Quick links+
The IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers), as a member of the newly-formed USA Shipbuilding Coalition, is helping to lead the charge in pressing Congress to save the nation’s shipbuilding industry through measures like the SHIPS for America Act.
The joint industry-union coalition brings labor and management together in a unified effort to revitalize the nation’s shipbuilding industry and restore America’s maritime power.
“IAM Union members know firsthand what’s at stake,” said IAM Union International President Brian Bryant, a ship pipefitter from Bath Iron Works by trade. “For too long, America’s shipbuilding industry has faced neglect while China cheated its way ahead, breaking international trade law to dominate the industry. This Coalition represents a turning point — a real opportunity to bring these jobs back, rebuild our industrial base, and secure our economic and national security future.”
In a joint statement submitted for the record alongside the AFL-CIO, United Steelworkers (USW), International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), and the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers (IBB), the IAM Union is calling on Congress to bring the SHIPS for America Act (S.1541/H.R.3151) to the floor without delay.
Through the USA Shipbuilding Coalition, the push to pass this vital legislation has also been reinvigorated. The coalition released a national ad campaign to bring awareness to the issue.
The IAM has been at the forefront in pushing for stronger trade enforcement and helped lead the charge of a Section 301 petition to the United States Trade Representative (USTR).
The USTR’s comprehensive report on its investigation into commercial shipbuilding revealed that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) engaged in a broad range of tactics to dominate and control the maritime, shipbuilding, and logistics sectors.
For decades, the decline of U.S. shipbuilding has weakened the nation’s ability to produce and maintain the vessels necessary for both commercial and defense needs. The Coalition’s mission is to reverse damage to the industry and rebuild it to be even stronger.
The IAM Union has stood with its shipbuilding and repair members in Boston and California, advocating for sustained federal support for ship repair and shipbuilding jobs critical to both local economies and national defense.
“A strong shipbuilding industry is essential not only for economic growth, but for national security,” said Bryant. “We must have the capability to build, repair, and maintain our own vessels. That starts with investing in skilled union workers and the infrastructure and policies to support them.”
