BATH, Maine — The chairman and ranking Republican on a House Armed Services subcommittee are paying a visit to Navy shipbuilder Bath Iron Works (BIW).
Democratic Rep. Joe Courtney of Connecticut and Republican Rep. Rob Wittman of Virginia are touring the shipyard Friday at the invitation of Maine Democratic Reps. Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden.
The visit comes several weeks after a leaked memo outlined an initial Navy proposal to cut shipbuilding.
Democratic leaders in Maine have threatened to roll back BIW's $45 million tax break because they say conditions outlined in a 2018 law weren't met.
NEWS CENTER Maine's partners at the Portland Press Herald reported House Speaker Sara Gideon and Senate President Troy Jackson sent a letter to Bath Iron Works that stated the average wage at the shipyard has declined, the company has hired mostly low-wage scale workers and is planning to hire out-of-state subcontractors.
The Portland Press Herald also reported that Lindsay Crete, press secretary for democratic Gov. Janet Mills, said Mills had no knowledge of the letter.
The largest union at Bath Iron Works, Local S6 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, said that it supports the legislators' decision to examine whether the company is meeting the job creation and pay requirements outlined in the 2018 law granting it a $45 million tax break.