Press Releases

Construction of DDG-1000s will help keep workers on the job in Bath

Representatives Mike Michaud and Chellie Pingree say Navy Secretary Ray Mabus called them and Senators Snowe and Collins this afternoon to say that the Navy and General Dynamics had reached a final contract agreement to build two more DDG-1000 destroyers at Bath Iron Works (BIW). Michaud and Pingree had pushed the Navy to complete negotiations and Congress to fund the ships so workers at the yard would know there was enough work to keep them on the job. The combined value of the contract is $2 billion, which will secure work for BIW through 2018. DDG 1001 is expected to deliver in Fiscal Year 2015, with delivery of DDG 1002 in FY2018.

"This announcement is good news for our national defense and for our economy here in Maine," said Michaud. "This contract not only ensures that the Navy will get some of the best built ships in the world, but it's also good news for the workers who will stay on the job."

"These contracts took a long time to negotiate and even though Secretary Mabus had promised there wouldn't be layoffs due to delays in signing the contracts, I think everyone is glad the Navy has now finally signed on the dotted line and workers can feel more secure about their future," Pingree said.

This spring Michaud wrote to Congressional leaders urging them to fully fund the DDG 1000s.

"DDG-1000 will represent a number of important advances in naval surface warfare and will deploy and demonstrate technological capabilities that will benefit our warfighters, as well as other ship programs and platforms," Michaud wrote to leaders of the House Appropriations Committee.

In February, Pingree wrote to Mabus, pushing the Navy to complete negotiations on the two ships.

"The production workers responsible for building these Navy ships build the best ships in the world; we must do everything in our power to avoid disruption to this workforce, especially in this economy," Pingree wrote. Mabus called her a few days later and promised that there wouldn't be any layoffs at BIW due to a lack of DDG1000 funding while the two sides negotiated.