Submarine Designers' Union Approves Strike at Electric Boat

 

The draftsmen's union at General Dynamics Electric Boat has voted to authorize a strike if the company can't provide higher wages and benefits in its next contract. If carried out, the strike would further slow progress on the Columbia-class nuclear ballistic missile submarine, a multibillion-dollar program that is already behind schedule and over budget.

UAW Marine Draftsmens' Association Local 571 represents the 2,500 workers who draw up schematics and plans for sub construction at GD Electric Boat, one of the two firms in the United States that can build nuclear-powered submarines. Electric Boat holds contracts for the Columbia-class and the next generation of the Virginia-class attack sub, two of the Navy's highest-priority programs. Columbia is needed to replace the aging Ohio-class as the platform for the nation's at-sea nuclear deterrent, the most survivable second-strike option in the arsenal. The UAW MDA's members did the detail design for Columbia, and they produce the plans for construction. 

GD Electric Boat emphasizes that "our nation needs submarines now more than any time in our history," and says that it has already made its best and final offer to the union. This includes a pay raise of 23 percent and certain retirement package improvements. 

The union, however, says that the wage increase doesn't go far enough to offset recent inflation, and that a proposed hike in employees' insurance premiums would further erode the gains in the package. Meanwhile, the union says that Electric Boat has kept profits totaling $13 billion over 2022-2024 - more than the price of one Columbia-class hull. 

"This company has a simple choice. They can get back to the table and get serious about the demands, or they can keep messing around," said UAW President Shawn Fain in an address to 1,200 Local 571 members on Monday. 

At the meeting, rank and file union members voted to authorize a strike, and approved the motion by a margin of about two-thirds. The union leadership will keep working on negotiations with GD Electric Boat, but now has the power to start industrial action if the talks do not produce results. 

On the same day as the meeting, Electric Boat filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, alleging that the union is refusing to bargain or is bargaining in bad faith.