Navy Shipyard Workers Approve Contract Deal with Bath Iron Works, Ending Strike

Hundreds of employees at one of the U.S. Navy's biggest shipbuilding contractors voted to approve a new four-year collective bargaining agreement.

Mar. 29, 2026 at 2:20am

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Hundreds of employees at Bath Iron Works, one of the U.S. Navy's largest shipbuilding contractors, have voted to approve a new contract deal, ending a weeklong strike. The Bath Marine Draftsmen's Association, which represents designers, technicians, and engineers at the shipyard, ratified the four-year agreement after three weeks of negotiations with the company.

Why it matters

Bath Iron Works is a critical supplier of Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers for the U.S. Navy, so the strike had the potential to disrupt naval shipbuilding during a time of heightened global tensions. The resolution of the labor dispute allows the shipyard to resume full operations and continue delivering ships on schedule.

The details

The new contract agreement includes improvements that the union says are a win for workers, though specifics were not provided. The strike began several weeks after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited the shipyard to tout the need to boost defense manufacturing. Bath Iron Works, which has built ships for the Navy for over a century, says it proposed 'historic wage and benefit options' to help reach a deal with the union.

  • The strike began last Monday, March 22, 2026.
  • The union members ratified the new contract on Saturday, March 27, 2026.

The players

Bath Iron Works

A major U.S. Navy shipbuilding contractor that has built ships for the Navy for over a century and is known for the slogan 'Bath built is best built'.

Bath Marine Draftsmen's Association

A union affiliated with the United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) that represents designers, nondestructive test technicians, technical clerks, laboratory technicians, and associate engineers at Bath Iron Works.

Pete Hegseth

U.S. Defense Secretary who made a morale-boosting appearance at Bath Iron Works several weeks before the strike began.

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What they’re saying

“We look forward to working together once again to deliver the Navy's ships on time to protect our nation and our families.”

— Bath Iron Works

“Establishing not only a better contract foundation for the next negotiation but also developing an engaged and motivated membership; that now has this experience to bring to bear in any future negotiation or organizing activity.”

— Bath Marine Draftsmen's Association, Union Local

What’s next

The Navy is expected to commission the future Arleigh Burke-class USS Harvey C. Barnum, Jr. next month, which was delivered by Bath Iron Works last year.

The takeaway

This labor dispute highlights the critical role that shipyards like Bath Iron Works play in supporting the U.S. Navy's surface fleet, and the need for both management and workers to find common ground to ensure on-time delivery of naval vessels during times of heightened global tensions.