Bath Iron Works Union Starts First Strike Over Wages

Hundreds of workers at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works in Maine walked off the job Monday, launching the first strike in the history of their union over disputes regarding wages, health care costs, and benefits. The Bath Marine Draftsmens Association, representing 627 designers, nondestructive test technicians, technical clerks, laboratory technicians, and associate engineers, rejected the company's latest contract proposal over the weekend by a vote of approximately 76 percent.

The strike followed three weeks of negotiations that failed to produce a successor to the union's collective bargaining agreement. Union members expressed frustration that the proposal did not adequately address rising living costs in Maine, where inflation has outpaced wage growth, nor align their pay with the national median for similar roles. Additional concerns included escalating health care expenses, insurance coverage, and retirement security. "We had hoped the company took to heart the statements made by Secretary Hegseth here at GD BIW on February 9th because our membership certainly did," said Trent Vellella, president of the BMDA, in an emailed statement. He added that General Dynamics has...