MEDIA ADVISORY, Sept. 12, 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 this week. 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.
Sept. 12 Northrop Grumman Update for Gulf Coast Employees
RETURN-TO-WORK NOTICE FOR NORTHROP GRUMMAN SHIP SYSTEMS EMPLOYEES
Note: This information applies only to employees of Northrop Grumman; contract workers should not report at this time.
-- Northrop Grumman Ship Systems returned to partial production and
office work 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. 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)
at 6 a.m. Work shifts for these employees started Monday and
will continue 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 4-by-10 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 4-by-10
schedule Tuesday through Friday.
-- Expeditionary warfare programs management, surface combatant
programs management, Deepwater program management:
-- Report to previously assigned work areas. Work shift will be a
4-by-10 schedule, which started Monday and will continue
through Thursday.
-- CG 47 Planning Yard employees are asked to report to the CDI
Building on Telephone Road in Moss Point Tuesday, Sept. 13 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 4-by-10
schedule, Tuesday through Friday.
-- Planning department employees, including industrial engineering,
production planning, scheduling and manpower planning:
-- Report to work at normal work times at Pascagoula locations.
-- Supply Chain Management -- all office personnel:
-- Report to work 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 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 at 6 a.m.
-- Training department personnel who have not already reported to
work should report to the training complex at 6 a.m.
GULFPORT OPERATIONS EMPLOYEES
Gulfport will not resume normal production any earlier than Sept. 19. 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
The New Orleans facility is returning to production work schedules on Tuesday, Sept. 13. All employees should report to work for a single work shift, from 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. All employees reporting to work should bring their own food and drinks. The shipyard will provide water and ice. The workweek will be Monday through Thursday until further notice.
-- New Orleans Operations employees who have not yet checked in are
asked to report to the following locations Tuesday, Sept. 13
between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. to check in and obtain reporting
information:
-- Thibodeaux -- Winn Dixie, 375 North Canal Blvd.
-- Raceland -- Winn Dixie Shopping Center, 4560 Highway 1
-- Hammond -- Wal-Mart, 2799 West Thomas St.
-- Picayune -- Home Depot, Highway 43 at I-59
-- Gonzales -- Tanger Outlet Mall
-- Bus transportation to the shipyard will be provided from these
points:
-- Thibodeaux -- Winn Dixie, 375 North Canal Blvd.
-- Raceland -- Winn Dixie Shopping Center, 4560 Highway 1
-- The bus leaves promptly at 4:45 a.m. Additional bus
transportation is being arranged and will be announced
tomorrow.
TALLULAH OPERATIONS EMPLOYEES
-- The Tallulah facility will not be open for normal production
earlier than Monday, Sept. 19; employees are asked to monitor
these updates daily.
-- Maintenance and security shift personnel should continue to report
to work if possible. Reporting personnel should be prepared to
stay overnight.
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 has extended 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 has extended 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 last Friday (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, last Friday (Sept. 9), will be able to access their net pay amount 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 future payrolls.
-- Employees who use all other credit unions in the Gulf Coast region
(Navigator, Keesler 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.
-- For the next payroll cycle, employees using direct deposit for
their pay who have had difficulty accessing their net payroll
amount can call (877) 744-7642 and authorize the company to make
the next payroll payment either by check (if they are able to pick
up a check at the Ingalls or Gulfport Shipyards) or by Western
Union cash payment, in lieu of direct deposit. This authorization
is not retroactive; it only applies to future payrolls. If an
employee provides these instructions by close of business on
Tuesday, Sept. 13, the company will change the method of payroll
payment to accommodate the request. At the employee's request,
this election -- to receive a check or cash from Western Union in
lieu of direct deposit -- will remain in effect until the employee
notifies the company to return to direct deposit.
-- At Pascagoula, employees can authorize a check or Western Union
payment instead of direct deposit by completing a form on
Monday or Tuesday of this week. This form will be made
available at the completion of each shift. Employees should
submit their completed authorization forms to their supervisors
or leave completed forms at any security checkpoint. Ship
Systems Finance (Payroll) personnel will collect these forms.
TO RECEIVE PAYROLL CASH FROM WESTERN UNION
Employees receiving a Western Union Quick Cash payment 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 Sept. 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 whom 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
between the hours of 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. PDT to apply.