Overflow Crowd Attends Event to Voice Concern Over New Lab Benefits Package

Press Release

OVERFLOW CROWD ATTENDS EVENT TO VOICE CONCERN OVER NEW LAB BENEFITS PACKAGE

Last night, an overflow crowd of nearly 300 Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory employees and their families appeared at a forum hosted by Congressman Jerry McNerney (CA-11) to voice their concerns about the revised employee benefits package recently announced by the lab's new management consortium.

"As a math PhD, a former employee of a national laboratory, and as a Congressman who represents a portion of the lab and thousands of its employees, I know the proposed Livermore benefit package is not in the best interest of our national security, the scientific community, or California's continued economic competitiveness on a national and international scale," said Rep. McNerney.

"Last night, nearly 300 people showed up to express their concerns about the impact of the new package. My offices have received over 300 individual communications from constituents expressing the same concern. And at one point on Monday afternoon messages came in at the rate of 40 an hour!" Rep. McNerney said.

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), last week proposed a new benefits package for Lab employees. The new package represents a decline from the benefits package available to current employees. Implementing the new package, as proposed, will eliminate the pay parity between the two national labs that ensure the safety of the country's nuclear stockpile, Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore. This will compromise the important national tradition of laboratory competition.

"There is no denying that is a matter of significant concern for the lab community," Rep. McNerney said. "In order for Lawrence Livermore to be able to continue the world-renowned research it has conducted for the past five decades, it must be able to recruit and retain the nation's top scientific minds. I am very concerned that proceeding on the course laid out last week will compromise the ability of the lab to conduct cutting edge work in the national security interest."

Yesterday, Rep. McNerney joined with five other Members of Congress from Northern California in sending a letter to Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman.

Based on the comments he heard at the public meeting last night, today, Rep. McNerney delivered to Secretary Bodman a package of materials to demonstrate the concern from 11th District residents about the new benefits package.

The public comment period on the issue of the benefits package closes today, July 3.

A transcription of Rep. McNerney's opening remarks from last night's event at the Pleasanton Senior Center appears below.

"What I plan to do is listen carefully tonight. I know there's a significant level of concern about what's happened. And then I'll take those concerns and will have a conversation with Secretary Bodman tomorrow. I want to have this fresh. I want to have your constructive ideas.

"I know most everyone here has spent their careers working for the laboratories...I myself worked for Sandia Laboratories in Albuquerque for a number of years. I understand what the laboratories do. I'm a math PhD so I appreciate and love science and I definitely want to represent you to the best of my ability. I know in the past few days the Nuclear National Security Agency has made an announcement about the compensation package for Lawrence Livermore Labs and the comment period ends tomorrow and that's why we're having this ad hoc meeting to give you guys a chance to give your input.

"…We've received about 300 or 400 contacts from the community [about the proposed benefits package] so obviously the concern is there.

"In my opinion the Department of Energy and the NNSA are trying to push through a package that is not in the best interest of the laboratories or of the scientific community in the vicinity here. So it's important that we get a good set of ideas to present to them in terms of what they should be doing and what would be in the best interest of laboratories, the nation, and national security.

"We want to make sure that the compensation is good enough to attract the best talent for the laboratory. The laboratories have produced a tremendous amount of work over the years. I think they're a tremendous asset and a tremendous resource for the nation and we want to keep it that way.

"I think that we have some very significant issues that we're facing in terms of our national security, in terms of global warming and other threats that I think are equivalent to our national security. And the labs I think are going to be a very big part of solving those problems and giving us options for national leadership. So it's important that we have top talent here in Livermore at the Livermore Labs so we can be part of this, so we can participate, so you in all in your labs and the legacy of the laboratory can be a big part of the solution that we see in this country to those very significant and very important problems.

"That's why I am glad to be here to participate and to listen to your concerns and to be a vehicle to ensure that your concerns are heard by the Secretary of Energy."

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