On
the Political Front
Thanks primarily to the help of Lt. Governor and Regent John Garamendi, we are gaining political traction. On July 15, John released a letter to UC President Yudof asking that the University honor its commitments to us. Below is a copy of the press release.
Manuel Perry and John Holzrichter gave
presentations on our problem at the RegentsÕ meeting yesterday. Below are the
(slightly edited) reports they sent back to the members of the steering
committee that was convened to brainstorm the presentations. Note ManuelÕs
admonition on legal action!
From: Willon, Beth
Sent: Wed Jul 15 15:49:01 2009
Subject: Press Release: Lt. Governor John
Garamendi's Letter to UC for Lab Retirees
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July
15, 2009
Contact:
Beth Willon Ð (916) 838-9674
LT.
GOVERNOR JOHN GARAMENDIÕS LETTER TO UC FOR LAB RETIREES
SAN
FRANCISCO Ð Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi, a University of California
Regent and former state insurance commissioner, has released a letter to the
University of California on behalf of UC Lawrence Livermore National Lab
retirees regarding equitable health care benefits:
ÒJuly
15, 2009 - Corrected
Version
Mark
G. Yudof, President
University
of California
Office
of the President
1111
Franklin Street, 12th Floor
Oakland,
CA 94607
Dear
President Yudof:
I
am writing on behalf of the nearly 5,500 University of California Lawrence
Livermore National Lab (UC/LLNL) retirees who are requesting UC honor its
commitment to provide them access to the quality health care benefits they
earned and specifically, to reinstate UC/LLNL retirees to a health benefit
program the same as UC provides to its retirees.
These
retired UC/LLNL employees honorably served UC as scientists, engineers and
support staff. Throughout their tenures at UC, they were assured, through a
negotiated contract, health benefits and a retirement package equal to those
valuable benefits offered to UC retirees systemwide.
The
transfer of LLNL from UC to the new Lawrence Livermore National Security (LLNS)
LLC and subsequent actions, have resulted in reduced and differential health
care benefits for UC/LLNL retirees. As I understand, last September,
UC/LLNL retiree health care benefits were significantly reduced with no forewarning,
leaving these retirees with benefits inferior to those offered to other UC
retirees.
The
University of California has an obligation to fulfill its commitment and serve
those who chose to serve the university. I respectfully ask for your
immediate attention to this important issue and seek your assistance in finding
a resolution that would give UC/LLNL retirees equitable retirement benefits
they deserve.
Sincerely,
JOHN
GARAMENDI
Lieutenant
Governor
Regent,
University of California
CC:
Board of RegentsÓ
I
have attached a write up of the Regents' meeting. We will be making
contact with the President and Regents' staff. John Garamendi and his
staff have been extremely helpful.
Manuel
Outcomes
of the RegentsÕ Meeting
Manuel
Perry
The
UC Regents met in San Francisco on July 16, 2009 for their formal scheduled
meeting. As part of their agenda, they had a Public Comment portion of the
agenda for the public to speak. Our issue regarding our health benefits was presented
during the public comment section.
Before
the meeting, John Holtzhichter and I had been told we would have 3 minutes. At
the meeting, John and I were given 2 minutes each to make our points. We had to
do a quick editing job of the points we wanted to stress to the Regents. John
and I were challenged trying to decide what to leave in or take out.
Regardless, we made our main point - ÒWhy are we UC LLNL retirees being treated
so unequally compared to other UC System wide retirees in respect to health benefitsÓ.
Other
retirees from the Lab also came to the meeting and raised some similar points
about our health benefits treatment as compared to UC Retirees system wide.
After
the meeting, we met with Regent Garamendi, who has been a major asset in having our
issue addressed - especially by the Regents. He had arranged for our power
point presentation to be distributed to all of the Regents. This presentation
contains the details of our health benefits concerns and recommendations.
Regent Garamendi said he had spoken to UC President Yudof. The President said
that he sees the issue as one of ÒequityÓ, which is the point we wanted to make
with the Regents.
President Yudof proposed to Garamendi that a meeting should occur with his Legal Counsel. A meeting is also planned with the RegentsÕ General Counsel regarding review of contract documents. We will work with Regent Garamendi and his staff to set up these meetings as soon as possible.
Bottom
line, I think all went well. Follow up meetings with UC PresidentÔs staff and
the RegentsÕ legal counsel will be held in the near future.
For now, we need to go slowly regarding the
legal route in order to determine how worthwhile were our discussions with the
PresidentÕs staff and the RegentsÕ legal counsel. I am afraid if we come forth
with a legal approach now, the UC legal people may not be willing to meet and
talk.
John
HolzrichterÕs Report
Thanks for all of your help during our preparations for comments to
the UC Board of Regents meeting this morning. It went very well,
with Lt. Gov Garamendi arranging for us to work with the Regents Legal Counsel
to find the legal basis for the transfer of UC/LLNL health benefits to LLNS.
Also, he commented that he thinks the recent benefit reductions are
unfair.
Manuel and I were told to prepare 3 minute talks, but we were given 2
minutes of time at the last minute. We were able to give our full written
talks to the staff for the record. I have attached my prepared comments
to this note, and I know that Manuel will attach his also well prepared (and
given) talk to us shortly.
Best,
John Holzrichter
UC Regents and
UC/LLNL retirees
by John F.
Holzrichter, PhD
jfholz@gmail.com
Thursday July
16, 2009 8:30 AM
I am Dr. John
Holzrichter, a UC/LLNL retiree.
I want to thank you for inviting me to speak on behalf of the 5500
UC/LLNL retirees regarding the unfortunate problems that have arisen with their
health and other retiree benefits. First a little background.
1) My
relationship with UC goes back to 1964 when I married into a
Berkeley family, becoming a naturalized UC alumnus. My
father-in-law was on the famous Cal crew, which won a gold medal at the 1932
olympics. I completed my PhD in Physics from Stanford in 1971, under
Prof. Arthur Shawlow who with UCÕs Charles Townes invented the
laser. I joined UC as a staff member at LLNL in 1972, attracted by
UC's technical and academic reputation, by the fabulous laser fusion project,
and by UC's stability. Upon hiring into UC I asked about second
class status at LLNL. Many of us asked this because Stanford was
divesting itself of SRI and its staff in the early 1970s, and we knew 2nd class
status was common. We were assured this would not happen at UC.
2) The
LLNL staff worked exceptionally hard for many years ( I for 28 years),
accomplishing astonishing things. I became director of Laser-Fusion and
then director of the LLNL internal research program. The latest
manifestation of our early laser fusion work is the NIF laser, which many of
you dedicated in late May. During my career a letter came from UCOP every
2 years or so stating our equality with all UC staff employees. I
declined several other job offers because of those promises.
3) In
about 2006 we were shocked to hear that LLNL would be split from UC and be
re-contracted, as I know you were as well. Fortunately, thanks to UC's
efforts, only health benefits and some COLA benefits were affected, not
our UC pensions. The DoE LLNLS contact called for substantially equal
health and other retirement benefits, comparable to all UC staff =>
this promise has been broken.
On Sept. 30,
2008 the UC/LLNL retires saw their health benefits reduced to what appears to
be the lowest in the DoE lab complex, now lower than LBNL, LANL, and Sandia.
We estimate that the effective health benefit has been reduced by over
$2500/yr for each retiree, and some now have no health care access. Yet
this unilateral Òtake-backÓ seems to be saving only about $1000/yr/retiree for
DoE, due to exceptionally poor management.
Total savings to
DoE as a result of this astonishing action are in the range of $5M to $10M/yr.
This is not much considering the anguish to so many retirees and the
damage to the reputations of great institutions, especially to the UC that we
all care so much about.
We ask for
your help in regaining
our UC staff retiree status. This is not a financial issue for UC, but a
fairness issue to its retirees. We believe we deserve the retirement
health care level that our over 50 years of contracts with UC called for.
Thank you
very much for your time on this important matter of UC/LLNL retiree benefits.