Up to 7,000 workers could be affected. In a prepared statement, PSNS spokeswoman Mary Anne Mascianica confirmed that shipyard administrators had received a copy of the grievance. But PSNS officials had no comment on the merits of the complaint. No. 1 in the nation. Employees receiving EDP are entitled to the equivalent of an 8 percent pay hike for the period in which they worked in potentially hazardous conditions.
Federal law limits the amount of back pay to no more than six years.
If the shipyard contests the grievance, then the claim could go before an arbitrator who would hold a trial and issue a decision, Gillespie said. The entire process could take two or three years. A grievance also was filed about seven months ago on behalf of employees at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard in Hawaii. That claim is still being processed. White-collar employees are not included in the PSNS grievance because they must meet a different standard to qualify for EDP under federal law, Williams said.