Sept. 7, 2021

9 | 7 | 2021

A weekly publication of Newport News Shipbuilding

Photo by Nicholas Langhorne

NNS Announces Raffles for Vaccinated Shipbuilders Chances for a big payday or a reserved parking spot are on the way for Newport News Shipbuilding employees who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Starting in October, the company is raffling off thank you bonuses and reserved parking spaces for employees who have received the vaccine.

Thank you bonuses will be raffled off each Friday from Oct. 8 through Nov. 12. Employees must be fully vaccinated and their vaccination status in UPoint must state that they are fully vaccinated to be eligible to win. Two winners will be selected for each raffle. The dates for the drawings and the amounts each winner will receive are: • Oct. 8 $7,500

• Oct. 22 $3,750

• Nov. 5 $2,500

• Oct. 15 $5,000

• Oct. 29 $3,750

• Nov. 12 $2,500

All fully vaccinated shipbuilders also will be entered into a raffle to win a reserved parking spot in Zone A. Three spots will be raffled, one each on Oct. 1, Nov. 1 and Dec. 1. The spots will be good for one year. To claim a thank you bonus or a reserved parking space, winning employees must be willing to have their names published in NNS communications channels.

Bringing COVID-19 vaccinations closer to the workplace is proving popular at NNS, and more employees can take advantage of the opportunity in the coming weeks.

An Aug. 26 shipyard vaccination event resulted in more than 150 shipbuilders receiving the Pfizer vaccine, fully approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The event was held in Bldg. 4931-1, PCU Assembly Room.

CONTINUED ON PG 2

Remembering 9/11 Saturday marks 20 years since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, during which nearly 3,000 people died. Newport News Shipbuilding will honor those lost during the attacks with a whistle blow.

The shipyard whistle will sound for 20 seconds on Saturday, Sept. 11, at 8:46 a.m.

– the same time hijackers crashed the first plane into the north tower of the World Trade Center 20 years ago.

Those working on Saturday are asked to observe a moment of silence.

2 2

CURRENTS

NNS Announces Raffles for Vaccinated Shipbuilders CONTINUED FROM PG 1

9 | 7 | 2021

Next Virtual Trades Hiring Event is Sept. 29 Newport News Shipbuilding Talent Acquisition will host a series of virtual hiring events this fall to fill numerous trades positions. The next virtual hiring event for welders will be held on Sept. 29. The deadline to apply is Sept. 22.

“We were very encouraged by the turnout at the Aug. 26 event,” said Ryan Woolridge, a Crane Engineering manager and a member of the COVID-19 Crisis Action Group (CAG). “With the rising COVID cases and concerns over the delta variant, I feel that these vaccines are our best way to combat this virus and get back to normal.”

NNS is currently offering $500 sign-on bonuses to welder trainee and entry-level new hires, and $1,000 sign-on bonuses to experienced welder new hires. Job seekers who apply

by Dec. 31 are eligible for the sign-on bonuses. The sign-on bonuses are for external new hires; current NNS employees are ineligible.

The next in-yard vaccine event is set for Sept. 16, at the same location, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. It will be for second doses. Other dates will be announced later.

Employees are encouraged to share these opportunities. More information about the hiring events is available at buildyourcareer.com.

In addition, NNS is also now offering $500 cash bonus awards to current NNS employees who refer trades candidates who are hired. For more information, please visit the REFER program resource page at huntingtoningalls.com/hii-careers/refer-a-friend.

School. He received a $500 scholarship that can be used for technology, school supplies, relocation expenses, and room and board.

About 54 percent of the NNS workforce is fully vaccinated. COVID-19 cases continue to rise, and NNS has moved employee testing back to the Old Apprentice School Gym due to an increasing number of tests.

Besides the in-yard events, employees can receive vaccinations at the HII Family Health Center. Call 757-327-4200 to schedule an appointment. Hourly employees are allowed to charge their time if the appointment is during assigned working hours. Salaried employees should flex their time.

Employees vaccinated outside of NNS must self-report their vaccination status in UPoint by logging into www.hiibenefits.com. You must also self-report if you are vaccinated through NNS but are not on an HII medical benefits plan. Unvaccinated employees must self-report and can change their status if vaccinated later.

All employees are encouraged to log into UPoint to ensure their vaccination status is current. To check your status, review the rotating banner on top of the homepage. If the message concludes “vaccine complete,” NNS considers you fully vaccinated. If your status is not on file, you will see “Have you received your COVID-19 vaccine?” with an option to self-report.

If you encounter problems uploading your data into UPoint, call 1-877-216-3222 or contact Rochelle Robbins (O18) at 688-5231 or via email.

Amari Thomas is pictured with Apprentice Alumni Foundation Board member Jessica Walker.

Apprentice School Foundation Awards Scholarship Amari Thomas (X36) was recently recognized as this year’s third Apprentice School Foundation Scholarship recipient during a ceremony at The Apprentice

Thomas is from Orlando, Florida, and started his apprenticeship July 19 as a rigger. He is a 2021 graduate of Wekiva High School, where he earned a 3.8 GPA. Thomas was active in his community and high school. He volunteered over 800 hours in his community that included such activities as feeding the homeless. Thomas also exceled in academics and was captain of the football team.

The Apprentice School Foundation provides a tax-deductible opportunity for alumni, friends and community partners of The Apprentice School to help fund scholarships, historic preservation and community service projects that carry on the school’s legacy. The foundation awards four scholarships annually. For more information, visit The Apprentice School Foundation’s website (www.tasfd.org).

DAY OF CARING IS SEPT. 17

The United Way Day of Caring is Sept. 17. It is the community’s largest day of the year for volunteering, bringing together hundreds of volunteers from across the Peninsula to create a positive impact on local nonprofits and public service agencies helping neighbors in need. This year, United Way is seeking 1,000 volunteers to complete more than 40 projects. Volunteers can register for a project as an individual or as a team. Volunteer projects may include: landscaping, painting, cleaning, organizing and gardening. Search and sign up on the NNS Gives platform at nns.YourCause.com for a volunteer project near you. Shipbuilders are reminded to log volunteer hours in NNS Gives.

WIN VIRGINIA LIVING MUSEUM TICKETS

Newport News Shipbuilding is holding drawings for employees to receive tickets for free, unlimited admission to the Virginia Living Museum for six people for one year.

There are drawings for employees to receive the Virginia Living Museum tickets and drawings for NNS-branded swag bag consolation prizes. Shipbuilders can enter the contest once a day via the NNS to Go app until Sept. 20. Bree Hardison (X43) won the first drawing for the museum tickets, and Jeremy Mosley (O68) won the first consolation prize. Additional drawings will be held Sept. 7, Sept. 14 and Sept. 21.

9 | 7 | 2021

CURRENTS 3

AROUND THE YARD NOTICE: VASCIC to Implement Zone Parking Watch Focus NNS The latest edition of Focus NNS includes a look at the ceremonial first cut of steel ceremony for the history-making aircraft carrier Doris Miller (CVN 81), the success of full-ship shock trials for USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), the christening of Hyman G. Rickover (SSN 795) and more.

Watch Focus NNS on MyNNS or on NNS’ external website.

Beginning Monday, Sept. 13, the parking garage at VASCIC will implement zone parking. Employees working at VASCIC will receive hangtags for their assigned zone.

Guests and Newport News Shipbuilding employees who do not permanently work at VASCIC should park in the visitor spaces located in front of the main entrance or any available spaces marked “event parking” on the first level of the parking garage. Visitor and event parking spaces will be available on a first-come, first-served basis and will be monitored by Security 24/7.

REMINDER: Don’t Block Crosswalks or Travel Lanes Newport News Shipbuilding employees and others who travel the streets surrounding the facility – particularly the area of 35th Street and West Avenue – are reminded to avoid blocking crosswalks and travel lanes when stopping to take on or offload passengers.

Hispanic Heritage Month Begins Sept. 15 Hispanic Heritage Month is Sept. 15 until Oct. 15. This year’s national theme is Esperanza: A Celebration of Hispanic Heritage and Hope. Newport News Shipbuilding’s Hispanic Outreach and Leadership Alliance (HOLA) employee resource group and the Engagement, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I) Office (O18) invite shipbuilders to celebrate the month.

A number of events are planned during the month – including a kickoff from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Sept. 15 at The Rock with food trucks. See the flyer for a full list of events.

Interested in Mentoring Resources?

Mentoring relationships are so important to develop future and current leaders. However, you may be unsure how to start. Do you need ideas to structure your mentoring sessions?

The Learning Organization has resources to help.

Visit the Mentoring Connection website on MyNNS or search “mentoring” in Percipio.

The book “Starting Strong” by Lois J. Zachary and Lory A. Fischler is an excellent starting point.

Myth: COVID-19 vaccines can cause a vaccinated person to release viral particles and risk the health of others around them.

Fact: That would require the vaccine to use a weakened form of the virus itself. No COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in the U.S. contain the live virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), so that can’t happen.

Engagement, Diversity and Inclusion Week is Sept. 13-17 Newport News Shipbuilding is observing Engagement, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I) Week Sept. 13-17 with a slate of activities.

The week is meant to promote awareness and education to keep the values of inclusion, diversity and engagement fresh in the minds of shipbuilders. See a full list of the week’s activities on MyNNS.

Sept. 6-10 is National Payroll Week Sept. 6-10 is National Payroll Week.

Shipbuilders are encouraged to take time out to thank the payroll team for a job well done. The NNS Payroll Department (O95) reminds employees to review their paystubs.

As the end of the year quickly approaches, shipbuilders should: • Review tax withholdings and verify the state is correct. Now is also a good time to make any necessary changes.

Forms are available in the Payroll Office (Bldg. 802, Suite 128) and on the Payroll website on MyNNS. • Verify their mailing address so the Payroll Office can get W2 forms to you when the time comes. All employees are able to update their addresses by logging into MyHR from personal devices. If employees need help with this process, they can email HRISInquiries@hii-nns.com.

Employees can help Payroll serve them better by reviewing their paystub on a regular basis.

Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 Cases reported Aug. 30-Sept. 6: 131

Total cases at NNS: 4,190

NNS employees medically cleared to return to work: 3,265

NNS employees vaccinated: 54%

See case details at nns.huntingtoningalls.com/411.

4 2

CURRENTS

9 | 7 | 2021

DATEBOOK SEPTEMBER 8

SEPTEMBER 15

Join Engineering & Design, Mark Leyva and Troy Nichols from noon until 12:30 p.m. for a Virtual Learning Session – Technical Solutions Division Overview. Learn about TSD’s services, support to NNS and how to request services.

This event takes place during lunch and is voluntary. No charge will be provided. Sign up on MyNNS to receive a calendar invite to attend. For questions and concerns, email E&D Connections.

Determine if you’re ready for retirement with help from SmartPath. Attend the Retirement Readiness 2.0 webinar at noon to take a deeper look into your retirement forecast. Register at onsmartpath.com/hii. If you cannot attend live, register anyway and SmartPath will email you a recording of the session.

SEPTEMBER 13

Join Engineering & Design and HII Benefits Manager Amy Iveson from noon until 12:30 p.m. for a Virtual Learning Session on Mental Health in the Workplace. Workplace wellness is a combined effort of health promotion by employers, employees and society to create overall mental, physical and emotional wellbeing for the people at work. Some of the benefits of workplace wellness include decreasing health risks, elevated employee engagement, reduction of stress and depression, and health care cost savings. This event takes place during lunch and is voluntary. No charge will be provided. Sign up on MyNNS to receive a calendar invite to attend. For questions and concerns, email E&D Connections.

The Engagement and Diversity & Inclusion (ED&I) offices invite shipbuilders to join their monthly ED&I Together Strong Life Unites Panel Discussion Series: The Power of Mentorship from 4:30 until 6 p.m. via Zoom. Panelists include Dr. Latitia McCane (O61), Sandy Collins (O26), Jim O’Brien (K97), Alonzo Smith (O61) and Dr. Helen Dennie (O28) from L.E.A.R.N. This event is open to all NNS employees. Register on MyNNS. No charge will be provided. Email DiversityAndInclusion@hii-nns.com with questions.

SEPTEMBER 14

Join the E&D Change Agent Team from noon until 12:30 p.m. for a Virtual Learning Session – Level Up! Leading the Modern Workforce. Leading people is a massive commitment and managers need every resource they can get to keep their people motivated and engaged.

Join the E&D Change Agent Team to unlock the cheat codes to becoming a next-level leader. This event takes place during lunch and is voluntary. No charge will be provided. Sign up on MyNNS to receive a calendar invite to attend. For questions and concerns, email E&D Connections.

SEPTEMBER 14

The Project Management Shipbuilder Association (PMSA) invites shipbuilders to attend a virtual informational session from 4:30 until 5:30 p.m. to learn how to use Ed Assist for funding of the PMP prep course and to learn about fall PMP prep course offerings. Sign up for the webinar on the PMSA website. For more information, visit the PMP Training and Ed Assist page or contact PMSA Boot Camp Lead Debra Brand via email.

SEPTEMBER 15

SEPTEMBER 21

Join the Veterans Employee Resource Group (VERG) and Shipbuilders Together Realizing Inclusion, Diversity and Equality (STRIDE) for “Job Interviews: Appearance vs. Authenticity” from noon until 12:30 p.m. on Sept. 21, 24 and 28 via WebEx. This professional development event will help attendees understand the balance between interview authenticity and first impressions with a number of guest speakers – including hiring managers, talent acquisition and vice presidents – who will answer questions and share experiences. Register on the STRIDE website. For more information, contact Diamond Bartlett at 688-6904 or via email.

SEPTEMBER 22

Join Engineering & Design and Manny Colon from noon until 12:30 p.m. for a Virtual Learning Session on the Hispanic Outreach an Leadership Alliance (HOLA).

HOLA is an employee resource group (ERG) committed to fostering leadership through networking, professional development and community involvement in concert with business objectives. This event takes place during lunch and is voluntary. No charge will be provided. Sign up on MyNNS to receive a calendar invite to attend. For questions and concerns, email E&D Connections.

SEPTEMBER 22

The L.E.A.R.N. Program and Women in Shipbuilding Enterprise (WiSE) will host an after-work presentation with Bharat Amin, HII executive vice president and CIO from 4 until 5 p.m. via WebEx. The event is open to all employees by reservation only. Sign up on the L.E.A.R.N. website on MyNNS. No charge is provided. For questions, contact Tanika Vasquez (E08) at 688-7916 or Chris Porro (E47) at 534-0332 or email LEARN@hii-nns.com.

SEPTEMBER 28

Join the William & Mary MBA Admissions Team from 4 until 5 p.m. at Brooks Crossing (Suite 100) to learn more about the university’s Part Time and Executive MBA programs, which are designed for working professionals. See the flyer to register. RSVP by Sept. 24.

SEPTEMBER 29

Join Engineering & Design, Cassandra Bonner and Evelyn Gregory (O18) from noon until 12:30 p.m. for a Virtual Learning Session on the Engagement, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I) Strategic Plan. The ED&I Strategic Plan is the blueprint to develop an inclusive workplace built on mutual respect, an appreciation of diversity, and a commitment to equity. This event takes place during lunch and is voluntary. No charge will be provided. Sign up on MyNNS to receive a calendar invite to attend. For questions and concerns, email E&D Connections.

OCTOBER 1

The 17th annual In-Service Aircraft Carrier Invitational golf tournament will be held at Ford’s Colony Country Club in Williamsburg. The format is four man captain’s choice, with a check-in time of 10 a.m. and a noon shotgun start. The entry fee for this event is $125 per player, which includes green fee, cart, range balls, welcome bag, Aircraft Carrier Invitational shirt and post-tournament dinner. Proceeds from this event will benefit the USO. To register, contact Bruce Roberts at 380-4964 or via email.

OCTOBER 17

The Mariners Club at NNS is holding its annual golf tournament at the Kingsmill Resort’s River Course.

Check-in begins at 7 a.m. with a buffet breakfast (included) served from 7 until 8:30 a.m. The tournament is a four-man captain’s choice format, and there will be a shotgun start at 9 a.m. Proceeds will support local charities. Contact Rudy Hendricks (X21) via email to request a registration form.

Only the first 32 teams will be accepted.

UNITED WAY SMARTCARD

SEEKING SHIPBUILDERS

Visit www.buildyourcareer.com to search for the latest NNS job openings.

Job Title

Req Number

Dept.

Location

CNC Machinist Pipe Contract Administrator 4 Pipefitter (Trainee, Entry-level & Experienced) Rigger (Entry-level & Experienced) Sheet Metal (Trainee, Entry-level & Experienced) Welder (Trainee, Entry-level & Experienced)

5822 8302 8492, 8504, 8524 8664, 8665 8626, 8628, 8627 9108, 9246, 9164

X42 O19 X42 X36 X32 X18

Newport News Newport News Newport News Newport News Newport News Newport News

Employees are encouraged to use MyHR or the “Current HII Employees Job Search” button at www.buildyourcareer.com to apply. The company continues to offer cash bonus awards for referrals to select positions, visit www.huntingtoningalls.com/hii-careers/refer-a-friend for more information.

Due to a change in ownership, the following update replaces the current United Way SmartCard McDonald’s offer for 2021-2022.

Buy any premium sandwich, breakfast, lunch or dinner and get a medium fry or hash brown free. Buy one McCafe product, get a second McCafe product free.

Excludes $1, $2 and $3 menu. Valid at the following locations: Hampton - Aberdeen, Fox Hill, Hampton Plaza, Queen Street, Big Bethel Road, Coliseum/ Mercury Boulevard, Mallory Street, Pembroke Avenue and Semple Farm; Newport News - 26th Street, Newmarket, Denbigh Crossing/Jefferson, Ft. Eustis/ Warwick Boulevard, Hidenwood/Warwick Blvd, J. Clyde Morris Boulevard, Oyster Point Road /Jefferson; Poquoson - Wythe Creek Road; and York County Kiln Creek/Route 17.