{Webmaster's Note: The following is a brief history of SPSE and its efforts to protect employee rights at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). The details below correspond with information on our Timeline.}
| Date | Title | Explanation | Source |
| ±2/70 | LRL Reduction in Force (RIF) | "222 staff members separated by layoff. None were volunteers. No average age or age distribution data are available." | 6/27/74 Letter from R.W. Routh to Cal André |
| ±4/70 | Report of the(UC) Zinner Committee | The University of California appointed the "Special Committee on University Research at Livermore and Los Alamos." It is chaired by UC political scientist Paul Zinner. | |
| ±3/71 | Reduction in Force | "195 staff members separated by layoff. 111 were volunteers. The average age of volunteers was 47 years and of non-volunteers it was 38 1/2. No age distribution is available." | 6/27/74 Letter from R.W. Routh to Cal André |
| 6/18/71 | LRL Splits into LBL and LLL | The Lawrence Radiation Laboratory (LRL) was split into the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL) and the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory (LLL). | |
| ±1/3/72 | Roger Batzel Becomes Director | ||
| ±3/73 | Reduction in Force | "225 staff members separated by layoff. 129 were volunteers. The average age data which I have are somewhat inaccurate due to the many substitutions made as other staff members volunteered later on during the notice period. The initial figures were 49.7 for volunteers and 39.6 for non-volunteers." | 6/27/74 Letter from R.W. Routh to Cal André |
| 5/23/73 | SPSE Starts | Charter signed by 54. | NL Vol. 1, No. 1, 7/6/73 |
| 7/6/73 | SPSE Publishes First Newsletter | The Lab destroyed the Newsletters and had to re-print and re-mail them at their expense. | Per: Cal André |
| 9/29/73 | Affiliates with CSEA | SPSE chartered by CSEA. | NL Vol. 2, No. 1, 1/74 |
| 10/5/73 | LLL Allows Employees' Access to Their Performance Evaluations | Memo from A.J. Hudgins to "Leaders of all Scientific Divisions." SPSE Newsletter reports, "(E)mployees should be given a copy of their evaluation upon request, should be allowed to submit a commentary or rebuttal and should, in some cases, sign the evaluation. (A)ll of them (procedures) were suggested in the Steering Committee's "Issues and Proposals" paper." | NL 11/73 |
| 10/73 | Use of Facilities Dispute | 10/2/73, Began negotiations to have outside speakers attend SPSE meetings. 10/18/74, Collective Bargaining speaker denied access. (see also 1/80 & 9/4/80) | NL Vol. 2, No. 10, 10/74 |
| 6/74 & 9/74 | SPSE Begins Publishing Maturity Curves | Represents our best guesses based on data reported by individuals in various divisions. | NL Vol. 2, No. 9, 9/74 |
| 2/19/75 | Lab Adopts Posting Procedures | For open positions | NL Vol. 3, No. 3, 3-4/75 |
| 2/76 | SPSE Position Paper | Contents: I. The Laboratory as a National Resource II. Are We Losing This Resource? III. A Need for Competent Management IV. Proposals | Special Bulletin, No. 2, 2/76 |
| 7/76 | Term Appointments | The saga begins... Following layoffs in '73, the Lab begins the process of hiring employees for a specific term, usually two years. Richard White addresses UC Staff Personnel Board (9/15/76). New implementation of policy was drafted w/significant input from SPSE. | NL 7/76 & NL 10/76 |
| 10/76 | Lab Yields Salary Data | Lab sends a letter to all employees reporting that Cal André has requested and received salary data via the CPRA Lab notifies employees that information about their salaries, start dates, and job classifications have been released to a number of individuals. | NL 10/76 & NL # 7, 1977 |
| 1/77 | SPSE Real Earth Employee Handbook: Dismissals | "The scope of this handbook has been expanded to provide information on employee rights and procedures in cases of dismissal for cause under the existing University Staff Personnel Policy." | Special Bulletin, No. 3, 1/77 |
| 9/77 | Kleingartner Memorandum | Formalized agreements which got LLL off the hook on the Stark-Cranston collective bargaining amendment to the ERDA (DOE) appropriations act. (Later a furor arose when a Lab manager wrote that the agreement would have no effect on Lab practices.) | NL #2, 1978 |
| ±11/77 | CSEA Provides Dental Care | NL #9, 1977 | |
| ±1/78 | UC Employees are Public Sector Employees of California, F&BA Policy Proposed | UC proposes final & binding arbitration policy | NL #1, 1978 |
| ±2/78 | Report of the (UC) Gerberding Committee | The "Committee to Examine the University's Relationship with the Los Alamos and Livermore Laboratoies" chaired by UCLA Senior Vice Chancellor William Gerberding. | |
| 3/2/78 | Mendoza vs. Regents, Courts Rule Employment is a Property Right | Affirms that due process is required in termination of an employee. (See also Skelly vs. State Personnel Board.) | NL #2, 4/78 |
| ±4/78 | Meet & Discuss Format Agreement | Lab agrees to send appropriate high level management to meet and discuss meetings. | NL #5, 9/78 |
| 9/17/78 | Increased Medical Benefits Won by CSEA | NL #6, 10/78 | |
| ±5/78 & 9/78 | Salary Data on Tape | Assemblyman Mori has at our request introduced legislation amending the CPRA to require that data be made available in a form specified by the requestor, provided that it is a form in which data is normally available to the agency supplying the data. Legislation withdrawn when UC Vice-President Archie Kleingartner coerced the Lab into providing data on tape and assured us that the problem would not recur. | NL #3, 1978 NL #5, 9/13/78 |
| 5/9/79 | Report of the (DOE) Buchsbaum Committee | DOE Secretary James Schlesinger appointed this committe to evaluate alternate contractors to run the Labs. | |
| 9/79 & 1/90 | LLL Denies Request for Salary Guidelines (Attachment 'A') | SPSE requested FY80 salary guidelines per CPRA. Lab provided them without attachments 'A' and 'B.' Attachment 'B' was eventually provided, but 'A' was denied. "A suit filed to force disclosure of Attachment 'A' was heard in Alameda County Superior Court on January 18. The court denied our petition for disclosure mainly because they accepted the UC counsel's argument that the informationwas preliminary and subject to revision." (Guidelines (and raises?) may not be final because President Carter's Council on Wage and Price Stability (CWPS) may necessitate adjustments.) | NL #2, 3/20/80 |
| 12/7/79 | SPSE Files Unit Petition | SPSE acquires authorization cards from the required 30% or more of the employees in the 200 and 300 series job classifications. If PERB certifies the bargaining unit an election will be held. | NL #6, 12/10/79 |
| 12/27/79 | LLL Re-named LLNL by Congress | Congress re-named the laboratories in order to emphasize their national nature. | |
| ±1/80 | Lab Hit with Record Number of Salary Appeals | "LLL does not broadcast appeals statistics but we believe that approximately 50 appeals were filed. (This would be more than in all past years combined.)" | NL #1, 1/20/80 |
| ±4/80 | PERB Defines Management and Supervisor Roles | For collective bargaining unit. | NL #3, 4/25/80 |
| 1/80 & 9/4/80 | Use of Facilities Unfair | Charges of coercion and denial of use of internal mail system* were dropped as part of a settlement. Lab agreed to give CSEA reps access to facilities (B123, Bio-Med, etc.) and a table for literature distribution in the West Cafeteria. *a similar case was pending before PERB. | NL #4, 10/10/80 |
| 10/80 | DeWitt Grievance | CSEA negotiated a settlement before the case went to a hearing. Lab issued a letter of warning alleging security violations. (Release of an affidavit that the courts declared unclassified, and attempt to TWX (scrambled teletype) another affidavit before it had been properly classified.) Per the settlement, the letter was withdrawn. | NL #1, 2/9/81 |
| 11/21/80 | Regents Oversight Committee Formed | "Regents Committee on Oversight of the DOE Laboratories" | See this UC web page |
| 3/18/81 | UC Proposes Changes to UC/LLNL Grievance Policies | Changes would: *Prohibit grievances on LLNL interpretations of UC Policy *Allow Personnel Mgr. to reject grievances without a hearing *Remove employee's rights to grieve rehire practices after a layoff *Eliminate final and binding arbitration in many disputes *Substantially weaken individual's right to seek relief in court. |
"Ouch" Flyer 3/81 |
| 2/9/82 | PERB Designates Bargaining Unit | PERB designates that LLNL bargaining units are separate from the rest of the UC-system. (As CSEA argued.) | NL #2, 3/20/82 |
| 7/83 | LLNL S&Es Vote Against Exclusive Representation by SPSE | Voting Results: 2,746 employees in Professional Scientist and Engineers unit, 24% voted for representation. | NL #7, 11/7/83 |
| 2/84 | SPSE Separates From CSEA | SPSE Goes Independent: Ties with CSEA Severed. | NL #2, 4/1/84 |
| ±6/84 | SPSE Staffs Office on Daily Basis | Marilyn Carter hired as Office Manager. | NL #3, 6/1/84 |
| 4/85 & 5/85 | SPSE Sponsors Two Financial Planning Talks | NL #3, 10/1/85 | |
| 10/1/85 | SPSE Survey Questionnaire | SPSE sends out survey questionnaire with its Newsletter. | NL #3, 10/1/85 |
| 11/86 | SPSE Adopts Position on Drug Testing | SPSE Board adopts position on drug tests at LLNL (conducted survey on drug testing). | NL #3, 11/7/86 |
| 3/87 | SPSE Publishes Drug Testing Survey Results | NL #1, 3/20/87 | |
| 1/29/88 | Voluntary Separation Program aka Golden Handshake (VSP) | Incentive: (Severance Pay) one week of pay for every year of service, up to 26 weeks. Eligibility: Available to all career employees who are at least 50% time or more. Rehire Restrictions: No preference for rehire. If rehired before the expiration of the number of weeks for which the employee has received severance payments, the amount of the balance shall be credited as an advance on earnings. May not be become a paid consultant during the severance pay period. Note: John Creighton filed, and won, an Unfair Labor Practice against the Lab for failure to supply information regarding people accepting the incentive (6/30/88). | |
| 2/88 | SPSE Opposes Layoff by Inverse Merit as Proposed by LLNL | SPSE opposes LLNL's proposal to lay off by inverse merit rather than inverse seniority. | NL #1, 2/8/88 |
| 4/3/88 | John Nuckolls Becomes Director | ||
| 6/30/88 | SPSE Files Lawsuit over Release of Golden Handshake Data | ||
| 9/1/88 | LLNL Ordered to Release Golden Handshake Data | ||
| 10/12/88 | SPSE Files Unfair Labor Practice Charge re: Use of Internal Mail System | Lab refuses to deliver SPSE mail within its internal mail system. | |
| 9/89 | LLNL Changes Proposed Layoff Criteria to "Layoff by Ranking" | LLNL changes its proposed layoff criteria from "inverse merit" to "layoff by ranking." | NL #3, 9/1/89 |
| 3/9/90 | Early Retirement Incentive Program (ERIP) | Incentive: 1 week of pay for every year of service, up to 26 weeks, if they retire by March 9. Eligibility: Available to those employees eligible for retirement. Rehire Restrictions: ? Note: Peter Norquist requested and received data from Lab about employees who accepted the incentive. | |
| 1/1/91 | Voluntary Early Retirement Incentive Program aka Plus 5 (VERIP (UCRP)) | Incentive: 5 years of service added to participant's total service credit, and 3 months "transition pay." Eligibility: Active members of UCRP. At least age 50, have a minimum of 5 years service credit as of Jan. 1, 1991; their combined age and service must total 75 as of June 30, 1991. Rehire Restrictions: 5 year ban on career employment. Limited to a one-year appointment "unless an exception is granted by the director" (earliest date of re appointment is 2/1/91). If hired for substantially the same position held before retirement may work no more that 49% time averaged over one year, at 85% of salary maximum. Internal Revenue Code (IRC), Section 415 places limits on the annual benefit that an individual can receive form a defined benefit plan. | |
| 1/91 | UC President's Council on the UC Labs Formed | "The council has three major functions: 1) to review the laboratories' strategic plans as research agendas change. 2) to review the quality of the laboratories' scientific and technical work. 3) to monitor the laboratories' effectiveness in fostering an atmosphere conducive to scientific inquiry and the development of knowledge." | See this UC web page |
| 3/91 | SPSE Requests Lab Ranking Data | LLNL denied the request claiming that it was "personal" information, but was forced by the courts to provide the data (see 9/92). | |
| 8/91 | SPSE Petition Supports UC Management of Labs | SPSE sent a petition to 5200 Lab employees supporting the UC management of the Lab. 2000 signed petitions were returned. | NL #3, 11/91 |
| 10/1/91 | Voluntary Early Retirement Incentive Program aka Plus 5 (VERIP (PERS)) | Incentive: 5 years of service added to participant's total service credit, and "transition assistance payment" (will equal June 1990 Covered Compensation x 1.07 x 3) Eligibility: (Same as for UCRP Plus 5, except for PERS members only.) Re-hire Restrictions: one-month (30 days) break in service during which Plus 5 participants have no official or unofficial relationship whatsoever to the Laboratory. | |
| ±8/92 | SPSE Supports the Association of Ethnic Minorities (AEM) Formation | NL #1, 3/95 | |
| 9/92 | LLNL Ordered to Deliver SPSE's Mail and Pay Back Postage. | PERB orders LLNL to deliver employee organization mail and to compensate SPSE for postage costs back to 1988. | NL #3, 9/92 |
| 11/30/92 | LLNL Yields Ranking Data | Appeals Court rejects Lab's third request to set aside lower court's order to give ranking data to employees. (SPSE first requested the data 3/91.) | NL #4, 12/92 |
| 5/27/93 | SPSE Supports the Protective Service Officers Association (PSOA) Unionization | PSOA becomes the first union to win collective bargaining status at the Laboratory. "We're ecstatic," said association President Richard Bockover. "It was a tough campaign." | Valley Times, Friday, May 28, 1993 |
| 7/16/93 | DOE Rebukes UC Employees, 5+5 Reduced to 3+3 | UC Regents vote to reduce the VERIP 3 incentive because of pressure from the DOE. | |
| ±9/93 | SPSE Supports the Early Retirees Legal Action (ERLA) Formation | To protest unfair treatment: Labs' retirement incentive reduced, while others at UC kept at 5+5. (ERLA filed suit against the UC. After the California Supreme Court refused their Appeal in January 1998, ERLA disbanded.) | |
| 9/93 | Lab Terminates Discrimination Investigations | Reviewers submitted their final report (into complaints raised by the AEM) on 10/1/93. The Lab refused to release the report. | NL #1, 3/95 |
| 11/1/93 | Voluntary Early Retirement Incentive Program (VERIP 3 (3 Plus 3)) | Incentive: 3 additional years of service, 3 years of additional age credit, and 3 months pay for "transition assistance." Eligibility: UCRP employees Re-hire Restrictions: Cannot return before February 1, 1994. Pay rate may not exceed 85% of pay rate at time of retirement, and limited to 50% employment over a 12-month period. Retirement pay and rehire salary cannot exceed 100% annual salary at retirement over a 12-month period. Note: A case against the UC filed by the Early Retirees Legal Action (ERLA) was lost 2/98 (California Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal). Some UC employees received a 3 plus 5 benefit, ERLA argued that LLNL employees should have received equal treatment. | |
| 5/1/94 | Bruce Tarter Becomes Director | ||
| 6/94 | LLNL Adopts Policy for 5 Year Term Employees | Term Appointment policy expanded to 5 years, and is opened to all job classifications. | |
| 12/21/94 | SPSE Files Unfair Labor Practice Charge re: Term Policy | Charges that Lab failed to solicit employee comment prior to adopting the new policy. | |
| ±4/95 | SPSE Starts Authorization Campaign | SPSE to Spearhead Scientists and Engineers Senate. | NL #2, 4/95 |
| 5/95 | SPSE Forces Lab to Solicit Comments | Lab must open the new Term Appointment policy to employee comment because of an Unfair filed by SPSE. | NL #3, 5/95 |
| 2/1/96 | Lab Adopts New Layoff Policy for 200s | ||
| 6/27/96 | Town Meeting with DOE | "Draft" Workforce Restructuring Plan for LLNL released to members of the community. Starts the clock on the 120 days public notice of impending layoff required by the National Defense Authorization Act. | NL #2, 7/96 |
| 6/96 | VSIP (Voluntary Separation Incentive Program) Announced | ||
| 7/1/96 | UC Adopts New PP Which Expands F&BA (HRMI) | F&BA=Final And Binding Arbitration | |
| 7/1/96 | LLNL Employees Denied Opportunity to Comment to UC about PP Changes | ||
| 10/11/96 | SPSE Protests UC's Failure to Notify Lab Employees of Policy Change | SPSE files an Unfair Labor Practice Charge over UC's failure to notify Lab employees of HRMI changes. | |
| 2/25/97 | Lawsuit (over Layoff Policy) "Tolled" | UC/Lab agrees that the statute of limitations for filing a lawsuit over the new layoff policy will begin to run 30 days after the Director makes an announcement that layoffs will take place in the future. | |
| 8/15/97 | LLNL Proposes Taking Away Employee Rights | Restricted-Status, Final & Binding Arbitration, Etc. | |
| 2/26/98 | Unfair Hearing Begins: Is the Lab covered by UC Policy? | ||
| 4/1/98 | LLNL Adopts Flexible Status Policy | ||
| 5/98 | SPSE Celebrates 25th Anniversary | Sets up tables at all three cafeterias. | |
| 10/98 | SPSE Appeals Dismissal of Unfair over UC Policy | "The original Complaint issued by PERB alleged that Respondent unilaterally eliminated the University-wide Staff Personnel Policies (SPP) at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) on July 1, 1996, at which time the SPP policies were replaced by the new Personnel Policies for Staff Members (PPSM), which were not applied to the Laboratory. At the beginning of the hearing, SPSE amended the Complaint to allege that, in addition to unilaterally eliminating the SPP policies, Respondent breached a long-standing practice of "conforming personnel policies at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to University-wide personnel policies" when the new PPSM policies were not extended to scientists and engineers at LLNL." | Brief filed in appeal of the "Proposed Decision" of PERB's ALJ Fred D'Orazio |
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Revised 12/2/98