Bath Iron Works shipyard workers are being offered overtime pay to attend a speech by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Monday, according to multiple reports. The unusual incentive comes as management attempts to boost attendance at the event, which is scheduled shortly before a shift change.
Hegseth is expected to tour the Maine shipyard and deliver a speech focusing on the recently announced “Trump” class battleship, the Bangor Daily News reported. However, initial outreach to workers yielded little enthusiasm, with one employee telling The Intercept that “at least from my crew, there were no takers” when a polling sheet was circulated.
The offer of overtime pay appears to be a subsequent attempt to encourage attendance. According to one worker who spoke anonymously to The Intercept, a second survey clarified that overtime would be provided for those who remain at the shipyard past their scheduled shift. “I don’t know if that was always going to be the case—a change to bribe folks to get a larger attendance—or if union leadership grieved it by saying they can’t mandate us stay past our shift and not pay us,” the worker said.
Devin Ragnar, a spokesperson for the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 6, confirmed that overtime would be paid to workers who attend the speech beyond their normal work hours, but declined to provide details on how the arrangement was reached.
The situation has sparked mixed reactions among the workforce. One worker expressed skepticism about the company’s motives, stating, “This company doesn’t pay out for anything they don’t explicitly have to.” Another worker voiced concerns about the disruption the event could cause, saying, “I’m sure it’ll both interrupt the workday—which is very ironic since we’re always being hounded about productivity and efficiency—and create a lot of discourse that I don’t want to have to listen to all day.”
Hegseth has prioritized public speaking engagements during his tenure as Secretary of War, including a controversial address in which he criticized “fat” generals, and subsequently ordered the entire U.S. Military to watch the speech. He also railed against “fat” generals in a previous address.
Bath Iron Works, a subsidiary of General Dynamics, is a major employer in Maine and a key contractor for the U.S. Navy. The shipyard has signaled its readiness to participate in the construction of the “Trump” class battleships. Representatives of Bath Iron Works and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
One worker who spoke with The Intercept expressed strong personal disapproval of Hegseth. “I hate Pete Hegseth to my core,” they said. “He has no business discussing warships, or anything involved with what we do here. I find it insulting that he is given any authority or respect.” They acknowledged, however, that not all employees shared their views.
“We have plenty of die-hard Trump supporters, and I don’t know how much of that fanaticism spreads to Hegseth,” the worker said. “I think if anything he’s an afterthought by most people.”
