Prairie Island

[Rennhack]

Talk About: Prairie Island

[Rennhack]

Don't forget to vote.  Keep your comments civil.

[Rennhack]

Please reply to this topic if you have (or know who has) a contract at this facility.  If you (they) have multiple contracts (i.e. QC & NDE) please mention all of them.  Also, please remember to post company contact information, including but not limited to company phone number, email and web site address.  Also, if there is a specific person at the company people should ask for, you should mention their name and extension. We maintain a chart of contracts, the information posted here will be added to the contract chart.

This includes any information on Local Unions!
Chart: http://www.nukeworker.com/jobs/contract_lists/

[Pet_Cow]

If Mom and Pop ran a nuclear plant, this would be it.

[Already Gone]

I have to agree.  Very clean plant (radiologically).  Extremely friendly people.  Like the way it used to be at some other places.

[IBENNUKED]

I first went there in the spring of 2000, by some of the old timers I was told it used to be better.

[Harpo]

Good plant, good people, good area (a little country but good).

[JassenB]

Does anybody happen to have any information on the status of negotiations at Prairie Island? Just curious, because I got a call from a recruiter today that was looking to round up scabs "just in case."

-JassenB

[radbitch]

Also, heard today that they reached a tenative agreement.

[yetttie]

   Hey folks,

Has anybody ever worked for the new RADCON management at Prairie Island? They expect the rad techs to spend 10 out of 12 hours in containment through this S/G replacement.  They want the techs to start doing laborer and decon jobs, too.  Have they not heard the secret that Prairie Island is UNION?  Oh yeah,  they don't have a break area for the techs when they get that big ONE hour out of the Can either.  Told us we didn't need breaks.  I guess we'll be too busy writing up those surveys to eat or drink anything.  Can't wait to see how long it is before the revolving door starts spinning!  WHEEEEEEE!  I've never been here before and for sure I'll never be back.

(Modified to avoid libel concerns-RT)

[RAD-GHOST]

That is the new mode of outages!  The Technician population took a big hit this summer, from the DOE and D&D world.  Your looking at the way things are going to be!  Short staff, Poor Compensation and Long Hours!  Think you hate it now, give it a month or two!  October should prove interesting!

[Old HP]

It is sad to hear that PI is going the way of the rest of the industry. I worked a dozen or so outages there but was not on The Bruce list so I have not worked there since he got the contract. They were great people to work with at the plant in the 70s and 80s.
I hope things improve before the SGRP gets started.
  Good Luck !!!

[Roll Tide]

I think there will be some strong opinions on this thread in the days to come. Remember the ground rules: we don't name names because of the concerns for lawsuits. This is a great site for venting, but please do it without getting too specific.

[Oly]

You aren't kidding Roll, the fun begins in 5 days!!! I've been here way to long this year already. At least there are still some cool people here to make the day go by quicker.

[ramdog_1]

humm the sgt way will go good there .
let me ask this do they still have the parking lot wired to plug your car in? good luck you will need it brrr.
give rad bitch a hug when u see her!

[kissup]

Yes the first batch of people and Joules (ballet dancer) are what makes this place bearable.  Also having a person at the front desk to keep us out of trouble also helps.  Its not that bad yet the weather has been nice.  And Im sure our pockets will be full when Christmas rolls around.

[ramdog_1]

xmas?? its a 40 day outage if SGT has anything to do with it in out back on line.
I am sure they want to beat Oconee and show what they can do up north!

[roadhp]

   Rumors are abounding here about the new Radcon Management.  It seems that everyone that used to be in the Radcon chain has been replaced or reassigned.  The new supervisor, I heard, just recently got the job, with very little notice.  The old supervisor is in QA or something, and it just isn't the same here.  Also, the rumors are still going about Union problems with the engineers (no contract, I heard, just a temp agreement, the vote comes up this month), techs being told to decon and unload scaffolding, even though this is a union plant, and people it seems with stopwatches checking on break times.  They even took out the chairs from the Containment Access Facility because the new regime's opinion is that people shouldn't sit while doing their job.  Last I checked they were back, but that is only one thing fixed for a hundred problems.  I don't know about others, but unless some things change, I don't think I will be back.
     I never thought I would say this, but I miss Al!!  
   

[RAD-GHOST]

Sounds like you are in the world of a new manager looking to make a name for himself!  Twelve on your feet and not in your seat, is pretty much becoming the way of the industry.  I would draw the line with the stop watch!  If I found a guy hovering over me with a stop watch, I'd be setting a new record for the WBC!  There are just to many jobs out there to deal with the stupid stuff!  If they really want to dedicate the time and money, policing you in your hourly duties, save them a couple bucks and bail!

I never heard a bad thing about Praire Island, till this season!

[HPTech419]

It looks like the NRC and OSHA may be called upon to lend a hand in the fight for better conditions here at PI.  Word has it that letters are flying on site to everyone from Safety to Human Resources in an attempt to rectify the hostile work environment that is beginning to exist.  And the outage hasn't even started yet!  Another little tidbit some may find interesting...the contractor for the RP's here has made it clear that anyone leaving the site because of the existing conditions will be welcome to go to other sites with that same contractor.  No black list for leaving this hole if you can't put up with the management anymore.  I give it a week and as far as future employment here...I won't be back.

[yetttie]

I can't believe that the RP Supervision could possibly believe that treating people like second class citizens will aid them in having a successful outage. I have not seen one RP Tech....House or Contractor that is happy to be here.  I hope they all leave...no one deserves to be treated with such disrespect.  If they think RP Techs are so worthless.......watch the Outage come to a GRINDING HALT when there is NO RP COVERAGE FOR CRITICAL PATH JOBS. $$$$$$$$$$$$. Then they will become PRICELESS, but oh sooo toooo late for Prairie Island.  By not making the RP Techs feel welcomed and respected  the only thing that has been accomplished is people not giving a crap.   A HUGE DAGGER  has been jabbed in the sides of this upcoming  Outage.   I hope no one gets seriously injuried due to  this lack of respect and concern.   

[RAD-GHOST]

That Black Ball list is a thing of the past!  You can't Black Ball your Bread and Butter!  They can't even fully staff the outages this season, not to mention the growing manpower needs in the DOE world!  Today, four postings alone for DOE sites, probably twenty openings!  This past week about seventy openings!  If you left the plant this morning, you would have a job before you got to your car!  If things are this bad, before opening day, what's it going to be like when they drop the rods? 

[HPTech419]

If recuiters are calling 'scabs' just in case it's not because there's going to be a strike, it's because there's a lot of work out there and most of the current HP population is going to bail.  For anyone that gets a call, keep this in mind.  PI is no longer the country club of the midwest.  If you come here you'd better be prepared to mill about smartly and learn the parade rest stance.  This new sherrif has a lot to learn and he could start with a course in "how to play well with others".  This never would have happened with the last RPM.  I hear DC Cook is paying a 5k bonus just to show up.  HMMMMM.

[kissup]

This is about my seventh time coming here to PI and after the next generator replacement it will be my last unless Andy and Barney are gone.  Ive enjoyed coming here, but with the new sheriff and his little deputy it will be my last.  He dosent even want to dip into the Rp budget to get the contract hps their own fridge.  We use to get paid 12 for 12 here but that no longer exists and now we have to be dressed out and in the can at our start time.  Our site cordinator who stated that we can leave now and look for other jobs and bartlett wont hold it against us has now denied that statement.  But other than that it aint so bad here.  The weather is nice and so far the crafts have been nice to us.  By the way outside  HP's is there any heat there at the equipment hatch it gets kinda cold here in December.  The fun really begins tonight.

[HPTech419]

Welcome to the Beevis and Butthead show!  Just when you didn't think things could get worse, it did...the outage started.  There is NO control around here.  They've got one house person assigned to containment, one house person assigned to the CAF (where everyone is supposed to go in this time) and that's about it.  There's a sign on the desk at the Aux access point that pretty much implies that we're all out to lunch, when in reality there are only two that are out to lunch and those are the boys upstairs.  As my Uncle Crisler would have said "I've been to lots of rodeos and any number of goat ropin's but I ain't NEVER seen anything like this."  You've got people wandering around in the yard with their containment shorts on cause they're changing in and out in their own trailers and if you need to go poopie at night you get to go in the pitch black porta potties with the spiders and snakes, stand in puddles of urine and try to do your business.  And get this...Beevis just found out yesterday that this nasty business is going to happen again in the spring!  Nahhhh.  We'll still be doing this one!