2020 was a bad year for Bath Iron Works, one of two shipyards that builds the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, the workhorse of the U.S. Navy fleet, Defense News reports. Already facing workforce challenges years in the making, the yard then encountered a global pandemic and a nine-week strike by its largest labor union.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the shipyard fell further behind in its already delayed deliveries of U.S. Navy destroyers. But yard leaders say they took steps this year toward restoring the relationship with the union, and they see opportunities in 2022 to lower attrition and hire new employees as they strengthen the next generation of shipbuilders.
