BATH

“Everything is significant, but in the real scope of things, it wasn’t a bad decision,” said Jay Wadleigh, president of the Local S6 union at Bath Iron Works, regarding an arbitration award that was issued last Monday about the company’s proposed changes to job classifications.

The decision will require the union to participate in a contractual process regarding changes suggested by the company.

“This is an important step forward as both parties can now discuss the changes proposed,” said BIW spokesman Matt Wickenheiser in an email last Thursday. “These changes are important as BIW seeks to become more flexible and affordable so it can successfully compete for future work. BIW has and will continue to abide by the collective bargaining agreement and is committed to bringing shipbuilding work to Maine, which requires the company become more competitive.”

According to Wadleigh, the union filed a lawsuit against BIW in April when the company sought to negotiate about 100 different job classifications.

The arbitration decision follows a ruling in June that ultimately decided that the union and the company would settle the dispute through arbitration.

In a bulletin issued in May, the company stated that “basic” changes to jobs, such as allowing welders to plug in their own machinery, would help the company become more affordable and competitive, increasing their potential to win future contracts with the Navy and Coast Guard.

However, Wadleigh argued that the changes are not as simple as it sounds.

“They cited some things like letting people plug and unplug their welding machines. Well, they make it sound like you’re plugging and unplugging a toaster, but … it’s 480 volts, and if you plug in live while it’s under strain, you can pop circuits or blow up,” he said.

Although it is possible to train workers to safely plug or unplug their equipment, Wadleigh said it makes more sense to use workers who have already been trained in this particular field to complete this task.

“We’re definitely not opposed to trying to find more ways to be efficient,” he clarified.

He likened the issue to owning a restaurant business where a single employee serves as the cook, waiter and busboy.

“Wouldn’t be easier if one guy could do all of that? It sounds good, but it doesn’t work. You need the different people,” he said. “Ideally, (the company) runs best when everybody does their own job that they’re experts in, and that they’ve done for years.”

Wadleigh said a similar policy was implemented in the early ’90s and 2000s that proved to be unsuccessful until a memorandum of understanding was created in 2001.

He recalled an eight-week strike in 2000 that resulted from the issue because “people (were) fed up with this whole concept of not coming to work to do what you’re supposed to do.”

As far as the risk of another strike, Wadleigh said it was possible.

This past March and May, union members have already participated in rallies to protest changes proposed by the company.

“That’s the last thing that we want, but absolutely, there’s a risk of that, and we’ve just shy of begging the company to work with us instead of against us,” he said.

Another strike?

AS FAR AS THE RISK of a strike, Jay Wadleigh, president of the Local S6 union, said it was possible. “That’s the last thing that we want, but absolutely, there’s a risk of that …,” he said.