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BIW Announces Plans to Eliminate 160 Positions

PORTLAND, Maine - Bath Iron Works has announced that it plans to lay off 30 workers immediately and eliminate another 130 positions over time.

But Rich Nolan, president of the Machinists' Union local S6, says those layoffs won't affect union members."As I understand, salaried personnel," he says. "It will not affect any members of local s6."

There have been concerns that up to about 1,000 people could be laid off as a result of the shipyard's failure to secure a $10.5 billion contract to build a new generation of Coast Guard cutters; but the company says this isn't related to that.

Rather, in a statement, officials say the company is "eliminating 160 positions in the engineering and support organizations as part of ongoing efforts to be more affordable."

Of those 160 positions to be eliminated, BIW says the "remaining reductions will be realized through retirements, transfers, resignations and cancelled job postings."

Nora is originally from the Boston area but has lived in Chicago, Michigan, New York City and at the northern tip of New York state. Nora began working in public radio at Michigan Radio in Ann Arbor and has been an on-air host, a reporter, a digital editor, a producer, and, when they let her, played records.