Gary W. Coles and Robert C. Easdon
Kaiser-Hill, L. L.
C., RFETS, Colorado
Thomas G. Bourgeois
Rocky Mountain
Remediation Services, RFETS, Colorado
ABSTRACT
A dramatic evolution of labor policies, management and labor relations organizations, and the work force that has taken place to prepare for and initiate the D&D of RFETS (the Site). Facilitating the transition of the Site management structure and workforce to be compatible with the new Site mission D&D, required nearly fifty years of labor practices and precedence to be evaluated, dissolved, and reformed. Labor and management participated in carving new work assignment guidance and agreements that are unprecedented in the unique environment of the Department of Energy (DOE) weapons complex. The innovative approaches that led to the new and revised guidance and agreements at the Site address Federal Laws, Federal Acquisition Regulations, DOE, Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of Labor (DOL) requirements and related interagency correspondence. The resulting labor practices generally apply to most government work.
INTRODUCTION
The Rocky Flats Plant (RFP) was a nuclear production facility. Products from RFP included nuclear and non-nuclear parts used by other plants to assemble weapons. Operations at the plant generally included metal recovery, processing, machining, assembly, and the physical and administrative support functions associated with this type of production.
Construction of the Site began in the early 1950s. The Design Criteria for the original buildings at the Site were focused on surviving a nuclear blast near the Site. Production buildings added during the surging production years had design criteria that were equivalent to standard industrial construction. Facilities constructed toward the end of the plants life were designed to survive the most severe natural phenomenon, earthquake, winds, floods, tornados, etc. Two major fires and a variety of chemical and radioactive spills contaminated the production facilities. Production support facilities were converted to production facilities or administrative facilities. Production lines were removed and replaced with more current technology. Production and production support systems were occasionally abandoned in place when the technology or funding was inadequate for their removal. Decades passed without adequate funding to replace vital systems supporting production. Monumental maintenance efforts were required to keep facilities operational.
The Site was an active production facility through the Cold War. After nuclear production operations ceased, the Site was renamed to become the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (Site).
Labor policies and precedence began to evolve from the time of initial construction.
Labor agreements with the Colorado Building and Construction Trades Council (CBCTC), which represents the construction craft in local trade unions that support construction activities at the Site, and with the United Steelworkers of America, Local 8031 (USA), which represents production and maintenance workers at the Site, evolved in a production atmosphere. USA membership consisted of nearly 50 labor classifications including Chemical Operators, Production Technicians, Support Technicians, Experimental Operators, Radiation Protection Technologists, Stationary Operating Engineers, Waste Technicians, and others. The hourly workers and their first and middle level management were a stable workforce developed and trained with production talent and values. Upper level management changed occasionally with the change of operating contractors. The Department of Energy (DOE), which owns the Site, had similar stability on the Site. A natural rapport developed.With the end of the Cold War and the resulting change in mission for the nuclear weapons complex, labor agreements, work assignment practices, and the jurisdictional precedence set in the production environment did not address the needs of the D&D mission. Responsibility for coordination of the labor agreements, was divided among DOE, the operating contractor, and the captive construction contractor. Organizational boundaries that served the Site for nearly fifty years became barriers. The diverse physical configuration and condition of the facilities presented a wide range of technical challenges for the D&D of the Site.
It was recognized that Site workers were the most knowledgeable of Site work requirements and that changes were necessary in contractual procedures within the Labor Relations arena to effectively use Site/area workers.
SITE CLEANUP
In an effort to accomplish the necessary change and to create the environment and opportunity to perform Site cleanup in an efficient and productive manner, a 12-point plan to change Labor Relations at Rocky Flats was developed. The two most significant items to be accomplished were the renegotiation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the USWA and the negotiation of the Project Labor Agreement (PLA) with the CBCTC.
Further, the Company recognized that the accomplishment of both of these primary goals was contingent upon successfully completing other relevant issues identified in the 12-point plan.
The following is a chronological description of the 12-point plan.
Progress against the 12-point plan is summarized as:
At the present time 11 of the tasks identified in the 12-point plan have been accomplished, the most significant of which is the renegotiation and subsequent implementation of the CBA with USWA, Local 8013.
This new CBA is a much improved agreement that addresses both the needs of the Company and the concerns of the Union. The Company was most interested in reaching mutual agreement on language that allows for increased productivity and operational improvements. The Union was seeking workforce stability and an acceptable economic package.
The Union ratified an agreement that included a conditional employment guarantee to 1,150 members, and an economic package averaging 5.65% for each of the five years of the agreement, while the Company met their goals by adding temporary employee language, new hire rates, and numerous other changes that provide for extremely flexible working conditions.
The final remaining task of the 12-point plan is to now renegotiate the PLA with the Building Trades Unions in an effort to bring the language into conformation with current standards and legal requirements while recognizing the Building Trades Unions role in the cleanup of the Site. Many of the tasks accomplished early in this process set the standards and created the climate that allowed for the successful negotiation of the USWA CBA, and will also be relevant to the PLA renegotiation.
With the infrastructure set for work assignments and D&D worker classifications, the Site was ready to mobilize a workforce. The steps that had to be in place prior to hiring a D&D workforce was a determination on whether project work was actually work that could be performed by D&D workers, the availability of funding, proper posting of positions per the Collective Bargaining Agreement with the USWA, and developing procedures for managing the new department. These will be addressed individually.
The original and current D&D agreement specifies that the DOE or Kaiser-Hill will declare work as D&D and the union can provide input. An initial presentation has been held with the union and Kaiser-Hill management for the sole purpose of establishing D&D work. Six projects were presented for decontamination and removal, and general area stripouts in contaminated areas. These projects were approved as D&D work and set the standard for future projects. Subsequent work is evaluated on a case-by-case basis as part of the Sites Davis-Bacon review process.
With the determination of D&D work, funding had to be secured for the projects. It was imperative that this occur prior to hiring a D&D workforce. The plant process for funding proceeded quickly to ensure proper budgeting of personnel. Man loaded schedules were developed to ascertain personnel requirements for D&D implementation. Peak craft resource requirements revealed that approximately 100 D&D workers would be necessary, however the performance period for this peak was less than one month. Since it did not make sense to train and hire a workforce to accommodate the peak manpower requirement, schedules were levelized resulting in a workforce requirement of approximately 53 people.
These positions were filled through the Sites posting process in accordance with the CBA with the USWA. Since the D&D classifications had just been developed, the skill mix was heavily weighted toward D&D Skilled Trade Workers to get an initial base of experience. Once the compliment of skill was in place, the remaining positions were filled with D&D Hazardous Reduction Technicians. The Site has not filled positions for D&D Utility Workers to date. The D&D Operations Department currently employs 41 D&D workers and eleven support craft personnel.
Perhaps the largest challenge was organizing and training the workforce to immediately perform D&D work. Among the problems facing the mobilization effort were hiring supervision and engineering technicians, developing training requirements, securing facilities to house personnel, and developing methods of conducting business.
The immediate action taken was to hire craft supervisors to direct D&D workers in the field. The position posting process was used to accomplish hiring five foremen. Also, engineering technicians were assigned, either through existing personnel or subcontractors. These individuals facilitate work planning, scheduling, project material availability, and job specific procedures.
A D&D Training Plan was developed to identify training requirements necessary to perform D&D work. Over 400 classes were scheduled and completed by D&D workers as part of the program to ensure appropriate training. Personal qualification cards were developed to assist employees and supervisors track training status. In addition to the traditional classroom sessions, provisions were made for mock-up training as well as on the job instruction. The focus of efforts in this area was to facilitate enhancement of D&D worker flexibility.
The final area of discussion is the method of conducting business. To effectively deploy a workforce, basic methods of conducting business had to be established. Since D&D work at the Site is projectized, core teams were established to focus on specific tasks. Generally, tasks are identified by the team and managed by a single foreman. Schedules are developed on a task basis and are tracked in a plan-of-the-day (POD) meeting which typically projects work for two weeks in advance.
Personnel movements are minimized, however, they are a necessary part of conducting business. The central focal point for personnel allocation is the POD coordinator who develops man loading and staffing requirements. The POD coordinator manages all personnel movement and communicates changes directly with D&D supervision.
SUMMARY
Mobilization of D&D workforce required specific planning for effective implementation. Work assignments for D&D activities had to receive approval prior to performing activities. Once established, the appropriate funding was secured to allow hiring, training and deployment of the workforce. An infrastructure was established to manage activities and control work on a day to day basis. The result of the Site effort in this area provided for an immediate positive impact to D&D activities.