Bath Iron Works recently signed a five-year collective bargaining agreement with the union. The contract, effective from August 24, 2026, to August 24, 2031, includes significant wage increases and various benefits, with the union making no concessions regarding its rights or interests during negotiations.
Specifically, the newly reached wage agreement stipulates an overall 17% pay increase for employees in the first year, followed by annual raises of 4% over the subsequent four years; it also raises shift differentials for swing-shift and night-shift shipyard workers to $2.50 per hour.
In addition to wage growth, the new contract mandates that healthcare costs remain unchanged for the duration of the agreement and increases pension contribution rates. It also strengthens job security—including protections against outsourcing—enhances leave policy flexibility, and safeguards employee interests regarding the adoption of new technologies, artificial intelligence, and robotics.
Notably, this marks the second wage agreement reached by Bath Iron Works this year.
On March 23 of this year, a group of Bath Iron Works employees—primarily those involved in ship design, non-destructive testing, technical clerical work, laboratory testing, and assistant engineering—launched a strike demanding better pay. An agreement was reached on March 29, bringing the week-long strike to an end; this was the shipyard’s first strike in six years, involving approximately one-tenth of the total workforce.
Public records indicate that Bath Iron Works, located in Bath, Maine, is a subsidiary of General Dynamics Marine Systems. It is a full-service shipyard specializing in the design, construction, and support of complex surface combatants for the U.S. Navy. Its main facility features a 229-meter dry dock, three slipways, three piers, an outfitting pier, four level-luffing cranes, and indoor workshops for pre-outfitting and assembly.