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The 600,000-member IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM Union) is reaffirming its strong support for the bipartisan SHIPS for America Act as Congress holds a joint hearing on revitalizing shipbuilding and the maritime industrial base before key House subcommittees.
Today, just 80 U.S.-flagged vessels operate in international commerce, compared to roughly 5,500 in China. The SHIPS for America Act would help close that gap by strengthening U.S. maritime policy, rebuilding the domestic shipyard base, cutting red tape to boost competitiveness, and investing in the recruitment, training, and retention of mariners and shipyard workers.
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.
“On behalf of the tens of thousands of IAM Union members working in the shipbuilding and repair industries, the IAM strongly supports the SHIPS for America Act,” said IAM Union International President Brian Bryant, a ship pipefitter from Bath Iron Works by trade. “This legislation will help reinvigorate our domestic shipbuilding and repair industries, create good-paying jobs, strengthen critical supply chains, and bolster our economic and national security.
“Today, we joined our allies in Washington, D.C., to urge Congress to move this critical, bipartisan legislation forward,” continued Bryant. “We are grateful to U.S. Reps. John Garamendi (D-Calif.) and Trent Kelly (R-Miss.), along with U.S. Sens. Todd Young (D-Ind.) and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), for their leadership and commitment to revitalizing the American maritime industrial base.”
The IAM Union has been a leading voice in the fight to rebuild U.S. shipbuilding capacity, working alongside labor and elected leaders across the country to demand urgent investment in the maritime industrial base.
From Boston to California, the IAM Union has stood with our shipbuilding and repair members, management and members of Congress to highlight the need for sustained federal support for ship repair and shipbuilding jobs critical to both local economies and national defense.
The IAM Union has also been at the forefront of pushing for stronger trade enforcement to counter unfair global competition. The IAM Union helped drive the successful Section 301 petition that led to U.S. Trade Representative action targeting China’s state-backed dominance in shipbuilding and maritime logistics, and has applauded those efforts to level the playing field for American workers.
The SHIPS for America Act builds on this momentum by advancing a comprehensive, whole-of-government approach to strengthen shipyards, modernize ports, secure supply chains, and invest in the next generation of skilled maritime workers.
“America cannot afford to fall further behind in an industry so vital to our national and economic security,” said Bryant. “The time to act is now.”
