AFSCME, Lab Agreement Includes Wage Deal

Negotiators for Berkeley Lab and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) have reached a tentative agreement on a new multi-year local wage agreement for SX (service) unit employees — including bus drivers, custodians, truck drivers and technical assistants. The ratification process for the agreement by union members should be completed in a couple of weeks, acccording to Lab officials. Labor Relations Manager Bill Elkins said the deal provides "fair and equitable across-the-board wage increases" for three years. Go here for more details.

Accelerator Expert Wins
Achievement Prize

Leemans

Wim Leemans, with the Lab's Accelerator and Fusion Research Division, was awarded the prize for "Achievement in Accelerator Physics and Technology" from the U.S. Particle Accelerator School. Winners receive a certificate of merit and a cash award of $3,000. Leemans was recognized for "his contributions to the developments of laser wakefield accelerators, in particular the guiding of high-intensity laser beams and acceleration to high-energy of high-quality electron beams."

Proteomics Probes
Acid Mine Drainage

Banfield

A pink, bacterial scum on the floor of an abandoned mine seems an unlikely place to study community development, but a biological breakthrough is allowing UC Berkeley researchers — including Berkeley Lab earth scientist Jill Banfield — to probe the give and take in this microbial mat. Last year, the UC Berkeley team joined with the Joint Genome Institute to pluck out the genomes of the five dominant bacteria in a slime, or biofilm, responsible for acidic drainage from the mine. Now, they have gone further and identified the proteins that go with these five organisms, their so-called proteomes. Full story.

Information Technology
Group Changes Name

The Lab's Information Technologies and Services Division has changed its name to the Information Technology Division, or IT Division. The change was made to better reflect the group's focus on core competencies in information technology (IT), including ESnet. It also reflects the recent reorganization in which TEID's Creative Services (design and illustration, web development, photography, technical writing) were transferred to the Public Affairs Department.