FIFTH NATIONAL STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOP SUMMARY REPORT
April 9-11, 1997
Oakland, California

INTRODUCTION

On April 9-11, 1997, the Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Worker and Community Transition convened its fifth National Stakeholder Workshop at the Oakland Marriott City Center in Oakland, California. There were 325 people in attendance, making this Workshop the best attended of all previous stakeholder workshops. The Workshop addressed a wide range of work force restructuring and community transition issues critical to the future success of the Department. Two important elements of the meeting were: 1) reviewing progress made on the challenges identified during the March 1996 stakeholder's meeting in Atlanta, Georgia; and 2) identifying areas that needed priority attention during the early months of the second Clinton Administration.

The format of the Workshop included several plenary sessions and a number of small group discussion sessions. The small group sessions focused on topics related to labor issues, work force restructuring, work force planning, community transition, and employee concerns. The sessions provided a wide range of views on worker and community transition issues.

PLENARY SESSIONS

The plenary sessions of the workshop included presentations on the following topics:

• Welcome and Introductions;
• Opening Remarks;
• Community Reuse Organizations: Recent Accomplishments;
• Privatization: Policy, Practice and Potential Pitfalls;
• Department of Energy's Integrated Training Initiatives;
• Congressional Perspective on Work Force Restructuring; and,
• Privatization and the TenYear Plan

Bob DeGrasse, the Director of the Office of Worker and Community Transition (the Office), led the welcome and introductions of the plenary. He emphasized the significance of the Workshop in shaping the Office's agenda and activities for the future, and encouraged participants to discuss their expectations and concerns.

Dr. Klaus Berkner, Deputy Director for Operations, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, gave the opening remarks. He summarized the work force restructuring activities at the Lab and described the lessons learned.

Bob DeGrasse followed Dr. Berkner with a presentation on the commitments fulfilled by DOE and a summary of future initiatives. He briefly discussed the Department's direction under Secretary of Energy Federico Peņa, who's emphasis is on building close communications and trust between DOE, field offices and contractors. Mr. DeGrasse also described resource tools that are available for contractor employees.

Mr. Dan Cudaback of the Eastern Idaho Economic Development Council and Mr. Mike Grauwelman of Miamisburg Mound Community Improvement Corporation presented overviews of their respective Community Reuse Organizations, including organization descriptions, lessons-learned, and recommendations for future activities.

Jane Monhart, Acting Director of DOE's Office of Contract Reform, gave a presentation on DOE's privatization efforts, including a brief overview of a report issued by the Department's Privatization Working Group. She emphasized that privatization means different things to a lot of people. Jan Chavez, Deputy for the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project at the Idaho Operations Office, U.S. Department of Energy, provided a detailed overview of the second largest privatization effort in the complex: the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory. John Meese, President of the Metal Trades Department, AFL-CIO spoke on his views of privatization. Chuck Bernhard, Manager, Allegheny Teledyne, Oak Ridge Office, ended the session with a presentation on the community perspective of reindustrialization.

Deborah Swichkow, Deputy Director, Office of Worker and Community Transition, opened a Plenary Session on the Department's Integrated Training Initiatives by describing the genesis of the integration training initiative and listing its objectives. John Merwin, Manager of Human Resources, Fernald Environmental Restoration Management Company, spoke on the development of the training initiative and summarized the steps of the Work Force Training Integration Model which is currently being piloted at Fernald. John Haberthy of Lockheed Martin Utility Services spoke about his role as the Grievance Committeeman, Benefits Representative and Workers Compensation, Benefits Representative with the United Plant Guard Workers of America Local 66 in Piketon, Ohio. Donna Campbell, Dean of Math Science and Health Science at Columbia Basin College, spoke next, describing the college's experience with the Hanford Site. Susan Haas, Vice President for Corporate Relations, Nevada Test Site Development Corporation, was the final presenter. She spoke about a cooperative agreement currently under discussion between the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the Nevada Test Site Development Corporation to design and provide on-site training programs for the Bechtel Nevada work force.

Butler Derrick, former South Carolina Congressman, spoke on the congressional view on work force restructuring. Specifically, Congressman Derrick focused on work force restructuring and community transition activities at the Savannah River Site.

Jim Owendoff, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management, U.S. Department of Energy, spoke on the Department's status in terms of its environmental clean-up effort since its mission has shifted from weapons production to a landlord function, and how it relates to environmental management's TenYear Plan. The development of the Ten Year Plan was also discussed.

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION SESSIONS

The small group discussions provided an opportunity for direct, informal dialogue among workshop participants on a wide range of issues. The first session of the Wednesday, April 9, discussion groups included the following topics:

• Impact of Work Force Restructuring on Remaining Employees;
• Community Transition: Program Assessment Strategy;
• Job Opportunity Bulletin Board System Enhancements; and,
• Work Force Information System - Overview and Demonstration.

The second session focused on the following topics:

• Role of Supervisors and Employee Assistance Programs in Work Force Restructuring;
• Discussion on Employee Concerns;
• Supporting Local Communities;
• Work Force Information System - Overview and Demonstration Repeated; and,
• Changes in the DOE Weapons Complex: Defense Program's Stockpile Stewardship and Management Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement.

The third session, held on Thursday, included the following topics:

• Employee Assistance Programs - Focus Group;
• Revisions to the Interim Planning Guidance for Contractor Work Force Restructuring;
• Property Disposition: Leveraging the Excess; and,
• Legal Issues in Privatization and Outsourcing.

The fourth and final session included the following topics:

• Outplacement Tracking Best Practices and Outplacement Successes;
• How to Get From Here to There...;
• Violence in the Workplace; and,
• Revisions to the Policy and Planning Guidance for Community Transition Activities.

Following the Closing Plenary Session on Friday, April 11, the group as a whole identified eight issues for further discussion. The approach was to look at each issue in terms of what were concerns and what worked well. The eight issues that were identified were: human resources; privatization/outsourcing; community reuse; information systems; training initiatives; planning guidance; and labor concerns/issues.

If you would like more information on the workshop format, or if you would like to obtain copies of handouts from the workshop, please call, fax or e-mail your request to:

Laurel Smith
Office of Worker and Community Transition
U.S. Department of Energy
Forrestal Building
1000 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20585-0110
Phone: 202-586-4091
Fax: 202-586-1540
E-Mail: laurel.smith@hq.doe.gov

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