A federal judge in Washington won’t expedite a collective bargain action brought by the Hanford Guards Union until Department of Energy contractor Hanford Mission Integration Solutions has a chance to answer the union’s complaint.
Chief U.S. District Judge Stanley Bastian on July 11 ruled against the Hanford Guards Union Local 21 request to expedite the case against Leidos-led Hanford Mission Integration Solutions, the landlord contractor at DOE’s Hanford Site near Richland, Wash.
“Upon review, the court denies the motion to expedite and reserves the motion for preliminary injunction until after defendant is served and files a response to the motion,” Bastian said in the order. The judge did issue a summons for Hanford Mission in the civil case.
The union local, a branch of International Guards Union of America, accuses Hanford Mission of repeatedly delaying an arbitration session on overtime in order to run out the clock before the existing collective bargaining agreement expires Nov. 1.
The contractor declined comment Monday in an email response to Exchange Monitor.
Hanford Mission Integration Solutions is a joint venture made up of Leidos, Centerra and Parsons. The union has asked the federal court to order the contractor to participate in a session to resolve the dispute with arbitrator Michael Merrill of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service on Aug. 6, 2024, or the earliest date available afterward on Merrill’s calendar.
Hanford Mission Integration Solutions is in charge of roads, grounds, firefighting, security and other day-to-day services at the former plutonium production complex undergoing cleanup. The team has a $4 billion contract that began in August 2020 and its five-year base is slated to expire in August 2025.