News outlets in Washington state reported Tuesday members of Hanford Guards Union Local 21, which provides an armed protective force for the Department of Energy’s Hanford Site, would stop work Wednesday before Thanksgiving due to expiration of their labor contract extension.
The Tri-City Herald reported the guards’ union members were “locked out” due to expiration of the contract. Talks between the DOE site landlord, Hanford Mission Integration Solutions (HMIS), a Leidos-led contractor team, have not resulted in a new labor deal and no talks were scheduled in the days before Thanksgiving.
In a Tuesday statement shared with Hanford Site employees, HMIS President Amy Basche said alternate arrangements would be made to ensure security for the former plutonium production complex site, but did not offer specifics. A copy was viewed by Exchange Monitor.
“HMIS will continue to negotiate in good faith with the Hanford Guards Union,” Basche said. “Ensuring the safety and security of Hanford is our number one priority, and we will continue to ensure that national security interests are protected, and that Hanford operations continue to be safe and secure until HMIS and the union reach an agreement on terms of a new collective bargaining agreement.”
According to federal litigation over an arbitration case that occurred prior to the work stoppage,, the guards’ union contract was initially set to expire Nov. 1. The judge in the case said frequent delays in the arbitration process amounted to bad faith by HMIS.
Note: Last graph modified at 11:24 am Dec. 2 to show that lawsuit happened prior to current work stoppage.
