Bath Marine Draftsmen’s Association (UAW 3999) Strike Captains to Receive President’s Award

The Bath Marine Draftsmen’s Association (UAW 3999) Strike Captains are this year’s winner of the Maine AFL-CIO’s President’s Award for stepping up to build their union and organize their co-workers during the BMDA strike in late March.

Months before their contract was set to expire, BMDA leadership put out a call to members to attend a strike captain training, and to step up as strike captains to build power and get their local strike-ready. Without hesitation, 40 members stepped up into this role.

“It was helpful that we had a pretty sizable group of very passionate people who wanted to come together,” said BMDA Strike Captain Nicole Yim, a designer at the shipyard. “We wanted to make sure that we actually showed both our membership and the company that we could come together and harness that collective power.”

Yim said strike captains were particularly inspired after watching their UAW brothers and sisters at General Dynamics Electric Boat in Connecticut fight hard and win a good contract.

“They came together and were able to get their results,” said Yim. “We realized we can do that too.”

Yim and other BMDA members also attended the 2025 Labor Summer Institute at the University of Maine and were inspired after taking part in a rally in support of UMaine Grad Workers.

In the weeks leading up to and through bargaining and the contract expiration, the strike captains each took on an assignment of a group of members they were responsible for engaging in the contract campaign. They served as the primary source of information to members, and also as the listening ears for the union to pass information and questions back to leadership and the bargaining team. During negotiations, they led their co-workers in a number of actions, including lunchtime walks and demonstrations that drew strong participation from the rank and file.

When the moment came to walk out and go on strike, the captains continued to lead the membership through the exciting and challenging aspects of striking in multiple locations and several shifts a day. They led chants, answered questions, coordinated shuttle rides, kept morale high, distributed hand warmers, greeted guests, and more. They were a strong backbone of the union during the strike. They talked to and supported one another, trouble-shooting issues in real time, and supporting one another when someone needed to step back and take a break.

“Strike preparation is not just about the fight,” said Yim. “It is also about building and nurturing a community that can withstand all of the stresses that you will encounter during a strike.”

This was the first time BMDA executed a contract campaign with this deeper member participation and mobilization structure model, and it was a success thanks to the members who stepped forward to serve as strike captains!  Congratulations, brothers and sisters. You are an inspiration to us all!