More than 600 UAW workers at the Bath Iron Works facility in Maine have been on strike since Monday, although contract negotiations are still ongoing.

Many of the United States Navy’s shipbuilding programs are running behind schedule—and the problem is about to be made worse, as hundreds of workers at the General Dynamics Bath Iron Works in Maine walked off the job this week. Members of the Bath Marine Draftsmen’s Association (UAW Local 3999), which includes designers, clerks, and technicians, went on strike after voting down a wage proposal offered by the defense contractor.

In total, 627 shipbuilding workers are now on the picket line rather than on the job. General Dynamics Bath Iron Works (BIW) builds the US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers, including the final Flight IIA and first Flight III variants of the warship that remains the workhorse of the surface fleet.

What is notable is that the strike began only weeks after Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth made a “morale-boosting appearance” at BIW, where he “touted the need to boost defense manufacturing,” the Associated Press reported.

The Bath Iron Works facility was founded in 1884 and has been a subsidiary of General Dynamics since 1995. It currently employs more than 6,000 people—meaning that, in spite of its high profile, the strike accounts for only about 10 percent of its total workforce.

The strike is far smaller in scale than a similar incident in 2020, when 4,300 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers at the same facility walked off the job. That strike lasted for 63 days before the shipbuilders agreed to a new three-year contract.

The union is affiliated with the United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America.

Why Shipbuilders Are Striking in Maine

UAW Local 3999 members voted on Saturday to reject the BIW’s “best and final offer,” claiming “it does not sufficiently address real member priorities—including wages that are lower than the national average, affordable insurance, and retirement income security.”

The strike began on Monday after three weeks of negotiations between the union and the shipyard. The company had proposed a 10.1 percent wage increase, followed by a 4 percent increase for the following three years.

David Hench, a spokesperson for Bath Iron Works, told AP that it continued to negotiate in good faith, and said the shipyard will “explore opportunities to align company and union objectives better.”

The union has a different view on the matter.

“General Dynamics continues to make record profits off our labor and gives away billions every year through stock buybacks and dividends while many of our members live paycheck to paycheck,” said Trent Vellella, President of BMDA. “With this Company proposal, General Dynamics is continuing to show that corporate earnings per share are more important than our members’ earnings per pay period.”

BIW indicated in a statement that it would continue business operations during the strike, and would “do so with salaried personnel, sub-contractors and other employees who elect to come to work.”

The company said that it would not encourage union members to resign or remain committed to the union. It noted that it would welcome union members continuing to work during the strike, but stressed that they could face penalties for doing so.

“The use of orderly picket lines by the union is legal and will be respected, but the union has no right to prevent employees from entering or leaving BIW facilities,” the statement read.

Labor Issues Are a Recurring Problem for the Pentagon

The strike at BIW follows a larger walkout at aerospace giant Boeing’s facilities in St. Louis, which lasted more than 100 days. That walkout, which involved 3,200 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) District 837, concluded after Boeing’s union members approved a new five-year contract.

The Boeing strike impacted production of several defense programs, including the US Navy’s F/A-18 Super Hornet and the US Air Force’s F-15EX Eagle II. Boeing is seeking to double production of the latter aircraft this year, in part to make up to shortfalls from the strike.

About the Author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu has contributed to dozens of newspapers, magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

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