Northrop Grumman Workers on Strike at Pascagoula Shipyard

Workers are now on strike at Mississippi’s largest private employer, crippling Northrop Grumman’s Pascagoula Shipyard. The strike, now approaching a week in duration, affects all unions in the yard, except office personnel. Office workers are reportedly respecting the picket lines, however. Picket lines are now deployed in at least six locations and are said to be largely calm and orderly.

Picketing commenced at the Northrop Grumman shipyard in Pascagoula last Thursday with the majority of local labor unions represented at the shipyard’s main entrance. The Pascagoula Metal Trades Department (MTD) released a statement (AFL-CIO) on their website which stated, “Members of the Pascagoula Metal Trades Council - comprised of 11 craft unions representing 6,700 workers at the Northrop Grumman Ship Systems yard at Ingalls - have rejected a proposed contract settlement with Northrop Grumman by an overwhelming margin. Ingalls workers have been working under a contract extension since their previous agreement expired on March 4th. This is the second rejection vote by the Council in this round of negotiations.”

Strikers are demanding a new contract, with specific concerns revolving around high insurance costs and inadequate salary offers from Northrup Grumman, said the MTD’s Ron Ault. Ault, the National Metal Trades Department President, went on to say, “The frustrations of the region are now coming out. These people have been abandoned by their government. It’s getting a little better here, but the response from the government has been terrible.” Ault also maintains that every strike he has been involved in over the past 8 or 10 years has involved the cost of health care. “This one is no different,” he said.

According to Ron Ault, all contact with Northrup Grumman officials ended when the strike began and he did not expect that any negotiations would be taking place over the next week. Union officials have said that they will not initiate contact, unless their members directed them to do so. Ault also told MarEx on Wednesday that “although it is fairly early, our solidarity has been amazing.” There are 400+ non-union workers at the yard, but only about 100 had elected to cross the picket lines.

Northrup Grumman’s shipbuilding work primarily involves government contracts. Ron Ault said on Wednesday that most work had stopped at Pascagoula, but he conceded that some tasks are being accomplished by management personnel. Calls to Northrop Grumman for comment on the strike were not returned in time for this issue of MarEx.