The multi-billion Defense Appropriations Bill, which is pending a final vote before Labor Day, includes some long-awaited help for Hawaiian ship repair facilities. For the past year, Hawaii's privately owned shipyards and ship repair facilities have waged a battle to get back jobs they lost when the Navy trimmed maintenance contracts. More than 300 private shipyard workers were laid off as a result of the cuts. In the past, more than 30 percent of repair work at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard was handled by private contractors. They see relief now in legislation that appropriates 23 million dollars for Pearl Harbor's ship depot maintenance program.
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