Los Alamos Guards Union Breaks Off Contract Negotiations

Talks on a new collective bargaining agreement between Los Alamos National Laboratory and its protective force workers ran into a significant roadblock yesterday, with International Guards Union of American Local 69 breaking off talks after accusing the lab’s protective force subcontractor, SOC-Los Alamos, of negotiating “in bad faith.” The union has accused SOC-Los Alamos of falsely claiming to be able to talk directly with the National Nuclear Safety Administration to pursue better retirement benefits— a key issue in the contract negotiations—to help obtain a 60-day extension to the contract negotiations, which the union agreed to on April 23. “SOC-LA negotiated in bad faith,” IGUA Local 69 Business Agent Chris Mandril said in a release. “It’s that simple. Our guys took them at their word and believed that they would work directly with the folks in D.C. and NNSA Albuquerque Site office to pursue better retirement benefits for the guards. Now, they turn around and say that they can’t do what they promised. Our members are honest, hardworking men and women who put their lives on the line every day to keep our community and our nation safe. They deserve better than false promises.”

The union is not ceasing the talks altogether, though. “This is for right now,” Mandril said. “We need to regroup and decide how to proceed. We will come back to the table. But when you find out you’ve been bending over backward to work with someone who isn’t even being honest with you, you have to walk away for a while.”

In a written response yesterday, Los Alamos spokesman Kevin Roark said the lab is not a party to the talks between the IGUA Local 69 and SOC-Los Alamos. He also reiterated that the lab has developed a contingency force in the event the two sides are unable to reach an agreement before the current collective bargaining agreement expires, now set to occur in June. “The Laboratory and SOC-LA are continually revising and updating contingency planning for a variety of personnel structures. The Laboratory is confident that our people, facilities, and material will continue to be fully protected. Our contingency planning relies on current Laboratory employees who are fully trained and certified to act as Protective Force officers, SOC-LA supervisors and other non-union employees, along with officers from other NNSA sites that are trained and certified to supplement the force,” Roark said.