Newport News Shipbuilding lays off more than 300 staff

Newport News Shipbuilding is laying off 314 salaried staff, president Jennifer Boykin said Friday in an email to employees. In addition, 119 managers will move to lower-ranking jobs.

This is the shipyard’s first layoff in five years.

The layoff “more evenly distributes management spans and reshapes production and support ratios,” Boykin’s email said, in order to reduce the number of layers of management.

All impacted employees have been notified. The shipyard is providing severance and benefits as well as transition assistance, Boykin said.

“Today is a tough day as we say goodbye to 314 fellow shipbuilders,” she said, adding “these are very difficult decisions, they are necessary cost controls to help ensure the future of our shipyard and the affordability of the ships we build.”

Even so, she said the shipyard’s future remains strong. Boykin said the company will continue hiring for specific, critical positions.

Charles Spivey, president of United Steelworkers Local 8888, said the layoff did not affect any members of the union’s bargaining unit.

“We were able to save some jobs,” with the move of some salaried employees to bargaining unit jobs, he said.

Dave Ress, 757-247-4535, dress@dailypress.com