BATH, Maine (AP) Navy shipbuilder Bath Iron Works is laying off an undisclosed number of workers because of a strike that’s in its third week.

A memo from shipyard President Dirk Lesko said a production slowdown during the strike is causing work to dry up for others in the shipyard. He said the temporary layoffs affect Machinists’ Local S7, not the production workers who are on strike, Machinists Local S6.

More than 4,000 production workers went on strike on June 22 after overwhelmingly rejecting the company’s final contract offer.

The union met on Monday with a federal mediator. The company was also expected to meet with the mediator this week.