Union members OK contract extension

PASCAGOULA, Miss. – Five unions at the Huntington Ingalls Industries Ingalls Shipbuilding division approved an extension of their collective bargaining agreements with the company. The contract affects employees represented by the Pascagoula Metal Trades Council (PMTC) and the local chapters of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), International Association of Machinists (IAM), United Federation of Special Police and Security Officers (UFSPSO), and Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU). As part of a four-year extension, a $2,500 lump sum payment will be awarded in March 2018 to all eligible employees; a 65-cent raise on the journeyman rate will come on March 11, 2019, a 67-cent raise on March 9, 2020, and an 82-cent raise on March 8, 2021. All eligible represented employees will also receive a $2,500 ratification bonus, payable on Dec. 14, 2017. (Source: HII, 11/28/17)