Unrest at BIW shipyard

BATH, Maine – The 1,000-member International Association of Machinists Union contract shipbuilders will march in a “solidarity” rally May 21 at Bath Iron Works. The company is attempting to navigate its way through the largest labor unrest in decades. The planned action follows a two-month old event in which IAM members marched midday across the shipyard to protest proposed changes - including outsourcing work and cross-training employees - by BIW President Fred Harris. Caps on defense spending are expected to result in fewer Navy contracts. The proposed changes are designed to increase shipyard’s efficiency and keep the costs of building destroyers competitive. There are two major Navy shipbuilding bids on the horizon; but disagreements between management and its largest union have accusations and a federal lawsuit charging BIW with violating its contract with workers. BIW, known for building the DDG-51 Arleigh Burke destroyers, has about 5,700 shipbuilders. (Source: Bangor Daily News 05/18/15) Gulf Coast Shipbuilding Note: BIW competes with Huntington Ingalls Industries shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss., for Navy ship contracts, which run about $1.5 billion each to build. In June 2013, the Navy awarded BIW contracts for four DDG-51s. HII landed contracts for five.