Palo Verde anyone?

[navynukedoc]

Just got off the phone with Bartlett, and I am confirmed for the Palo Verde job. I live about 60 miles from the plant so it will be nice to actually go home every night for my first outage.

Anyone on here coming to the desert as well?

-Doc

[Already Gone]

If you live 60 miles from the plant, you probably have the shortest commute.
It won't be long before you figure out that 120 miles a day on the highway, combined with 12 hour shifts and a 30 minute walk to and from your car every day isn't exactly as "nice" as you might be expecting.
For most people, it's actually more restful to go somewhere other than home every night after working those hours.  But at PV, it doesn't make any difference.  It sucks for everybody.
Get into a carpool if you can.

[navynukedoc]

Thanks for the tip. I know they have a van pool here but I don't know if it will run at the same time I am on shift. and it is only for 26 days or so, hopefully I can hack it.

If not I have friends in the west valley that will put me up.

[tagline]

Just got off the phone with Bartlett, and I am confirmed for the Palo Verde job. I live about 60 miles from the plant so it will be nice to actually go home every night for my first outage.

Anyone on here coming to the desert as well?

-Doc

Most places require you to be 50 miles from plant to get per diem. But I have seen places that are farther. But with you already stating that you will be going home every night you won't need nor should you get per diem. Be careful with what you say. This is the "world wide web"

[tolstoy]

...It won't be long before you figure out that 120 miles a day on the highway, combined with 12 hour shifts and a 30 minute walk to and from your car every day isn't exactly as "nice" as you might be expecting.
...

Thus it's called 'work' and not 'play.'

[navynukedoc]

Most places require you to be 50 miles from plant to get per diem. But I have seen places that are farther. But with you already stating that you will be going home every night you won't need nor should you get per diem. Be careful with what you say. This is the "world wide web"

Thanks for the tip, although I am not new to the internet.

Palo Verde is 100 miles minimum for PD and since I have to produce a state issued ID, they will figure out that I don't live that far away. So be it said here or not, I think Nuke HR reps remember 2+2=

[Content1]

drive sixty miles and no per diem?  No per diem, no see um. 

[tagline]

drive sixty miles and no per diem?  No per diem, no see um. 

Amen.

[Sun Dog]

drive sixty miles and no per diem?  No per diem, no see um.  

The tax SME or other PD pros will probably clarify this but in the mean time the peanut gallery has the floor...

The daily commute distance has no impact on eligibility to receive PD.  The intent of PD is to compensate the employee for the additional expenses incurred while on a short term assignment away from home.  If you are sleeping in your own bed in your own home you are not working away from home.

[navynukedoc]

drive sixty miles and no per diem?  No per diem, no see um. 

In my benefit though, they did raise my wage SIGNIFICANTLY to try and match what i would have missed, only difference in this one is, mine will be included in my taxes.

Oh well, It's my first outage, I have plenty more to learn from!

If you are sleeping in your own bed in your own home you are not working away from home.

Exactly!

[GLW]

In my benefit though, they did raise my wage SIGNIFICANTLY to try and match what i would have missed, only difference in this one is, mine will be included in my taxes....

Beware the internet per diem lawyers,....

They most often end up paying it back, paying back taxes, paying penalties or some combination thereof,...

And rarely tell anyone on the www they are paying or why,...

[navynukedoc]

Beware the internet per diem lawyers,....

They most often end up paying it back, paying back taxes, paying penalties or some combination thereof,...

And rarely tell anyone on the www they are paying or why,...

So what you are really saying is the PD is not tax free afterall???

[Content1]

In my benefit though, they did raise my wage SIGNIFICANTLY to try and match what i would have missed, only difference in this one is, mine will be included in my taxes.

Oh well, It's my first outage, I have plenty more to learn from!

Exactly!

I modify my statement. No per diem, no see um; however more pay um, worth to stay um.  Higher pay looks good to lenders, they don't see per diem.  I am surprised they raised the pay.  The only people I hear of that happening to are at DOE sites where the want you to stay and your year is up.  It you can get it as a traveling tech more power to you.

[Imaginos]

I am surprised they raised the pay.

This is Palo Verde we're talking about. Unlike the cool plants on the coasts, PVNGS has not yet played the "sunshine" card.....

[GLW]

So what you are really saying is the PD is not tax free afterall???

Not always, as "per diem" is a term used inappropriately in many of these discussions;

http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,22887.0.html

http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,23035.0.html

http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,24710.60.html

http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,14643.0.html

http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,1798.0.html

http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,24705.0.html

http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,5052.0.html

Here's the mother forum;

http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/board,265.0.html

Lots of good stuff in the above threads, time to get BOT before we hijack this one, which always begs the question, "Can the OP hijack his own thread?"

,.... 

[navynukedoc]

This is Palo Verde we're talking about. Unlike the cool plants on the coasts, PVNGS has not yet played the "sunshine" card.....

Sunshine card meaning??

"Can the OP hijack his own thread?"

In my case, only by a ADHD moment......

[Already Gone]

The Sunshine Card is the justification for the lower-than-average pay and per diem paid at certain plants, mostly located in warm, sunny parts of the country, despite the higher-than-average cost of living in that area.

"Everybody wants to work here because of the sunshine, the beach, ... etc., so why should we pay more?"

There are more trump cards in the deck.  There is the Long Outage (or SGRP) Card, where people are lured into low-paying gigs because they expect to work a lot of hours at one place.  There is the Off Season Card, where they can pay less because their outage is scheduled in December or January, when there is less work available.  San Onofre combines that one with the Sunshine Card to get a steep discount.  And I'm sure that there are a few others

[navynukedoc]

Ah, thanks a bunch. Never knew these terms. Well since I am a local, they need to play the, "we feel your pain in the oven from hell" card here! Or maybe the "sorry you got caught in a Haboob on your way in card"!!!

[navynukedoc]

So it is closer to the start date here. Anyone have any experience with Palo Verde? What should I expect? Do they make you take the core or NEU? What is their PAT like?

What is the training like in the beginning? What are the house guys n gals like? What about management? So many questions.

I feel like a little kid on Christmas eve.....

I am getting excited to start!!!

[justme]

Must be current on NEU, within 5 years,  standard General employee training for site access .  Pay close attention to procedures training.  It was an "open book" test on the computer, but a lot of the material on the test in not in the procedures they let you use.  Also procedures are hard to navigate.
  House people are pretty nice.  Plant is big with lots of territory to cover.  Parking is far away from plants.  Depending on which unit worked, the walk on the inside is as long as the parking lot walk.  They also have a car checkpoint before you get to the plant, allow for plenty of time as it can get backed up quickly.

Bring your own lunches, especially when in the plant.  Cafe is outside the protected area and not very accessible during long hours.   Not too bad during training, as all training is outside PA.
I lived in nw phoenix when I worked there and it took at least an hour to an hour and 1/2 to get to work area in plant.

Good luck!

[Rennhack]

Bring your own lunches, especially when in the plant.  Cafe is outside the protected area and not very accessible during long hours.   Not too bad during training, as all training is outside PA.

You forgot to mention how awesome the Cafe is.  It has a Pizza Hut Express and many other options.

[navynukedoc]

Must be current on NEU, within 5 years,  standard General employee training for site access .  Pay close attention to procedures training.  It was an "open book" test on the computer, but a lot of the material on the test in not in the procedures they let you use.  Also procedures are hard to navigate.
  House people are pretty nice.  Plant is big with lots of territory to cover.  Parking is far away from plants.  Depending on which unit worked, the walk on the inside is as long as the parking lot walk.  They also have a car checkpoint before you get to the plant, allow for plenty of time as it can get backed up quickly.

Bring your own lunches, especially when in the plant.  Cafe is outside the protected area and not very accessible during long hours.   Not too bad during training, as all training is outside PA.
I lived in nw phoenix when I worked there and it took at least an hour to an hour and 1/2 to get to work area in plant.

Good luck!

Thanks for the info. I assume they will give me the NEU when I get there.

You forgot to mention how awesome the Cafe is.  It has a Pizza Hut Express and many other options.

Pizza hut express... do they have wingstreet there too??

[Higgs]

One of the things I miss about PV is the cafe. Don't miss the black widows.

[jr4life]

Thanks for the tip, although I am not new to the internet.

Palo Verde is 100 miles minimum for PD and since I have to produce a state issued ID, they will figure out that I don't live that far away. So be it said here or not, I think Nuke HR reps remember 2+2=

Here is the thing......the "Nuke HR reps" you are referring to, may very well know 2+2, but whether or not you get per diem is based on the fact you qualify according to contract rule. Like it was being pointed out to you......if you are going to travel home everyday you will not get per diem no matter what the home office tells you.....even if you are driving 100 miles to and fro everyday........ask the techs who have experienced this long before you came along!!!! The bottom line read the fine print!!!! You will be filling out paperwork upon arrival and most of the time per diem is fully explained in writing.... Bartlett does not believe in ENTITLEMENT !!!!! I am telling you this before you find out the hard way and 3 weeks in you receive a check for twenty dollars for a 72 hour work week because they have figured out you are not paying for a place to stay for the outage and all you can do is accept the facts based on the clause in the paperwork that no one ever reads but agrees to

[navynukedoc]

Here is the thing......the "Nuke HR reps" you are referring to, may very well know 2+2, but whether or not you get per diem is based on the fact you qualify according to contract rule. Like it was being pointed out to you......if you are going to travel home everyday you will not get per diem no matter what the home office tells you.....even if you are driving 100 miles to and fro everyday........ask the techs who have experienced this long before you came along!!!! The bottom line read the fine print!!!! You will be filling out paperwork upon arrival and most of the time per diem is fully explained in writing.... Bartlett does not believe in ENTITLEMENT !!!!! I am telling you this before you find out the hard way and 3 weeks in you receive a check for twenty dollars for a 72 hour work week because they have figured out you are not paying for a place to stay for the outage and all you can do is accept the facts based on the clause in the paperwork that no one ever reads but agrees to

I assure you that I will make sure everything is read before I sign anything. Good looking out. But I know that in order to get per diem, PV's policy is 100 miles out+. If I lived that far away, I wouldn't be driving home every night. Maybe on Saturday night......  And I already know that I am NOT getting PD. Thanks for the comment.