Laboratory releases pay equity study

Contact: James E. Rickman, jamesr@lanl.gov, (505) 665-9203 (03-110)

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LOS ALAMOS, N.M., Aug. 18, 2003 -- As promised by Director G. Peter Nanos, Los Alamos National Laboratory today released a study of pay equity and hiring practices at the Laboratory.

The study — prepared by Finis Welch, professor emeritus at Texas A&M University — was released to the New Mexico Hispano Roundtable, the New Mexico Legislature's LANL Oversight Committee, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, the New Mexico Congressional Delegation, staff for the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Laboratory employees and other interested parties.

The Welch Study is the culmination of years of data collection and evaluation and examines pay and hiring issues at the Laboratory as well as how those issues affect minority and female workers. The Laboratory received the study late Friday and released it today, fulfilling a promise by Director Nanos, who pledged to have the study completed quickly and accurately, and to release it as soon at it became available.

"Today I have fulfilled an important promise to the people of Northern New Mexico and the employees of this Laboratory," Nanos said. "Now that the study is complete, I have asked several key departments within the Laboratory to review the findings of the Welch Study and provide recommendations for appropriate future actions. Our next steps forward will be guided by the highest principles of honesty, equity, fairness and openness. My commitment to this issue is unwavering."

The report can be found at http://www.lanl.gov/worldview/news/welch.shtml online.

Los Alamos National Laboratory is operated by the University of California for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) of the U.S. Department of Energy and works in partnership with NNSA's Sandia and Lawrence Livermore national laboratories to support NNSA in its mission.

Los Alamos develops and applies science and technology to ensure the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear deterrent; reduce the threat of weapons of mass destruction, proliferation and terrorism; and solve national problems in defense, energy, environment and infrastructure

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