The union leaflets handed out Wednesday at the gates of Newport News Shipbuilding put the current labor talks in perspective.
"Well, the first weeks of contract negotiations have been short on drama (a good thing)," the first sentence reads.
So it goes as negotiators for United Steelworkers Local 8888 seek a new deal with the Newport News shipyard, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries and Virginia's largest industrial employer. The current contract expires July 9.
The talks come at a pivotal time. Preceding months have seen two waves of layoffs at the yard, followed by a ramp-up in hiring. President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence have visited. Ambitious plans are in the works to expand the Navy fleet, which would include more submarines and another aircraft carrier, both products of the Newport News yard.
