Shipyard Department

Sheet Metal Workers perform the work of our craft in both federal and private shipyards. Our members maintain and overhaul Navy ships in federal yards located in Norfolk, Virginia; Portsmouth, New Hampshire; Bremerton, Washington; and Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. We perform the work of our craft in shipyard building, offices, shops, warehouses and yards. Our members are involved in construction, retrofits and maintenance within the federal shipyard facilities that house the various shops, offices and warehouses.

In private shipyards, we do much of the same work with the exception that all newly constructed ships for the U.S. Navy are built in private shipyards. Private shipyards have depended on the Navy for work for the past 30 years, building every class of ship the navy used. Unfortunately, all new commercial ships have been built in foreign countries for a number of years; however, American shipyards have secured contracts recently to build various classes of vessels – most recent, four cruise ships. Our members have a long and proud tradition of building and maintaining ships for the U.S. navy and now we will be able to apply our skills to the building of commercial ships.

Private and federal shipyard workers on the West Coast are members of SMWIA Local Union 66 – Seattle, Washington; Local Union 16 – Portland, Oregon; Local Union 104 – San Francisco, California; and in Hawaii - Local Union 293 in Honolulu. On the Gulf Coast: Local Union 441 – Mobile, Alabama; and on the East Coast: Local Union 19 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Local Union 393 – Portsmouth, Virginia; and Local Union 546 – Portsmouth, New Hampshire.