Most Portsmouth Naval Shipyard employees would work without pay if government shuts down

KITTERY, Maine — The majority of Portsmouth Naval Shipyard’s 6,400-plus civilian employees would work without pay rather than be furloughed if there's a federal government shutdown, according to a union leader.

Barring an 11th-hour deal before midnight Saturday, a shutdown could leave military members working without pay. Nationally, many Department of Defense civilian employees will be furloughed. However, most shipyard civilian employees appear likely to be required to work without pay.

Alanna Schaeffer is president of the Metal Trades Council at the shipyard and chairperson of the Seacoast Shipyard Association. She said the Navy has informed yard that it will remain operational even if a shutdown occurs. Civilian employees would continue working on submarines, though they would not receive immediate pay for their work.

“The Navy considers the work that’s done at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard to be vital to national security,” Schaeffer said Friday night.

The only shipyard workers to be furloughed in a shutdown could be support staff, such as those in administrative positions, according to Schaeffer. She said the Navy was still determining exactly how many Portsmouth Naval Shipyard civilian workers would be furloughed.

The Seacoast Shipyard Association, a Portsmouth Naval Shipyard advocacy group not directly affiliated with the military installation, released its annual economic impact report this month. Last year, according to the report, the shipyard had 6,451 civilian employees.

“Our submarine workers, which is the majority of our workers, will be continuing to work every day,” Schaeffer said. “The only thing about that obviously is if we continue to be in a shutdown, those employees will not be paid for their work.”

If Washington D.C. legislators don’t approve a continuing resolution or agree on a new budget by Saturday, the federal government will go into a shutdown with nationwide consequences.

Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy called a vote but was unable to gain support from a small group of hard-right lawmakers and a short-term funding package failed Friday afternoon, increasing the likelihood that the nation will experience a shutdown for the first time in almost four years.

The shutdown would go into effect at 12:01 a.m. this Sunday, Oct. 1.

More: Portsmouth Naval Shipyard economic impact $1.4B: Towns with most workers, payroll listed

As the shipyard awaits final head counts from the Navy on potential furloughs, Schaeffer shared that any furloughed workers would be paid eventually once a funding agreement is passed on Capitol Hill.

“They will ultimately receive pay. They just don’t know when,” she said.

The U.S. Navy Office of Information had not yet responded to questions from Seacoast Media Group about the shipyard on Friday night.

How would a government shutdown affect Pease Air National Guard Base?

A number of New Hampshire National Guard civilian employees could be furloughed from Pease Air National Guard Base in Portsmouth while military personnel will work without a paycheck if there's a shutdown.

New Hampshire National Guard Lt. Col. Greg Heilshorn said if a shutdown occurs, about 500 full-time military personnel between the Army and the Air Force will work without pay. About 200 to 300 of the New Hampshire National Guard’s federal civilian employees could be furloughed, he said.

“Day-to-day operations related to mission readiness will continue — for example refuelings, maintenance, and certain training,” Heilshorn stated. “We would be prepared to support potential unscheduled operations such as search and rescue missions or a state activation.”

Should the stoppage begin Sunday, all New Hampshire National Guard employees would report to work on Monday to begin the shutdown, he added.

“Furlough notifications will be sent to Directorate/Group Commanders and their deputies on Monday. Employees will be given instructions from their chain of command on what tasks to perform to conduct an orderly shutdown of employee activities,” Heilshorn explained. “Excepted employees will perform emergency work involving the safety of human life or the protection of property or performing other certain types of excepted work. Those employees and their supervisors will be informed of that list of excepted personnel by their chain of command.”

Around 2,000 traditional Army and Air Force guardsmen show up for drill one weekend per month. It has not yet been determined whether the guardsmen would report for drill next month in the event of a shutdown.

“It will depend on their specific responsibilities related to mission readiness,” Heilshorn said. “For example, part-time pilots and maintenance will have to report to duty.”

Anywhere between 100 to 150 federal civilian employees, including Pease Air National Guard Base firefighters, would be exempt from the restrictions as essential workers and would still report for duty, according to Heilshorn.

The White House this week stated all service members would be required to keep working during a shutdown, though none would be receiving their paychecks until federal funding is approved by lawmakers.

“Hundreds of thousands of their civilian colleagues in the Department of Defense would also be furloughed, affecting the ways in which the Department manages its affairs globally, including the vital task of recruiting new members of the military,” the Tuesday release from the White House reads. “All of this would prove disruptive to our national security.”

Gov. Sununu: NH programs won't be heavily impacted by possible shutdown

Gov. Chris Sununu stated New Hampshire agencies are prepared to continue administering programs in the event of a government shutdown.

New Hampshire citizens utilizing federally-funded programs, including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, child care and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, are unlikely to see a near-term disruption.

However, Women, Infants and Children program recipients will see a temporary reduction in their benefit used to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables, though infant formula and other food won’t be impacted by a shutdown.

“There is no immediate impact to the Department of Energy administering (Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program). There is no immediate impact to the Department of Corrections in administering victim advocacy programs. All DMVs will remain open,” Sununu’s office announced in a statement. “All state parks will remain open. The Department of Education has carryforward funds to support salary and benefits of the Food & Nutrition Program in the immediate term. New Hampshire Employment Security has funding to ensure unemployment benefits are able to be paid in the near-term.”

The last federal shutdown began just before Christmas 2018 and lasted more than a month, the longest government shutdown in the country’s history and the third during the Trump administration.

More: When was the last US government shutdown? How long did it last? A brief history

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Portsmouth Naval Shipyard employees: Work for no pay in a shutdown