March 25, 2020

Eblast March 25, 2020

CORONAVIRUS TRIGGERS NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS

At a time when patience is thinner than a potato chip and bad news shows up like an unwelcome guest, the shipyard, the Local 8888 office and the Newport News area got blindsided by a power outage yesterday. Eventually, power was restored, but the disruption added another layer of stress to an already stressful situation.

Now, we can share with you a few important announcements made by the company earlier this week as part of its response to the first two cases of the coronavirus surfacing in the shipyard.

  • Expedited Retirement – NNS is offering employees planning to retire in April and May the option to leave NOW and pay out.
  •  Kashable and Purchasing Power – These services for NNS employees should be active by April 1st.
  • Liberal Leave – The company has extended COVID-19 liberal leave until the end of April, in light of Gov. Northam’s announcement that Virginia’s schools have been cancelled for the rest of the school year. The liberal leave extension applies to ALL NNS employees, including those working offsite, no matter what their location.

Coronavirus Cases Confirmed in the Shipyard

The company has confirmed two cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) at NNS. The two employees who tested positive have been quarantined and are recovering. Company officials promptly contacted employees who work near those individuals or who came into close contact with them. Subsequently, a small number of employees have been told to self-quarantine as a precautionary measure and to call the clinic for additional guidance. 

This is only the beginning. As the number of COVID-19 cases grows throughout the state, the company expects to have more positive cases confirmed in the shipyard over the next several months. Officials say the company has been planning for the outbreak in the yard and is deciding how best to provide information on new developments.

But NNS President Jennifer Boykin said, “My commitment to you is that as we learn of new cases, our medical team will directly communicate with our employees who may have been put at risk, and we will assess the need for additional cleaning. Finally, we are going to provide more information as details are finalized about options for those who feel at risk in their current work environment.”

A summary of all current leave time options and alternative work options are on the NNS website. https://nns.huntingtoningalls.com/411/