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Raises soon, and are the health insurance rates going to go up? How many have received a raise and lost take home because of the increased costs? I've lost ground for two years.
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Don't expect it to get any better.... unless you are at the top of the LLC management chain.
Up there in that rarified air of the executive suite, salaries and perks are BETTER THAN EVER!
Someone is getting rich at the "new and improved" NNSA labs with all the rising costs, but it certainly isn't the regular employees!
I have not received a raise since LANS took the helm. I've tried to make those aware at LLNS that the main goal of staff restructuring is to force workers into salary ranges such that their current salary is above the maximum in that range, thereby freezing your salary. Why is this being done? (1) Leaves more money in the pot for Management raises, (2) reduces the salaries of workers when they retire therefore they draw less from TCP-1 pension fund, (3) reduced salaries for those on TCP-2, therefore LANS/LLNS pays contributes less to 401K fund, (4) is a form of encouragement from LLNS/LANS to retire or quit, (5) LANS/LLNS came in with the clear objective to reduce the salaries of the already overpaid staff at the National Labs, and (6) that's what NNSA wanted since Fed workers are paid peanuts. If this doesn't convince you that LLNS/LANS/NNSA is all about themselves then just wait until they freeze your salary. That right, NO RAISES for the rest of your "career".
9/15 4:15 am: I am aware of several LANL employees who received good raises and who are recognized by their peers as contributing strongly to the mission of the organization. As usual, there are many malcontents who will find any reason to hate management. BTW, I am a retired LANL employee who usually (not always) thought my performance evaluation and subsequent raise accurately reflected my effort and results. Your post makes you sound like a trouble maker ("I've tried to make those aware at LLNS that the main goal of staff restructuring is to force workers into salary ranges such that their current salary is above the maximum in that range, thereby freezing your salary.") If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.
I've tried to make those aware at LLNS that the main goal of staff restructuring is to force workers into salary ranges such that their current salary is above the maximum in that range, thereby freezing your salary.
Certainly not how it was done at LLNL.
* No raises (except for management, of course) for the rest of your career at the labs
* Salary contributions to the LANS TCP1 pension that will continue to grow bigger and bigger with each passing year
* Huge increases in the cost of medical premiums to be borne by the employees
* Staff layoffs induced by large and quickly growing "pension taxes" on projects that leave little funding to pay for the research work given the lab's already extremely high FTE rates and other outrageous tax burdens
* Executive LLC salaries (hidden from the public, of course) that are growing bigger and bigger by the minute; Mikey is the $1 million dollar man, but he'll certainly want to match the SNL Director and soon become the $2 million dollar man!
* A risk averse culture that seems to continue to find new ways to become even more risk averse
* A broken agency, NNSA, that seems to delight in dumping whatever crazy, new policy they can on the contract employees at their research labs
* Morale that continues to plummet to new lows
* A Director who is out of touch and appears to care little for the pressures being placed on his research staff
Yeah, that's what we've got. Losing ground on salaries is only a very small part of the total picture.
LANS just mailed out the Open Season booklets. From what I see, the Blue Cross EPO for families which most people have will be going up about $100 per month for the average TSM at LANL.
This comes on top of the roughly $300 per month salary deductions that were required to pay for TCP1 shortfalls.
Taken together, that is now a $400 loss PER MONTH for the average technical staff member, or...
... about a $5,000 drop in salary over the last year!!!
And the financial pain going forward is only going to get worse under LANS LLC.
If case you didn't notice, you are rapidly falling backwards in terms of you take-home pay at LANL.
Interesting quote I pulled from the LANS open enrollment book on page 13 near the bottom, where it discusses the business travel accident coverage for accidental death or dismemberment:
"If you are eligible, you will be covered 24 hours/day, worldwide, up to $100,000 or, if you are a senior manager, $250,000"
"If case you didn't notice, you are rapidly falling backwards in terms of you take-home pay at LANL." (12:05 PM)
Just wait until the mandatory government furloughs start up next year. Talk is already growing in Congress about having mandatory shutdowns at all government sites for several weeks (with no pay) to conserve money.
LANL health insurance is going up thirty percent!
LANS (and most likely LLNS) is little more than a scheme for the executive management team to become very rich while the support employees and researchers fall backwards in salary and other compensation.
Everyone from Los Alamos who went to Bechtel Headquarters back in 2005 to help write the LANS LLC proposal has done very well, indeed, since LANS took over the lab!
I expect to lose ground again this year. After increased medical withholding, my take home pay increase will again not keep pace with even 2% inflation.
My response is to adjust effective work hours to keep the pay rate the same.
Have lost 5% -10% since the transition hit me particularly hard.
a longer lunch for exercise a few days a week, later arrival after traffic clears, longer estimates to accomplish tasks, finishing work next week rather than Friday. Not volunteering for that onerous group task, delaying completion rather than taking work home, adjusting work quality to time available.....With little guilt, just enough increase in bennies and/or stress reduction to make up some of the losses.
Helps with motivation when work is getting done.
Everyone from Los Alamos who went to Bechtel Headquarters back in 2005 to help write the LANS LLC proposal has done very well, indeed, since LANS took over the lab!
September 21, 2010 10:17 PM
You were surprised? These folks were middle and upper level managers who chose which horse to ride during the competition. They made a choice, and a gamble. Most times, a winning gamble gets a reward. Plus, Bechtel recognized it needed local knowledge and expertise to write a winning bid. If the other guys had won the contract, these folks would have been out. What's wrong with entrepreneurship? Are you upset that you didn't do it, or jealous that you weren't asked?
Some gamble, 8:49 pm.
The "fix was in" as they say, with Tom D'Agostino the sole person at NNSA given authority to choose the winner. A similar faked competition resulted in LLNS (aka Bechtel) winning the LLNL contract, too.
LANS and LLNS are con jobs, through and through.
With TCP-1 contributions, and medical going up again, everyone will fall farther behind the take home they had at the transition.
With TCP-1 contributions, and medical going up again, everyone will fall farther behind the take home they had at the transition.
October 7, 2010 7:05 AM
Who in this economy isn't falling further behind? Why are you special?
Not special, just to expect to keep the same pay before Bechtel. This is how they expect to attract talent? Net take home goes down every year.
Who in this economy isn't falling further behind? Why are you special?
October 8, 2010 10:33 PM
Well those who took UC retirement and then stayed on under TCP2 are doing pretty well. Not "special" just a lucky accident of timing, age, and choice. Mostly choice.
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