NEWPORT, R.I. -- Hundreds of letters notifying civilian Navy employees of mandatory unpaid furloughs were distributed Tuesday, with more expected in the next few days.
The furloughs require that employees take the equivalent of one unpaid day off per week for 11 weeks. Furloughs begin 30 days after receipt of the letter. The furloughs are part of cost-saving measures required by mandatory federal budget cuts.
A spokesman for the Naval Undersea Warfare Center said about 300 employees received letters Tuesday. About 440 letters are being distributed to employees of the Naval War College.
There are 4,211 civilian employees working under the auspices of Naval Station Newport, which supports "tenant commands" such as the Naval Undersea Warfare Center and the Naval War College.