Bath Iron Works Machinists Ratify Five-Year Contract, 17% Raise

Members of International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Local S6 at Bath Iron Works, the General Dynamics shipyard in Bath, Maine, voted to ratify a new five-year contract in late August 2026, Maine Public reported. Local S6 president Tim Suitter said the agreement includes no concessions and preserves contract language the union had fought to protect over multiple bargaining cycles — a notable outcome for a local that held a 63-day strike in 2020 over subcontracting and seniority issues.

What the contract delivers

The deal delivers a 17% wage increase in its first year, followed by 4% raises in each of the remaining four years, compounding to roughly a third more in base pay by the contract’s end. It also locks in the cost of healthcare benefits for members, increases 401(k) contributions, and raises shift premiums. Suitter said members “told us what mattered to them” during negotiations and that he was proud of the negotiating committee’s work.

A reminder of how uneven union gains can be

This contract is a useful data point precisely because it looks so different from other 2026 settlements. A defense-industry shipyard locking in a double-digit first-year raise sits next to other trades negotiating flatter, more modest multi-year scales — a reminder that “a union contract” is not one thing, and the strength of a deal depends heavily on the sector and the leverage behind it.

What this contract doesn’t cover

Even a contract this strong has a boundary. Locked-in healthcare costs and higher 401(k) contributions are valuable, but they are tied to active employment at Bath Iron Works — they generally do not follow a member into retirement or a job change, and employer-sponsored group life insurance, where it exists, usually ends when the job does. None of that is a flaw in this particular agreement; it is simply what collective bargaining was built to negotiate and what it was never built to cover. Final expense and whole life coverage are arranged by the member individually, which is exactly why they are the piece that survives a job change, a retirement, or the next round of bargaining five years from now.

What this means for you

If you’re an IAM member or work in a trade where wages, healthcare, and retirement contributions are negotiated collectively, this is a good moment to look at whether your own life coverage is something you own, rather than something tied to the job. Our union members coverage page and who we serve page cover the households we work with most, and a free calculator can give you a quick estimate once you know roughly what coverage typically costs.

Sources

• Maine Public: Bath Iron Works union workers ratify historic contract with 17% pay raise
• International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM)

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Bath Iron Works machinists ratify a new contract?

Yes. Members of International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Local S6 at Bath Iron Works, the General Dynamics shipyard in Bath, Maine, voted to ratify a new five-year contract in late August 2026.

How big is the raise in the new Bath Iron Works contract?

The deal delivers a 17% wage increase in its first year, followed by 4% raises in each of the remaining four years, compounding to roughly a third more in base pay by the contract’s end.

Does a strong union healthcare and retirement package follow a worker after they leave the job?

Generally, no. Negotiated healthcare and 401(k) terms are tied to active employment and usually end or change when someone retires or changes jobs. A personally owned life insurance policy, by contrast, is built to follow the person rather than the job.