Gutting Shipyard union puts our national security at risk

The Trump administration has terminated union contracts with two unions at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. The administration says they are cutting the legs out from under federal workers and denying them the right to union representation in the interest of national security, but this couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Alana Schaeffer, president of the Portsmouth Metal Trades Council, whose union is currently shielded by a court injunction, knows the true story: this action hurts national security. As Schaeffer put it: “our workers don’t know if they’re going to wake up tomorrow and they’re going to have also lost their rights.” That level of instability and uncertainty impacts job performance and workplace safety.

By stripping collective bargaining rights away from thousands of workers whose primary mission includes the maintenance and modernization of nuclear powered submarines and aircraft carriers, battlefield armory, and sophisticated weaponry, the Trump administration is creating a work environment that will lead to higher turnover among a highly skilled and specialized workforce.

After multiple government shut downs, the longest two taking place under President Trump’s leadership, this may be the final straw for many shipyard workers. Leaders like John “JJ” Joyal, Paul O’Connor, and Alana Schaeffer have worked for decades to strengthen union power while working collaboratively with management to make the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard one of the most efficient, effective, and safest shipyards in the country. JJ, Paul, Alana, and the thousands of other loyal and skilled workers at the shipyard understand that to maximize performance and morale, we need to listen to the men and women doing the work. Like so much of Trump’s leadership, this reckless decision threatens the painstaking work that management and union workers have done to create efficiency and high performance at the shipyard. It isn’t about efficiency or national security, it is about domination and control, the only forces that Trump understands besides greed and ego.

The Shipyard used to be one of the most stable employers in the region, but that’s no longer the case. An assault on the rights of workers at one of the region’s largest employers is a threat to working people everywhere, and it is a threat to our national security.