Photo / William Hall
Maintenance mechanic Clyde Bailey said he's worked 32 years at BIW and that Monday's walkout was "about protecting our jobs and keeping jobs in Maine."
June 22, 2020
Machinists union strikes at BIW after month-long contract impasse
Photo / William Hall
Union workers at Bath Iron Works on Monday morning picketed across from yard entrances on Washington Street and near the union hall, background.
By William Hall
Bath Iron Works’ largest labor union has called its first strike in 20 years, and began picketing outside the shipyard early Monday morning.
The International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers Local S6, representing about 4,300 of BIW’s 6,800 employees, launched the job walkout at 12:01 a.m. after voting overwhelmingly to reject a new contract proposal from the yard’s owner, Virginia-based defense contractor General Dynamics Corp. (NYSE: GD).
By 7 a.m., about 200 workers had gathered near the gates to BIW along Washington Street in Bath, carrying signs, clanging bells and shouting to passing cars.
Picketers were peaceful, as local and state police monitored the gathering and directed traffic, including some cars that appeared to carry other employees arriving for work. Few people wore face masks or followed social distancing guidelines.
A five-year contract had expired at midnight. A proposed three-year agreement has been the subject of heated bargaining since May 26, with Local S6 objecting to BIW’s wishes to alter job seniority privileges and to use nonunion subcontractors.
Negotiations came to a stalemate a week ago, although both sides said they remained open to talks. Over the weekend, union workers voted on BIW’s “last, best and final” contract offer, which included a 3% annual wage increase and a bump in pension contributions, but also an increase of health insurance co-payments.
On Sunday afternoon, Local S6 announced that its members had turned down the proposal by a vote of over 87%, and that it would strike when the current contract ended.
BIW spokesman David Hench refused interview requests but said in a statement, “We obviously are disappointed by this result, but are prepared should a strike occur.”
Local S6 President Chris Wiers commented on the decision later Sunday, saying, “We are proud of our members for standing up for good jobs for the Maine economy … We are adamantly opposed to BIW’s demands to roll back worker protections and job quality standards, to massively increase subcontracting and to gut the language in our contract that makes these decent, safe jobs.”
The last strike by Local S6 was in 2000, and lasted for nearly two months.
Since its founding in 1884, Bath Iron Works has built over 400 ships, most for the U.S. Navy, including dozens of DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. The average annual base wage for BIW production workers is $49,480, according to the company website.
Photo / William Hall
A view of the Bath shipyard, from near the IAMAW union hall, on Saturday as members were voting remotely on the contract proposal.
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