PADUCAH CLEANUP CONTRACTOR SUSPENDS PLANNED LAYOFFS

Paducah cleanup contractor LATA Environmental Services of Kentucky, LLC, is suspending, for now, plans for a significant workforce restructuring thanks to Congress’ recent approval of a Department of Energy request to shift funds among cleanup projects. Earlier this month, LATA Kentucky said it would have to look to eliminate 145 positions, out of the company’s current workforce of approximately 320 employees, largely through involuntary layoffs because of budgetary issues. Workers were set to be notified of the layoffs in June, which were then set to go into effect in early July. As part of its approved reprogramming request, though, DOE is shifting approximately $15 million from the Portsmouth site to Paducah. "We have not received official word from DOE as to the status of reprogramming and how it may affect LATA Kentucky. However, based on congressional approval of the reprogramming request, we have suspended the current layoff planned for June 3, 2013, for 30 days pending formal notification from DOE," LATA Kentucky Project Manager Mark Duff said in a written response to WC Monitor yesterday.  Duff added, “We remain optimistic of receiving enough funding to continue our planned work for the rest of FY 13, which would result in delaying layoffs into FY14.”