NS&D Monitor
5/9/2014
Y-12 Voluntary Layoff Program Expanded
Security was off-limits in the initial round of job reductions planned as part of the Voluntary Separation Program at Y-12 in Oak Ridge, but that has changed. Federal and contractor officials confirmed that the VSP has been expanded to include some security personnel at Y-12, although it apparently will not include Security Police Officers—the armed guards at the plant—as the payroll is reduced in the coming weeks. Under the previously announced Voluntary Separation Program, the target was to reduce 140 jobs from the Y-12 payroll, with 1,100 eligible to apply. A total of about 4,300 people currently work for the Y-12 contractor. Bill Reis, a vice president with B&W Y-12, said the jobs target at Y-12 has been expanded by about 18 to include security personnel. About 75 employees have been added to the list of people eligible to apply for the voluntary departure program, he said.
B&W is carrying out the jobs reduction based on the staffing plan put forth by the incoming contractor, Bechtel-led Consolidated Nuclear Security. Effective July 1, CNS will take over combined management of the Y-12 and Pantex nuclear weapons plants under terms of the $22 billion contract awarded by the National Nuclear Security Administration. Rod Johnson, the deputy general manager for security and emergency services at B&W Y-12, met earlier this week with staff to explain the changes. Reis confirmed that the targeted group for the VSP does not include any emergency services personnel. He also said no SPOs (weapons-carrying security police officers) are eligible “at this point.”
No Similar Plans at Pantex
There were reports circulating that the expansion of the Voluntary Separation Program at Y-12 was due to a perceived shortfall of funding for security. When asked about that, Reis said, “[The] revised target is driven by input from amended CNS staffing plan.” Steven Wyatt, a spokesman for the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Production Office, which oversees Y-12 and Pantex operations, confirmed that the NNSA had approved an addendum to the earlier VSP to include security personnel. He declined to comment beyond that, referring questions to the contractors.
Even though additional cuts are taking place at Y-12, that’s not the case at Pantex. Ed Veiga, a spokesman for B&W Pantex, said there had been no change in the VSP targets at Pantex. According to the earlier numbers released by the contractor, the jobs target at Pantex is 30, with 162 employees informed they were eligible to apply. A total of about 3,100 people work for the Pantex managing contractor.
