Hanford

[devildog]

OMG, I am reading this topic and I have to laugh. Life is about choices if you think your getting screwed then find another gravy job that will pay you 35 an hour 100 a day to frisk dirt ,with no dose. Unless your one of the many who were working at walmart or as a jr. on the road until the lazy H gave you a job as a  RCT and gave you senior pay. Yes the man wants you to come to Hanford and the man wants to send you home without pay. Give me a break. If you think this, you need to find another job .      Guys like you give the rest of  Hanford a bad name.

[Sun Dog]

What if the site gets a freak blizzard next week?  We don't get paid AND we don't get per Diem.  Plus, I don't care what agreement the company has with the contract company, they have a contract with the union, and the procedure says we should get paid.  This is just some pennypincher trying to save the company a little cash at our expense on a company that made a profit of millions of dollars and paid house people (every one) over $3K in bonus (that we also didn't get because the union sold out). 

Will the Electrician get paid if she is snowed out?  Will the crane operator get paid if he is sent home because it is too windy to safely operate outside?  Will the carpenter crew get paid if they are sent home because of a blast of Canadian air made that scaffold too icy to tear down safely?

Whine on you crazy diamond...

[shiftman]

It's called the Davis-Bacon act, and at DOE the union has no choice, the company must pay the prevailing wage.

Technically, it is the Service Contract Act not DBA. DBA applies only to new construction or demolition, remediationactivities that directly result in new construction. Also, it isn't applicable if the work is covered under a CBA.

PGDP (Paducah, KY) put one group of environmental remediation RCT's in their union (USW) in 2006. They were subcontractors of Denuke that were simply absorbed by the prime contractor after the NLRB certified their organizing election. Their CBA limited future sub RCT's to four months of work with the sub and were not recognized members of the union. The fact that some type of MOA/MOU allows some benefit to sub RCT's at Hanford is actually a plus in my experience.

Keep in mind that the multi-union set-up at Handford is a complicated mess at times.

[retread]

It's called the Davis-Bacon act, and at DOE the union has no choice, the company must pay the prevailing wage.

As far as the pay goes, sure we are making good money, but I would like to work at least 40 hours/week and get all of my per Diem for the week.  The bills don't stop, and I didn't travel 2500 miles away from home to not work the hours I was promised.  As far as OT, we are at the bottom of the barrel and it is few and far between.

Apologize for the late reply.  I just talked with the union steward.   He stated the union didn't have an agreement with CH2MHILL.  CH2M is paying for shutdown pay as a way to keep house  employees happy. Do you really believe the company did a snow dance to shut everything down, which had to cost amazing amount of dollars to save a few thousand?! I'm still amazed at the amount of money I can make with a limited college experience.  I am thoroughly grateful for the life I've been able to live. I see arguments in the NFL and can't possibly fathsome   

[pringles can]

I find it amazing that people, many o whom would not be able to hold a job at McDonalds, find reason to complain when they are making $100,000 plus a year to play cards for 4 hours a day.  You should count your blessings and act like adults.

[tolstoy]

I find it amazing that people, many o whom would not be able to hold a job at McDonalds, find reason to complain when they are making $100,000 plus a year to play cards for 4 hours a day.  You should count your blessings and act like adults.

I've worked with quite a few good folks here and am pretty sure most could hold their own at McDonalds. Sorry that you appear so crabby.

[nukewood]

I too work here with a very competent group who "played their cards right" to take a job here.We count our blessings  everyday whether or not we get paid snow days. Mcdonalds woudn't match the pay,by the way.

[pringles can]

I too work with many competant and good people. There is, however, another half of my coworkers who dont care, take every opportunity to complain or get out of work, and then hide behind the union.  Coming from where I do, I apprectiate that this job allows us to live a fairly comfortable life, but it does get old watching the same people day in and day out do nothing and collect the same amount of money as the rest of us. 

[105KW]

I find it amazing that people, many o whom would not be able to hold a job at McDonalds, find reason to complain when they are making $100,000 plus a year to play cards for 4 hours a day.  You should count your blessings and act like adults.

4 hours a day ?? Is that the 8x9's or the 4 x10's shift ?  I feel like I'm getting the short end of the stick

[pringles can]

I know this will fall on deaf ears, but the drive home has turned into a free for all that you may or may not survive.  The river road coming from N and K areas is especially crazy.  People are passing and weaving in and out at very high speeds.  We usually drive about 65-70 and we are passed like we are just sitting there.  I understand that half of you have no reason or desire to go home, but I would like to make it there.  It is fine with me if you wrap your car around a telephone pole, we could all have a good chuckle as we pass you.  But driving like that threatens me and my fellow workers. 

[moochiebubble]

Amen to that , Pringles Can !!!! There's no reason to drive that way..

[tolstoy]

Hey Pringles - when you see my Porsche coming up behind you just pull over and let me by...I'll be out of your way in a red flash.

[pringles can]

You have a Porcshe?! Thats cool! Can I be your friend?!

[duke99301]

I can hardly wait for the outage to start ramping up for that mess.

[roadhp]

WNP2, since that is the only operating unit.  Bartlett has it starting in April, so expect the ramp-up to begin end of February and peak first of April.  Already have a couple of friends working there to support. 

I agree, the back road is an accident waiting to happen.  The road by the tank farms is mostly stop and go, but better that than being forced off the road by the speed demons.

[let-it-ride]

Why don't you complain to the security dept or management, or local police? I worked at a site where it was common to get fired if you were driving the way you mentioned. If you say nothing, nothing will happen.

[snowman]

Why don't you complain to the security dept or management, or local police? I worked at a site where it was common to get fired if you were driving the way you mentioned. If you say nothing, nothing will happen.

They're the ones passing people.

[tagline]

There is one thing for sure at Hanford and the Tri-Cities area in general. They are by far the worse drivers in the world. It is like being in London here. Every other place I have ever been at in the USA the left lane is a passing lane. Here it is a slow driving lane. The vast majority of drivers are in the left lane until they are 25 feet from a right hand lane exit. Then they are coming over to exit no matter who or what is in their way. I can agree about the fast drivers there also. But when it comes down to it: Lead, follow or get out of the way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[OldHP]

There is one thing for sure at Hanford and the Tri-Cities area in general. They are by far the worse drivers in the world. It is like being in London here. Every other place I have ever been at in the USA the left lane is a passing lane. Here it is a slow driving lane. The vast majority of drivers are in the left lane until they are 25 feet from a right hand lane exit. Then they are coming over to exit no matter who or what is in their way. I can agree about the fast drivers there also. But when it comes down to it: Lead, follow or get out of the way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Try Las Vegas for a while!   

Sounds like a new version of the PV 500 on I-10 or Buckeye Rd!   

[105KW]

There is one thing for sure at Hanford and the Tri-Cities area in general. They are by far the worse drivers in the world. It is like being in London here. Every other place I have ever been at in the USA the left lane is a passing lane. Here it is a slow driving lane. The vast majority of drivers are in the left lane until they are 25 feet from a right hand lane exit. Then they are coming over to exit no matter who or what is in their way. I can agree about the fast drivers there also. But when it comes down to it: Lead, follow or get out of the way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It will get better when all the ARA people leave.  It was just fine before the Obama money started raining down on the site.  Been through the cycle before

[ndurham]

Or, when the old fogies that can't see, let alone operate a vehicle leave/retire, which ever comes first

[Soul Merchant]

On January 20, 2011 in the Tri-City Herald an article stated approximately 1,600 layoffs are to occur by the end of the 2011 fiscal year (9/30/11). About 300 layoffs from MSA and another 1,350 or so from CH2MHILL Plateau Remediation Company. This is, of course, besides those who were hired for short term ARRA contracts and were informed of the limited time frame involved with their employment from the beginning.

Also, this article does not address employees of the other dozen or so major contractors two of whom (Washington River Protection Services and Washington Closure Hanford) commented for the article that they believe their need for layoffs will be offset by attrition and retirements.

Please let us know where you stand, and comment as appropriate!

[Soul Merchant]

105KW, I think '4 hours a day' might be a SLIGHT exaggeration.... rumors fly through Hanford like it is high school (or McDonald's), but I think that the lunch breaks are proportional to the work scheduled for each day. It varies around site, but I think the real issue is the house techs who have put in many years and the company employing them has yet to see a return on that investment. I guess the union is good if you have been around ten or fifteen years, since it then ensures that you can do no work and not be punished or corrected. What a shame....

[Mike_Koehler]

Hi,

I really feel for those about to lose their jobs. About 6 years ago I jumped to PNNL because I believed then (and still do believe) that I didn't have enough seniority to make my projected retirement date (which is still ~20 years into the distance). I was #268 on the site list at that time and Became #27 of 27 on PNNL's list. I thought at the time that I probably needed to be higher than 200 to be safe until 2030.....For 30 somethings please keep an eye on our jobs  website as we have a couple or 3 retirements coming up soon and more following in a couple years (we are an aged workforce here compared to Site)..... I don't know how many they are replacing but it is worth a shot.....

Mike

[nanjferret]

Interesting Mike that you state "30 somethings".  I gather they will not consider anyone older ?   Hmmmmmmm.