Thanks to everyone who submitted questions for the All Hands Meeting. We are working to get responses to you as quickly as possible. Following are the Q&As so far with the dates published in Newsline. We will continue to update as needed.
Note: You can access the video recording of the meeting here.
July 29, 2026
Q. Craft should be able to move up through the company. That is highly unlikely right now. Why is that? They are your most experienced people.
A. Craft workers have taken on management positions throughout UCOR. The requirements for positions within UCOR vary widely and depend upon job duties, responsibilities, and several other factors. We encourage everyone to explore opportunities within UCOR and seek guidance regarding meeting qualifications to take on a new position within the company.
Q. Are we getting a raise?
A. UCOR intends to implement merit increases for the non-represented workforce in conjunction with our established salary plan. Increases will be effective Jan. 1, 2027. Note that our labor union agreements dictate raises for represented personnel.
Q. How does UCOR plan to address the increased level of competition for employees with the new companies moving into Oak Ridge.
A. UCOR is aware of the competition for a skilled and qualified workforce throughout the region. We will continue to provide competitive wages, look for ways to enhance our benefit plans, and create a work environment conducive to the needs of our employees to ensure our ability to retain the workforce needed to complete our DOE mission.
Q. What are your plans for employee retention programs? The last couple years for the program have been good, but there could definitely be improvements.
A. UCOR will continue to implement programs to reward, recognize, and retain the workforce under our current Workforce Bonus Program. We will continue to monitor best practices across DOE and other industries to look for ways to enhance our existing programs. The anonymous feedback our workforce provides each year through our participation in the “Top Workplaces” program (~3,000 comments each year) has helped us implement the UCount and TeamsCount recognition programs, along with our all-employee bonus program. Employees are encouraged to continue sharing improvement suggestions to their supervisor, along with existing feedback programs such our UCOR Swift Observation Capture and LSITs.
July 28, 2026
Q. Is UCOR looking at changing our insurance back to one that is worth having like we had with Aetna?
A. Administrative Services continues to evaluate all insurance options to determine which company provides the greatest service and value to UCOR employees. Since contracting with BCBST, UCOR’s former insurance carrier, Aetna, has had an 18% price increase with a more restrictive formulary. In response to employee concerns, we are making changes to the PPO prescription coverage that includes copays (paying flat rates for prescription medications) versus coinsurance (paying a percentage of the total cost). More information will be provided during open season, but these changes should be beneficial to employees on the PPO plan.
Q. What was the result of the daycare survey? We never heard anything.
A. As a result of the survey, we have explored several childcare providers in the local area; however, current market demands limit their ability to offer corporate discounts or tropical shift schedules. Due to the high regional demand for childcare services, standard pricing structures are consistently maintained across providers. We remain committed to actively researching alternative strategies and partnerships to support our workforce in accessing affordable, flexible, and convenient childcare solutions.
Q. Would Dyncorp international be considered a legacy company of Amentum?
A. Dyncorp is not a legacy company that is eligible for our employer plan.
July 23, 2026
Q. How will the merger of the new ATLC contract effect the seniority list for each craft?
A. Seniority will be handled by the ATLC. Each individual should check with ATLC regarding seniority questions.
Q. Will we have an end-of-the-year bonus this year?
A. Yes, we are on track to meet our safety and performance goals in calendar year 2026 for eligible salaried, Building Trades, ATLC, and ROS employees to again receive an end-of-year bonus. UCOR was the first contractor to win DOE approval for our Employee Incentive Program, and it’s a deserved recognition of your fierce commitment to safety, mission delivery, and identifying efficiency opportunities to innovate and accelerate our work – without compromising safety or compliance. Let’s maintain that performance through the end of this year and beyond.
Q. Why do all-hands meetings only cater to and hype up D&D and show videos of them? Why are there never any videos or recognition of UCOR Maintenance? There is more than one side of UCOR.
A. Thanks for the feedback. As Jim Blankenhorn reinforced at the all hands meeting, all 2,200 UCOR employees are essential to our mission and contribute to this company’s success and reputation as an industry leader. As an example: while demolition of a large facility like Alpha-2 is a great video visual and gets a lot of attention, we know there were years of work, across every UCOR team, to get that massive 2.5-acre facility ready for safe demo. And that teamwork will continue to be true of all work at ORNL and Y-12. And our skilled labor teams in Maintenance are essential not just leading up to demolition – you are integral in our Nuclear Operations, the Transuranic Waste Processing Center, landfills, and all our work. And as Jim shared at the meeting, Team UCOR is similar to the US Army’s TV commercials that said “we do more before 9 a.m. than most people do in a day.” Jim asked our UCOR Public Affairs team to continue to tell the story of all our teams – and if you have stories to share, I encourage you to send them to communications@orcc.doe.gov, or ask your supervisor to reach out to the Public Affairs team.
Q. Have we come to a conclusion on how we will demo and what controls will be used for the smoke stack at ORNL building 3002 that is located next to the ORNL museum that has public access?
A. We are currently exploring ways to accelerate characterization within the former filter house, Building 3002, and we are also investigating the safest way to demolish the adjacent 200-foot-tall stack, Building 3018. We have safely conducted isolations to prevent any potential risk to the Oak Ridge Graphite Reactor historic landmark, allowing public access to continue while simultaneously conducting safe decommissioning activities.