for it are gone forever, and down the drain in the scope of the lab. The lab is better served by offering better incentives to people that it needs to keep, because that mutually benefits the lab and the remaining employees.
As much as I think the management at LLNL is a complete joke, they do not owe out-going employees anything other than what they are obligated to provide legally and contractually. They will offer more if there is benefit to the lab (greater savings compared to lost capability) Unless the risk of class action lawsuit is high (which is mitigated by you being incented to sign a bunch of papers saying you will not sue and that you will agree to arbitration), you shouldn't hold your breath for a bigger package.
Contract 44 took away all initiative from management and made them, effectively robots.
Yes, robots are dumb.
And lack judgement.
And will not decry poor decisions.
And will not provide honest feedback.
So why do you expect good management anywhere within DOE where managers are doing what DOE wants.
Good management must be subversive.
April 24, 2013 at 3:55 PM
There will be no bigger package. All we can hope for is Parney will give a VSIP lab wide and not cap how many can go and not limit it by classification. It needs to be open to all classes and with no cap on any class. I would hope all those people would make a B-line to HR and be processed out in two weeks cutting the population of LLNL from 6000 people to about 3000people. Now that would be a worthy accomplishment of a bonus-check and their $82M+ fee.
April 24, 2013 at 3:55 PM
There will be no bigger package. All we can hope for is Parney will give a VSIP lab wide and not cap how many can go and not limit it by classification. It needs to be open to all classes and with no cap on any class. I would hope all those people would make a B-line to HR and be processed out in two weeks cutting the population of LLNL from 6000 people to about 3000people. Now that would be a worthy accomplishment of a bonus-check and their $82M+ fee.
Get over it. There will be no VSIP. Only a limited-scope RIF to get rid of unwanted dead wood.
April 24, 2013 at 7:16 PM
No VSIP? Would you like to bet?
No VSIP? Would you like to bet?
April 24, 2013 at 8:27 PM
What would be the point of that, on an anonymous blog?? No one either within the lab or at NNSA is talking about a VSIP. NNSA must approve either that or a RIF and the RIF option is much more attractive to management in terms of retaining needed expertise. If you are one of the fanatic goofballs who think the LLC simply wants to gut the lab and destroy its capabilities, you will soon find out that maintaining capability is the ONLY thing that concerns them; all deadwood must go. Missed performance objectives? You are gone. Salary out of alignment? You are gone. Lead on a cancelled WFO program? You are gone. Established troublemaker? You are GONE! Make plans now.
That is the unfortunate sad truth. I would like to think that LLNS will send off people with a decent package to keep them on their feet. But it's just not feasible, considering the shortfalls. The lab needs to not only survive, but it also has to keep making progress along its mission.
Just watch out for yourselves and your families, and take advantage of any career search and training opportunities that the lab offers. It's a decent thing for them to atleast offer those. It may be hard financially and emotionally for many of you. Others may be elated. Just stay strong, positive and healthy.
April 25, 2013 at 1:25 AM
I wonder if Parney and company realize how many of the so called old want out of the labs and could care less about the mission or for that matter any future mission. They are there because they have to be financially. My bet is if anyone 60+ just had two more years on their age they'd be gone. The young are there as a stepping stone waiting for the economy to turn around so they too can make like a tree and leave.
April 25, 2013 at 3:26 AM
My feeling on the sujcet matter is this VSP's and RIF are going to become the norm. Will all the sleeper cell, US citizens who are terrorist, many Bostons to come from all directions and all types I'd say someone in DC should divert all funding from alternative fuel and weapons research to national security, FBI, CIA, NSA, NAI, etc. Organizations that actually do the nation some good. If I were running the show this would have already happened.
April 25, 2013 at 12:29 PM
Got you spooked, huh? "Land of the free and the home of the brave"?
April 25, 2013 at 1:08 PM
You mean land of the free and home of the vulnerable, this can't happen here society?
"My bet is if anyone 60+ just had two more years on their age they'd be gone."
Exactly why they're not going to do a VSIP, because they want to keep collecting 7% (post tax = 14%) pension payments on you. Not to mention 80% overhead. You're a goldmine.
April 25, 2013 at 3:54 PM
That only applies to those people that took TCP-1. TCP-2 old folks don't have the donation issue and seemed to have made a better choice. As soon as LLNS has had enough PBGC will be more than glad to give the TCP-1'r what they think you deserve. However I still think we should stay on topic and hope Parney allows anyone take the VSP with no cap on any classification.
We TCP-2 folks will still be impacted by the 10% pay cut, because that will reduce our 401k matching.
Also, if you do the math, it's not at all clear that TCP-2 was the better choice. Time will tell.
I don't understand why some people are so quick to discount the possibility of a VSIP (or VSP). I hear arguments that a VSIP does not serve the best interests of a for-profit company, but companies offer voluntary separation packages all the time. Los Alamos offered one last year. Why isn't it reasonable to expect LLNL to do the same? It may not happen, but it is a perfectly reasonable consideration.
The rumor on the street is that an announcement will be made in the next week or two. Of course, as we all know, a rumor is a rumor. But that doesn't stop me from passing it on. Personally, I put the odds of a VSIP (e.g., one week for every year) being offered by July 1 at around 35%.
Since I'm on the verge of retirement, 35% is good enough odds to make me stick around a couple more months to see what happens. The worst that can happen is that I'll make a little extra income and increase my HAPC. A VSIP will be frosting on the cake.
April 25, 2013 at 6:32 PM
A VSIP is what LLNL needs, no cap on any classification. Let all those who want to go, depart and do whatever you can with what you have left.
companies offer voluntary separation packages all the time. Los Alamos offered one last year.
April 25, 2013 at 6:32 PM
Look again at the conditions LANL placed on who could qualify. Many people who wanted to take the incentive and leave weren't allowed to. It sounded like an incentive but acted like a RIF. Incentives were given to dead wood to leave. Valued employees didn't qualify.
That's right. If the incentive was offered to everyone, you will get valued key individuals who are easily able to get another job, and will be more motivated to leave and receive the freebie. My opinion is that they should leave anyways. But the option to get a big wad of cash may be the thing that pushes them over the edge and decide to take the plunge with Google or Cisco or Intel. Many people working on NIF could easily get very nice jobs in the high tech sector.
April 25, 2013 at 7:25 PM
And they think by forcing people to stay in an environment that's terrible is going to make the employee work harder and faster so they can die earlier and get no benefits? Anyone who works on NIF and is of the right age is going to take this. They'd be a fool to not. We want out and we want out now and we don't GAF about fusion. We care about projects that actually work and will keep the country safe not some toy for a bunch of Phd's to play with who couldn't plan a birthday party if they tried. NOT!
Look again at the conditions LANL placed on who could qualify. Many people who wanted to take the incentive and leave weren't allowed to. It sounded like an incentive but acted like a RIF. Incentives were given to dead wood to leave. Valued employees didn't qualify.
Is this true? I thought almost everyone qualified at LANL last year. However, I have no direct knowledge. I'm basing my statement on only the few articles I read in the paper.
LANL had some extremely strange categories of workers who were not allowed to take the VSP offer in the Spring of 2012.
For example, in the P (Physics Division), no highly trained research staff were stopped from running out the front door. However, low-level computer support people were on the "Cannot Take the VSP" list! Saw the same strange situation in many other LANL divisions. It was truly bizarre. Absolutely no rhyme or reason to most of the positions on the "excluded" list.
Absolutely no rhyme or reason to most of the positions on the "excluded" list.
Except including the person taking care of the division director's computer?
However, low-level computer support people were on the "Cannot Take the VSP" list! Saw the same strange situation in many other LANL divisions. It was truly bizarre. Absolutely no rhyme or reason to most of the positions on the "excluded" list.
April 26, 2013 at 11:30 PM
At LANL Engineering Services (ES) Division, Dan Steinberg (former Becthelian) excluded ALL his Cognizant System Engineers (CSE) and Facility Engineers (the largest Group excluded from the LANS VRIP, ~ 300 folks).
The ES-Division Management was of course eligible to take the VRIP as well. Then, Steinberg retired a few weeks later, taking the LANS VRIP, TCP-1 with 45-years of service, and 1-year severance payment, with only 5-years of service at LANL. What a deal!
Expect these same kind of shenanigans by Bechtel at LLNS.
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