METAL TRADES
IN THE NEWS
Metal Trades Patriots to Overhaul US Naval Hospital Ship Mercy
Metal Trades workers at Vigor Marine in Portland will perform a complete overhaul on the USNS Ship Mercy
In June, Vigor Marine was awarded a $56,450,644 firm-fixed price contract to overhaul and dry dock the hospital ship U.S. Naval USNS Ship Mercy.
The work will be performed at the Portland shipyard and is expected to be completed in August 2021.
Philly Shipyard Awaits Defense Budget Approval Awarding Two New Hospital Ship Contracts to the Yard
On the brink of collapse just one year ago, the Philly Shipyard was awarded a contract for the construction of up to five (5) National Security Multi-Mission Vessels (NSMV) from TOTE Services, LLC.
In addition to its NSMV contract, Philly Shipyard anticipates an award to build two Towing, Salvage, and Rescue Ships (T-ATS) should the DoD FY21 Budget be approved in Congress.
See page 95 of the United States Department of Defense FY 21 Budget Request
Single Point of Contact Model Making a Difference at Vigor
Benjamin Heurung, MTD West Coast General Rep.
The Single Point of Contact model of representation is a negotiated and vital component to the administration of the Metal Trades Department Master Agreement that serves multi craft Metal Trades Councils within Vigor Industrial LLC. It serves as the conduit that unites multiple Vigor Industrial collective bargaining agreements that exist between the company and the Puget Sound and Portland Metal Trades Councils.
As the West Coast General Representative, I presently serve as the current Single Point of Contact between the employer, local councils and affiliated local unions. It is my goal to fully define the role through the prioritization of establishing a clear line of communication that ensures a free and concise flow of information between bargaining unit partners. This collectively bargained representative position ensures that the employer provide the council and its local affiliates with timely, accurate records of their members and all pertinent information necessary to conduct and coordinate every aspect of representation and effective labor relations. Included but not limited to this task of the Single Point of Contact is the facilitation of negotiations, grievances, arbitrations and the weekly data necessary for the council and its affiliates to monitor and plan its representational activities. Those activities include the recording of new hires, sub-contractors, terminations, layoffs, personal information changes, leave of absences, wage changes, promotions and on call lists. The Single Point of Contact is responsible for certifying with the company that all locals working within the jurisdiction of the two councils, receive their dues and trust payments in a timely fashion along with audited reports and accurate membership / bargaining unit employee counts.
In its role as a quasi-ombudsman between labor and management, the Single Point of Contact is a viable vehicle that provides stewards, local council representatives and management with an unfettered and bureaucracy free bridge to one another, enabling and promoting effective labor and management relations through communications.
As the the Single Point of Contact representation model and its sphere of influence evolves throughout the Metal Trades universe, the department looks forward to its local councils fostering strong and productive relationships with our industry partners, working together to efficiently advance joint efforts that positively and productively affect the performance of all company employees from metal trades members on the deck plate to the company administrative personnel in the office. #MTDProud
Metal Trades Mobile
The mobile source for up-to-date news and information from the Metal Trades Department, AFL-CIO. This app contains news feeds and information of interest to union members. It links to our social media pages and our photos. Keeps you apprised of upcoming events and allows our users to identify and contact their members of Congress. We will also alert you to breaking news and important information when you allow “push notifications.”
MORE MTD IN THE NEWS
Metal Trades Department Condemns Extension of Jones Act Waiver
Statement from Dale M. Troll, President, Metal Trades Department, AFL-CIO The Metal Trades Department strongly objects to President Trump’s decision to extend the Jones Act waiver for another 90 days and opposes waivers of the Jones Act that allow American maritime...
House Armed Services Committee Takes Important Step to Protect American Shipbuilding
The Metal Trades Department, AFL-CIO, applauds Representative Jared Golden (D-ME) and the members of the House Armed Services Committee who voted to advance an amendment prohibiting the Department of Defense from using Navy shipbuilding funds to contract for battle...
Join Us for the 72nd Metal Trades Department Convention
Join Us for the 72nd Convention of the Metal Trades Department, AFL-CIO October 19-22, 2026 • Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas The Metal Trades Department, AFL-CIO, officially calls for its 72nd Convention to convene at the Planet Hollywood Hotel and...
Metal Trades Department, AFL-CIO Welcomes Alana Schaeffer as Federal Representative
The Metal Trades Department, AFL-CIO, is proud to announce the appointment of Alana Schaeffer as the Department’s newest Federal Representative effective June 1, 2026. Schaeffer most recently served as President of the Portsmouth Metal Trades Council, where she earned...
Portsmouth Metal Trades Council Raises Alarm Over Stalled Labor Claims at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
The Portsmouth Metal Trades Council is sounding the alarm over stalled labor claims and growing uncertainty facing workers at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, according to recent reporting by the Portsmouth Herald. The Herald reported that members of Congress from New...
National Apprenticeship Week: The Backbone of Our Skilled Workforce
National Apprenticeship Week is a recognition of something the labor movement has long understood: union apprenticeship programs are the backbone of our nation’s skilled trades workforce. For generations, these programs have built the men and women who construct,...
Jones Act Waivers: Short-Term Fix, Long-Term Damage
The decision by the Trump Administration to extend waivers of the Jones Act for another 90 days is deeply concerning and fundamentally misguided. The Jones Act exists to protect our national security, sustain a strong domestic shipbuilding industry, and ensure a...
Statement from the Metal Trades Department, AFL-CIO on Workers Memorial Day – April 28
On April 28, the Metal Trades Department joins the labor movement across North America in observing Workers Memorial Day—a day to remember those who have lost their lives on the job and to recommit ourselves to protecting the living. First established by the AFL-CIO,...
Statement from the Metal Trades Department In Support of the SHIPS for America Act
The SHIPS for America Act represents the most comprehensive and serious effort in decades to reverse that decline. The legislation takes a whole-of-government approach to rebuilding the U.S. maritime sector—strengthening shipyards, modernizing ports, investing in...
Statement from Dale M. Troll, President Metal Trades Department, AFL-CIO
The decision to waive the Jones Act is a serious mistake that puts American jobs, economic security, and national security at risk. For more than a century, the Jones Act has been a cornerstone of U.S. policy—supporting over 500,000 American jobs in shipbuilding,...
and then