Kilmer Hails New Official Report Recommending Overtime for Shipyard Workers Overseas
BREMERTON, WA – Today, Representative Derek Kilmer (D-WA) released the following statement after the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued a new report recommending a permanent extension of overtime for civilian shipyard workers overseas. OPM indicated a two-year overtime extension should be approved so that the agency can work with the Department of Defense on the long-term solution.
“We need to show shipyard workers we have their backs,” said Kilmer. “I’m glad that this key agency report clearly states that overtime is needed for folks going overseas to make repairs. It’s only right that when we ask workers to leave their families for four to six months to help maintain our naval edge we compensate them fairly. That’s why we successfully fought to get an extension of overtime authorization for another year and we’ll keep going until we have a permanent fix. Government agencies should follow the facts and settle this matter so we don’t put workers in limbo year after year.”
Kilmer has continued to push for the authorization of overtime payments for shipyard workers who conduct nuclear maintenance on the U.S. aircraft carrier stationed in Japan. When the overtime expired for these workers going overseas last September, Kilmer secured a one-year extension in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) signed into law by President Obama. Prior to passage of the NDAA Kilmer led a letter signed by Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) to the Defense Secretary and the Director of OPM calling on them to release a completed report justifying an extension of the payments.
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