PORTLAND, Maine — Bath Iron Works notified its workforce yesterday that 130 jobs will be cut this month as the shipyard continues to shift from design to production of the first of three stealthy Zumwalt destroyers.
The announcement comes as production has been ramping up over the past year, and designers and engineers have been completing much of their work on the big warship.
“Workload peaks and valleys have always been a part of shipbuilding,’’ company president Jeff Geiger said in a notice that was e-mailed to workers. The layoffs, effective Jan. 21, are necessary to “ensure we remain affordable and poised to compete and win future contracts,’’ he added.
After the layoffs, the shipyard will have about 5,700 workers, more than a year ago because the shipyard has added 700 production workers for Zumwalt.
The shipyard, owned by General Dynamics, anticipates relative stability over the next two years, a spokesman said.
