Federal workers at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, are bracing for potential mass layoffs, union leaders told NBC affiliate NEWS CENTER Maine on Thursday.
Alana Schaeffer, president of the Metal Trades Council Union, said union representatives are hearing there will a a large rescaling of federal employees of several agencies nationwide, including the shipyard, which employs a federal workforce of around 6,000 people.
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"We are hearing down through the chain of command that our employees are expected to be released at the end of the week this week," Schaeffer said.
The information came down in the form of a message from the Office of Personal Management, which managers federal workers, to the Department of Defense. The rescaling is part of the Department of Government Efficiency's efforts to reduce federal spending, a strategy that is facing legal challenges and sending shockwaves through a federal workforce living under the uncertainty of dramatic cuts.
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Schaeffer said the federal workers at the shipyard are highly trained and worries that mass layoffs will affect not only their livelihood but national security.
"The work that men and women here at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard do is so vital to national security, especially with looming threats from China, looming threats around the world," she said. "We strongly believe that the navy cannot afford to not be continuously training those employees to continue to do that work that is already slated for Portsmouth shipyard employees."
Some of the shipyard's employees recently accepted buyouts. They are expected to leave work next week.
Schaeffer said as part of the deal, they forfeited their rights to sue or take legal action against the agency.
