BATH – Bath Iron Works on Wednesday reached a tentative contract agreement with its largest union, Local S6 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, according to a statement from IAM spokesman John Carr.

The final offer will be presented to union members May 18, the day their current four-year contract expires, at the Augusta Civic Center, where they will vote on the tentative agreement, Carr said. If the offer is rejected, the union will take a strike vote, he said.

The Machinists’ union represents approximately 3,400 shipbuilders at BIW, including fitters, welders, painters, electricians, mechanics and other classifications.

A membership survey conducted by the union showed that the concerns of Bath shipbuilders mirror those of workers across the country, Carr said last week.

“At the top of everything is the health care issue, retirement security is a big deal, and of course wages – look at the economy, everything is going up,” he said.