Posted by Silver Linings
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Oct 1, 2023 at 12:34 am
Silver Linings is a registered user.

"NASA and its joint employers – American Paragon Protective Services and Chenega Security and Support Solutions"

No one should have to endure age discrimination. But I am confused as to why NASA is named in this suit and would appreciate clarification in the story. Security Services at NASA Ames are contractors, I thought, their employees are not NASA employees. If the firefighters had an issue with the environment, it seems like the contractor created the environment, because unlike other branches of NASA there--correct me if I'm wrong--there are no civil servant firefighters or security personnel there. I don't think even the security supervisors are civil service.

You can see that in the salaries. Over $200,000/year (incl medical) for 28 years service for firefighting professionals with good performance reviews. That's a little higher than but not out of line with what firefighters in Palo Alto make.

On the other hand, a scientist or engineer with a PhD, world-class expertise and good performance reviews, 35-40 years there, even in a management role, makes less than $150,000/yr—considerably less than we pay anyone in PAUSD with remotely commensurate education, responsibility, and experience—because those who are employed by NASA are civil service and they make considerably less because the locality pay in the Bay Area is the same as Texas, and salaries for civil servants have not kept pace with inflation for decades. (Biden gave civil servants a raise last year but it did not nearly make up the difference.)

If security services were a mix of civil service and contractors, I could see it, but I don't think that's the case.

Nevertheless, the outcome of this will be very interesting, especially since it could be that a reason civil service may not have higher pay grades or are paid so little compared to industry for comparable work and expertise may in fact be age discrimination—interesting, when leaders in DC are so old by comparison...