Lawmakers Oppose Proposed Worker Discipline Policy at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
A group of lawmakers from Maine and New Hampshire, including Senators Jeanne Shaheen, Maggie Hassan, and Angus King, along with Representatives Chris Pappas, Maggie Goodlander, and Chellie Pingree, are opposing a proposed policy change by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). The proposed 'Promoting Employee Accountability' policy aims to alter the current standards used by federal supervisors to discipline workers. The lawmakers argue that this policy would undermine merit-based employment and due process for workers at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. In a letter dated August 3, the lawmakers expressed concerns that the policy could exacerbate workforce challenges at the shipyard, which already needs to hire over 700 workers annually to meet operational demands.