Hanford guard contract being negotiated

Security guards at the Hanford nuclear reservation are working under a two-week contract extension after their collective bargaining agreement ended Saturday.

“We look forward to continued good faith bargaining by both parties at the table,” said Rae Weil, spokeswoman for Hanford contractor Mission Support Alliance.

The Hanford Guard Union is committed to solving issues at the bargaining table, said Ed Pacheco, president of the union.

The union is expected to get the same pension and insurance benefits as the unions under the Hanford Atomic Metal Trades Council. Given a lack of choice in those benefits, guards also should get the 2 percent annual wage increases negotiated for HAMTC workers, Pacheco said.

The main issues being discussed by the parties are disability retirement benefits, a company proposal to change the work schedule the guards have had historically and a company proposal to make changes to seniority, according to the union.

The Hanford guards became a tactical response force after 9/11 and are federally commissioned officers, Pacheco said. For security reasons, the number of security guards in the union is not made public.

This story was originally published November 5, 2015 at 6:33 PM with the headline "Hanford guard contract being negotiated."