Union contests BIW's statement over new layoffs
Bath Iron Works has reportedly laid off 53 welders and shipfitters over the last two weeks, but a union leader is contesting the company’s stated reasons for the layoffs.
Matt Wickenheiser, BIW spokesman, confirmed with the Bangor Daily News that less than 40 workers were laid off, saying the layoffs were “due to a lack of work for those particular trades at this time, given where our ships’ units are in the production process.”
Jay Wadleigh, president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local S6, told the newspaper that over 10 welders also received layoff notices. He said he questions BIW’s response regarding the layoffs because of the tenures held by a majority of the workers.
BIW is currently working on three DDG-1000 Zumwalt-class destroyers and two DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. It had previously announced that it would hire more people to bring its current workforce of around 5,200 to nearly 6,000.
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