OWCT - Program Update - Sept-Dec 1997

On October 2, 1997, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced the release of the revised Draft Idaho Work Force Restructuring Plan for stakeholder comment. The revised Plan will succeed the previously approved plan that was in effect through Fiscal Year 1997. The revised Plan more clearly identifies treatment of workers affected by privatization actions and brings the re-hire restriction for voluntarily separated employees in conformance with general practice across the DOE complex. Following the comment period, a proposed final plan for restructuring at the site will be submitted to the Secretary of Energy for approval and final transmittal to the U.S. Congress.

No significant restructuring is anticipated at the site in the near future. Overall contractor employment levels have increased over the last year and are currently expected to remain stable or increase moderately during Fiscal Year 1998.

DRAFT OAK RIDGE WORK FORCE RESTRUCTURING PLAN APPROVED FOR STAKEHOLDER COMMENT

On October 6, 1997, the Department of Energy announced the release of the Draft Oak Ridge Work Force Restructuring Plan for stakeholder comment.

This Plan will succeed prior Oak Ridge Work Force Restructuring Plans and addresses future restructuring at the site. The draft Plan revises earlier plans by shifting from sole emphasis on budget-driven employment reductions to add anticipated work force restructuring driven by changes in the way the site's mission is accomplished. Announcements will be provided from time-to-time as specific requirements for implementing work force restructuring are identified.

After review and comment by stakeholders, a proposed final plan will be forwarded to the Secretary of Energy for approval and final transmittal to the U.S. Congress.

WORK FORCE RESTRUCTURING PLAN APPROVED FOR PORTSMOUTH, OHIO AND PADUCAH, KENTUCKY

On October 17, 1997, the Department of Energy transmitted to the U.S. Congress the Portsmouth/Paducah Work Force Restructuring Plan. The Plan, developed under the provisions of section 3161 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1993, identifies programs to mitigate the impact of Department of Energy work force changes for employees of Lockheed Martin Utility Systems at the Portsmouth and Paducah sites. The Plan was developed in consultation with interested stakeholders including work force, community and Congressional representatives.

The Plan incorporates the benefits recently provided to separated workers at the Portsmouth and Paducah sites and defines procedures and programs that will be provided as additional restructuring is required, including changes related to the Highly Enriched Uranium Program. These benefits are patterned after the package that has been provided to separated contractor employees at the Oak Ridge site, including Lockheed Martin Energy Systems employees at these sites.

BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE PLANS TO BUILD TIRE PRODUCTION PLANT IN AIKEN COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA

On September 1, 1997, Bridgestone/Firestone announced that they will build a $435 million, 1.5 million square-foot tire production plant on a 550 acre site in Aiken County, centrally located between Aiken and North Augusta in South Carolina. Site preparation will commence immediately and production of tires is slated to begin in the Spring of 1999. The plant is expected to reach production of 25,000 radial passenger and light truck tires per day in the year 2000. It will employ 300-400 team members when production begins, and employment will reach approximately 800 in the year 2000.

On September 11, 1997, the Department of Energy (DOE) approved $2.0 million to the Pinellas Plant Community Reuse Organization, the local Community Reuse Organization, for use in mitigating the adverse impacts of closing the Pinellas Plant in Largo, Florida.

The DOE's weapons production mission at the Pinellas Plant ended in September 1994 after 40 years of service. At its peak, the Pinellas Plant employed over 2,000 contractors and made a direct financial impact on the region of about $200 million annually. Shutdown of production, transfer of capability to other sites and the cleanup and final turnover of the Pinellas Plant to the community was completed on September 30, 1997. The Pinellas Plant close-out mission includes the mitigation of adverse impacts to the community and workers affected by reconfiguration of the weapons production complex.

The community transition grant will be administered through the Department's Albuquerque Operations Office. The Albuquerque Operations Office proposes to fund projects in the following areas: (1) Pinellas Plant sale transition that will identify replacement occupants and prepare the facility for new tenants; and (2) the Technology Deployment Center that will use technical expertise to apply the equipment, production capability and service functions at the Pinellas Plant in new economic and business generation by developing new prototypes and assisting in their deployment.

The $2.0 million in funding for the Pinellas Plant Community Reuse Organization is expected to support and expand current community transition initiatives in the region. In addition, the funds will allow creative uses of the Department's facilities and employees affected by the Plant closing in a way that creates new jobs and opportunities in the region.

THE SOUTHERN OHIO DIVERSIFICATION INITIATIVE RECEIVES $500,000 GRANT FOR COMMUNITY TRANSITION EFFORTS

On October 22, 1997, the U.S. Department of Energy approved a $500,000 grant to the Southern Ohio Diversification Initiative, the local Community Reuse Organization in Piketon, Ohio. The community transition grant will be administered through the Department's Oak Ridge Operations Office in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The funds will be used for mitigating the impacts of downsizing at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant. Approximately 125 employees have been laid off at the plant due to recent reductions-in-force. The grant will specifically go toward completing engineering design work for water and sewer line extensions to a 1,000-acre industrial park. The Southern Ohio Diversification Initiative estimates the industrial park could attract up to 300 jobs over the next five years. Additional funds for the development of the industrial park are being requested from the State of Ohio and other Federal agencies.

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND THE MIAMISBURG MOUND COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT CORPORATION SIGN MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT

In December 1997, the Department of Energy and the Miamisburg Mound Community Improvement Corporation (MMCIC) signed a Memorandum of Agreement that established a working relationship to facilitate the sale of the Mound facility. The legal relationship of the Department and the MMCIC will be established through a separate agreement, the Sales Contract for the Mound Facility. Both the Department and the MMCIC wanted to sign the Memorandum of Agreement to demonstrate their strong desire to see the transition of the Mound Facility from weapons production to commercial use. The Mound Reuse Partnership Council, consisting of Babcock & Wilcox of Ohio, and the MMCIC will serve as the body for addressing and resolving specific transition and/or transfer issues.

In April 1998, the Office of Worker and Community Transition will celebrate its first year of operating TRANSITIONS -- the Internet-based economic development tool designed for Community Reuse Organizations. Through TRANSITIONS, a community may advertise land or personal property that is available at its nearby Department of Energy site or describe the community's work force. Since TRANSITIONS resides on the World Wide Web (www.transitions.org), the information about the DOE site and the work force is readily available for viewing by any Internet user interested in business relocation or land development.

In addition to displaying their community's information on TRANSITIONS, Community Reuse Organizations may use the TRANSITIONS Discussion Forum to ask questions and exchange information about reuse activities and experiences. They may also view the TRANSITIONS Web Counter to survey usage statistics. The Discussion Forum and Web Counter can be accessed from the "TRANSITIONS Team" page (http://globe.lmi.org/lmi_trans/). For more information on TRANSITIONS, please contact Laurel Smith at (202) 586-4091.

DEVELOPMENT OF WORK FORCE INFORMATION SYSTEM (WFIS) CONTINUES TO MOVE FORWARD

On November 18-19, 1997, the pilot training session and "Beta test" of WFIS was held at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge Operations Office in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. It marked the first time that WFIS was used at a non-Headquarters site and by Federal and contractor personnel who were more or less unfamiliar with the way the system functions. In evaluating the training session, participants gave it high marks despite some initial problems in getting the system to work in a new environment. Similarly, the Beta test went well, with most modules of the application presenting just a few problems to the participants as they entered actual data taken from their historical records.

Beyond addressing the connectivity issues raised at Oak Ridge, work is under way to include a number of additional features which are seen as essential to taking the system "live." A second pilot training session and Beta test is being planned for the Department's Nevada Operations Office in Las Vegas in February 1998.

It is expected that Compensation and Benefits data for 1997 will be entered in March 1998. However, since the system will not be installed at most of the sites by that time, the submission will be on input forms which will then be entered by staff at Department of Energy Headquarters.

On October 24, 1997, Vice President Al Gore kicked off the Computers for Learning program, a new program that will place hundreds of thousands of excess and surplus Federal computers into our Nation's classrooms and prepare our children to contribute and compete in the 21^st Century. It is designed to streamline the transfer of excess and surplus Federal computer equipment to schools and educational nonprofit organizations, giving special consideration to those with the greatest need.

Participation in the Computers for Learning program is open to all Federal agencies. A school is eligible to receive donations through the program if it is a public, private, parochial, or home school serving pre-kindergarten through grade 12 students. An educational nonprofit is eligible if it is classified as tax-exempt under section 501(c) of the tax code, serves pre-kindergarten through grade 12 students and is exclusively for educational purposes. Federal agencies will give special consideration for computer donations to schools and educational nonprofits in Federal empowerment zones and enterprise communities.

For Federal agencies, the Computers for Learning website provides a quick and easy system for donating excess and surplus computers to schools and educational nonprofits based upon indications of need. It also provides a virtually paper-free system for donating computers and automatically tracks donations so that each agency can easily generate its annual report to the General Services Administration. It is estimated that the program will save the Federal government tens of millions of dollars each year by keeping paperwork to a minimum and reducing government inventory. Each Federal agency has a Computers for Learning point of contact who will designate employees to transfer excess or surplus Federal computer equipment to schools and educational nonprofits.

For schools and educational nonprofits, the Computers for Learning website at www.computers.fed.gov provides one universal form to easily register to request excess and surplus Federal computer equipment. The website also provides a technology tutorial, information for finding assistance if computers require upgrading, and contact information for finding volunteers with technical computer knowledge. If a school or a nonprofit does not have access to the Internet, it can register by calling the toll-free hotline at 1-888-362-7870.

A number of transportation systems and movers have formed the Computers for Learning Partnership to transport donated Federal computers free of charge from Federal agencies to classrooms. Schools and educational nonprofits can arrange for free shipping by contacting a member of the Partnership; contact information is available at www.hhgfaa.org/partnership or by calling (888) 362-7870.

Plans are currently underway to hold the sixth National Stakeholder's Workshop on June 17-18, 1998 at the Ramada Plaza Hotel Old-Town, Alexandria, Virginia. This meeting will address the progress made on the issues and challenges identified at the last stakeholder's meeting in Oakland, California on April 9-11, 1997. We will also cover the full range of the Department's work force issues and will seek answers to the inherent challenges of simultaneously implementing the Department's post Cold-War mission, work force restructuring guidance, contract reform objectives, asset disposition, performance-based management requirements, and business process improvement policies. The format of the meeting will focus on discussions of best practices and lessons learned in the process of obtaining an effective and efficient work force. Prior to the meeting, on June 16, 1998, there will be a half-day meeting for Department of Energy employees.

The Office of Worker and Community Transition is in the process of forming a planning committee to assist in the development of the meeting agenda. This committee will convene mid-March via teleconference to discuss the meeting format and topics. A draft agenda packet will be mailed in early April to all those in our stakeholder database. If you would like additional information or would like to be a member of the planning committee, please contact Laurel Smith at (202) 586-4091.

The Office of Worker and Community Transition is continually updating and planning its public participation program and asks that you take a few minutes to fill out the survey attached to the back of this Program Update to help us ensure that your interests are identified and incorporated into the planning process. Your response is very important to us, and at this time we are requesting your input on the following: (1) your interest in remaining on our mailing list; and (2) possible workshop topics you would like to see included at our June 1998 National Stakeholder's Workshop.

We appreciate your time in filling out this short survey and assure you that all responses will be given serious consideration. Please return the completed survey by folding it in half (be sure return address is on the facing page), staple and mail to Natasha Wieschenberg at the address listed below. If you would prefer, you can fax the one page survey to the number listed below:

Attachment 2 reflects the $30.77 million that has been deposited in the Department of Energy's asset sales account at the Department of Treasury. An additional $1.57 million in asset sales and leases are pending completion and verification prior to deposit in the appropriate accounts at Treasury.

The following is a list of collective bargaining agreements that have been recently negotiated or are scheduled to be negotiated in the third and fourth quarter of calendar year 1997:

On October 9, 1997, Deputy Secretary Elizabeth Moler created a Task Force on Work Force Privatization to develop policy options and guidance to address work force issues during privatization. The Office of Worker and Community Transition is leading this effort.

On November 18, 1997, the representatives from Department of Energy Headquarters and Field Offices met to discuss lessons learned from the Department's experiences with work force transition in its privatization efforts. These lessons learned will form the basis of a Department-wide policy that can facilitate privatization while assuring fair treatment for affected workers. The Task Force is currently developing general principles and a checklist of actions that a Department of Energy field office may encounter while undertaking privatization projects.

Deputy Secretary Moler has established a Security Work Force Council to consider issues raised with respect to contractor security work forces at the Department of Energy facilities.

On December 9, 1997, representatives from the Department of Energy Headquarters and Field Offices convened a conference call to develop information or options for addressing contractor security work force issues that have been raised by various parties. A working team is collecting and assimilating information on the status of the security work force at Department of Energy sites. The objective is to identify the nature and extent of any issues that may need to be addressed.

A number of potential options for addressing issues were initially discussed at the meeting. Field and Headquarters Offices have been asked to identify information on the pros and cons for a list of potential options for consideration by the Deputy Secretary's Council.

On December 18, 1997, Bechtel/Jacobs was awarded the new Management and Integration contract at the Oak Ridge Reservation in Tennessee and will commence work on April 1, 1998.

On April 1, 1998, the incumbent work force supporting the Environmental Management and Enrichment Facilities program, approximately 2200 people, will simply transition to the new contractor. As the transition progresses and subcontractors are selected, the majority of the work force will transition to subcontractors.

In addition, the contract stipulates a number of provisions to protect the current work force throughout the process, such as a Multiple Employer Pension Plan, right of first refusal for subcontractor jobs, and continuity of pay and benefits.

The Department of Energy has ensured, and will continue to ensure, that provisions of section 3161 of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 1993 are met. The contractor has agreed to meet all of these requirements.

Director
Bob DeGrasse	202-586-7550	FAX 586-8403
Deputy Directors
Terry Freese	202-586-5907	FAX 586-8403
Deborah Swichkow	202-586-0876	FAX 586-8403
Special Assistants
Tony Carter	202-586-3323	FAX 586-1540
Almira Kennedy	202-586-7783	FAX 586-1540
Ken Mireless	202-586-0303	FAX 586-1540
Program Communications
Pat Parizzi	202-586-7550	FAX 586-8403
Work Force Planning and Restructuring
Terry Freese	202-586-5907	FAX 586-8403
Labor Relations
Lyle Brown	202-586-0431	FAX 586-1540
Deborah Sullivan	202-586-0452	FAX 586-1540
Community Transition
Bob Baney	202-586-3751	FAX 586-1540
Mike Mescher	202-586-3924	FAX 586-1540
Deborah Swichkow	202-586-0876	FAX 586-8403
Asset Management
Richard Aiken	202-586-0415	FAX 586-1737
Jack Blanchard	202-586-6703	FAX 586-1737
Sam Ferraro	202-586-5057	FAX 586-1737
Sandy Stiffman	202-586-4107	FAX 586-1737
Robert Wilson	202-586-4718	FAX 586-1737
Public Participation
Sheila Dillard	202-586-1311	FAX 586-1737
Clara Foster	202-586-5881	FAX 586-1737
Laurel Smith	202-586-4091	FAX 586-1540
Natasha Wieschenberg	202-586-5830	FAX 586-1540

Felix Ortiz	Albuquerque Operations Office	505-845-4207	FAX 845-4715
Elaine Kocolowski	Chicago Operations Office	630-252-2334	FAX 252-2919
Russ Bennion	Idaho Operations Office	208-526-7281	FAX 526-5969
Bob Agonia	Nevada Operations Office	702-295-1005	FAX 295-2367
Bill Truex	Oak Ridge Operations Office	423-576-0662	FAX 576-6964
Donna Kelly	Oakland Operations Office	510-637-1822	FAX 637-2008
Ken Sprankle	Ohio Field Office	937-865-3649	FAX 865-4312
Dom Sansotta	Richland Operations Office	509-376-7221	FAX 376-5335
Lenora Lewis	Rocky Flats Field Office	303-966-4263	303-966-4263
Gil Gilyard	Savannah River Operations Office	803-725-1544	FAX 725-7631
Jerry Wienberg	Kansas City Area Office	816-997-3348	FAX 997-5059
Dorothy Whitt	Pittsburgh Naval Reactors Office	412-476-7206	FAX 476-7310
Gene Gillespie	Portsmouth Site Office	614-897-2001	FAX 897-2982
Jimmie Hodges	Paducah Site Office	502-441-6800	FAX 441-6801

David McWilliams, Chair
Fernald Community Research Organization
3371 Hamilton Cleves Road
Hamilton, OH 45013
(513) 738-0164
(513) 863-6250 (FAX)
E-mail: rosu_dm@swoca.ohio.gov

Sean Stockard
TRIDEC
901 N. Colorado St.
Kennewick, WA 99336
(509) 735-1000, ext. 225
(509) 735-6609 (FAX)
E-mail: sstock@owt.com

Dan Cudaback
Eastern Idaho Economic
Development Council
683 N. Capital Ave.
Idaho Falls, ID 83402
(208) 522-2014
(208) 522-3824 (FAX)
E-mail: eiedc_dc@srv.net

Sid Singer, Chairman
Los Alamos Regional Development
1808 el Grancho
Los Alamos, NM 87544
(505) 662-5495
(505) 662-2088 (FAX)
E-mail: ssinger@roadrunner.com

Mike Grauwelman
MMCIC
P.O. Box 232
Miamisburg, OH 45343-0232
(937) 865-3921
(937) 865-4431 (FAX)
E-mail: mmcic@aol.com

Tim Carlson, President
NTS Development Corporation
2340 Paseo Del Prado
Suite D-108
Las Vegas, NV 89102
(702) 257-7900
(702) 257-7999 (FAX)
E-mail: tcarlson@ntsdev.com

Lawrence Young, Executive Director
Community Reuse Organization of East Tennessee
107 Lea Way
Oak Ridge, TN 37830
(423) 482-1336
(423) 483-6126 (FAX)
E-mail: younglt@oro.doe.gov

Bob Juba
Amarillo Economic Development Corporation
Bank One Center
Suite 1503
600 South Tyler
Amarillo, TX 79101
(806) 371-7199
(806) 371-0112 (FAX)
E-mail: not available at this time

Greg Simonton
Project Director
Southern Ohio Diversification Initiative
1864 Shyville Road
Piketon, OH 45661
(614) 289-3654
(614) 289-4591 (FAX)
E-mail:

DeAnne Butterfield, Executive Director
Rocky Flats Local Impacts Initiative
5460 Ward Rd., Suite 205
Arvada, CO 80002
(303) 940-6090
(303) 940-6088 (FAX)
E-mail: deeane@rflii.org

Lewis Attardo, Executive Director
Savannah River Regional Diversification Initiative
P.O. Box 696
Aiken, SC 29802
(803) 593-9954 ext. 1409
(803) 593-4296 (FAX)
E-mail: srrdi@aik.tec.sc.us

Please indicate your interest in remaining on our mailing list by checking the appropriate box below:

______ Please keep me on the Office of Worker and Community Transition mailing list.

______ Please remove my name from the Office of Worker and Community Transition mailing list and discontinue sending me any future informational materials. I have no further interest in the program.

If you wish to remain on the mailing list, please review the mailing label on the outside of this Program Update to ensure that your mailing information is correct. Please note necessary corrections below. Please include your phone, fax and e-mail numbers so that we can check them for accuracy in our records as well.

In order to help us plan and conduct an effective public workshop, we would appreciate your input. Please indicate the discussion topics or subjects (in order of preference) you would like to see included on the agenda during our upcoming Workshop.

Please provide us with suggestions/recommendations on how we can improve on our current activities:

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Site	Union	Type of Employees
Fernald	FATLC	Operating Engineers
Pantex	MTC	Operating Engineers
Nevada	BCT	Operations and Maintenance
Hanford	IGUA, Local 21	Guards

PROGRAM UPDATE