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Monday, May 5, 2025
LLNS expectations
What are the LLNS LLC expectations of managers actually selected for superintendent or above positions?
22 comments:
Anonymous
said...
One of the newest Engineering Superintendents was the lead at hot rod shop in Livermore what 6 years ago.
There was a mechanical supervisor, (NOT the guy mentioned from 2019) that had his subordinate techs work on his personal hot rod parts and charge lab time for the labor in B341. Was the supervisor fired? No. Was he demoted? No. He was just transferred to Site 300 in a non-supervisory role. That’s how it goes once you’re in the club at LLNL.
Wasn’t 341 turned cold and dark after we removed tank c and the gas gun in 2010 and put them in HEAF… I could see why that would happen the darn machinist in there would never shut the heck up.
At the division level and above, you certainly have much greater input to your daily decisions from those above you, upper management, Staff Staff Relations, LLC interests, etc., no brainer there.
However, if that division level person after the “interview process”, was teleported to the position, with few credentials or Lab accomplishments, watch out.
They may only have one directive, to keep their non-technical butt, in the good graces with the higher ups, at the expense of their subordinates. This can be problematic, and create an uncaring work environment and sad endings for worker bees.
“This can be problematic, and create an uncaring work environment and sad endings for worker bees.”
What makes the situation worse, is lab employee treatment is not in the public domain like a major lab accident. For example, when the WIPP accident occurred, LANS couldn’t keep a lid on it. No pun intended. Once made public, and the NNSA determined the WIPP accident was preventable, LANS took a major ~90% annual award fee cut, and eventually lost the contract to manage LANL.
Not the case with lab employee treatment that can lead to material stress or worse. Why? Because if something bad happens to an employee that was likely preventable, it isn’t openly discussed under the guise of HR employee privacy. When in reality, it’s a CYA tool for those responsible. So unlike the circumstances that ultimately led up to the preventable WIPP accident, you won’t learn about what happened days or months leading up (precursors) to an employee that has a heart attack or leaves this Earth before their time. This is worth discussing, because if nothing is done, it may repeat, just like any preventable accident that doesn’t subsequently have a thorough review and “lessons learned”.
5/12 9:58, Traditionally I have never seen anyone from MTS go anywhere. To management getting sent there was a step above getting sent to an area shop. For awhile it was half the crew got CBD as machinists, heck one might have been an apprentice at the time if I got the story straight and was moved there….
Things sure must have changed in MFD, MMED or whatever they go by now.
The problem is engineering has been holding back employees for years by limiting growth moves I.e you have only been here 8 years as a .1 you need to wait your turn a few more years before we make you a .2 Then a decade later after working as a .2 when you want to move to a .3 they will pull something like last Tuesday one of the other supervisors saw you leaving a half hour early you are going to have to wait another three years. Then when you remind your supervisor that you sent them an email that you were taking 1/2 hour of ESL for a doctor appointment and show them the time card they approved where you left 1/2 early they reply well too late we already picked our raise candidate this year, better luck next year. Then you finally make .3 after three and a half decades of these games you have to jump many undefined hoops to become a 300. Come up with a design, train multiple employees, present to other labs. Then you still would have to jump through hoops from a 300 to a supervisor before becoming a superintendent. I could see the case if they hired someone who was the production line supervisor of a plant for 20 years with multiple people reporting to them, multiple trades they had to deal with, and a production quota and budget they had to keep I could see them making this move but it is obvious what they did here. For example N.C. Had a supervisor who previously ran the screw machine shop at Caterpillar in San leandro, taught at the local college… and still had to do his time before just becoming a supervisor… so yea the whole “goals” thing is bull
Lots of career growth criticisms here. Instead, why not request an open dialogue town hall like meeting with Randy Pico, so he can explain the best path to upward mobility at LLNL?
Bodyman 6 years ago…. Wait didn’t a certain second generation engineering supervisor get their 70’s Black Riviera repainted about 6 years ago… yep adds up now. Par for the course.
I think you might have misinterpreted me. I couldn't agree with you more; you are 100% correct on his advancement. I have had a few run ins with him myself on the topic of pay and advancement.
Virtue signaling is kinda like a hood ornament. Once you add one, it doesn’t matter how tarnished it gets, or how many times it snags on something in its environment, because you are basically stuck with it, and the hood ornament knows it.
Some of the LLNS senior managers are tech and college credential chronology speaking, weak, but very “street smart”, this is what you get, in a non-competitive DEI Federally funded arena. I think this is about to change. “Hood ornaments” or purposely snagging on obstacles in the fruitful wild bush, will eventually be uncovered. It’s just a matter of time.
22 comments:
One of the newest Engineering Superintendents was the lead at hot rod shop in Livermore what 6 years ago.
You’re funny.
There was a mechanical supervisor,
(NOT the guy mentioned from 2019) that had his subordinate techs work on his personal hot rod parts and charge lab time for the labor in B341. Was the supervisor fired? No. Was he demoted? No. He was just transferred to Site 300 in a non-supervisory role. That’s how it goes once you’re in the club at LLNL.
Wasn’t 341 turned cold and dark after we removed tank c and the gas gun in 2010 and put them in HEAF… I could see why that would happen the darn machinist in there would never shut the heck up.
At the division level and above,
you certainly have much greater input to your daily decisions from those above you, upper management, Staff Staff Relations, LLC interests, etc., no brainer there.
However, if that division level person after the “interview process”, was teleported to the position, with few credentials or Lab accomplishments, watch out.
They may only have one directive, to keep their non-technical butt, in the good graces with the higher ups, at the expense of their subordinates. This can be problematic, and create an uncaring work environment and sad endings for worker bees.
“This can be problematic, and create an uncaring work environment and sad endings for worker bees.”
What makes the situation worse, is lab employee treatment is not in the public domain like a major lab accident. For example, when the WIPP accident occurred, LANS couldn’t keep a lid on it. No pun intended. Once made public, and the NNSA determined the WIPP accident was preventable, LANS took a major ~90% annual award fee cut, and eventually lost the contract to manage LANL.
Not the case with lab employee treatment that can lead to material stress or worse. Why? Because if something bad happens to an employee that was likely preventable, it isn’t openly discussed under the guise of HR employee privacy. When in reality, it’s a CYA tool for those responsible. So unlike the circumstances that ultimately led up to the preventable WIPP accident, you won’t learn about what happened days or months leading up (precursors) to an employee that has a heart attack or leaves this Earth before their time. This is worth discussing, because if nothing is done, it may repeat, just like any preventable accident that doesn’t subsequently have a thorough review and “lessons learned”.
5/6 8:18, I have never seen anyone go from machine tool repair to superintendent in 6 years.
5/12 9:58, Traditionally I have never seen anyone from MTS go anywhere. To management getting sent there was a step above getting sent to an area shop. For awhile it was half the crew got CBD as machinists, heck one might have been an apprentice at the time if I got the story straight and was moved there….
Things sure must have changed in MFD, MMED or whatever they go by now.
Not from climbing the career ladder, but by jumping over rungs, many non-degree DEI hires moved from tech
worker to superintendent and above at LLNL.
Mike Prokotch junior to a T.
5/14, 8:34, well said, and nice pull
The problem is engineering has been holding back employees for years by limiting growth moves I.e you have only been here 8 years as a .1 you need to wait your turn a few more years before we make you a .2 Then a decade later after working as a .2 when you want to move to a .3 they will pull something like last Tuesday one of the other supervisors saw you leaving a half hour early you are going to have to wait another three years. Then when you remind your supervisor that you sent them an email that you were taking 1/2 hour of ESL for a doctor appointment and show them the time card they approved where you left 1/2 early they reply well too late we already picked our raise candidate this year, better luck next year. Then you finally make .3 after three and a half decades of these games you have to jump many undefined hoops to become a 300. Come up with a design, train multiple employees, present to other labs. Then you still would have to jump through hoops from a 300 to a supervisor before becoming a superintendent. I could see the case if they hired someone who was the production line supervisor of a plant for 20 years with multiple people reporting to them, multiple trades they had to deal with, and a production quota and budget they had to keep I could see them making this move but it is obvious what they did here.
For example N.C. Had a supervisor who previously ran the screw machine shop at Caterpillar in San leandro, taught at the local college… and still had to do his time before just becoming a supervisor… so yea the whole “goals” thing is bull
Lots of career growth criticisms here. Instead, why not request an open dialogue town hall like meeting with Randy Pico, so he can explain the best path to upward mobility at LLNL?
Bodyman 6 years ago…. Wait didn’t a certain second generation engineering supervisor get their 70’s Black Riviera repainted about 6 years ago… yep adds up now. Par for the course.
5/15/2025 6:21, I sense sarcasm, the name Pico might have given it away
LOL we had a “town hall” with the superintendent and Art Wong… the result “de minimis”
Talk about a Prokotch style deflection
Why do you associate Mr. Picos advancement with sarcasm? Please explain? Didn’t he move up, minus a technical degree for most of career?
I think you might have misinterpreted me. I couldn't agree with you more; you are 100% correct on his advancement. I have had a few run ins with him myself on the topic of pay and advancement.
Virtue signaling is kinda like a hood ornament. Once you add one, it doesn’t matter how tarnished it gets, or how many times it snags on something in its environment, because you are basically stuck with it, and the hood ornament knows it.
No need for engineering to have a town hall on who will have the opportunity for upward mobility they left their signaling in what March of 2022.
Some of the LLNS senior managers are tech and college credential chronology speaking, weak, but very “street smart”, this is what you get, in a non-competitive DEI Federally funded arena. I think this is about to change. “Hood ornaments” or purposely snagging on obstacles in the fruitful wild bush, will eventually be uncovered. It’s just a matter of time.
This Randy guy sounds like Lawrence’s version of the Don of Espinosa for support staff
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