Guidant Group/Duke

[tazzmonster]

Anyone work on a contract that goes or went through Guidant Group and experience reductions in pay or per diem?  Duke uses Guidant Group.  Apparently Guidant is going to change how they pay per diem at Duke starting July 1,2014. They will only pay per diem for days worked and each day you have to work at least 4 hours.  Ultimately this results in a significant reduction in per diem for most workers at several Duke sites that are on a 4-10s schedule...meaning there are 3 days each week that no per diem will be paid.

[hamsamich]

seems to be the new fad in pd payments:  bartlett was doing that at oconee (non-outage) and I suspect for other duke plants.

[btkeele]

Seems the common factor here is Duke.  Since PD is a straight pass through, I'm sure Guidant and Bartlett were just following the contract they have with Duke.
Was this for "core" type's? 

[hamsamich]

nope not for core, anyone working after the outage on projects, but I would think it would apply to core techs working a different plant.  not sure on all the details.  but in reality this is not so new; some plants give you some type of pay cut if you want to stay around after the outage, i remember hearing about it at Limerick and Palo, but they wanted to cut your hourly I think.

[SCMasterchef]

Worked for a Contract Company at the Duke Energy in Charlotte as a Consultant for a year more than a year ago and that was the policy there.  Know several other Contractors who were at Catawba and McGuire and the policy there was the same.  So it is Duke's way.  No way around it that I know of unless you strike a deal with a Company is willing to offset the difference but good luck with that.

[tazzmonster]

This issue continues to unfold.  Non-outage contractors are also being told they can't work 5 days a week to collect the extra $100 in pd if their work schedule is 4-10s.  Duke is making these changes to control contingent worker costs that are increasing.  Apparently Duke is also going to cap pay rates for contingent workers...likely different caps based on the  position being filled (i.e., an engineer cap will be higher than a planner cap).  Looks like they will force folks above the cap to take a pay cut.

[Soul Merchant]

In addition to PD for days worked except for outage, the Duke contract supposedly pays PD for thirty days prior to and following an outage- EXCEPT that you have to be charging an outage charge code (whatever that means). So, the way around the 30 prior and 30 after PD is to not allow someone to charge to the outage... and presto! 4x10 work week = 43% reduction in Per Diem.

[retired nuke]

As long as chuckleheads will work under these pay rules, they will keep trying to lower them. Don't like it - don't go. If you go - don't bitch.

[Rennhack]

As long as chuckleheads will work under these pay rules, they will keep trying to lower them. Don't like it - don't go. If you go - don't bitch.

It sounds more like a fact finding mission than bitching.  It's good information to share. -- But yeah, what you said.  As long as people accept those jobs, things won't get better.  It sucks that Duke figured out that people would work for that.

[stownsend]

You do not have to give up your housing.  You can keep your lodging for the 7 days and write it off. When you travel home you can also deduct food on 6 hour time schedule. you must keep a record for travel expenses and food but I think you can probably make out on taxes.