The Pentagon says Maine could be facing about $41 million in Defense Department civilian payroll cuts if automatic government spending cuts kick in March 1.
Maine U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King toured Bath Iron Works Thursday morning and talked about the potential cuts.
They voiced their support for the workers at BIW, and said they hope a temporary reprieve could be reached to avoid the so called "sequester."
"It's an embarrassment that our government has put us in this position," said King
Hundreds of technical jobs at the ship building facility hang in the balance if Congress can't agree on a defense department budget.?
A union representative for technical employees said several hundred BIW workers are anxious and frustrated with the prospect of losing their jobs within the next six to nine months.
"We will continue to do everything we can to ensure we have the funding to build these ship," said Collins.
According to the Navy, 1,121 temporary workers would lose their jobs nationwide, mostly in shipyards. And if Congress fails to negotiate on a plan, the USS Miami repairs at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard could be deferred.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told Congress on Wednesday that if a budget deal isn't reached, he may have to shorten the workweek for the "vast majority" of the Defense Department's 800,000 civilian workers. They'd lose one day of work per week, or 20 percent of their pay, for up to 22 weeks, probably starting in late April.
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Pentagon figures show its civilian payroll in Vermont for the 2012 fiscal year was $486 million and about $445 million for 2013.
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The biggest potential civilian payroll losses would be in Virginia, California, Maryland, Texas and Georgia.
Collins and King were scheduled to visit the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Thursday afternoon.
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