Letter: DOE’s double standard on Lockheed Martin employees

I found the article about the Department of Energy requesting to have profit returned from Mission Support Alliance (TCH, April 7) for the information technology work performed by Lockheed Martin Services ironic.

An Office of Inspector General audit discovered DOE does not believe the work was competed or commercial in nature. Yet DOE is comfortable treating the employees that do the information technology work as “outside-the-fence” or enterprise employees.

DOE allowed the medical retirement benefit to be eliminated and pension benefits to be reduced substantially for the Lockheed Martin Services employees based on the contractual concept of the Project Hanford Management Contract, establishing enterprise companies created to develop non-Hanford work.

DOE wants contract profit returned because the work Lockheed Martin Services performs is Hanford-specific and non-commercial and profit isn’t allowed due to contract rules regarding corporate affiliation.

Lockheed Martin Services employees have been asking for the return of their Hanford medical and pension benefits that were taken away because the work they perform is Hanford-related and they are exposed to the same risks, including radiation, beryllium, and other toxins.

DOE needs to make a good-faith effort to rectify the situation with the Lockheed Martin Services employees.

This story was originally published April 26, 2016 at 8:02 PM with the headline "Letter: DOE’s double standard on Lockheed Martin employees."