How do we organize at LLNL?

In November of 2006 SPSE-UPTE started an Organizing Campaign to obtain collective bargaining for all UC employees at LLNL who are not already represented by a union.

Why are we doing this?

• Benefits - After the transition we will become private sector employees under the new employer-the RFP stipulates that the successor contractor must be an LLC. Nothing can change the fact that our retirement and pension benefits will now be managed by a for-profit entity without the financial depth and stability of the UC Retirement System. According to the RFP, the new employer need only offer a "substantially equivalent" defined benefit plan to the current one, with no indication of what this means, or whether even this vague assurance will survive the first contract renewal.  These changes spell a loss for the Laboratory's workforce, and for the country.
• "At-Will"  - After the transition, all staff will be employed at will by default, not just Flex-Term employees. At-Will status means that unlike now, when just cause must be shown for dismissing an indefinite term employee and the employee can initiate a review process to dispute the reason, no reason must be given. Without collective bargaining, the review process will be at the discretion of management. Employment policies have already been modified for our former UC colleagues at Los Alamos and they are now all employed At-Will.
• Scientific Integrity - The national security mission of the Labs (in particular, evaluating the credibility of the US nuclear deterrent in the absence of nuclear testing) depends on the integrity of the science and engineering. Good science and engineering can be done only in an atmosphere that not only allows but encourages and protects open debate, discussion and dissent. Imposing on the Labs a private, for-profit management structure with "at will" employees increases the risk that employees will be afraid to express diverse technical opinions — or point out safety and security concerns — for fear of losing their jobs. This may make it more difficult for Congress to oversee the national security mission of the Labs, particularly inasmuch as the strong whistleblower protections that employees have depended on to date will vanish. In fulfilling its oversight responsibilities Congress has, for example, directed the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to conduct an independent assessment of the certification methodology for the RRW to address questions raised about whether the warhead can indeed be certified without testing.

What can we do about it?

By gathering enough strength in numbers to gain collective bargaining status. Establishing collective bargaining would allow us to negotiate an employment contract. The new employer would be compelled by law to honor it. Getting this one shot at continued stability requires you to do one simple but very important thing: sign the authorization card, and mail it in.  If we manage to get a majority of employees within a job class to sign, we'll gain the right to bargain with both UC and the new employer. The road to success will be long and hard, but failure is certain if we don't try.

Jeffrey ("Jeff") D. Colvin
Scientist, Union Executive, Human Rights Activist, Political Activist

"All hierarchical organizational structures, like at the Lab,

can maintain themselves either by consent or by coercion. 

It is critically important for Lab employees to join together

for collective bargaining to make sure that the Lab is managed

 with our consent and not with our forced acquiescence."

Read more about Jeff Colvin