Austal video update from 'Bama...bet AM needs welders

"More Austal USA employee cuts"
Slow company construction to blame
Published : Wednesday, 06 May 2009

MOBILE, Ala. - It was a depressing morning outside Austal USA. "I saw about 40 people walk out the door before I did", said former Austal employee Dustin Moesch.

"I've been looking forward to a good job for a long time and I get one and then they cut me", said Moesch.

Austal spokesman Don Keeler said cuts were made because there is a "lull" in company construction. "We've been talking to a few people and we're working through trying to handle this lapse in production", said Keeler.

Keeler wouldn't say exactly how many employees were cut, but does say he hopes that no one else has to be let go.

"We're doing our best to do design work, to get ready for our new production coming in the fall. We've been awarded the LSC-4 contract through the navy and we're also working on the joint high speed vessel for the navy", said Keeler...

Comment by "Donut" · 3 days ago:
As an employee that was laid off on May 6th, I can honestly say that what Mr Keeler has left out is the fact that they laid off even more employees today after he told the press that he hoped they wouldn't have to layoff anymore people. He knew then they were going to do more layoffs. What was also failed to be mentioned was the fact that when they laid us off they also informed us that our insurance benefits would be terminated as of midnight the day they laid us off. That was a double slap in the face. There are those of us who require medications that we can not otherwise afford without insurance that we must take daily in order to regulate such things as High Blood Pressure. They are also neglecting to state that they are reporting to the unemployment office that we were fired due to excessive absenteeism.


Also from: http://blog.al.com/press-register-business/2009/05/austal_lull_leads_to_layoffs.html

"Mobile shipbuilder Austal USA plans layoffs to fight gap in contract orders"
By Kaija Wilkinson, Press-Register May 6, 2009

Austal USA is laying off employees this week, most of them welders, as the Mobile shipyard deals with a lull in its order book, Don Keeler, vice president of human relations, said today. Keeler declined to give the number of affected employees and would not say whether a public report of 100 job cuts was accurate.

The news comes on the heels of last week's announcement that Austal will build a second littoral combat ship for the U.S. Navy as part of a contracting team led by General Dynamics.
Full-scale LCS production will not start until the fall, according to Austal officials.

Austal is also scheduled to start production in November on the first ship in a potential $1.6 billion, 10-vessel contract to build high-speed transports for the military...

COMMENT Posted by "layedoff" on 05/06/09 at 6:25PM:
167 people were layed off today including the entire 2009 class of apprentices. All of which had signed contracts with Austal to work there after finishing our apprenticeship for a certain period of time.