RICHLAND, Wash. – Energy Northwest has eliminated 106 positions in the second and final phase of calendar year 2005 reduction-in-force actions. The first phase took place in March with 51 positions eliminated, for a total of 157 positions cut by the Joint Operating Agency this year.
Of the 106 positions eliminated this week, 53 were occupied, 24 were vacant, and 29 were filled by contractors. The agency previously reported that 21 positions eliminated in March were occupied, and the remaining 30 were vacant.
Most of the employees in positions identified for elimination will leave by July 14. Seven have been asked to remain until the fall to fulfill short-term business needs.
The positions in this week’s action cover a broad range of skills, from janitorial to nuclear engineering. No security jobs are being be eliminated.
Laid-off employees will be offered severance benefits based upon position classification and length of employment.
Officials at the public power agency attributed the layoffs to an ongoing campaign to reduce costs without compromising safety or electricity generation. The campaign is part of Energy Northwest’s efforts to keep electric rates as low as possible in the region.
Formed under Washington state law, Energy Northwest has the legal status of a municipal corporation and functions as a Joint Operating Agency, serving 19 public power utilities and cities throughout the state. It operates the region’s only nuclear power plant, Columbia Generating Station, the Nine Canyon Wind Project south of Kennewick, the Packwood Hydroelectric Project near Mt. Rainier, the White Bluffs Solar Station north of Richland, Wash., and is actively involved with developing biomass technologies for producing electricity.