Whitfield Scores Major Win for Workers at Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant | News | Congressman Ed Whitfield

News | Congressman Ed Whitfield | United States Representative

Whitfield Scores Major Win for Workers at Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant May 24, 2006 WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Ed Whitfield announced Wednesday that he received written confirmation that Department of Energy (DOE) will honor the pension and health benefits for USEC employees who transfer to cleanup jobs at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant.

The decision by DOE is a significant win for Whitfield, who has long been a strong advocate for the workers at the Paducah plant. Whitfield authored a provision in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 protecting the health and welfare benefits of employees currently working for a DOE contractor or for USEC, which operates the plant. The provision provides that when DOE changes its contractors at the facility, or when hourly employees transfer from USEC to a DOE contractor, the employees do not lose their accrued pension and health benefits.

"I'm pleased the Department has agreed to enforce the pension and health protections as I had originally intended," said Whitfield. "Secretary Bodman and the Department have been patient in listening to my concerns, and I appreciate their willingness to work with me in resolving this issue."

Though Whitfield's pension and health protections were signed into law last August, DOE concluded that it was not bound to ensure that USEC hourly workers would continue to be able to participate or transfer into employee pension and health plans managed by contractors at the Paducah plant.

In his capacity as Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Whitfield held a January 19 field hearing in Paducah at which DOE witnesses were called to testify about the pension protection issue. At the hearing, Whitfield voiced concern that DOE was not following the law as he had written and Congress intended. Following the hearing, Whitfield wrote to Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman on March 6 requesting detailed information for DOEs stance opposing the pension protection provisions authored by Whitfield. Three days later on March 9, Whitfield arranged a personal meeting with the Secretary and urged that DOE reconsider its position on the pension issue.

Though it has been nearly a year since Whitfield's pension language was signed into law, Whitfield said that DOEs decision to reverse course was welcome news.
"For me, this issue has always been about doing the right thing for the workers. These individuals have earned their benefits and it has been my intention that those benefits are protected. The Department is doing the right thing by adhering to the law as Congress originally intended and I applaud them for the decision."

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