BATH, Maine - A strike at Navy shipbuilder Bath Iron Works has entered a fourth week with no talks between the company and the union representing 4,300 production workers. Both the company and Machinists Local S6 met separately with a federal mediator last week, but there has been no resumption in negotiations.
Shipbuilders went on strike on June 22 after overwhelmingly rejecting a three-year contract proposal from the company. There have been no negotiations since then.
The dispute focuses on the hiring of subcontractors, changes in work rules and issues involving seniority. The company has maintained that it has the right to hire subcontractors but wants to streamline the process to be competitive.