Shipyard at Pearl Harbor skirts feds’ hiring freeze

Public Navy shipyards, including the Pearl Harbor Navy Shipyard, will be exempt from President Donald Trump’s federal hiring freeze.

The Department of Defense clarification comes in response to calls from sthe senators to establish the exemption.

The freeze announced last week prevented shipyards across the country from hiring engineers, acquisition workforce personnel, trade mechanics, radiological and emergency personnel, regulatory compliance and other support workers.

Trump’s office said the freeze will slow the dramatic expansion of the federal workforce.

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) said Thursday in a news release that the Department of Defense announced new guidance for exempting public shipyards across the country.

“The new exemption guidance is an important first step to ensure that the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and shipyards across the country will be able to hire the people they need to support the Navy and keep our country safe,” Schatz said.

Schatz and U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) last week joined a bipartisan group including six other senators in asking Secretary of Defense James Mattis to exempt civilian employees of Department of Navy shipyards.

The Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard is one of the largest employers in Hawaii and is anticipating hiring more than 500 workers this year.

The guidance does not address concerns that the hiring freeze also hampers hiring at Hawaii’s Department of Veterans Affairs offices.