By Associated Press - Saturday, April 12, 2014

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Textron Marine & Land Systems has laid off 128 employees after a contract to refurbish armored vehicles for the U.S. Army expired.

Spokesman Tom Williams tells WDSU-TV (https://bit.ly/1eyA4Rd) that the last of the layoffs were made Thursday, mostly affecting workers at the company’s New Orleans shipyard. A smaller number of workers at the company’s Slidell operations were also laid off.

About 850 people worked for Textron in Slidell and New Orleans before the layoffs, which began several weeks ago. That figure doesn’t count short-term contract workers.

Williams says jobs could be added if Textron Inc., an industrial conglomerate based in Providence, R.I., wins new contracts.

Textron is building a new generation of air-cushioned hovercraft for the Navy and also has a contract to build 500 armored vehicles for Canada.

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