“If the Navy is demanding Northrop Grumman deliver…a complete ship, then, well, Bravo.”

After LPD-17 they damn well should be.

I saw you mention “highly paid temps”, SB, and I thought I’d chime and perhaps explain what you are seeing with “temps”.

All the shipyards today have been forced to utilize a two tier employment of manpower: the core or cadre of actual full-time employees, and when a new contract or milestone in a contract comes around, the company is forced to utilize temp workers, usually by contract with a staffing agency. For the most part, the temps are average workers, some really good ones, some really bad ones (and for the most part, the companies know who they are since they sort of hang in one area like the eastern seaboard). The only difference is the temps don’t have a vested interest in a quality job on time and budget; they’re only there for the hours and per diem (which isn’t taxable, by the way). Yes, I know that temp contract workers in other occupations are different. But this is my world, and I live it every day.

Want to blame someone? Blame the inability of a shipyard or ship repair company to count on building a skilled workforce and then being able to continue their pay and benefits even when work is slack. It’s an absolute necessity to use temp skilled labor, and it’s here to stay for the foreseeable future.

Most apprentice programs shut down, lack of consistent work load, economics. Damn shame, we’re not growing them on trees.

public shipyards had apprentice programs that consisted of 4 each 52 week years (minus leave and holidays) to achieve the goal of Journeyman in a skilled trade.

we graduated about 15 shipfitters a year.

C

Actually, Sam, I wouldn’t work in a union yard if they paid 1,000 an hour. You see, in my opinion, unions have been the death of American shipbuilding. And just about ready to kill the auto makers too.