r/antarctica • u/LoudTradition7203 • 11d ago
USAP Contract protest
Did you dive deep into the contract protest between Battelle and KBR? I have some serious questions that I'm hoping some of you may have answers to. In July 2025 the NSF stated: "NSF retracts the statement that there is a domestic preference for domestic labor." Now we see that KBR underbid Battelle so substantially that it appears they plan to hire non-US and non-NZ personnel.
The document says, "KBR has unique experience hiring [DELETED] at cheaper wage rates and employing them in different environments successfully. The NSF reviewed KBR’s proposal, which explained that it has employed [DELETED] in cold and/or remote environments, such as [DELETED] and [DELETED], and used wage data from those contracts to substantiate its proposed costs." And that definitely is discussing non-US citizens.
It also says, "KBR’s proposal shows that it elected not to apply “uplift” pay to positions staffed with [DELETED]."
Historically, KBR and its subcontractors heavily recruit non-US citizens from South and Southeast Asian nations, including the Philippines, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Turkey.
I'm PISSED that I am going to lose my job to a non-US employee. Has anyone directly asked the NSF about this?
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u/tbird7401 10d ago
That, plus it sounds like KBR is splitting into two companies (KBR and Trinzic). They may just add the ASC to Trinzic’s portfolio. This all sounds a little suspicious. Enjoy heading down the rabbit hole!
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u/LoudTradition7203 10d ago
splitting into two companies is not unusual. but the question is, the NSF is willing to hire non-US citizens to support world class science. the House sent a scathing letter to NSF re the sexual harassment stuff to DO BETTER and now the NSF awards a contract to a low bidding win based on hiring carpenters at $7 an hour instead of $28? No uplift planned.
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u/tbird7401 10d ago
True but it is unusual not to include that information on your company during/in your bid. Battelle’s protest does include the restructuring of KBR as a big part of their protest.
I am just happy V2X wasn’t awarded the contract or you would see your comp cut in half when they send you a contract. That’s if they implemented a “right of first refusal” clause.
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u/IllustriousRepeat922 ❄️ Winterover 10d ago
And where did you get this bit of inside knowledge from or is it speculation?
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u/Academic_Monk7825 10d ago
How would they navigate this element? I suppose they would renegotiate the contract terms.
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u/LoudTradition7203 10d ago
Is this Port Hueneme? That would likely remain as is. But the bid they turned in to NSF included labor for Christchurch operations, and the wording made it appear as though they plan to NOT use Kiwis there. Maybe I'm wrong.
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u/Academic_Monk7825 10d ago
No, that listing was for on the ice.
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u/LoudTradition7203 10d ago
I believe this is for an Amentum contract. The current USAP contract requires US citizenship for jobs, and if they cannot be filled, others such as NZ, Canada, etc. can fill the positions. However, the NSF deliberated removed the requirement for US citizens for the next contract.
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u/Keiceleria 10d ago
They are going to find it rather difficult to impossible to move personnel from the countries listed in the comments through NZ or AU to get to MCM or Pole. This is not something to hang anyone's hat on, but is a reality.
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u/halibutpie 10d ago
Cruise lines routinely move personnel through these countries for schedule rotations.
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u/Keiceleria 10d ago
That is very different, similar to flight crew. An agreement/arrangement could be made, but it would be difficult at best.
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u/packetfire 10d ago
One overlooked or overtly ignored aspect is the lack of foreknowledge such contractors will have of the environmental conditions and the social conditions. Face it - overwintering is not far away from being posted to the moon in terms of remoteness and the number of ways the "outside" can kill the unwary. If the experience of the various tourist expedition cruise lines is any guide, their ship food service and housekeeping staff has had a high "one trip and gone" rate, and a very very low contract renewal rate, and they don't go any further south than the peninsula.
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u/LoudTradition7203 10d ago
exactly my concern - wouldn't the NSF rather have someone who had deployed 3x setting up the runway for a midwinter evac than a new guy from the Philippines?
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u/A_the_Buttercup Winter/Summer, both are good 9d ago
Everybody who gets the contract says employee retention is a high priority, and then they go about squelching morale, not caring if we return or not. They aren't afraid of burning through employees, the return rate has been declining for years.
Edit: this is based on what I've watched happen over the last fifteen years in the program, but it's not based on statistics or anything. A lot of turnover happens now, and I think it's likely to get worse.
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u/belisaurius42 ❄️ Winterover 8d ago
And if they follow through on this plan, turnover is going to go up. I cant see lifers return for a 33% pay cut. More turnover is going to, at best, cost the company a boatload in lost materials and labor due to rework and having to train new people constantly. At worst this is going to get someone hurt or worse. There is a lot of tribal knowledge at McMurdo and and undervaluing that is going to seriously bite KBR.
If we are lucky the NSF will realize this blunder and do something about it. Hopefully.
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u/halibutpie 6d ago
I really dislike the tribal knowledge argument. In most work environments real SOP’s are written so that everyone knows the process to do (or at least start) job A, B, C. Old timers in the program tend to keep their knowledge closely held. For bragging rights, for job security, or just because no one asks for things to be documented?
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u/sciencemercenary ❄️ Winterover 6d ago
I agree with you in principle but let's reframe the term 'tribal knowledge' to 'historical wisdom'.
If an employee fails to write or update a comprehensive SOP, that's a problem with management, who should be reviewing their performance.
That said, it's a uniquely dynamic environment, and for many jobs no SOP can possibly cover all the contingencies (I've tried). Returning employees are invaluable because of their historical knowledge, something dismissed repeatedly by incoming prime contractors -- and apparently now by the NSF too -- until the system starts falling apart.
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u/A_the_Buttercup Winter/Summer, both are good 6d ago
To understand my job completely would realistically take more than a year. Regardless of how much is written in SOPs or Books of Knowledge, nobody can absorb all this information in a useful form in 2-6 weeks of training. To be truly useful, maybe two years or more. I still don't feel useful, and I've been in this position for three. We have SOPs, but those are not enough. It's an oddly technical job for how little I am paid, and for how little goes into the training.
I totally get not liking the "tribal knowledge" argument, but there's no way to train somebody in my job via SOP; I've guided multiple winter replacements toward our vast amounts of this knowledge in the form of SOPs, training, and personalized emails, and it still gets skipped or forgotten or buried. This is YEARS of knowledge we're trying to prioritize, and then transplant, within weeks. It is not realistic.
Information-wise, my job shouldn't be considered seasonal, but it still is. There is no way to pass down everything, no matter how much we write it down.
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u/halibutpie 5d ago
These comments prove my dislike of tribal/historical/inherited knowledge. It certainly falls to management (NSF and contractor) that USAP systems and processes remain so opaque and convoluted, even given the unique challenges. I suppose the question is whether you will take a very likely pay cut but keep your arcane knowledge and carry on working there. It's capitalism after all, and people don't win over profit.
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u/A_the_Buttercup Winter/Summer, both are good 5d ago
I'm with tou. I would love it if our jobs didn't rely on historical wisdom. I want my job to be easily trainable, for there to stop being so many peculiarities, and for us to have the time to really learn our jobs before redeploying.
As for whether or not I'll take a massive pay cut and continue to work for the program... probably not.
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u/belisaurius42 ❄️ Winterover 6d ago
I partially agree to this point, though I will say that, while I do have a rather extensive book of knowledge and SOP written in case something happens to me, my job is far reaching and complex enough that I imagine my notes are inscrutable without context, and I imagine that is the same for many others. Without proper turnover at the end of the season no amount of note taking will prepare a newcomer for my job.
My worry is, if they end up cutting pay I can see a lot of people not wanting to come back and also not be incentivized to update/explain their turnover notes.
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u/LoudTradition7203 10d ago
the document says - If the proposed rate deviated by less than 33 percent from the hourly mediate rate, then the proposed rate was considered realistic. Id. at 72. If, however, the rate deviated negatively by more than 33 percent, then the agency would examine the substantiating data to determine whether the rate was realistic. Id. The NSF determined that many of KBR’s proposed rates were below the mean. AR, Tab 3F, Price and Cost Evaluation Report at 75. Nevertheless, the agency determined that all proposed rates were sufficiently substantiated and therefore realistic. Id. For example, the agency noted that KBR proposed a direct labor rate for the LDB carpenter position which was significantly less than the median rate ([DELETED] vs. $28.84); however, the agency concluded that the rate was nevertheless realistic because KBR provided a screenshot from its payroll system showing that this was an actual wage paid to a current employee.
this means KBR plans to pay more than 33% lower wages than current wages and that is only going to happen if they are hiring engineers and carpenters from english speaking third world countries.
my job is gone under this next contract and yours is kaput too