Letter: We finally agree with DOE on Hanford pension benefits
The Department of Energy wants its money back because the information technology work performed at Hanford by Lockheed Martin Services (LMS) is not commercial and their contract was never competed (TCH, April 7).
Agreed.
However, that’s not what DOE reported to the House of Representatives. In a conference committee report that accompanied the National Defense Authorization Act of 1997, DOE explained the elimination of pension benefits for the incumbent contractor employees that work for LMS. DOE said, “... certain elements of the work scope would be assigned to newly created commercially based companies called Enterprise Companies ... and they will compete in the marketplace for Hanford work.”
LMS was founded as one of these so-called commercially based enterprise companies. DOE further rationalized that, “Enterprise Companies, as private sector businesses, cannot participate in the Hanford Pension Plan.”
Contrary to what DOE reported to the House conference committee in 1997, they now concede the work performed by LMS is Hanford specific, not commercial, never competed, and not offered to the private sector. By DOE’s own standards the incumbent LMS employees now qualify for the last 20 years of Hanford pension benefits. DOE, let’s sign them up.
Glynn Stevens, Richland
This story was originally published May 12, 2016 at 1:23 AM with the headline "Letter: We finally agree with DOE on Hanford pension benefits."