LLNL - The True Story -

Contributed by John: Weapons Complex Monitor April 28, 2011 UC Official: Overlapping Lab Director Searches A ‘Positive’ Bruce Darling, the University of California’s Vice President for Lab Management, provided few details about the searches for the next laboratory directors at Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore national laboratories yesterday, but he dismissed the notion that the overlapping searches could complicate the hunt for new directors at the laboratories. Mike Anastasio will retire from Los Alamos National Laboratory June 1, while George Miller will leave Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Oct. 1. “Neither search is going to be hurt or slowed down by the other going on at the same time,” Darling said on the sidelines of a National Academy of Sciences meeting at Lawrence Livermore yesterday, adding: “We view the fact that these are happening in sequence to be very positive. We’ve already been looking around the country for candidates for one lab director, and we have ...

Contributed by thief: In one of the George Miller threads somebody mentioned a potential RIF. Anybody hear anything?

Anonymously contributed: LLNL Retirees Health payments Vs. Hewitt Keep after them. Make sure they handle it. Clear as mud? For those retirees whose UC medical coverage has been yanked, LLNS doesn't do it themselves. They have hired Hewitt (now Aon Hewitt) who are supposed to send money to B of A, who LLNS has hired to run your HRA (Health Retirement Account.) This is a reduced amount, instead of LLNS or UC paying for health care. Max $2400/year. The amount is reduced based on years of service (rounded down to full years only). For the first year it is also reduced by being prorated by the months remaining in the calendar year once you reach 65. I am in the midst of trying to get this to actually work, and get B of A to pay LLNS toward my Group Kaiser Senior Advantage and Delta Dental. This has required so many long waits on the phones with every one of the cast of characters it is hard to believe. Hours on the phone. But I am posting this to inform all that YOU need to k...

Anonymously contributed: From: LLNL Public Affairs Office Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2011 4:13 PM To: E-line Subject: MESSAGE TO EMPLOYEES FROM CHAIRMAN NORM PATTIZ Members of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory community: I am writing to let you know that George Miller has informed the Board of Governors that he will be stepping down as Laboratory director in October 2011. It is with mixed emotions that the LLNS board has accepted George's decision. While we deeply regret his decision, we respect and appreciate him for his contributions to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and to the nation and we wish him the best as he transitions to the next phase in his personal and professional life. George has served as the Laboratory director since 2006, both under the longtime management of the University of California and as the first president of Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC. Under his leadership, the Laboratory has delivered exceptional science and engi...

Anonymously contributed: From: LLNL Public Affairs Office Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2011 4:00 PM To: E-line Subject: MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR TO ALL EMPLOYEES Dear LLNL employees, I would like to tell you that I have submitted a letter to the Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC (LLNS) Board of Governors informing them of my decision to step down as Laboratory director in October 2011. This has been a difficult decision for me, but I believe this is the best time for me personally and for the Laboratory to make this change. It has been my great pleasure and honor to be an employee of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and serve the University of California and our nation for almost 39 years. More than 20 of those years were as an associate director and the last five as Laboratory director and president of Lawrence Livermore National Security. It is now time for me to move on to another stage in my life. Throughout my career, I have been privileged to participate in ...

Anonymously contributed: So oh wise one who holds all the answers to LLNS, LANS, our 401k, and UC 403b's what happens to our money with this event takes place which shouldn't be all that long from now and surely will be before most of you turn 59.5 years old and are able to take withdrawns without penalty If you have 5 minutes, this is well worth the watch. http://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?post=183985

From: LLNL Public Affairs Office Sent: Thursday, April 07, 2011 02:25 PM To: E-line Subject: MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR ON FEDERAL BUDGET E-LINE: Message from the director on the federal budget As you have probably heard, the latest Continuing Resolution (CR) will expire Friday, April 8, at midnight. Unless a budget or new CR is passed by Congress and signed by the President, there will be a temporary lapse in government funding (aka "shutdown"). I would like to let you know what this would mean for us on Monday, April 11. As a government contractor, we are able to use existing funding in our contract to continue operations. This is sufficient to last a few weeks, which may be long enough for this issue to be resolved. So regardless of what you hear on the news over the weekend, please come to work on Monday. If there is a lapse in funding, I will provide you with additional information next week, based on guidance I receive from NNSA.

Anonymously contributed: So, if the government shuts down, what are the plans for LLNL? Please no wise-crack comments, just trying to hear what the plan is for after April 8. Do all but the security forces stay home (if the government shuts down)?

Anonymously contributed: From: LLNL Public Affairs Office Sent: Tuesday, April 05, 2011 03:17 PM To: E-line Subject: UPDATE ON SALARY ADJUSTMENT INCREASE E-LINE: Update from the director on salary adjustment increase Today, we were notified that the Secretary of Energy has decided to allow the Laboratory to increase available funds to be used for salary adjustments and promotions from the previously authorized level of 0.5 percent up to a total limit of 2.0 percent. DOE also has authorized the Laboratory to apply these increased promotion and salary adjustment funds retroactively to the beginning of the CY2011 pay cycle. This decision was approved to help achieve parity with the salary adjustments received by federal employees. Per the guidance received, these funds are not intended to be used as merit increases; they are for adjustments to address equity and retention issues. Our plan is to review current salaries with respect to the approved use of promotion and adjustme...

Anonymously contributed: Memo to SNL Non-Represented Employees re Salary Freeze Colleagues – On March 9, 2011, I communicated to you that certain aspects of the salary freeze previously announced by the Secretary of Energy were under review by DOE. I am very pleased to announce that the Secretary has decided to authorize a 1.5 percent base salary special adjustment fund for calendar year 2011. This fund was approved to help achieve parity with the salary adjustments received by Federal employees through legislated “STEP” increases. This 1.5 percent authorization is in addition to the previously authorized base salary funds for promotions and special adjustments, as long as the total amount does not exceed our previously approved CY11 compensation increase plan amount. Salary increases from this authorization will be retroactive to December 31, 2010, the original effective date of the previously planned salary increases. This authorization will allow us to provide the base salary ...

Anonymously contributed: China 'to overtake US on science' in two years David Shukman Science and environment correspondent, BBC News China is on course to overtake the US in scientific output possibly as soon as 2013 - far earlier than expected. That is the conclusion of a major new study by the Royal Society, the UK's national science academy. The country that invented the compass, gunpowder, paper and printing is set for a globally important comeback. An analysis of published research - one of the key measures of scientific effort - reveals an "especially striking" rise by Chinese science. The study, Knowledge, Networks and Nations, charts the challenge to the traditional dominance of the United States, Europe and Japan. The figures are based on the papers published in recognised international journals listed by the Scopus service of the publishers Elsevier. In 1996, the first year of the analysis, the US published 292,513 papers - more than 10 times China'...