NASA Langley hands out pink slips

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

The agency laid off 18 government workers in the name of competition.


BY DAVE SCHLECK
247-7430

Published April 19, 2005
http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/dp-01529sy0apr19,0,2169386.story?coll=dp-news-local-final

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HAMPTON -- NASA Langley gave 18 workers layoff notices Monday in an attempt to keep the government competitive with the private sector.

It is the first layoff for government workers at Langley in more than 30 years, according to NASA spokeswoman Marny Skora.

The layoffs affected employees in the center's fabrication shops. About 150 shop workers perform several duties, including making precision models for aeronautics research in Langley's wind tunnels.

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The NASA team representing Langley's metal shop beat out two firms to win the competition in January, but not without sacrifices. To make its offer attractive, the government team offered to cut its work force in half.

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Managers started calling workers into their offices Monday morning to tell them whether or not they still had jobs. The layoffs, reassignments and grade changes take effect on July 5. Severance packages varied based on years of NASA service, but averaged about 40 weeks of pay, Skora said. Although the process is supposed to favor experienced employees, some of the laid-off technicians have worked at Langley for decades.

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A personal note: My father retired at the first of the year after working for NASA Langley for 40 years. While he was ready to retire, it was part of the "buyouts" that were being encouraged.

[johncoby2]

1. Thats OK. They were all Republicans. eom

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

2. Not necessarily. Friend of mine who works there, for instance,

didn't vote for *. Don't think she was laid off, but she's not out of the woods yet. From what my dad said after he retired, plenty of people are pissed at Bush, and especially at how Sean O'Keefe fucked up NASA when he got there.