NASA Goddard Union Pushes Back

Keith’s note: according to a press release issued by GESTA, (Goddard Engineers, Scientists and Technicians Association – IFPTE local 29) the employee union at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, on Saturday night: “Throughout there has been a complete breakdown in communication from NASA agency and Center leadership where decisions are rarely communicated, almost always only verbally, and not directly by the decision makers.” Full release below

Context: NASA Goddard Space Center is the largest group of scientists, technicians and engineers in the US and world who develop Earth and space science flight missions.

1. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is closing 13 campus buildings (including ~100 laboratories) with extreme haste and with no transparent strategy or benefit to NASA or the Nation.
2. Tens or hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayer-funded NASA property and laboratories are at risk of either being discarded, mishandled, or out-of-commission for significant time periods.
3. Unique and critical US and NASA capabilities are being abandoned without consultation with NASA employees (e.g., mission leads, subject-matter experts), NASA agency leads, Congress, or the public.
4. High profile missions currently supported by the public, Congress and/or the President (e.g., Roman, Dragonfly) will be immediately harmed or endangered.
5. Closure activities are proceeding during the government shutdown, which may be illegal under the Antideficiency Act and further endangers property.
6. The closures are being justified as cost-saving but no details are being provided and any short-term savings are unlikely to offset a full account of moving costs and the reduced ability to complete NASA missions.
7. Some employees are being ordered or pressured to: Perform activities without pay; Pack and move with minimal notice; Discard valuable equipment and flight hardware they have dedicated years to; Have their personal property handled by others while not present
8. Goddard management had previously agreed during union bargaining to halt moves until adequate laboratory space had been identified but they are reneging on those agreements.
9. NASA and Goddard have a recent history of closing high profile facilities for no logical reason – the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York was closed in May under the pretense of saving money, but NASA is continuing to pay rent. [Scientific American].
10. Throughout there has been a complete breakdown in communication from NASA agency and Center leadership where decisions are rarely communicated, almost always only verbally, and not directly by the decision makers.