Maine Shipyard Workers Go On Strike
A union representing 4,800 workers at shipmaker Bath Iron Works voted Sunday to strike, shutting down production at one of the biggest shipbuilders for the U.S. Navy.
The shipyard is one of Maine's largest private employers with 7,600 employees, producing Navy destroyers that cost about $900 million when fully equipped. It is one of only two shipyards that build destroyers for the Navy, delivering about two each year.
Members of Local S6 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers were upset over the company's pay proposal and proposed changes in work rules.
About 85 percent of the union voted to go on strike when the contract expired at midnight. Angry workers then piled up copies of the company's latest contract proposal and set them on fire.
"You've got a corporation slurping up military contracts, and you know that those contracts are overcharged to the taxpayer. These guys get the money, and they're not willing to share," said Don Snowdon, an electrician for 12 years at the shipyard.
Company spokeswoman Sue Pierter declined to comment on the strike's effect on the Navy.
"Certainly no one would want a strike. The impact will be determined by how long this lasts. We need to get back to the table as soon as possible and we're prepared to do that," she said.
The shipbuilder proposed a three-year contract with wage increases of 4 percent this year, 3.5 percent next year and 4 percent in 2002, plus a $500 signing bonus.
The company said its proposal would increase an average production worker's wage and benefit package from $41,000 to $48,000 a year.
Union negotiators had pushed for raises of 8 percent the first year and 7 percent in each of the following years.
But pay was not the main sticking point for workers who fear that cross-training provisions would weaken the value of the specialized work force and lead to eventual layoffs.
The last strike against Bath Iron Works was a 99-day walkout in 1985. Bath Iron Works is a subsidiary of General Dynamics.