Bill Targets Federal Policy on Shipyard Worker Reimbursement

KITTERY, Maine - Maine Sen. Susan Collins is introducing an amendment she says would repeal a U.S. Department of Defense policy she believes is unfair to some shipyard workers.
 
Collins, a Republican, says her proposal would repeal the Defense Department's long-term temporary duty policy for shipyard workers who are conducting off-yard maintenance. She says the policy was enacted in 2014 and reimburses the shipyard workers at a reduced flat rate rather than the full rate.
 
The Navy uses the long-term temporary assignments to perform maintenance and repair work on ships. Collins says the reduced reimbursement makes it more difficult for public naval yards to conduct ship maintenance and modernization. She says it could also increase the total cost of projects in the long run.
 
Collins' state includes the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery.