Ketchikan shipyard expects to lay off up to 80 workers

KETCHIKAN, Alaska (AP) – A Ketchikan shipyard is expecting to lay off 50 to 80 workers between October and the end of the year.

The Ketchikan Daily News reports Vigor Alaska officials informed workers of the layoffs at a meeting last week, citing the lack of new construction projects.

Doug Ward, the director of shipyard development, says the layoffs will affect “core workers,” and the announcement came about to “give our folks a heads-up so they can get on with planning their lives.”

Ward says the shipyard has about 300 workers, including about 100 contract workers brought on to accelerate work on the Alaska Marine Highway System ferry Hubbard.

Ward says structural work on the Hubbard is expected to begin winding down next month. The project is expected to be completed next year.
—
Information from: Ketchikan (Alaska) Daily News, http://www.ketchikandailynews.com

The post Ketchikan shipyard expects to lay off up to 80 workers appeared first on Newstalk 750 – 103.7 KFQD.