AFL-CIO Metal Trades Department President Jimmy Hart joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the Bartlett Maritime Plan to repair submarines in Ohio, which would create upwards of 5,000 good paying union jobs.
America lacks the manufacturing footprint to maintain the nation’s fleet of submarines, Hart said. The Bartlett Maritime Plan proposes to build shipyards in Lorain and Lordstown, Ohio to service the submarines. If it becomes a reality, the proposal would create 3,000 to 5,000 permanent metal trades union jobs, as well as 2,000 to 3,000 construction jobs, he added.
The Metal Trades Department of the AFL-CIO and the Bartlett Maritime Corporation signed a cooperation agreement supporting the implementation of the plan. It lays the foundation for the Bartlett Maritime Corporation and its subsidiary, American Naval Shipyard, LLC, to become the U.S. Navy’s newest, privately owned maintenance and repair shipyard.
Hart then talked about the nation’s supply chain crisis and how utilizing the maritime highway could help alleviate the problem. The AFL-CIO is currently in conversation with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and Congressional leaders to increase the amount of goods shipped via waterways, he said.
Each day, the U.S. government transports about 2 million shipping containers over land. Hart proposed moving at least 100,000 of these containers via waterway.
Listen to the entire episode to learn more about these topics.