Vol. 47 No. 3 the Boilermaker Jul • Sep 2008 The Official Publication of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers, and Helpers, AFL-CIO http://capwiz.com/boilermaker Reporter http://www.boilermakers.org IN THESE PAGES Local 614 members build submarine in record time THANKS TO THE efforts of Local 614 mem- The submarine was christened by Cheryl McGuin- bers (Groton, Conn.), the U.S. Navy christened its ness, a resident of Portsmouth, N.H. Her husband, newest Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack Tom, died on Sept. 11, 2001, in the attacks on the submarine, the New Hampshire, on June 21, a date World Trade Center. He was a co-pilot of American that coincided with the 220th anniversary of New Airlines Flight 11. Hampshire’s statehood. The christening marked the third time the U.S. The fifth Virginia class to be built, she was com- Navy has named a ship after the state of New Hamp- pleted months ahead of schedule at General Dynam- shire. The newest New Hampshire is the first Virginia- ics Electric Boat in Groton, Conn. Election 2008 nears . .3 See SUBMARINE, page 2 Pinault tops Canadian event . 10 MOST makes safety videos . .15 The New Hampshire is moored to the pier at the General Dynamics Electric Boat shipyard before her christening June 21. (U.S. Navy photo by John Narewski, courtesy of navy.mil.) MN 100 Org. Org. No. PAID POSTAGE Prairie, REQUESTED PAID POSTAGE NASSCO workers ratify first U.S. Permit Non-Profit U.S. Long Non-Profit SERVICE agreement, settle lawsuit Local 1998-represented employees tional Vice President – Industrial Sector, said it was recoup nearly $14 million for lost clear that NASSCO wished to resolve the lawsuit that had been filed in December 2004. The lawsuit ADDRESS meal and break periods arose over the company’s failure to provide employ- AFTER 16 YEARS without a labor contract, 2,300 ees with meal and rest periods in accordance with employees of General Dynamics’ NASSCO Shipyard California law. The union documented over three in San Diego, Calif. — represented by Boilermakers years of violations. Local 1998 — have ratified an agreement with the Under the settlement, the shipyard workers will company. Workers approved the contract June 14 share cash payments totaling $13.9 million. They will by unanimous vote. They also settled a lawsuit with also receive an increase in pension benefits worth NASSCO worth millions. $5.2 million. NASSCO (National Steel and Shipbuilding Com- As the settlement was reached, the two sides also pany) designs, builds, and repairs auxiliary ships for agreed to a five-year contract that gains fundamental the U.S. Navy and tankers covered under the Jones union rights as well as significant wage improvements 565 Act. More than a-decade-and-a-half ago, production for NASSCO employees. Wages will be increased in 66101 and maintenance employees there formed an inde- each of the five years of the agreement, and all mem- Suite pendent union — the Shipyard Workers Union. The bers will receive signing bonuses. In addition, the union merged with the International Brotherhood of company will provide for paid shop stewards (includ- Kansas Boilermakers in 2003, becoming Local 1998. ing chief shop stewards), two full-time union health Avenue, The new agreement and the lawsuit settlement and safety reps, union dues check-off, a grievance City, came after intense negotiations between the company and arbitration procedure with binding arbitration, State and the union this summer. Warren Fairley, Interna- 753 Kansas the Boilermaker Reporter See NASSCO, page 2 50757_P01_06_08_10_24x.indd 1 9/25/08 10:50:14 AM 2 - the Boilermaker Reporter IN THE NEWS Jul• Sep 2008 NASSCO continued from p. 1 and broader involvement in evalua- “This program is effective because tions and new hire orientations. rank-and-file union members meet “This settlement and agreement nonmembers face-to-face and explain place the Boilermakers union and the benefits of belonging to the union,” members of Local 1998 in a position said John Chapman, International Rep to build a strong, viable local lodge,” and General Organizer. “That’s what said International President Newton B. Local 1998 members are doing right Jones. “It has been a long time coming, now at the NASSCO shipyard.” but the perseverance of these workers Chapman said union members are has paid off, and now they will truly meeting with nonmembers during their be able to enjoy the benefits of union lunch breaks and after work. “The new membership. This is a proud day for member sign-ups have been substan- these members, Local 1998 President tial. In some weeks, we are running at Bobby Godinez, and the International 75 to 100 new members,” he said. BP’s Whiting, Ind., refinery is the fourth largest in the nation. (Photo courtesy of BP) officers and staff who have worked so Local 1998 is also seeking additional hard over the years on behalf of the units. On September 8, about two NASSCO workers.” dozen gantry crane operators voted overwhelmingly to join the lodge. “It L-374 readies for $3.8 Focus turns to organizing took some hard work,” said Chap- man, “but we succeeded in getting the WITH A CONTRACT in place and company to sign off on a stipulated billion refinery job the lawsuit settled, the local is actively election agreement.” building its membership using the in- refinery in the Midwest and the fourth “The crane operators are a small Project will be biggest plant organizing program. Developed group but an important one,” said largest in the United States. The mas- in response to so-called right-to-work private investment in sive, multi-year project will allow the President Godinez. “They are respon- laws, the program can be used at any sible for moving ship sections from one Indiana history refinery to process additional heavy location where a union security clause crude oil from Canada. production stage to another. We now AFTER YEARS of planning, engi- does not exist. These clauses require represent a total of five bargaining units “It’s a go!” L-374 BM-ST Paul Maday union membership as a condition of neering, and permitting, a $3.8 billion said recently. “All the permits are in, and about 70 percent of all production refinery modernization and expansion employment. General Dynamics’ workers at the shipyard.” ❑ and BP’s headquarters in Great Britain NASSCO shipyard does not have one. project is gearing up along Lake Michi- has released the funds.” gan in Whiting, Ind. — and Local 374 Maday said the work will involve (Hammond, Ind.) will be part of it. a lot of new technology to process the The Whiting facility, owned by SUBMARINE British Petroleum (BP), is the largest See WHITING, page 14 continued from p. 1 class ship to be built in 72 months, down Since the 1980s, the U.S. Navy fleet from 84. “That’s a savings of $8 million has shrunk from nearly 600 ships to in man-hours alone,” reports Local 614 about 280, but the Navy is not build- Bus. Mgr. Frank Ward. ing at the replacement rate, so it will The newest New Hampshire is also the shrink even further. This year Congress first submarine of its class to be placed funded nine ships, which is the best in a in the water at 99 percent completion. while, but below the replacement rate, The 7,800-ton ship was built under a which is about 10 per year. teaming arrangement between General “The decline in the number of ships Dynamics Electric Boat and Northrop being built combined with advances in Grumman Shipbuilding in Newport technology and some work going non- News, Va. She is 337 feet in length, has union has caused a traumatic decline in a beam of 34 feet, and can operate at our membership,” Ward said. “We are more than 25 knots submerged. at 10 percent of what we’ve been.” The New Hampshire’s improved But Ward is hopeful that member- stealth, sophisticated surveillance capa- ship numbers will rise in the next bilities, and special warfare enhance- couple of years when pending legisla- ments will enable it to meet the Navy’s tion to increase to two ships per year multi-mission requirements. It is sched- becomes effective. uled to be commissioned October 25 at Local 614 has represented workers the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kit- at the shipyard since it was chartered tery, Maine. in 1944. ❑ The Boilermaker Reporter is the official pub- Unions play role in the Boilermaker lication of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers, and Helpers, AFL-CIO. It is published ‘Tall Ships’ festival quarterly to disseminate information of use and interest to its members. Submissions Reporter from members, local lodges, and subordi- Boilermakers help build structure to accommodate the few nate or affiliated bodies are welcomed and infrastructure for five-day hundred thousand visitors expected Jul • Sep 2008 Vol. 47 No. 3 encouraged. This publication is mailed free of charge to active members and retired at the event. Longshore members Newton B. Jones, International President Tacoma event and Editor-in-Chief members holding a Retired Members Card. helped each ship to an orderly moor- Others may subscribe for the price of $10 for BOILERMAKERS WERE among age. In all, over one million dollars William T. Creeden, Intl. Secretary-Treasurer three years. Standard Mail (A) postage paid the army of union volunteers whose in labor was donated to the event, International Vice Presidents at Kansas City, Kan., and additional mailing offices. ISSN No. 1078-4101. efforts were essential to the opening reports Tall Ships Tacoma Board Pres- Lawrence McManamon, Great Lakes of “Tall Ships Tacoma 2008” held July ident Joe Jadwin.