Will 4th contract vote end the 44-day nuclear site lockout for Hanford guards?

Members of the Hanford Guards Union are voting Thursday, Jan. 9, on a contract proposal that could get them back to protecting the nuclear site under terms acceptable to both union members and the Department of Energy contractor that employs them.

This will be the fourth vote by Local 21.

The guards of the Hanford Patrol most recently voted down a proposal on Friday, Jan. 3.

Hanford Mission Integration Solutions (HMIS) said before that vote that discussions had reached an impasse and it was prepared to order guards back to work under the terms of the DOE contractor’s “best and final” offer made Dec. 5.

However, Local 21 asked to return to negotiations, saying both sides would benefit if they could come to an agreement acceptable to both rather than having an agreement forced on employees.

Discussions were held with the help of a mediator Tuesday and Wednesday this week.

HMIS locked out nonmanagement Hanford guards on the day before Thanksgiving as their contract expired.

Court ruling on security issue

They have received no pay since then and said in a filing in federal court that the Human Responsibility Program security certifications they are required to have to work as guards at the site are at risk of lapsing during the lockout.

Once certifications are lost, they are rarely restored, the union said.

In the court case, the Hanford Guards Union asked U.S. Judge Stanley Bastian for an emergency temporary restraining order to stop suspension and revocation of the security certifications.

Bastian denied their request in Eastern Washington District U.S. Court last week, and the Hanford Guards Union has given notice that it plans to appeal the decision to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

The union said in court documents that guards have a rigorous process of annual recertification, but that HMIS has locked guards out of the ability to maintain and renew certifications, “which is the functional equivalent of imposing the career death penalty.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Washington replied in court documents that a review of one guard’s security clearance was paused, rather than terminated, during the lockout to preserve his right to defend his entitlement to the clearance.

The Department of Energy also has issued eight temporary removals of certifications, but those were for reasons unrelated to the walkout, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Reasons included medical concerns and management referrals, it said.

The judge ruled that since certifications at issue are in “temporary removal” status, defendant’s due process rights have not been shown to be violated.

The union said in court documents that ideally it would like a court order that would end the lockout.

Top paid security force?

HMIS said under its best and final offer the guards would remain the highest paid federal protective force in the DOE complex and would become the region’s highest paid security force.

Local 21 disputed that, saying it believed its hourly wage was the second highest in the DOE complex but Hanford guards are eligible for less overtime. At other sites guards make overtime after eight hours of work, but at Hanford the requirement is 12 hours, it said.

The contractor said that the wage increase would be the largest in more than 20 years.

The union said that guards must be paid more as compensation for the new and intrusive federal requirements for Human Responsibility Program certification for those responsible for security of nuclear materials.

Monitoring of guards personal spending and travel has been increased under the new requirements.

Medical autonomy also has been an issue in negotiations after COVID vaccinations were required during the pandemic.

Since guards were locked out, HMIS has been using guards brought in from other DOE sites, Hanford Patrol members who are salaried and not covered by the union, and former Hanford Patrol members to provide security.

HMIS has said that the nuclear site “remains safe and secure, staffed by experienced and qualified exempt security police officers and active security professionals.”

The Hanford Patrol, an armed protective force, provides security for the 580-square-mile site adjacent to Richland.

Duties include protecting radioactive materials and classified materials, providing active shooter response, and deterring and responding to radiological and toxicological sabotage events by terrorists or others.

The Hanford nuclear site produced plutonium for the nation’s nuclear weapons program from World War II through the Cold War. It still has radioactive materials and contamination as environmental cleanup continues.

The number of Hanford guards is not made public for security reasons.

This story was originally published January 9, 2025 at 11:32 AM.