LLNL - The True Story -

MMED, First To Get Working Hours Changed Post anon, Rumor: The Lab is going to do away with adjusted alternate work schedules. Fact: This is incorrect. While the Laboratory has been reworking the policies and procedures on adjusted alternate work schedules, necessitated by the transition from a public to private contract manager, there is no plan to do away with the adjusted alternate schedules. Fact # 2 : The shops, meaning 321 manufacturing are now on fixed hours working hours starting June 1st 5 / 8's from 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM 9 / 80's from 7:00 AM to 4:30 PM 4-10 done away with entirely. Standby for standardization across the lab. I wonder why they didn't make it effective across the entire lab come June 1st for "ALL" employees. Could it be that ULM couldn't get their butts out of bed at 6:00 AM and if they standardized it across the board they'd have to abide by the same rules. We couldn't have that could we?

Please report anything out of the ordinary: - Reshuffling of people between units/departments - Clues that you are being targeted - Changes in you supervisor behavior etc.. The wheels are in motion. Someone said RIF training for supervisors starts May 6th.

Requested new topic: What do people hate about LLNS and ULM? Now this should get everyone involved. Lets hope ULM comes to the blog to reads. Maybe they'll actaually learn something. Be as nice as you can, think it out offline and then post in bullet form if possible. Bombs away !!

Please post anon: A bit of information of concern. Some good, some bad. 1.) Besides 535 FTE's by Sept 29th going out the door there's going to be 180-200 flex and contracts from (FR PAD) only and then up to 100 more from other PADS. So the total people out the door this time should be about 835 if we look at a combination of FTE's, contracs and flex. Notices for contracts and flex are being typed up now. Surprise. 2.) TCP-2 Benval will not be altered -- Gee they did something good for a change if that means it will stay as it is now and not revert back to what they wanted to give us before the TCP-2'er raised hell. 3.) AWS hours may be standardized across the lab. We can't get this clarified as to what it means. Does it mean you'll have no choice if you want to work 9-80's or 4-10's, or does it mean they're going to define what hours you'll work when you're on a 9-8 or 4-10 schedule? Hopefully there's someone out in cyber space that'l...

Why or why not?

What five changes would you make to improve/save LLNL if you suddenly became Director and LLNS President?

What benefits and wages should all new hires at LLNL / LLNS ask for. My #1 request would be a LLNS gas card whereby the company would have to pay for my fuel cost of coming to and from work. A log book may be required but who cares. In my case just having a gas card would equate to about a $1000 a month pay raise before taxes. It's time to make LLNS start paying for the best and brightest. See side bar for what fuel cost today then sit down and figure out what it's costing you per month to come to work at LLNL. Was that maybe 2% pay raise the breaking even mark for you when it came to the cost of getting to work? Maybe if the pay raise would've been 20% we'd have broke even, but as it stands now everyone one of us except for ULM going backwards at warp speed. Gas Cards For All Employees No it's not just good enough to have a "JOB". LLNL is now a "for profit" organization and it's time for them to start acting like one, just as all of their ...

My 60 Minutes request, tick, tick, tick.... At the end of the day I doubt that it'll make a difference, however, if we all felt that way, no one would ever make a difference.... " Greetings, Since in the past you've given coverage to government contracts that suggested less-than-responsible management to outright abuse of the taxpayers money, you might want to consider a story about the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). Specifically, the contracts they've awarded for the management of the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in New Mexico and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in Livermore Ca. Currently, I'm an employee at LLNL and have been employed there for over twenty years. Prior to Oct of last year, both laboratories were managed by the University of California. Since then, dramatic changes have occurred at both labs to include massive lay-offs, increased management, greatly increased management costs ( from 8 million to 40 mill...

George H. Miller: Positioning Livermore Laboratory for the future By: George H. Miller Article Launched: 04/25/2008 11:01:50 PM PDT THE LAWRENCE LIVERMORE National Laboratory (LLNL) has gone through many changes throughout its 56-year history — and a constant always has been our exceptional science and technology. From providing solutions to our nation's defense, energy, environment and economic security issues, our Laboratory — along with other Department of Energy (DOE) facilities — is truly a center of excellence with unequaled scientific, technical and engineering capabilities. The laboratory owns a history I have been proud to be associated with — and a future that I am convinced will continue to be bright. The last year has been a challenge for the laboratory because of the overall budget situation in the country and the recent contract/management change. I'd like to share with you my perspectives on the future and on what's happening and why. Because of the wise inve...

For instance 4,5,and 6 might be of interest: See EDD on the sidebar Maybe you can use this to get you by or at least put gas in your gas tank as many of us will do. Funny how the government gives you a rebate to spend, but somehow the money ends right back in the hands of the rich who are in tight with the cronies who cater to them. I wonder how long it will be before people figure this ploy out.

Boston University School of Public Health offers free and confidential medical screening to former workers who worked at least a year of cumulative time at Sandia, CA or LLNL. They are hoping to add screening for former LBNL folks this summer. They offer beryllium tests, along with other things. them. They don’t work for DOE, DOL, or the Lab. They will not know who the folks are who come through BU’s program. If you want any further information, please feel free to contact: Elisa Rossetti, MPH Program Manager Energy Employees Medical Monitoring Program 925-551-7844 website

What's the "ripple effect" of the workforce reductions? There must be spouses, children, friends, maybe even parents of Labbies who are reading this blog for info (hey, maybe even teachers, neighbors, etc. etc.) .... What's happening in your worlds? How is this affecting you? And Livermore business owners: Have you and your business been affected by the ongoing upheaval and uncertainty at the Lab?

Top post recommendation. Do you think this blog has any value other than a place for malcontents to express their narrow view of the world?

ISP Presentations - As 20yr+ TCP-2 I don't really have a problem with the benefits side of this action. As a person who would like to contribute to the security and science of the country I am very disappointed that it is happening. I think that you can find many reasonable people who believe the transition to LLNS was one of the top 10 worst ideas ever; and that it did not require a crystal ball to see that the costs would increase dramatically. As to the plans for the 10+ years 200's, I am not seeing the 'dignity and respect' part. The 'Resource Center' where 4 months will be spent by the most senior people will not even be on site. No access to LITE or LAPIS and it wasn't made clear what use the new badges would be. Are these people to be denied the access to the site that even the driver of the rental car shuttle has? These presentations are not being broadcast or recorded - I have heard people speculate as to the reason for this - mostly along the '...

One thing was FR used "opportunity" when he talked about laying off career employees. Then he said 180 term and SL will go after that opportunity. He tried to blame the Government for the career layoff, by saying they approved the plan and so that's what they have to do - he didn't mention who authored the plan, wasn't it Fred? That would be FR & EM. The WARN notices are going in the mail now for Terms and SL. If you ask me it should be 715 of them going out the door as that is why we have them, right? Now let all the terms that think they have such superior SKAs weigh in on those that built the Lab to a "crown jewel" of the USA.

Here are some new blog topics to choose from: How's morale where you are? Is your supervisor helpful now or is s/he useless? Does anybody care if the lab is successful any longer or are you just passing time? Are you going to be sick on the 24th and 25th of May? Have you already begun to take home personal items? If you see your supervisor walking toward your office on 24th of May, will you run? Which way? What do you think of being escorted back into the lab to get your stuff? Is your work product ready to be handed off to another in 2 hours? What do you think the 24th and 25th are going to feel like? Should labbies do something like wear black armbands? What are you planning something appropriate if you get fired? Are you staying home on the 24th and 25th 'cause of fear ? Do you believe what management says or are they just trying to say something to keep you pacified? Is there someone besides Russo you'd like to see canned? Are you still loyal to the crown or, like John ...

Topic proposed anonymously: How's morale where you are? Is your supervisor supportive or just indifferent? Does anybody care if the lab is successful any longer or are you just passing time?

Contributed by anonymous: Here is my experience. Is this a familiar tactic? I am a 500 series employee with 28 years at the lab. When I first heard 500 series would be let go in inverse seniority, I had a momentary thought I might actually be employed for a few more months. Then I started asking my coworkers and discovered that just about without exception, everyone else doing the same work and in the same classification were already exempt! My management had the foresight to exempt all but about 2 or 3 of us earlier in the year. Doesn't matter we all do the same kind of work. Myself and 2 others I know of (out of about 20) were put into 'special' groups in the department organization chart way back in the fall of 2007. Now, I understand why. Yes, I have seniority. Yes, I have the skills. But no matter now, I am one of a very small percentage of our group who can be let go and it is too late to argue, I am mad but view this as just one more dirty trick my support organizati...

Contributed anonymously: I went to EDD (employement developement department) to find out about unemployement should I get the axe. Well I am over 50 & choose TCP1 based in part on age factors @60 and the Q&A and being told over and over that there were no plans for layoff. Bad decision, if you get laid off from LLNS and then decide to take your retirement with LLNS you become inelegable for unemployement benefit or greatly reduced benefit. Had I taken TCP 2 and been laid off by LLNS and decided to retire under U.C. guess what, you are eligable for unemployment benefit. Hows that for the shaft!! I can tell you my measly pension is not enough to live on, but I want to preserve my medical benefit and do not wish to throw away 900+ hours of sick leave.

Post anon; Some of you might care about what a real leader of people has to say about your politically correct puppeteer society . Read and Learn Don't be like the picture which seems to have a close resemblance of the one in charge of the business end of LLNL. Please post picture too since this is what I saw standing on the stage a few days ago while he explained to the audience how he would not allow anyone to stay and look for a job if the government wouldn't have stopped him, and how he intends to take more affirmative action to assure we meet NNSA orders. Even with that he still can't understand why he has the nickname, The Hatch Man, dahh ! I guess that's why people in his positon get paid the big bucks. I wonder if he'll live long enough to spend it without suffering from heart failure?

Please post anon; This is more of a request than a question directed to ULM and company. When will the employees of LLNL be able to see their ranking order for the RIF, assuming a UNIT is a four digit classification in any one organization such as NIF, NAI, Weapons, CMS, etc. Each employee should by now been ranked from ( most senior to least senior ) in their four digit classification in each directorate. Any employee should be able to pull up an excel spreadsheet in LAPIS that reveals this information. The spreadsheet should show (all ) classifications at LLNL and how each person ranks in that classifiaction so each employee can see their peeking order. By allowing employees to view this spreadsheet each employee could get a feel for how long they have left at LLNL before they’re axed and prepare their future accordingly; instead of it being a surprise at the last minute. The spreadsheet should be on a secure server where only LLNL employees with an employee number and password can c...

It also appears that the NIF (National Ignition Facility) directorate has placed about 100 of its matrixed people on EBA (Employee Between Assignments) status and sent them back to their home directorates. The problem is that some fraction of them were also placed on NIF's list of people with essential SKAs (skills, knowledge and abilities) and were thus made ineligible to take the VSSOP (Voluntary Self-Select Separation Plan), which now makes them ineligible for the ISP (Involuntary Separation Plan), i.e., the layoff which will start taking place the week of May 19. In other words, some NIF EBAs may wind up returning to their home directorates and displacing other employees who have funded assignments.If this happens, it may be prejudicial to good labor relations, and may even expose the lab to litigation.

Post anon please; I encourage all of you who care about your future to express your dismay with the LLNS contract and associate thieves. Please take the time to ask your representative for immediate termination of the LLNS contract and the abolishment of NNSA. Please read recieved Transmitted Fax The originator should contact Betsy Manson bmason@bayareanewsgroup.com .

This is from Stephanie M. Lee of the Daily Californian. She wants to speak to the author of teh famous fax or anyone who does not mind identifying themselves (a former employee perhaps): She is referring to the fax mentioned under the "Request to terminate LLNS contract immediatly" post: Hi everyone, My name is Stephanie and I cover academics and administration for the Daily Californian in Berkeley. Last week I reported on the latest batch of layoffs, and would now like to get in touch with the author of this letter or anyone else who would like to comment on the situation as they see happening. I can be reached at smlee@dailycal.org. I understand you most likely have concerns about anonymity and I'd be willing to work with you on that. Thanks, Stephanie M. Lee The Daily Californian smlee@dailycal.org

An anoynymous reader contacted CBS's 60 minutes to bring their attention to the Lab. Imagine the results we get if every one did that? Your help is needed; here is the link; all you have to do is direct them to this BLOG. 60 minutes

Anonymous said: I sent the fax to Betsy Mason, and here's her reply. ----- I would like to write about this, but until I can talk to someone, even if it is off the record, that is behind this letter, I hesitate to take it seriously. If you know anyone involved, please encourage them to contact me and assure them I will respect their privacy if need be. Betsy bmason@bayareanewsgroup.com ---- I'd suggest those behind the fax get in touch with her. She added today 4/23: Yes, I absolutely can be trusted. I have no interest in getting anybody fired or in any kind of trouble. I've been able to convince editors in the past to let me use anonymous sources when there is a legitimate reason. Nobody will argue with me that pending layoffs aren't a legitimate reason. My story about the declining morale at the lab a few months back had anonymous sources, and that was because they feared for their jobs.

The most common violated rule has been to make a comment that is off topic, instead of emailing scooby and asking for a new post (new thread). The number of off-topic comments has been overwhelming and I still published them. Starting today, I am deleting any comment that is off topic, no exceptions!

Anonymous post: Non-professional term employees should be pxxxed off to the max. All those years wasted, waiting for an FTE to be fired or die so they can become an FTE. Well, good old LLNS took care of that wishful though. I hope you understand what Miller said when he was asked what the work force of the future should look like. WE didn't get an answer like you would from a normal person, What you got was a typical politicians dance around coached by a legal department cautioning Miler on every word and how it's presented. Only professionals will be FTE's. The support labor will stay flexible aka term / contract with no need for FTE's, so they can be disposed of easily. You got it TERMS? Unless you're a PROFESSIONAL, you will NEVER hold an FTE status. Those hopes are gone for any blue collar support labor employee. How much simpler do you want it to be presented to you? Does everyone now understand why LLNS is laying off FTE's? It's been d...

Please post anon, just a few notes: I've jotted down a few notes some of which may or may not have gotten by some of you. Please review the 39 pages of information at the bottom of this post in great detail. The two statements that stuck out the most were these. _Why are Career Indefinite employees being laid off instead of the FX and SLs? I thought they were the flexible workforce. _The exclusion status remains in effect for the current Involuntary Separation Program (ISP) - NIFies are going to get the double whammy come September of 2008 when NIF does their normal RIF in conjunction with the labs ISP Thou-Has-Spoken

Anonymous asked: Does anyone know what four digit job classifications are going to be reduced and what the target numbers are for each of those classifications? Management certainly won't tell us. Even and educated guess would be better than no information.

Contributed by anonymous: This tells me if I made $98K in 1980 I would have to make $253,953.20 a year in 2008 to live the same lifestyle. Man have I fallen way way behind the eight ball. It's no wonder I am still eating hotdogs and bread with many cut backs to stay alive. I will never see daylight unless I rob a Brinks truck and put the entire take in a CD. Notice I said stay alive! Consumer Price Index

This article sums up what most of us feel. I suggest you copy it and send it to your congress people using the link on the side bar titled: "email all your congress people in 1 shot" Contra Costa Times Livermore lab job losses a blow to area economy MediaNews editorial 04/19/2008 11:04:33 PM PDT The corporate management of the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, which began Oct. 1, is not working. For the third time this year, the staff is being reduced to the point that the future of the lab is in jeopardy. In May, the new lab management contract for a consortium of private businesses led by the University of California and Bechtel Corp. was announced amid much optimism. Lab director George Miller predicted a smooth transition. He said new efficiencies, attrition and other changes would save enough revenue to prevent layoffs. He was dead wrong. Slightly more than a month after the consortium took the helm of the lab, it announced 500 layoffs of temporary and support employees, wh...

Anonymous said: Just received my WARN Acts notice. The last paragraph claims that a list of internal and external resources is attached. My letter had no attachments, so I doubt any did. HR needs to send that list in a separate letter; then layoff all responsble.

Contributed anonymously: Notice the text at the bottom of page 6 of the PDF file: Based on our financial status and need to be more cost effective – I’ve requested an Involuntary Separation Program for up to 535 career indefinite employees. We will continue to assess and reduce our flexible workforce. PDF

Contributed anonymously: Question : "Is he the only one with guts to speak his mind in public? Is he the only one convinced we have been sc....ed?" Answer: He is the only one out of 8000 that has the nerve to speak for the mass majority. The rest are cowards including myself. I'd prefer to post on the blog and let the world view what's going as ( anon ). In the meantime after viewing the talk given in Washington, DC and GM's most recent tap dance of non-truths and political double talk I've invited every congressman and women to visit one particular topic on the blog. That topic would be entitled April Testimony Reveals Culprit where they too can listen to the testimony given by the three director for themselves. It's my hopes they'll in turn send the URL to all representatives nationally, so they too may understand the consequences of privatizing the national labs; and shortly afterwards execute a proclamation to terminate the contracts of both LANS ...

This was contributed anonymously in a comment in another post and deserves to be brought to the top. It is the short speech the gentleman gave after Miller presentation> Is he the only one with guts to speak his mind in public? is he the only one convinced we have been sc....ed? any others? Thank you for your courage! "Hello there. Thank you very much for speaking to us. At this point, I don't really have a question but I just kinda want to invoke my right as a us citizen to make a very brief statement. I know other people want to speak so I won't take up anybody's time but I just kinda want to sort of convey as best I could the feeling that myself and a lot of other coworkers are making or feeling right now. because it is a very important and trying time. but anyway in the coming months, bechtel will be placing more visible emphasis on safety issues. Statements will be made that bechtel's concern for the safety of their employees is not compliance driven, but ...

Anonymous contribution from a retiree: I retired from the lab back in October because I did not want to work for LLNS and even though I retired through UC, LLNS is still making sure that my life is as difficult as possible. I sincerely believe that they have intentionally held back the information that UC needed to process the retirement package, just as a way to strike back at us for abandoning LLNS. It has been over 6 months now and I still have not been paid one cent for my sick leave (which was well over a year’s worth of sick leave). As far as I can tell in my case it is still all on hold waiting for information from LLNS. This directly affects the retirement money that I need to live on each month, but LLNS does not care. I would like to compare notes to find out how bad LLNS is screwing up the other retiree’s. Every time I call UC to work out the problems, LLNS is always at the root of the problem. Blogmaster note: If you are a retiree, please share your experience here.

Please post anon: I have listened to a lot of presentations from George Miller and company but non so informative as to what you are going to hear if you'll just take a little time out of your life and spend the next two hours it'll take you to get through this testimony. This is the first time I've heard all three directors at once tell their story, heard the disappointment from those on the committee when they were made aware the contract fees went from $80M to $130M, and could feel all fingers pointing to NNSA being the bad guys. As the presentation goes along it becomes very obvious who to blame, even though some give praise to the culprit himself. During this testimony you'll also understand your senators views about the labs and their concerns, some of which are definitely counterproductive to the labs existence and for that matter detrimental to the country. My conclusion after listening to this talk, as I hope was the senators is the LLNS contract should be imme...

SPSE Working to Civilize Barbaric and Unfair Layoffs Sue Byars, SPSE President On Tuesday, April 15th, LLNS announced the first layoff of career LLNL employees in 35 years . By the end of the week of May 19th, up to 535 more of our friends and colleagues will receive layoff notices and be unceremoniously escorted off of the site or into “Transition Centers” for 30 to 90 days or more. Meanwhile, layoffs of our colleagues who are flexible term and subcontractor employees continues. SPSE/UPTE Local 11 (SPSE) members are supporting colleagues who are unwilling victims of the unfair layoff process in several ways. First, as Director George Miller requested at the close of his All Hands Address on April 17th, we are offering our friendship, and our empathy, to not only our SPSE brothers and sisters who are laid off, but to all of our colleagues. Second, we are working to provide all who are laid off with future opportunities, both inside and outside of LLNL. Third, we are determined t...

Emphasizing that it is a “difficult decision but the right decision,” Director George Miller outlined the Lab’s approved Involuntary Separation Program (ISP) Thursday during meetings for employees and managers. Earlier this week, the Department of Energy approved the Lab’s Involuntary Separation Program as part of its 3161 Workforce Restructuring Program. The ISP will reduce up to 535 career indefinite positions at the Laboratory. As a result approximately 200 operations positions, 200 science and technology positions, 100 Director’s Office positions and 35 program positions could be eliminated. As required by federal law, the Laboratory sent out WARN Act notifications to approximately 3,200 Laboratory employees Thursday afternoon. The notifications are required for any employee who could be part of the layoff pool. Any employee who was not excluded from taking the Voluntary Self Select Option Program (VSSOP) will receive a letter. However, Miller and Art Wong of Strategic Human Capita...

Please post anon: The numbers in Miller talk to Washington don't add up - ( see presentation below ). It looks as if LLNS needs more than 535 FTE's to go before September of 2008. I suspect they'll do just as they've said today in their telecast, but behind the scenes an additional 50 people per 30 day rolling period will also be released making the total head count released between May and September of 2008 more like 735 FTE's. By doing so LLNS can release an extra 200 people at the rate of 50 per month and they don't have to report this action to the newspaper. This will give LLNS the 1000 people they originally needed in the first place for the VSSOP to balance the budget, ( for now ). If you noticed he didn't say we were going to repeat this next year but he did say "I don't have any control over the federal budget" and in the same breath said he, "expects we have a shortfall in FY-09". So realisitcally the answer to the question ...

LLNS may have excluded the wrong people in last VSSOP? The exclusions were based on outdated job categories and related skills. ULM are now thinking that in the future, job categories and functional areas will have to be re-defined. The next VSSOP/ISP will be based on the new categories and functional areas. The questions I have are: 1) Why didnt they think of that before the transition. It seems like their style is “change things as you go”. Planning is out the window! 2) Who will give input on the new changes? The next RIF apparently is going to be more lucrative than the VSSOP. Depending on the length of employment, a RIFed person, not only gets their 1 week pay per year of service but also from 30 to 120 days notice, essentially 30 to 120 days pay. Please feel free to comment on the rumors or add new ones you actually heard.

My fellow LLNL employees for the last six months I have seen so many broken truths by ULM that I am not sure if they are able to tell what truth is and what is not. All are to blame for our plight. (ULM, NNSA, Congress, DOE) and us employees. We had a chance to form a union, (we would have had bargaining rights, now you receive what management tells you) but too many individuals were Paulanna. We are at war with ULM and you had better be prepared. (They will make the rules up as they go along) Here are some details for all to ponder, over the last 10 years while LLNL employees have not been paying attention. Rocky Flats was shut down, Mound Laboratory was shut down, NTS has been downsized, and Savannah River’s employee population has shrunk from a high of 18,000 employees to its current size of 7000 employees. Do you see a trend yet? LLNL employees are too arrogant to think that it can’t happen to them. NNSA / DOE are waging a war with us ULM are the eager captains awaiting orders. DOE...

If you had any doubts about who your congressman works for, check this out! Despite failures, CEOs cash in!

More than 500 to be laid off from Livermore Lab By Betsy Mason, Staff Writer Article Created: 04/15/2008 06:17:42 PM PDT Livermore Lab announced plans Tuesday to lay off up to 535 of its core employees, including some scientists and engineers, starting as early as mid-May. This will be the first involuntary layoffs from the permanent, career workforce in 35years. "Implementing an involuntary separation is not a decision I take lightly," lab director George Miller said in a news release Tuesday. "But our laboratory must be agile enough to respond to the challenges facing our nation." The move is the third time in recent months that the lab has shed employees to make up for increased costs associated with the changeover to a private management corporation from the University of California in October. In January, the lab laid off about 500 temporary and support employees, and last month, 215 permanent employees opted to take a buyout. "Through these efforts and n...

Here's what we've all been waiting on. You gave your input and you got some answers. Most of then were, "thankyou for you suggestions" and "there will be no change of plans". As you get to the MISC section where they put most of the peoples input that meant anything the answers we got from NNSA became more consistant. Enjoy Long Awaited For Answers

Colleagues: As you know we have been going through a series of transition activities involving workforce restructuring and cost reductions that are designed to make the Lab both more efficient and more competitive in the future. The goal is to enable programmatic growth among our traditional clients and to develop new ones as well. We are motivated to be more efficient because of the increased costs of doing business under the new contract, decreases in our funding, and because we must modernize our management methods for delivery of services.Workforce restructuring has been an important component of our plan. Last fall, I announced a three-phase workforce-restructuring plan to streamline our staff. The first two phases included our flexible term and supplemental labor personnel, as well as a Voluntary Separation Program for indefinite career employees. Through these efforts and normal attrition, we have decreased the Labs workforce by nearly 900 people. This is a good start, but not e...

I have read a lot about Bechtel and still did not feel informed, until I came across this collaborative report from Corpwatch. Check it!

Contributed by anonymous: Scooby, you may want to create a separate post for the budget info below. As an eternal optimist, I see the possibility of Miller pleading our case and bringing back $$$ to avoid further destruction of a 'significant treasure'. Keep up the great work of running this site... The Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee will delve into the nation's nuclear weapons complex in a hearing Wednesday. The White House's 2009 budget request of $9 billion for the nuclear weapons complex and the national security component of the Energy Department takes up more than one-third of the total $25 billion budget request. This year DOE's National Nuclear Security Administration announced a complex transformation that will significantly alter the size and location of the nation's nuclear weapons work. NNSA said the idea is to consolidate and shrink the size of the complex while also refocusing on the needs for the 21st century, including nonpr...

Someone anonymously suggested this topic. Go for it!

I guess he got the point.

Please post anon and ask your audience to pass the link along. This was sent to me by an unknown contributor. After viewing the movie I thought about how minuscule our problems are compared to what you're about to view. While watching I asked myself, am I half the person this man is. The answer wasn't only no, but, no way could I do this. Please take the time to rank yourself and let us know how you compare. Enjoy One Stong Individual If all else fails cut and paste the URL and then download the video to your hard drive and then watch. Please watch the entire lecture, it's not that long and I'm sure you can spare a few minutes out of your life. It's was an eye opener for me.

Watch the water. If you have the ability to stop frame or slow motion look at this movie frame by frame starting just as the jumper begins to enter the water, then note what happens as he begins his rebound. The movie bares what I think is an appropriate title since this is how many people fell on a day to day basis at LLNL. This my friends is a real ISP aka Involuntary Separation Plan. No severance ( pay ) here, or for that matter needed. Involuntary Separation Plan 2008 You may have to wait for download or right click. Watch carefully. This could be your severance pay in lieu of notice. NOTE: You may have to download Windows Media Player 11 for slow motion functionality feature.

The answer to the question of unemployment for VSSOP participants is: NO! I just got my Notice of Determination from EDD this afternoon. It says that under Section 1256 I'm disqualified because I voluntarily quit my most recent work without good cause. (Note that they call the VSSOP a SEVERANCE BONUS PROGRAM.) I am disqualified until I perform services in bona fide employment for which I receive remuneration equal to or in excess of five times my weekly benefit amount. Of course, I guess I'd then have to be laid of from that job to qualify. So they really didn't say anything about waiting until you exhaust the severance. Or I can appeal, but I don't see much point in that. Prior to the VSSOP, I tried to figure out if I would qualify, but I couldn't get that info for certain from the EDD web site, and calling them was pointless, since they wouldn't talk to you anyway (long story.) I had a feeling, though, that I wouldn't qualify due to the fact that I was the...

Contributed anonymously, this article: By Betsy Mason, STAFF WRITER Article Created: 04/07/2008 02:31:24 AM PDT Former Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory workers who became ill from on-the-job exposure to radiation will now have their compensation claims fast-tracked through the Department of Labor. Effective today, a new rule added to the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act will make the claims process significantly easier for some claimants, including some who have already been denied compensation. Workers who spent at least 250 days in an area monitored for radiation at the lab or at the lab's Site 300 near Tracy any time between 1950 and 1973, and later were diagnosed with one of 22 different cancers, will automatically qualify for a $150,000 lump-sum payment and have their medical expenses covered from the date they first filed their claim. "Anyone who gets sick while in the service of our national interest should receive the benefits they d...

Anonymously asked: I was wondering if anyone knows whether any VSSOPers have qualified to receive unemployment benefits? I wanted to take the VSSOP but also wanted to receive unemployment so I passed on volunteering to leave in March. I am curious how it worked out for those who left. Does anyone know?

If the poll is any reflection of the Lab population, then about half the people think LLNS/NNSA are doing a super job managing the lab! % of people who would participate in a 1-day sickout as a way to express their dissatisfaction with LLNS: 52 % of those who would not: 42 Clearly, some folks have given up!

Post brought to the top I only just found this blog and I’ve just spent the last few hours reading it all! I think there’s too much emphasis on the role that the transition directly played in the current problems. The problems were created by years of allowing costs to spiral out of control –that is not pushing back on DOE directives on safety and security. You could argue that this was an indirect result of the transition since there was so many years leading up to it where LLNL/UC was unwilling to put a foot wrong lest it lose the contract. It could be argued that a government funded lab that is as complicated to run and secure as LLNL just shouldn’t be in California – it’s too expensive here. It would seem somewhat reasonable then to conclude that the current contractor’s job, one that is 7 years in length, is to shut the lab down. The government has decided that regardless of how cheap LLNL is compared to futile efforts like the Iraq war, it can’t afford us anymore. In the end this...

In this case the game was played very well. Whats this say about the information you were given before you made your choice during the transition? Please pass this URL and ask all 7000+ employees to vote. You have 24 days left.

Anonymously contributed: Try to be positive. Firing the right people might actually be good for the Lab. If you could lay off whomever you wanted to, what groups would you target? OK, ULM is a given. Who is next?

LLNL teams with Quantum Fuel Systems to accelerate high-pressure storage technologies for hydrogen vehicles Vern Switzer and Tim Ross check the pressure on the inner vessel that holds hydrogen of any temperature. The Laboratory is working with Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies on a next-generation manufacturing technique for hydrogen storage vessels.As part of a $5.6 million three-year contract with the U.S. Department of Energy, Livermore researchers will demonstrate a unique high-speed composite processing technique. LLNL participates in DOEs National Hydrogen Storage Project, which focuses on developing material-based options that can operate at more practical temperatures and pressures and meet the stringent targets required for the commercialization of hydrogen vehicles across all platforms. Hydrogen pressure vessels are typically made by winding carbon fiber wetted in adhesive around a liner made of either plastic or metal. This wet winding technique is slow because the winding s...

In NewsOnline today: On Tuesday (April 1), the University of California transferred assets valued at more than $1.6 billion (valued as of Sept. 30, 2007) from the University of California Retirement Plan (UCRP) to the LLNS Defined Benefit Pension Plan. The transferred assets cover just more than $1 billion of associated liabilities. These are the pension assets and liabilities for the benefits of LLNL employees who chose TCP1. With this transfer, the LLNS plan will be the best funded pension plan in the DOE Complex with a funded ratio of 166 percent. “We do not expect to need to make plan contributions for a number of years, and with reasonable investment returns, contributions may not be required for decades,” said Paul Rosenketter, chairman of the LLNS Benefit & Investment Committee. “The LLNS Benefits and Investment Committee has selected a number of highly regarded managers to invest these assets in a diverse set of equity and fixed income investment vehicles to cover future pe...

Please post anon: It looks like the stress of having to do those dirty deeds may in fact be getting to our leader. His presentation was delayed until tomorrow. If anyone gets the facts from this enlightening talk please be sure to post the FACTS here, soon after the presentation. Now we wait for George Miller to step up to the plate with FACTS and see how things are viewed from the top down. Just maybe they'll give us _real numbers / body count_, which_classifications_are these unlucky ones coming from, and the exact_departure dates_for those selected individuals. At least tell us what month of what year this will be over. If we're going to do this again next year, FY-09, than at least tell us now so we can prepared ourselves accordingly. We need _cold hard honest facts_ with no ability to read between the lines, but it must be the truth.