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IAM Local S6 Members at Bath Iron Works Ratify Historic Five-Year Labor Agreement

Andy O’Brien
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Nearly 4,500 IAM (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) Local S6 union members at Bath Iron Works (BIW) voted to ratify a historic five-year collective bargaining agreement that delivers significant wage increases, stronger workplace protections and no concessions.

The agreement, unanimously recommended by the IAM Local S6 Negotiating Committee, delivers a 17 percent general wage increase in the first year, followed by 4 percent increases in each of the remaining four years.

Contract highlights include:

  • Zero concessions from the IAM Local S6 membership.
  • General wage increases of 17 percent in the first year, followed by 4 percent in each of the remaining four years.
  • Increased shift premiums to $2.50 per hour for second- and third-shift employees.
  • Locked-in healthcare costs for the duration of the agreement.
  • Improved 401(k) contributions.
  • Stronger seniority and job protections, including safeguards addressing outsourcing.
  • Greater flexibility for time off and improvements to attendance provisions.
  • Stronger protections involving new technology, artificial intelligence and robotics.
  • Additional protections for bargaining-unit work and increased union involvement in workplace decisions.

“This agreement is about our members and the value of the work they do every single day at Bath Iron Works,” said IAM Local S6 President Tim Suitter. “Our members told us what mattered to them, they stood together throughout this process, and we fought to deliver those priorities at the bargaining table. I’m incredibly proud of our negotiating committee and our entire Local S6 membership.”

The ratification marks an important moment for IAM Local S6 members, who have a long history of standing together to protect good union jobs and shipbuilding work in Maine. In 2020, Local S6 members demonstrated that solidarity during a 63-day strike at Bath Iron Works over subcontracting, seniority and other issues affecting the future of their work. The new five-year agreement takes effect Monday, Aug. 24, 2026, and runs through Aug. 24, 2031.