HELENA - Nine Northrop Grumman employees here have been placed on indefinite, unpaid leave, a company spokeswoman confirmed this morning, and some could end up leaving town.

Christy Whitman, a Northrop Grumman spokeswoman, told the Independent Record State Bureau this morning that the furloughs, which are said to be temporary, are related to a state contract that has preliminarily gone to a competing company that intends to send some of the work to foreign workers in other countries.

It had previously been reported that eight employees have been put on leave, citing an unnamed source close to the situation. Whitman confirmed that information Wednesday. A ninth employee has also been put on furlough, but is leaving work as part of a medical disability.

Northrop Grumman is a global services company, best known for its work as a government defense contractor. However, the company has an information technology branch and maintains a 125-person Helena branch that has done extensive contract work for the state.

The Helena branch is a certified "Made In Montana" firm.

Northrop Grumman was the low bidder, and also the lowest scorer, among the four top companies that submitted proposals to create software to manage and help run Montana's food stamp and cash welfare assistance programs, known by their acronyms as SNAP and TANF, respectively.

The company intended to do all the software work with its Helena employees.

Another company, Deloitte LLP, was selected as the top-scoring outfit. Deloitte said in its proposal the company intended to send some work to foreign workers in other countries.

A representative of Deloitte said this week the company does not comment on work it does for customers.

The deal is not final; it must first past muster of state procurement officials and gain the signature of Anna Whiting-Sorrell, head of the Department of Public Health and Human Services, which runs the two poverty-relief programs.

Deloitte proposed doing the work for around $6 million more than Northrop Grumman.

Whitman said Wednesday the furloughs are temporary, but said that the company is helping employees find other work, either within the company or some other local company.

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