LOS ALAMOS TO CUT ANOTHER 80 CONTRACTOR JOBS

By ExchangeMonitor

Los Alamos National Laboratory is cutting another 80 contractor positions from its flexible workforce as it tries to navigate a difficult budgetary environment, LANL Director Charlie McMillan said in a memo to employees yesterday. The cuts come on the heels of the departure of 557 full-time employees and 55 flexible term contractors from the lab’s Operations Directorate (PADOPS) earlier this year. The lab has also instituted controls on procurements to rein in spending. “Combined with the Voluntary Separation Program and PADOPS reductions in its Flexible Workforce, we have given ourselves much greater financial flexibility,” McMillan told employees, adding: “I am optimistic that this combination of actions is sufficient for this fiscal year.”

He said the most recent round of cuts amounted to about 15 percent of the lab’s flexible workforce costs, and would save the lab about $20 million a year. The reductions are to master task order positions supporting services in authorization basis, radiation protection, and formality of operations. The cuts will take place the first week of July. “These are important functions, but we are identifying different ways to do the work, resulting in more efficient operations,” McMillan said. “At the same time, ‘positions’ means people. We are mindful of the impacts this will have on the community and have attempted to minimize them.” McMillan said he would hold an all-employees meeting to address the workforce cuts and lingering concerns about the Fiscal Year 2013 budget at 2:30 p.m. June 27 in the lab’s NSSB auditorium. “The Laboratory is at a crossroads, but signs are pointing to a clear path forward,” McMillan said. “I appreciate your patience as we put these actions in motion.”

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