The Independent
June 13, 2013
Lab Employees Opt for Early Retirement
A total of 399 employees are leaving the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. They opted to participate in the Lab's voluntary separation program.
Their last full day at work was June 12.
Up to 600 employees would have been allowed to take part.
With the exit of 399 employees, the Lab's work force dropped from 6200 to 5800.
No specific jobs were targeted for elimination. All career employees were eligible to apply for the voluntary reduction program. Those who applied had until last Monday to rescind the decision.
Lab spokesperson Lynda Seaver said whether or not further reductions will be determined once the fiscal numbers for 2014 are known.
The draft budget reduces funding for the Lab by $100 million, about an eight percent reduction. Seaver said the debate is still going on as to specific cuts. However, NIF is one of the programs that will face reduced funding.
Once the Lab receives its final 2014 budget, it will reassess its situation, Seaver says.
In the press release announcing the voluntary separation program, Lab Director Parney Albright stated, "Although there remain a number of unknowns about how the budget request for FY14 would flow down to our Laboratory, it is clear the budget proposal will face an uphill battle in Congress this summer, with continuing debates about reducing federal spending, a possible FY14 sequester and the debt ceiling."
Following completion of the voluntary reduction process, the Lab will examine the skills of its remaining workforce and balance that against funding for 2014.
The Lab is still faced with challenges with regard to the 2013 budget. Funding was reduced 10 percent by sequestration.
Seaver said that the payroll could be reduced by 10 percent by giving employees every other Friday off. The every-other-Friday furlough days are paid like holidays, at the reduced rate.
June 13, 2013
Lab Employees Opt for Early Retirement
A total of 399 employees are leaving the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. They opted to participate in the Lab's voluntary separation program.
Their last full day at work was June 12.
Up to 600 employees would have been allowed to take part.
With the exit of 399 employees, the Lab's work force dropped from 6200 to 5800.
No specific jobs were targeted for elimination. All career employees were eligible to apply for the voluntary reduction program. Those who applied had until last Monday to rescind the decision.
Lab spokesperson Lynda Seaver said whether or not further reductions will be determined once the fiscal numbers for 2014 are known.
The draft budget reduces funding for the Lab by $100 million, about an eight percent reduction. Seaver said the debate is still going on as to specific cuts. However, NIF is one of the programs that will face reduced funding.
Once the Lab receives its final 2014 budget, it will reassess its situation, Seaver says.
In the press release announcing the voluntary separation program, Lab Director Parney Albright stated, "Although there remain a number of unknowns about how the budget request for FY14 would flow down to our Laboratory, it is clear the budget proposal will face an uphill battle in Congress this summer, with continuing debates about reducing federal spending, a possible FY14 sequester and the debt ceiling."
Following completion of the voluntary reduction process, the Lab will examine the skills of its remaining workforce and balance that against funding for 2014.
The Lab is still faced with challenges with regard to the 2013 budget. Funding was reduced 10 percent by sequestration.
Seaver said that the payroll could be reduced by 10 percent by giving employees every other Friday off. The every-other-Friday furlough days are paid like holidays, at the reduced rate.
Comments
And then some press reports show misunderstandings. As usual, my most reliable source of information has been the rumor mill.
I found the "furloughs are like a paid holiday" comment both insulting and absurd.
I also found that PR spin absurd.
More accurate: "furloughs are a 10% across the board pay cut"
Also, reading about the results of the VSP in various *newspapers* (old tech delivery system) before hearing anything from LLNL was, once again, another case of putting spinning to media above communicating with employees.
Now you know why this blog, even though a lot of people hate it, is more important than anything you have at LLNL or LANL. Since the take over by LANS and LLNS this blog and the people who use it have accurately predicted what ULM never wanted you or the public to know and it's been about 98% correct. The best you people can do is keep it alive, keep talking and keep posting, call it like it is and let everyone know the facts. You are never going to get this type information from management. They are not your friends. Better yet, give this URL to all the your local newspapers and news media's to review daily and let them work for you just as the news media does for all the candidates they back.
Yes, please keep posting your opinions, comments and whatever the latest news you hear. This maybe the only source of information we can learn from since the management never tell us the truth.