MEDIA ADVISORY, Sept. 9, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) --
Note to Editors and News Directors:
Northrop Grumman and its employees greatly appreciate your continued assistance in sharing these updates on your regular broadcasts. The company anticipates issuing these daily notices, with slight changes, through the week of Sept. 12. These announcements change slightly each day, so we ask that you carefully review the information before broadcasting it or printing it to ensure your broadcasts or print materials coincide with what we are sharing with you.
Thank you for your ongoing support.
Note: This information applies only to employees of Northrop Grumman; contract workers should not report at this time. -- Northrop Grumman Ship Systems announces a return to partial production and office work beginning Monday, Sept. 12, for Pascagoula Operations, and continued clean-up and recovery efforts at its other facilities. -- Employees who are able to return to work are requested to report according to the schedule for their respective sites as shown below. Please note that some work locations and shifts for office employees have changed. -- If employees are not able to report to work, they are instructed to contact their supervisors or call the Northrop Grumman Ship Systems employee check-in telephone number: (877) 744-7642. During the re-opening period, employees who are not able to report to work due to personal hardship may request additional leave time. PASCAGOULA OPERATIONS EMPLOYEES -- Production crafts, supervision and all production "support" personnel, including Quality, Production Control, Maintenance, Transportation, Manufacturing Services, Warehousing, Steel Yard, IPS and Storerooms: - All employees, all shifts, who are able to return to work are requested to report to the shipyard at 6 a.m. Monday, Sept. 12, to work 10-hour shifts. Employees should report to the work area to which they were assigned prior to the storm. Supervisors will provide further instructions when employees report to work. Employees should bring badges and personal protection equipment such as hard hats, safety glasses, etc. -- Engineering and ILS departments: - EDC employees are asked to report to the EDC (K-Mart building.) on Monday, Sept. 12, at 6 a.m. Work shifts for these employees will be Monday through Wednesday, 12 hours each day. Employees will need to provide their own meals. - FSO employees are asked to report to the EDC on Thursday, Sept. 15, at 6 a.m. Work shifts for these employees will be Thursday through Saturday, 12 hours each day. Employees will need to provide their own meals. - Sunplex employees are asked to report to Sunplex in Ocean Springs on Tuesday, Sept. 13, at 6 a.m. Work shift at Sunplex will be a 4x10 schedule Tuesday through Friday. - Engineering employees in Administration Buildings 1, 2 and 3 are asked to report to their previously assigned work areas on Tuesday, Sept. 13, at 6 a.m. Work shift will be a 4x10 schedule Tuesday through Friday. -- Expeditionary warfare programs management, surface combatant programs management, Deepwater program management: - Report to previously assigned work areas on Monday, Sept. 12. Work shift will be a 4x10 schedule, Monday through Thursday. - CG 47 Planning Yard employees are asked to report to the CDI Building on Telephone Road in Moss Point Monday, Sept. 12 at 7 a.m. -- Business Management (finance, contracts, estimating and EVMS: - West Bank employees who have not previously reported to work should report on Tuesday, Sept.13, at normal work locations. East Bank employees should report to the CDI Building on Telephone Road in Pascagoula. Work shift will be a 4x10 schedule, Tuesday through Friday. -- Planning department employees, including industrial engineering, production planning, scheduling and manpower planning: - Report to work on Monday, Sept. 12, at normal work times at Pascagoula locations. -- Supply Chain Management - all office personnel: - Report to work Monday, Sept. 12, at normal Pascagoula work locations and times. - Sourcing and material cataloging employees will report to the EDC (K-Mart building). Supervisors will contact these employees for work shifts and times. -- Human Resources and Administration: - Except as indicated below, all HRA employees should report to the CDI Building located on Telephone Road in Moss Point on Tuesday, Sept. 13, at 7:30 a.m. - Environmental, Health and Safety personnel should report on Monday, Sept. 12, at their normal locations at 6 a.m. - Security plant protection personnel should report as scheduled by their supervisors. - Industrial security personnel should report to the lobby of Administration Building 2 on Monday, Sept. 12, at 6 a.m. - Training department personnel who have not already reported to work should report to the training complex on Monday, Sept. 12, at 6 a.m. GULFPORT OPERATIONS EMPLOYEES -- Gulfport will not resume normal production any earlier than next week. -- All management, supervisors and maintenance personnel should continue to report to work for 7 a.m.-to-6 p.m. shifts. NEW ORLEANS OPERATIONS EMPLOYEES -- Northrop Grumman is working toward restoring the facility to full operations and requests that employees continue to monitor the local media and the information line. -- Maintenance, scaffold and security shift personnel should report to work if possible at 5:30 a.m. Monday, Sept. 12 and bring their own lunch. -- The following supervisors need to report to a meeting at Ormond Country Club in Destrehan at 9 a.m., Saturday, September 10: Production, QA, PC, Industrial Engineering and Material Supervision. -- New Orleans employees are asked to visit one of these locations on Sunday or Monday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. to check in and obtain information: - Thibodeaux - Winn Dixie, 375 North Canal Blvd. - Raceland - Winn Dixie Shopping Center, 4560 Highway 1 - Hammond - Wal-Mart, 2799 West Thomas Street TALLULAH OPERATIONS EMPLOYEES -- The Tallulah facility will not be open for normal production earlier than Monday, Sept. 12; employees are asked to monitor these updates through the weekend. -- Maintenance and security shift personnel should continue to report to work if possible. Reporting personnel should be prepared to stay overnight. NORTHROP GRUMMAN ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS SECTOR EMPLOYEES -- Employees who have not checked in with their supervisors should do so immediately and call the Employee Contact Line at (877) 744-7642. -- Electronic Systems employees may also call the Northrop Grumman Information Line at (800) 995-4318 for further instructions. NORTHROP GRUMMAN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EMPLOYEES -- Northrop Grumman IT sector Gulf Coast employees who have not checked in with their supervisors should do so immediately and call the Employee Contact Line at (877) 744-7642. -- Information Technology employees may also contact the IT sector's HR customer care center at (800) 604-4890 or HRCustomerCareCenter@ngc.com for further instructions. -- Northrop Grumman Information Technology will extend full pay for impacted employees for two weeks including Labor Day.
NAVSEA SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
All Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) and Supervisor of Shipbuilding Gulf Coast employees in the Gulf Coast hurricane zone are requested to contact (202) 781-3889 to verify their whereabouts and contact information. They may also provide contact information via e-mail at CommandCenter@navsea.navy.mil. All Supship Gulf Coast employees should go to http://www.supship.navy.mil, then click the "Gulf Coast" link under the "SUPSHIPS" heading on the left for notices and information.
TOLL-FREE EMPLOYEE CONTACT LINE
Northrop Grumman continues to request that every employee from its Gulf Coast facilities contact the company via the new toll-free number, (877) 744-7642, to ensure that all employees are accounted for and their needs are being addressed.
Phone service in some regions impacted by the hurricane is not operating at full capacity and may be experiencing high call volume. Northrop Grumman recommends that employees who have had trouble connecting with the (877) 744-7642 number try to call at a later time. This number is staffed 24 hours a day. The company asks employees who reach the number to remain patient if asked to hold. Telephone agents are dedicated to taking your calls as quickly as they can.
PAYROLL INFORMATION
Northrop Grumman Ship Systems will extend full pay to all employees for two weeks including the Labor Day holiday and the pay periods ending Sept. 2 and Sept. 9. Ship Systems employees who have been called into work for clean-up and recovery operations will also receive payment for time worked.
To assist employees in managing immediate financial needs resulting from hurricane damages, the paycheck or direct deposit issued to each employee today (which normally would only cover the pay period ending Sept. 2) included pay for both weeks, for a total of 80 hours of pay.
ADDITIONAL PAYROLL INFORMATION -- For individuals who normally would receive a check at Avondale, the company has made the net pay amount available via Western Union. -- Individuals who did not arrive in time to receive their checks at Pascagoula or Gulfport during the check distribution will be able to access their net pay amount on Sunday, Sept. 11 via Western Union. -- Employees may continue to experience difficulty accessing direct deposit payroll at credit unions in the affected areas, and some credit unions have taken the unusual step of limiting cash withdrawals. - Employees who use ASI Federal Credit Union and cannot access their direct deposit payroll will be able to receive a $1,000 emergency cash advance at any Western Union. This cash advance will be offset against the next payroll cycle, so employees who are able to access funds or don't have a current need for cash should not access the $1000 emergency cash advance. - Employees who use all other credit unions in the Gulf Coast region (Navigator, Kessler FCU, etc.) and are unable to access funds should call (877) 744-7642. An emergency cash advance will be provided to these employees by the next day via Western Union. TO RECEIVE PAYROLL CASH FROM WESTERN UNION -- Employees who have not received a check or cannot access their direct deposit (as identified above) may visit any Western Union location, complete a yellow "To Receive Money" form and receive the net-pay amount. Employees must provide the company's name and headquarters location (Los Angeles-based Northrop Grumman Corporation) and present proper identification such as a valid driver's license, passport, military ID card with photo, or their employee badge with photo. Employees can find the closest Western Union by calling (800) 225-5227 and selecting option 4. WORKERS COMPENSATION PAYMENTS -- The workers compensation distribution of payments for the period ending Sep 9, 2005 will be handled in the following manner: - For employees (or their beneficiaries) outside of the areas impacted by Hurricane Katrina (or those personnel for which we have previously received a forwarding address) the payment distribution will continue to be handled as a check delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. - For the balance of employees (or their beneficiaries), particularly those in the areas impacted by Hurricane Katrina, payments are now available through Western Union. -- Any questions regarding whether payment will be made by check or Western Union "Quick Cash" should be referred to the F.A. Richard (FARA) Hotline at (888) 560-2562. MEDICAL COVERAGE -- Special arrangements have been made to ensure no lapses in coverage occur for Northrop Grumman employees during the hurricane recovery period. The company Benefits Center can assist with health issues, including prescription refills, medical pre-certifications, and guidance for use of physicians and hospitals outside the network areas. Call (800) 894-4194. SAVINGS ACCOUNT LINE -- Company representatives can respond to questions regarding savings plan loans or hardship withdrawals. Call (800) 676-7211. NORTHROP GRUMMAN EMPLOYEE DISASTER RELIEF FUND AVAILABLE -- Direct assistance to employees impacted by Hurricane Katrina will be provided through the new Northrop Grumman Employee Disaster Relief Fund. Affected employees should call (888) 642-5645 to apply.