Mr. McNamara said the driver was a veteran employee with a good safety record.

It is now planning to begin random drug screening of veteran employees.

Ms. Ferguson said the lack of transition rules might also spark lawsuits by veteran employees who believe they are being shortchanged.

New workers make the Washington minimum, $7.93 an hour, but veteran employees make more.

On the other hand, you have to love a veteran employee who's been to Disney World seven times.

"Over all, half of the jobs are veteran longtime employees," but are still too young to be eligible for early buyouts or retirement, she said.

Agencies, bureaus and offices were realigned at a rate that left veteran employees in a state of mental exhaustion.

Closer to the building Leonidas Papayiannis, a veteran employee of the ministry's research department, was less cool.

As part of the cutbacks at Plant I, some veteran employees have received severance packages worth up to $25,000 each.

Those rules require airlines hiring additional people to give preference to veteran employees laid off by other airlines.