So displacing the first 500, the second 730 and then finally the last 300 people from LLNL in FY-08 has absolutely nothing to do with reducing the cost of each employee to the project or program at all. It looks as if the entire process has to do with making up a $130M shortfall. I guess that explains why the 2008 Lab Pricer shows each employee as being more expensive than in 2007. So if the FY-08 RIF only solves the $130M shortfall what plan do they have to reduce the cost of each employee. It should be evident by now to LLNS that Riffing the entire workforce isn't going to resolve anything. What's your next move LLNS?PT14. Can someone please explain how "the cost of managing the Lab" has increased since the fee to manage the Lab was a fixed amount in the bid? What changed to make that cost increase to a point where we are now talking about voluntary and involuntary separations?
As of March 2007 the estimate of the additional costs in FY08 over FY07 for a private organization, LLNS, in managing the laboratory was approximately $80M, split between management fee, estimated taxes, and estimated 401K matching. The new contract does not provide any additional funds for these costs. LLNL must take them out of operating funds. This level of additional cost had been planned for by allowing attrition to take our staffing level down 500 in the last two years.
However, as we moved into this fiscal year under the new contract, several issues arose that increased the additional contract costs $50M more to approximately $130M. These include a higher than anticipated 401K match, higher management fee than originally estimated from the Request for Proposal (RFP), and increases in the cost of health care with a smaller pool of participants.
This, combined with inflation and a lower federal budget, create a financial challenge that requires the laboratory to assess the size of its workforce.
Comments
i identified and estimated each of these costs in my original objection to the RFP for LANL three years ago.
NNSA doesn't care.
like jackass bush the junior, they'll do the dumb thing rather than think.
easy people to hate.
sweet revenge is, they were given a rope and used it to hang their reputations.
While Congress,was hummed merrily along.
disgusted. if this is the best america can do, we deserve only to lead from behind
If the Lab didn't change management, it could have given the taxpayers back $80M per year and still provided capability that 8300 dedicated-folks provide.
This decision was Texas-dumb.
It is nice to demonstrate for posterity Bodman's equine posterior tenure.
"LLNS tear down those structures"
So unlike some recalcitrant Mesa meat heads, with no real Livermore screw ups on which to blame the need for change, they just followed bushbutt the minor's sage advice; "ready, shoot, drink, snort, DUI,lie and aim; but at all costs, don't think"