More than 90 jobs at Crane Army Ammunition Activity, a military ammunitions base in southern Indiana, will be exempt from the recent federal civilian hiring freeze.
Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Indiana,sent a letter to James Mattis, the secretary of defense, and met with Robert Speer, the acting secretary of the army, last week to ask for an exemption to the hiring freeze, according to a press release.
CAAA employs many civilians as term employees whose contracts must be renewed when their terms expire, Donnelly wrote in the letter to Mattis. Many of these terms expired this month or last month. The exemption allows their contracts to be renewed.
“The Army’s order to exempt Crane Army personnel from the hiring freeze confirms what we have always known — the men and women of Crane Army Ammunition Activity do vital work every day to support our troops and protect American security,” Donnelly said in a statement. “After pushing for these exemptions, I am pleased that the Army has acted.”
Up to 130 jobs in total would need to be renewed during the 90-day federal hiring freeze in order to keep CAAA’s contract employees, Donnelly wrote. About 90 of these jobs were saved by the current exemption.
The rest of the contracts affected by the hiring freeze expire in March and April. According to the press release, Donnelly plans to continue working for an expanded exemption for these contracts.
Sarah Gardner
