Shipyard to begin early negotiations with union
The Navy shipbuilder told Machinists Union Local S6 that it wants to negotiate contract changes by year's end, instead of waiting until spring when the current labor contract expires, so it can shore up the framework for a labor pact to produce a competitive bid for Coast Guard off-shore patrol cutters in March.
Workers feel like they're being forced to carry the load for concessions because of poor management decisions that have contributed to cost overruns and delays in several ships, including the stealthy, first-in-class Zumwalt.
Workers already have been warned that 20 percent of the shipyard workforce could be cut if the General Dynamics subsidiary fails to win the Coast Guard contract.
[...] the Navy is serious about the need for cutting costs and will choose the lowest cost option, regardless of its appreciation of the quality of Bath-built ships, said Loren Thompson, a defense analyst at the Lexington Institute.