Fincantieri Marinette Marine laid off nearly 100 workers on Wednesday, about a week after the U.S. Navy announced it was canceling much of a multi-billion dollar order for ships that would have been built in Wisconsin.
Marinette Marine laid off 93 employees who were “primarily white collar positions,” according to a spokesperson for Marinette Marine’s parent company, Fincantieri Marine Group.
In an email, the spokesperson said the layoff was in response to the Navy’s decision to only move forward with construction of two frigates instead of the six that had previously been awarded to Marinette Marine.
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“We must balance the size and composition of our workforce against the now-reduced demand from our government customer,” the email read. “We have a framework agreement with the Navy that promises opportunities to keep our workforce stabilized, in accordance with federal acquisition regulations.”
But even with that agreement, the spokesperson said additional “workforce adjustments” may be needed “without meaningful government-directed business coming into our Wisconsin System of Shipyards.”
Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin has called on the Trump administration and the Navy to bring more work to Marinette to make up for the canceled contract. Earlier this week, she told WPR there could be a “really big negative impact on the workforce” at Marinette Marine if the Navy fails to “keep commitments made.”
According to Fincantieri, the company had 2,175 employees and contract workers at Marinette Marine as of last week. The shipbuilder is Marinette’s largest employer.
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