NWS Washington/Baltimore staffing shortage

[vortmax112]

That WOULD make sense, except that hiring externally for positions other than intern mean you are moving someone, and moving someone costs more money than promoting on-station.  Naturally (and from what I've been told unofficially, this was "encouraged" from higher up), this will mean the push is to promote on-station til you can hire an intern which incurs no moving costs.

 

If the NWS goes to a mode of doing mainly on station promotions, which rumors are they may to save money, this is very bad news for interns working in remote, undesirable locations where they only expected to be for a few years.

[KBPPradmet11]

If the NWS goes to a mode of doing mainly on station promotions, which rumors are they may to save money, this is very bad news for interns working in remote, undesirable locations where they only expected to be for a few years.

Unless of course the intern laterals to another office.  I have seen this done quite a bit in the past.  There has been at least one or two laterals since the initialization of the sequester.  Though, I imagine even that will be stopped at some point.

[famartin]

Laterals? LOL some regions ALREADY put the clamp down on those a few years ago, from what I've been told "unofficially". The others probably have "unofficially" done so by now. I know Proenza in SR thought lateralling was great and a lot happened down there, but he's gone now, so those days are over.

[baroclinic_instability]

Laterals? LOL some regions ALREADY put the clamp down on those a few years ago, from what I've been told "unofficially". The others probably have "unofficially" done so by now. I know Proenza in SR thought lateralling was great and a lot happened down there, but he's gone now, so those days are over.

It still happens. In fact, one of the journeys who vacated Fairbanks (leaving them down even more slots) just lateraled to Grand Junction.

[famartin]

It still happens. In fact, one of the journeys who vacated Fairbanks (leaving them down even more slots) just lateraled to Grand Junction.

 

Interesting.  Wish ER (the region I've been told put the clamp down) was like-minded.

[KBPPradmet11]

Laterals? LOL some regions ALREADY put the clamp down on those a few years ago, from what I've been told "unofficially". The others probably have "unofficially" done so by now. I know Proenza in SR thought lateralling was great and a lot happened down there, but he's gone now, so those days are over.

An intern from Key West recently lateraled to Melbourne as well.  This was after Proenza got the boot and initialization of the sequester.

 

Edit:  I forgot one... Intern from Newport, NC lateraled to Ruskin. In fact that intern just recently (like within the last week) arrived on station.

[famartin]

Are you kidding me? WTH? I just bid on an intern spot in ER PUBLIC (as in, not even asking for moving money) and the bastards essentially chucked my application in the trash.

[vortmax112]

Unless of course the intern laterals to another office.  I have seen this done quite a bit in the past.  There has been at least one or two laterals since the initialization of the sequester.  Though, I imagine even that will be stopped at some point.

 

Yes, I think if it gets to the point they are only promoting on station I don't think they will continue to allow any laterals. Not good at all. They should continue to allow you to move but just not pay for it if there's no money there and that's the issue. At least the employee has a choice and can still move if he/she's willing to foot the cost.

[KBPPradmet11]

Yes, I think if it gets to the point they are only promoting on station I don't think they will continue to allow any laterals. Not good at all. They should continue to allow you to move but just not pay for it if there's no money there and that's the issue. At least the employee has a choice and can still move if he/she's willing to foot the cost.

Agreed!  I've heard from a few that would be willing to pay for his or her own move in order to promote or even lateral to a more desirable office.  However, I'm nearly 100% certain politics would prevent WFMO from making such a hire.

[famartin]

You can count me among those

[vortmax112]

Agreed!  I've heard from a few that would be willing to pay for his or her own move in order to promote or even lateral to a more desirable office.  However, I'm nearly 100% certain politics would prevent WFMO from making such a hire.

 

The union right? rumor has it they absolutely refuse to budge on the issue of moving expenses. If it really goes this route you'll start to see people leaving the organization. For example, a lot of people from urban areas on the east coast aren't going to tolerate spending the rest of their careers in rural Montana or Nevada.

[KBPPradmet11]

 

The union right? rumor has it they absolutely refuse to budge on the issue of moving expenses. If it really goes this route you'll start to see people leaving the organization. For example, a lot of people from urban areas on the east coast aren't going to tolerate spending the rest of their careers in rural Montana or Nevada.

 

I think eventually it will get worked out one way or another.  It may not be immediate but sometime in the future moving expenses will be again paid.  At this point, I would happily move to Montana or Nevada if it means I get into the agency.  But you're right about folks leaving the agency.  A friend of mine was in Alaska and had a date set.  He had plans on leaving for the private sector if he didn't get out of Alaska within that time frame.  He ended up getting out before that date by lateral.

[famartin]

The union right? rumor has it they absolutely refuse to budge on the issue of moving expenses. If it really goes this route you'll start to see people leaving the organization. For example, a lot of people from urban areas on the east coast aren't going to tolerate spending the rest of their careers in rural Montana or Nevada.

You can count me among these people too. I even said as much to the union president.

Edit: by organization, I assumed he meant the union. Not the NWS.

[Rainshadow]

Wow. I did not realize the situation of understaffing was this bad within the NWS.  

 

What is the problem?  Not enough money to pay employees?  (I'll be honest, politics is not my thing nor do I pay much attention to it)

 

I am a NWSEO member.

 

For a couple of years the former NWS CFO was taking money from other NWS programs to pay for labor costs.  This cost him and Jack Hayes their positions.  As to why this had to be done and why NOAA has not been accurate about NWS labor costs to Congress, I don't know. This practice was stopped and sequestration just made a bad situation worse. Congress has given NOAA permission to reprogram money this time and to be honest the stories out of NOAA change every week as to whether or not they asked and or whether or not reprogramming would make a difference.  Regardless the request for furloughs has been made. 

 

Being down approximately 200 positions in 122 field offices means some furloughed shifts are going to have to be covered by overtime. This does not take into account additional overtime for every moderate or greater impact weather event, because the NWS is "fair weather" staffed. 

 

Also add the cost of postage by WFM to notify all NOAA employees of the impending furloughs, well most people would get the picture...

 

NOAA is the only agency within the Department of Commerce that is planning on furloughing its employees.