Is the American tax payer well served when our purported NNSA “Field Offices”are essentially populated with long term, Livermore, Los Alamos, etc. residents (buying local homes, kids going to local schools, going to local functions, parties, etc.) that commingle with NNSA contractors they are supposed to be objectively evaluating?
Why aren’t these people forced by NNSA policy, into a 6-12 month field office rotation schedule? Because this is not currently the case.
As non-rotating NNSA employees, do NNSA Field Office employees basically become a non-objective arm of the contractor, they are suppose to be evaluating?
21 comments:
NNSA field office employees and Contractor management over time, can become two peas in a pod, until and unless a high profile preventable accident occurs, like the ~500 million dollar WIPP radiological accident. When an event of this magnitude occurs, the peas may insist on separate rooms, and a fresh set of clothes. Unfortunately by then, it’s too late.
The Field Offices serve absolutely no useful purpose and should be eliminated.
“The Field Offices serve absolutely no useful purpose and should be eliminated.”
Only “useful purpose” in practice, is to buffer contractor from NNSA HQ harmful award fee criteria.
Don’t forget the “revolving door” value of a post NNSA assignment AFTER, your NNSA Field Office assignment is over, if you play your cards right $$$, as perceived by hiring DOE/NNSA contractors. What do you mean by in-the-field compromised?
The field offices lost all credibility about 20 years… well 20 years ago to be exact.
Congress’s solution was to put their well paid buddies to help run the labs. More expensive corporate management fees, bigger bonuses for the upper and middle managers. To top it off now we have a lack of skilled people down at the bottom to do the actual work.
More on NNSA Field Offices
“The Department of Energy (DOE) Employee Concerns Program (ECP) provides a way for employees to report concerns about the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and DOE programs and facilities.
The ECP is an alternative reporting system that encourages employees to raise concerns about issues such as: health, safety, the environment, security, quality, management practices, and reprisal for raising a concern. “
Sure, because the NNSA ECP mission, operations, investigations, reporting, and solutions, are independent of NNSA Field Office Senior Management influence, and independent of Contractor influence. Haha. Another waste of tax payer dollars.
Before one seeks out the “services” of the LLNL housed NNSA ECP Livermore staff, maybe reviewing what you’re getting into is worth reviewing.
From one end of the spectrum, it is an unbiased NNSA alternate resource, and on the other end of the spectrum, it is a comprised entity. Do your OWN homework.
Years ago a LLNL employee Anthony Rivera brought up a number of concerns to local management, then up to LFO. The result was him being placed on EBA then Fired by LLNS. When the public reads stories about problems like what happened at WIPP it makes a person wonder how many safety concerns were sidelined before something like what happed there.
“Years ago a LLNL employee Anthony Rivera brought up a number of concerns to local management, then up to LFO. The result was him being placed on EBA then Fired by LLNS. When the public reads stories about problems like what happened at WIPP it makes a person wonder how many safety concerns were sidelined before something like what happed there.”
True, but it was much worse for Mr. Rivera and his wife than that, and in the public domain.
Anthony’s wife also worked at LLNL, until she finally left due to advancing disability from muscular dystrophy. During the period Anthony was placed into EIT/EBA status, his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. Anthony received LLNS FMLA approval for a block of time, to physically help his wife prepare at the medical office where the radiation therapy was scheduled, with tasks she could not complete herself. The FMLA was also to help her with other physical tasks at home related to post surgery, and the impact of the radiation therapy, on top of her pre-existing muscular dystrophy condition. LLNS fired Mr. Rivera months BEFORE the approved DOL/FMLA end date.
LLNS alleged Mr. Rivera was fired “for cause”, but given the circumstances and blatant inconsistencies presented to the CA Unemployment Appeals Judge, the Judge ruled:
"...The employer has not sustained its burden to show that the claimant's conduct was willful or wanton under the circumstances and therefore has not shown misconduct. Accordingly, the employer discharged the claimant for reasons other than misconduct..."
In the same time frame, at least 2 other LLNS NIF employees were either forced into EIT status or were officially informed they were in the process of being fired (intent to dismiss), both with horrible consequences.
One employee just placed into EIT status, died in a horrible on site Lab vehicle accident while moving out of his NIF office (under what level of stress?). An official report was released following the Lab employee automobile accident death, with ZERO mention, of the EIT employment status that preceded the fatal accident.
The other NIF employee after being told he was being fired, committed suicide. No formal remembrance of any kind for his saddened coworkers was offered.
Both of these tragic events and failed teachable moments, occurred before Mr. Rivera was fired. Maybe LLNS leadership at LLNL has changed for the better since that time.
I went back and read through Mr Rivera’s safety concerns, strange in the same building where he voiced concerns to NSED, they later ended up with a hole in their firing tank and an unintended prefire due to an electrical issue….
The FLMA is still an issue and the new hires can’t figure out why many of the mid career and older employees are at use it or lose it or have hundreds of hours of ESL on the books. BTDT take a day off on ESL and get called into the managers office on why I took a day off.
Assuming one was NOT fired by LLNS“for cause”, due to getting caught sleeping with your subordinate or intern, surfing the net for porn on a Lab computer, falsely claiming you had a PhD, spying for another Country, or for stealing 43,000 pounds of LLNL copper, there are provisions in DOL/FMLA law, for numerous employer/federal contractor penalties for FMLA violations.
You can always paper up an employee, but working with people “in good faith” has to be a lifestyle choice.
Maybe the under 35 crowd, no pension crowd has it correct, instead of raising your concerns just leverage on your skills and go to the next contractor.
“Maybe the under 35 crowd, no pension crowd has it correct, instead of raising your concerns just leverage on your skills and go to the next contractor.”
Yes, the 401k crowd can do just that as an individual, drift from one employer to the other true. But, that may not be a grand plan for long term Lab missions, and that is where the disconnect is. Although it may be perfectly acceptable to a for-profit Lab contractor that does not face real world free market pressures to stay profitable, since they are not annually graded on employee churn or turnover, or employee morale. For such a contractor, they might say as you just did, don’t raise concerns, vote with your feet, or maybe, we will help you vote with your feet. Do you think that’s a stretch these days? If you do, maybe you’re a 25-35 year old new employee, welcome aboard.
“Maybe the under 35 crowd, no pension crowd has it correct, instead of raising your concerns just leverage on your skills and go to the next contractor.”
Interesting that AFTER reading what Mr. Rivera and his disabled wife went through, you would make such a tone deaf suggestion. Are you a fellow LLNS employee, or LLNS staff relations advocate or staff relations employee?
Raise a concern, get blackballed then lose your job and benefits…. Apparently some people don’t get it as there is no job protection for raising your voice. Better to move on now, the harder I fought the worse it became for me and my family like any of you even care.
“After reading what Mr Rivera went through” as the person who made the under 35 comment. Lets me set the facts straight. First off after reading through his multiple complaints I found myself down the same exact path. Durbee…. Yep worked for him twice once as a contractor what over 25 years ago and then again for final optics assembly under UC. The other supervisor in question yep change that for superintendent. Ms Lane’s office yep BTDT, Safety concern… sad same area and it Eventually cost me my job so I don’t know what to tell you. FLMA for wife, yep except it was my own condition and I was denied leave and use of my own ESL. Went in for treatment and surgery and was back within hours… and still got into trouble, nothing like spending the day in the bathroom instead of at home in bed, once again I don’t know what to say. Nothing like working from a ladder while the whole world is spinning. As far as tone deaf to all of this.. I don’t know what to say this blog is just as bad as dealing with LFO and LLNL. I filed a complaint with staff relations and didn’t even getting a “we will look into this response from them”. So yea from experience I should have looked the other way and then got another job however I was trying to get a few more years into that pension so that’s where the under 35 comment came from I guess you didn’t understand that part. As far as being tone deaf to this after going down the exact same path, I wish I knew of his story then, I got to the point of ending it all one night so I guess you are right I was tone deaf thanks for acting just like engineering,
Although Mr. Rivera was a 300 series and reported to an Engineering Group Leader while working at NIF, when he was forced into EIT status, “Durbee” became his “axman” manager (look up the term). After determining “Durbee” was not working with him in a constructive manner, Rivera attempted to report to another manager, but “Durbee” claimed by making said request, it threatened HIS superintendent position, and the request was ignored.
“Durbee” was the superintendent of the NIF 500 series tech that committed suicide after being told he was being fired. That young NIF tech left 2 children behind. Very sad.
A line from the 1995 movie “Casino”:
“That means, either he was in on it or he was too dumb to see what was goin' on.”
This would unfortunately apply to LSEO Division Leader at that time.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Those companies actually “walking the talk”, on breast cancer awareness, should be acknowledged. Thank You.
https://breastcancernow.org/get-involved/breast-cancer-awareness-month/
At LLNL (still), public shaming of the contractor for unacceptable conduct does not help, it just means you’re going to “get it” worse, sadly, with the local non-independent, NNSA approval. Whistleblower beware…
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