Browns Ferry

[Roll Tide]

Just trying to overcome the distance factor in trying to land a job. Its a pain in the butt being all the way in guam.

You are going to have to make contact with HR. A direct phone call (with quite a few follow-ups) can help ease the process for your circumstances. Once you explain that the military will be relocating you to your home of record (not asking TVA to move you from halfway across the globe) they should be more receptive. See if you can find the "veterans' preference ombudsman or whatever title he/she is using now.

There was a veteran offered a job a few classes back at Sequoyah, but between accepting the job and his start date he was recalled to Active Duty in support of the war in Iraq. TVA made the decision to hire him into the next class as "the right thing to do". TVA would like to do the right thing, and supporting our troops IS the right thing.

[nukedog]

I heard thier is some changes in mangement coming down the river for BFN.
Anybody heard anything?

[Len61]

I heard thier is some changes in mangement coming down the river for BFN.
Anybody heard anything?

Already happening.
Changes are in progress.

[Limited Quanity]

Already happening.
Changes are in progress.

The RPM at Watts Bar announced this morning that he's headed to Browns Ferry as part of the "Dream Team".

[AS55555]

What happened to the old BFN RPM?

[rumrunner]

What happened to the old BFN RPM?

He has been moved to the BFN Site "Turnaround" Team.  From what my sources tell me this is a 6-month assignment.

[Surveyors_mato]

He has been moved to the BFN Site "Turnaround" Team.  From what my sources tell me this is a 6-month assignment.

Ahoy Rumrunner,

  We miss you here at 'Le Ferry'. Damn you should see the food in the sink! Anyway, Our new RPM is moving right along but no changes yet. See very little of JW but know he must be around somewhere. rumor has it that they are saving an orange badge for you at the gatehouse..........OOOORAH!...:>)

[Limited Quanity]

   Anyway, Our new RPM is moving right along but no changes yet.

Just nod your head a lot and in particular listen.  He definitely likes what he has done at the other sites and if you can assimilate the truth from the BS then you'll do fine.  I don't know if your a tech or a RPSS but I think the Supv.'s had more difficulty adjusting.  Biggest pet peeve's of his will be the release process from the RCA, satelite RCA's will go away or fenced in, HRA/LHRA process controls, and one way in and one way out for entry to the RCA (Ops is going to dislike him).  He has Site V.P. [name deleted by moderator] in his back pocket so he will get just about anything he wants.  Doesn't mind using his interpertation of 10CFR20 to do a little pushing and shoving.  Look for a few of the personnel at Watts Bar to follow with him at the RPSS level, already onboard with his program and no culture shock.   If you think you generate a lot of paper work now, look out.

[Surveyors_mato]

Just nod your head a lot and in particular listen.  He definitely likes what he has done at the other sites and if you can assimilate the truth from the BS then you'll do fine.  I don't know if your a tech or a RPSS but I think the Supv.'s had more difficulty adjusting.  Biggest pet peeve's of his will be the release process from the RCA, satelite RCA's will go away or fenced in, HRA/LHRA process controls, and one way in and one way out for entry to the RCA (Ops is going to dislike him).  He has Site V.P. [name deleted by moderator] in his back pocket so he will get just about anything he wants.  Doesn't mind using his interpertation of 10CFR20 to do a little pushing and shoving.  Look for a few of the personnel at Watts Bar to follow with him at the RPSS level, already onboard with his program and no culture shock.   If you think you generate a lot of paper work now, look out.

Hey,

  Thanks for the advice. These are all good things to know. I think right now though, as a team, we are in state of sadness for " The death of the frisker " As to the pending? replacement of RPSS positions here, when would that be expected? Hey it's all good.. besides, I 'm pretty much the happy type even when I'm bitchin' about something....water off a ducks back you know.............SM

[rumrunner]

Just nod your head a lot and in particular listen.  He definitely likes what he has done at the other sites and if you can assimilate the truth from the BS then you'll do fine. 

So you never made it to the ring-kissing stage?  I fear that is in store for my former co-workers at Le Ferry - at least those who want to move up in the organization.  Prior to my retirement (which seems like the right thing to do more and more now) we were still wrestling with the infamous "Denbo PER" which had all sorts of draconian corrective actions as the result of the 0.5 mrem can of pipe dope being found by the recycler's truck monitor.  Of course, being BFN we couldn't settle for just one truck monitor and had ordered at least two of them - before checking with Mods to learn that they needed a million bucks to redo the old parking lot where the monitors were to be installed.  Anyway, I guess the new RPM must like the PER actions since they do much of what you mentioned as far as strangling the RCA entrance/exits and satellite RCAs, and release of material.

[Limited Quanity]

Prior to my retirement (which seems like the right thing to do more and more now)  Anyway, I guess the new RPM must like the PER actions since they do much of what you mentioned as far as strangling the RCA entrance/exits and satellite RCAs, and release of material.

You may have a chance to jump back in and do some double dipping on a professional level, no disrespect intended  .  The new RPM has a circle of influence, several "buds" on the outside looking in that he will bring in for a week to evaluate and make recommendations to cure the woes of the program.  Several old RPM's, usually four, from the other utilities (Limerick/PeachBottom,,) he has ties with will be introduced some Monday morning, stay a week, summit their critique, and make off with a bag of cash.  All in all it will just be used to reinforce his claims of how broken you are and what it will take to make the necessary repairs.  Be glad you retired DB because the clawing and gnashing of teeth of your old counterparts is about commence.  I see several following suit this next year before the med supplement is gone.

Right now though, as a team, we are in state of sadness for " The death of the frisker "

Yeah, the grieving process is tough but it won't last long after you get the spill about how useless a tool the frisker actually was to begin with.  But,,,get ready to start doing the weekly checks on a daily basis for the "green zone" areas.   I&RP work load will significantly increase.  Initially PCE's will go out the wazoo just for the sake of justifying,,,I told you so.  You'll have techs assigned just to do the paperwork.

As to the pending? replacement of RPSS positions here, when would that be expected? Hey it's all good.. besides, I 'm pretty much the happy type even when I'm bitchin' about something....water off a ducks back you know.............SM

The parting remarks at the Bar were that he was going to take some peeps with him.  He does like to have as my wife calls them "his entourage", hip hop gangsters call them their posse, just taking some friends with him.  I see a lot bailing out there if they have their 80 pts and the money is good.  You'll like him cause he'll make that W2 look grand at the end of the year.  PM me if you want more details.

[rumrunner]

I see several following suit this next year before the med supplement is gone.  I see a lot bailing out there if they have their 80 pts and the money is good. 

Even before the palace coup happened I knew that at least three of my former compadres were planning on leaving this year.  Now that a new regime has been installed I wouldn't be surprised to see more decide to retire.   

[AS55555]

for the uninformed, would you please explain the palace coup-sounds interesting

[rumrunner]

for the uninformed, would you please explain the palace coup-sounds interesting

No intrigue, just my way of describing the changing of the site management in several areas, and not just in RP.  From my perspective, things never jelled when the Unit 1 Recovery side was merged back into the operating side.  Frankly I don't think we were ready to support three-unit operations - a view held by many of us in the line supervisor ranks.  The new CNO apparently saw this too and decided to make some significant changes in site leadership.  I heard rumors that he never had a lot of confidence in BFN management and the endless problems that started last summer just bolstered his suspicions.  Just my opinion, of course!

 

[Limited Quanity]

Anyone got any update on the U3 outage?  Talk is that they have been whittling at the outage scope and the EPU uprate has been moved/cancelled and it's no longer a ~50 day outage.  Might be some interesting news for those who committed thinking it was a long stay.

[Len61]

Anyone got any update on the U3 outage?  Talk is that they have been whittling at the outage scope and the EPU uprate has been moved/cancelled and it's no longer a ~50 day outage.  Might be some interesting news for those who committed thinking it was a long stay.

The Outage duration has been reduced, the last I heard was ~39 days.
Power uprate is out for the most part.

[rumrunner]

Ahoy Rumrunner,

  rumor has it that they are saving an orange badge for you at the gatehouse..........OOOORAH!...:>)

I guess your rumor might be true, assuming we can come to terms on salary.  They want me to help conduct GET for 5 weeks and then roll to mids as the EPU counterpart to "Chicken Wing" who would be on days.  Not sure if I like 7 12's though.   

[idrum4food]

Don't do it rumrunner. Life's too short to endure any more 7/12s than absolutly necessary.

Yes, everyone is talking a shorter outage but on paper it's still 50 days.

Any rumors on the RP training class?

[Limited Quanity]

Yes, everyone is talking a shorter outage but on paper it's still 50 days.

A bunch of people still remember those U2 & U3 outages several cycles ago.  21 day outage and they start chucking bodies at 10 or 11 days.  Wonder why the low returnee rate at any of the fleet nukes?  Watts Bars returnee ratio is incredibly low this time and the knowledge/experience base is amazingly low, many bad stories coming out of there already and shutdown is this weekend, management changes to boot.  They are headed your way next.

Any rumors on the RP training class?

Browns Ferry still has money as of now for 14 but the other two plants, which had alloted 10 techs each, WBN is questionable but SQN has been shelved due to funds.  Increasingly bad business decision for them the longer it's put off.

[Surveyors_mato]

Don't do it rumrunner. Life's too short to endure any more 7/12s than absolutely necessary.

Damn the torpedo's! ( 7/12 ) It's about the the team! Besides the position offers free coffee for the duration......

As to the training position, I can't think of anyone better to assist and train the next generation of TVA RAD workers....I mean that.

[rumrunner]

As to the training position, I can't think of anyone better to assist and train the next generation of TVA RAD workers....I mean that.

Very kind of you to say that.  I did training for a couple years in the early 90's, when JMC had plans for RP to infiltrate and then take over the training department.  I was the leader of our underground movement.    That plan thankfully fell to pieces.

[idrum4food]

I heard about the e-mail from a recent retiree on a job offer extended to him for the upcoming outage. It went something like this. "Thanks for the offer and consideration but I didn't even work night shift while I was a TVA employee. I'm now sitting in my 5th wheel in a very cozy campground in FL in anticipation of my daily morning round of golf. I don't need the money and I have more money now than I can spend.  Not just no, but hell no."

[rumrunner]

I heard about the e-mail from a recent retiree on a job offer extended to him for the upcoming outage. It went something like this. "Thanks for the offer and consideration but I didn't even work night shift while I was a TVA employee. I'm now sitting in my 5th wheel in a very cozy campground in FL in anticipation of my daily morning round of golf. I don't need the money and I have more money now than I can spend.  Not just no, but hell no."

Hmmm, sounds like someone with the initials DW. 

[shovelheadred]

..Nice pic RumRunner, but I know that brim isn't standard USMC issue..looks more like a 5th wheel in Fla, waiting on a tee time...glad things worked out for you...red

[rumrunner]

The job has changed and now I won't be coming inside the gate for the outage.  I'll just be doing GET for the outage craft workers.  I actually prefer that since I've never liked the 84 hour deal.  Such is the life for we wealthy TVA retirees who are being begged to come back and help save the plant.  BTW, I see the NRC has given a yellow rating to BFN Unit 1.  One color away from being on the sierra list.   Not a good crown to cap the first 7 months of operation.