Delegations protest shipyard hiring freeze

KITTERY – Members of the congressional delegations from Maine and New Hampshire are protesting hiring restrictions placed on the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.

The delegations have written to the Pentagon, urging that the restrictions be lifted.

“Increasing workload while freezing personnel levels at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is counterintuitive and not in the best interests of national security, the Navy or taxpayers,” the group wrote.

The letter was addressed to Vice Admiral Paul E. Sullivan, commander of the Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, D.C. It was written by New Hampshire Sens. Judd Gregg and John Sununu, and Maine Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, along with U.S. Reps. Jeb Bradley of New Hampshire and Tom Allen of Maine.

Paul O’Connor, president of the Metal Trades Council union at the shipyard, said that the hiring freeze was precipitated by Connecticut lawmakers upset that jobs were headed for Portsmouth from Electric Boat in Groton, Conn.

The decommissioning of the USS Philadelphia had been moved from the private Connecticut yard to the Portsmouth Navy yard. That resulted in a loss of jobs at the Connecticut facility.

However, Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., said through a spokeswoman that he “has not had anything to do” with any work force issues at the Portsmouth facility.

“There’s been no effort to stop hiring at the Portsmouth location. That information is untrue,” said Stacy Paxton, Dodds’ press secretary. “It’s a Navy decision.”