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The IAM represents workers building and maintaining ships in dozens of facilities across the United States and Canada. The U.S. Navy relies on skilled IAM members, including more than 4,200 workers at Maine’s Bath Iron Works (BIW), to build its world-renowned fleet.282 Once a massive North American industry, domestic shipbuilding has experienced a decades-long decline fueled by deindustrialization, offshoring, and trade policy.283 President Biden’s corrective action is creating new hope. In a recent op-ed, IAM International President and former BIW shipbuilder Brian Bryant applauded President Biden’s efforts to even the playing field for domestic manufacturers and make “substantial investments in the shipbuilding industrial base.”284 The promise of a revitalized industry depends on the infrastructure and union labor that make shipbuilding possible. But climate change is threatening both.
Concentrated in coastal communities, shipbuilders and their families are especially vulnerable to rising sea levels. In 2015, torrential rains coinciding with high tide waters triggered sudden flooding in Bath, forcing the local utility to switch off power to the surrounding area. The power outage forced BIW to temporarily shut down production and send workers home.285 Far from a one-off event, the BIW already faces flood risks that could intensify to the point of regularly inundating ⅔ of the facility by 2050.286 In fact, towns across New England have reported increased flooding and hundreds of millions of dollars in associated property damage.287 The non-profit Climate Central calculates that, if seas continue to rise in the coming years, there is at least a 27% chance of a 5-foot flood in Bath itself.288
284 Bryant, “Maine Can Help Our Nation Regain Shipbuilding Dominance.”
285 Valigra and Upton, “In Maine’s ‘City of Ships,’ Climate Change’s Coastal Threat Is Already Here.”
288 Risk Finder: Bath, ME. (2018). Climate Central.
Bath is a case study for how climate could capsize the industry. Floods and dangerous storms lead to costly work stoppages. Ports and shipbuilding facilities, as well nearby towns, are often situated in low-lying coastal areas. Rising seas and lightning strikes threaten port infrastructure and accelerate the breakdown of ships. The burden of rebuilding falls on surrounding communities who must navigate deadly weather, lost work hours, and sinking property values.
IAM leaders have recognized that shielding members from rising seas and intensifying storms are reason enough to invest in climate action, but new economic trends also create opportunities to grow the shipbuilding industry. In its “Climate Action 2030” report, the U.S. Navy announced its intention to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and achieve “the nation’s commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050.”289 Recognizing that ships and aircraft generate most of the Navy’s greenhouse emissions, Navy leadership further committed to investing in “hybrid and advanced propulsion options for all ships.”290 In Europe, unions, shipyards, and manufacturers are responding to the EU’s Green Deal, which commits European governments to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050, by rethinking shipbuilder training. “The industry will design and build the green and digital vessels of the future: zero-emission ships, smart, connected and automated,” reads one joint employer-union presentation aimed at young workers.291 Transport and maritime unions are beginning to identify new hazards that may arise from propulsion technology and electronic components.292
Capturing work building “green” vessels could help the IAM build on recent policy wins and expand market share. The Jones Act, which requires that ships carrying goods between American ports be made, owned, and staffed in the U.S., means that offshore wind companies are in need of American-made service vessels. Dominion Energy commissioned a 472-foot, Jones Act-compliant offshore wind service vessel, which hit the water in 2024.293
Previous sections of this report noted the potential for IAM manufacturers to produce wind energy components. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, domestic manufacturers will need to produce more than two dozen additional vessels to achieve U.S. wind energy targets.294 As long as federal and state officials continue to support offshore wind projects, the industry could create tens of thousands of manufacturing and maintenance jobs in the next decade.295 Shipyards could convert to serve the emerging offshore wind industry. The same holds true for shipbuilders, whose skills could help build the service vessels needed to maintain offshore wind turbines.
289 Department of the Navy, “Department of Navy Climate Action 2030.”
291 Shipbuilding & Maritime Technology. A sector providing a wide range of employment opportunities. (n.d.).
293 Spector, Julian, “US Offshore Wind Needs American-Made Ships. The First Is Nearly Ready.”
294 Shields et al., “Supply Chain Road Map for Offshore Wind Energy in the United States.”
295 Shields et al.
Between 2017 and 2021, the BIW supported roughly $8 billion in total activity throughout the state of Maine. “A revitalized shipbuilding industry means a more robust economy with high- quality jobs and long-term growth,” wrote President Bryant.296 The IAM can confront the climate crisis and protect members by promoting sustainable domestic shipbuilding.