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This article was featured in the Winter 2026-2027 IAM Journal and was written by IAM Communications Representative John Carr
The whistles still echoed across the Kennebec River as another shift of skilled Machinists filed through the gates of Bath Iron Works (BIW). For generations, IAM Local S6 members have built some of the U.S. Navy’s most advanced warships, vessels that serve around the globe and stand as symbols of American craftsmanship and national defense.
This year, those same workers added another accomplishment to their legacy.
Following months of preparation, member engagement and determined bargaining, approximately 4,500 IAM Local S6 members voted overwhelmingly to ratify a new collective bargaining agreement with Bath Iron Works, a subsidiary of General Dynamics. The agreement delivers meaningful economic gains while strengthening job security, retirement and quality-of-life benefits for thousands of shipbuilders and their families.
For the members who build the Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and support maintenance on the Independence-class littoral combat ships, the agreement represents far more than wages and benefits, it reflects the value of highly skilled union labor and the strength that comes from speaking with one voice.
“This agreement wasn’t just about dollars and cents,” said IAM Local S6 President Tim Suitter. “It was about respecting the people whose skill, dedication and craftsmanship make this shipyard successful every day.”
AM District 4 Assistant Directing Business Representative Chris Wiers said the new agreement reflects months of preparation, and a bargaining committee committed to making the contract truly member-driven, with every proposal and decision guided by the priorities of the membership.
Long before formal negotiations began, Local S6’s bargaining committee was already hard at work.
Committee members spent months gathering proposals, meeting with members throughout the shipyard, reviewing contract language, studying economic conditions and preparing strategies for the bargaining table. Shop-floor conversations, member meetings and direct feedback helped shape every proposal presented during negotiations.
That preparation proved invaluable.
Throughout bargaining, members consistently emphasized several priorities:
Rather than entering negotiations with predetermined objectives, the committee focused on representing the concerns voiced by the membership.
“Every proposal reflected conversations we had on the shop floor or in our member surveys,” added Suitter. “Members told us what mattered most, and that’s exactly what we fought to achieve.”
“This agreement is the result of months of preparation, countless conversations with our members, and a bargaining committee that never lost sight of who they were representing,” said IAM District 4 Assistant Directing Business Representative Chris Wiers. “Every proposal, every discussion and every decision was guided by the priorities our members shared with us. That’s what made this a truly member-driven contract.”
“This new agreement reflects what can happen when an experienced bargaining committee listens to its members, prepares thoroughly and stands firm on the issues that matter most,” said IAM District 4 Directing Business Representative Jay Wadleigh. “Local S6 members have spent generations building some of the finest warships in the world, and they understand the importance of protecting the skilled work and good union jobs that make Bath Iron Works what it is. This contract recognizes their value and helps ensure that ‘Bath Built is Best Built’ remains more than a slogan it remains a commitment to the future of shipbuilding in Maine.”
The new agreement recognizes the tremendous value IAM members bring to one of the nation’s most important defense manufacturers.
The contract includes significant wage increases over the life of the agreement, improvements to retirement benefits, enhanced paid time off, expanded educational opportunities, and updated language addressing quality-of-life issues important to today’s workforce.
Just as importantly, the agreement reinforces the importance of maintaining highly skilled work within the shipyard.
For many members, protecting opportunities for future generations carried just as much weight as immediate economic improvements.
“The work we do can’t simply be replaced,” said Suitter. It takes years to develop these skills, and this contract recognizes the importance of investing in the people who build these ships.”
Every destroyer launched from Bath carries with it thousands of hours of craftsmanship from welders, machinists, electricians, pipefitters, painters, planners, inspectors and countless other skilled trades represented by the IAM.
Members understand that every weld, every pipe, every cable and every component contributes directly to the safety of America’s sailors.
That responsibility creates a deep sense of pride throughout the workforce.
“When a ship leaves this yard, you know a part of your work will protect our nation’s sailors for decades to come,” said Negotiating Committee Member Tim Halle. “That responsibility isn’t something any of us take lightly. Every weld, every system and every detail matters because we know what’s at stake.”
For many families, Bath Iron Works is more than an employer. It’s a tradition.
Generations have worked inside the same shipyard, passing knowledge from one generation to the next while helping preserve Maine’s proud shipbuilding heritage.
As the shipbuilding industry continues to compete for skilled workers, Local S6 leaders believe strong contracts remain one of the most effective recruiting and retention tools available.
Competitive wages, retirement security and predictable schedules help attract the next generation of skilled tradespeople while encouraging experienced workers to remain in the industry.
Members repeatedly emphasized that the agreement helps ensure Bath Iron Works remains an attractive place to build a career.
“Young workers want to know they have a future here,” said Strike Committee Member, LEADS Program participant and second generation BIW worker Kaitlyn Baker. “A strong contract shows that this is still a place where someone can build a career, support a family and retire with dignity.”
“A strong contract sends a powerful message to the next generation of shipbuilders,” said Shop Steward and Strike Committee Member Matthew Wooten. “It tells young workers that this is a career worth investing in because they’ll have fair wages, good benefits, retirement security and a union that’s committed to protecting their future. That’s how we keep this shipyard, and our union strong for years to come.”
Eastern Territory staff led by GVP Sullivan, Chief of Staff Lorie Wilson, and Territory Coordinator George Edwards meet with the Local S6 Negotiating and Strike Committees to discuss strategy and plans of action.
One of the defining characteristics of this round of bargaining was preparation.
Months before formal negotiations began, committee members reviewed proposals, analyzed economic trends, prepared bargaining strategies, and worked through potential scenarios.
That work allowed negotiators to remain focused throughout the process and respond quickly as discussions evolved.
Preparation also strengthened communication with the membership, helping workers stay informed while maintaining confidence in the bargaining process.
“Strong contracts don’t happen by accident,” said Tim Halle. “They’re built through preparation, communication, and members standing together from the first proposal until the final vote.”
Perhaps the greatest lesson from this round of bargaining was the importance of solidarity.
Throughout negotiations, members remained engaged, informed, and supportive of the committee representing them.
That unity sent a powerful message across the bargaining table.
The agreement ultimately reflected not only months of negotiations, but decades of union experience built upon member participation and collective action.
“Every member has a voice,” said IAM Local S6 Communicator, Shop Steward, Joint Apprenticeship, and Negotiating Committees Member Devin Ragnar. “But it’s our unity that gives those voices real strength. When we stand together, there’s no question about what our membership expects or what we’re willing to fight for.”
“The greatest strength we have isn’t found at the bargaining table, it’s found in our membership,” added Ragnar. “When 4,500 members stand together behind a common purpose, that unity speaks louder than any one individual ever could.”
With a new agreement in place, Local S6 members have turned their focus back to doing what they do best, building world-class warships that protect the nation while supporting thousands of families across Maine.
Although another round of bargaining will eventually come, the latest agreement demonstrates what can be accomplished when preparation meets solidarity and skilled workers remain united behind a common purpose.
As steel continues to take shape along the banks of the Kennebec River, so too does another chapter in the proud history of IAM shipbuilders.
“As a proud member of Local S6 and a former Bath Iron Works shipbuilder, I know firsthand the skill, determination and solidarity of this membership,” said IAM Union International President Brian Bryant. “This historic agreement recognizes the tremendous value our members bring to Bath Iron Works, the state of Maine and our nation’s defense. I congratulate the negotiating committee and every Local S6 member who stood together to secure a stronger future for themselves and their families.”
For Local S6, the story has never been solely about ships.
It has always been about the men and women whose craftsmanship, determination, and solidarity keep both the shipyard, and the union moving forward.
“This agreement is about more than improved wages and benefits, it’s about protecting the future of union shipbuilding,” said IAM Eastern Territory General Vice President David Sullivan, also a proud member of IAM Local S6. “The dedication shown by Local S6’s members, bargaining committee, and leadership has strengthened not only this workforce, but the entire IAM. Their solidarity will benefit generations of shipbuilders who follow in their footsteps.”
