Bath Iron Works’ largest union is scheduled to meet with a federal mediator again this coming week as a nearly monthlong strike has produced no agreement with the shipyard so far. A BIW spokesman said the company is fully involved in the mediation process.
Local S6 of the Machinists Union, which represents 4,300 of the company’s 6,700 employees, said it is scheduled to speak with the mediator at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.
The local began its strike on June 22 after rejecting a three-year contract offer from BIW that would have given the company more leeway to hire nonunion subcontractors – a sticking point for the union.
The last few weeks have seen little to no movement between the two sides. Union representatives this past week said BIW refused to make any changes to the offer rejected in June, leaving no room for compromise. The strike has escalated tensions over subcontractors as the company moves to hire temporary workers to keep production rolling.
David Hench, a spokesman for Bath Iron Works, said the company was “fully engaged with the federal mediation process.”
“We look forward to finding a solution that restores our competitiveness and respects the needs of our valued workforce,” he said in an email Saturday.
Bath Iron Works says the strike has threatened production schedules and forced layoffs. Earlier this month, the company also filed a complaint against the union with the National Labor Relations Board over threats to fine members who returned to work during the strike.
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