Hermiston Herald
May 27, 2003

Depot facility turnover worries employees; Despite excellent training, some workers enticed to leave by higher-paying jobs

By Frank Lockwood
Staff writer

HERMISTON - The training for operators at Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility is first class, workers say, but they have other concerns, such as employee turnover.

The Army and the contractor, Washington Demilitarization, usually give monthly updates to the Governor's Commission, which reports to the governor. The Department of Environmental Quality, Oregon Emergency Management, and Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Programs also give regular reports, as do visiting Army officials and other guest speakers from time to time.

This month, the commission called on the representatives from the Demil Trades Council to hear their voices and learn about their perspective on the project. The workers feel confident about their ability to safely run the equipment with all the training they receive, but employee turnover worries them, they said at the May 15 meeting of the Citizens Advisory Commission.

Union members reported that they had united in order to have a voice in the decisions that affect the project, the environment, the communities, and themselves.

"Our voices are essential to achieve and secure the necessary balance between quality of work, safety, and gaining the complete confidence of the citizens in our surrounding area," their mission statement says.

One worker told the commission, "We are confident in our ability to run this equipment, and we want everyone in our community to be confident in our ability to run this equipment."

Control Room Operator Lee Turner reported that a control room operator receives 20 weeks of initial training, with additional months required to become proficient, but that trained people are coveted by other employers and it is tough to retain the best employees. "I don't want to see any of our employees leave and I have seen a great many of our employees leave," he said. The training is excellent, Turner said.

Hanford or other employers have enticed some UMCDF workers with better medical benefits, better pay, or a better work environment. That left UMCDF to hire for those positions all over again, and to begin costly training anew.

"When you have nothing but brand new employees it makes my job that much more difficult," Turner said.

The turnover rate for the Demilitarization Trades Council employees (control room operations, outside operations and maintenance) is 4 percent, and the turnover rate for Washington Demilitariztion Company project is 14 percent, according to company spokesman Rick Kelley, but it is difficult to determine the cost for training a control room operator. Control room operators must complete 54 classes or 627 hours of classroom training. To be completely certified on all control room systems requires 22 different certifications. Some control room operators only are certified for certain systems. It takes from months to a year to become control room trained and certified. The average hourly rate of a control room operator is $20.56.

"We have trained 34 control room operators and will need to hire and train another 13 before we begin agent operations," Kelley told us. In addition, there is site specific training. And medical personnel, engineers, and other professionals have received training in colleges or universities.

In attempt to retain more of the employees who live in Washington State, Washington Demilitarization allows a nine percent differential in pay, intended to off-set state of Oregon taxes. The company also has a rewards and recognition program and provides benefits including medical, eye, dentist, 401K and company match, and disability, Kelley says.

Among other things, the Demil Trades Council's mission includes ensuring that safety is the number one priority, ensuring the highest quality of work, achieving the best possible training, and keeping the best staff by reducing turnover with guaranteed fair wages, benefits, and working conditions.

Frank Lockwood may be reached at 567-6457 or by