Most of the Hanford Site workers facing layoff this month have been placed in other positions.
CH2M Hill Plateau Remediation Co. (CHPRC), one of the cleanup primes for the Department of Energy site in Washington state, announced in March it planned to cut up to 250 jobs in three rounds of layoffs in early May, the end of July, and September. The job reductions were focused on personnel at the Plutonium Finishing Plant demolition and the 618-10 Burial Ground cleanup, which are both due to be completed by Sept. 30.
Needing to cut about 100 positions by May, CH2M found other work for 90 employees at its other projects, which include cleanup of groundwater contamination, central Hanford, and the 324 Building near the Columbia River.
The contractor also approved all seven applications it received for voluntary layoffs. In addition, five union members who lost their positions at CH2M were able to claim the jobs of less senior employees elsewhere at Hanford.
However, five other employees eventually would likely be cut elsewhere at the site through the union “bump and roll” based on seniority.
Mission Support Alliance, the Hanford site-wide services contractor, also announced in March that it would cut up to 50 positions. It did not plan to make the cuts until the July and September rounds of layoffs.
Prior to the layoff announcements, CHPRC employed 1,727 workers; Mission Support Alliance had 1,902 employees.
