Bath Iron Works, a major US shipyard in Maine, is trying to sweeten the deal for its workers by offering overtime pay if they attend a speech by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. According to a worker at the facility who spoke with The Intercept on condition of anonymity, few hands went up when management asked for volunteers to attend the event.
Hegseth's visit to the shipyard is part of his efforts to boost morale among US warfighters and to promote his vision for the future of American military power. However, some workers at Bath Iron Works are not pleased with the prospect of Hegseth speaking on their workplace floor. One worker described themselves as having "apathy to disgust" towards the idea.
Despite this lack of enthusiasm, management is determined to make it worth the workers' while, offering overtime pay if they stay past their normal shift hours to attend the speech. This move has raised eyebrows among employees who question why they are being asked to sacrifice their work time and potentially overwork themselves for a visit from a politician.
A spokesperson for the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 6 confirmed that overtime would be paid, but declined to provide further details on how this arrangement was reached. The shipyard has also been linked to President Donald Trump's efforts to build new battleships, which some workers see as an opportunity to advance their careers.
The worker who spoke with The Intercept expressed concern about the impact of Hegseth's visit on the workplace and the potential for disruption to the normal workflow. Others were more critical, viewing Hegseth's presence as a distraction from the real issues affecting US workers.
While Hegseth's speech may be seen as a way for management to boost morale and reduce turnover among employees, it has also highlighted deeper tensions between workers and corporate leadership at Bath Iron Works.
Hegseth's visit to the shipyard is part of his efforts to boost morale among US warfighters and to promote his vision for the future of American military power. However, some workers at Bath Iron Works are not pleased with the prospect of Hegseth speaking on their workplace floor. One worker described themselves as having "apathy to disgust" towards the idea.
Despite this lack of enthusiasm, management is determined to make it worth the workers' while, offering overtime pay if they stay past their normal shift hours to attend the speech. This move has raised eyebrows among employees who question why they are being asked to sacrifice their work time and potentially overwork themselves for a visit from a politician.
A spokesperson for the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 6 confirmed that overtime would be paid, but declined to provide further details on how this arrangement was reached. The shipyard has also been linked to President Donald Trump's efforts to build new battleships, which some workers see as an opportunity to advance their careers.
The worker who spoke with The Intercept expressed concern about the impact of Hegseth's visit on the workplace and the potential for disruption to the normal workflow. Others were more critical, viewing Hegseth's presence as a distraction from the real issues affecting US workers.
While Hegseth's speech may be seen as a way for management to boost morale and reduce turnover among employees, it has also highlighted deeper tensions between workers and corporate leadership at Bath Iron Works.
... I gotta say, this whole thing is weird. Like, why do they even need to pay people overtime just to attend some politician's speech? It's not like Hegseth is going to make their jobs better or give them a raise 
. And let's be real, folks at the shipyard already see him as more of a corporate pawn than a genuine advocate for workers' rights 
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. I think the shipyard workers would be way more motivated if management actually listened to their concerns and addressed the real issues affecting them, rather than just throwing some tokens at them to shut 'em up 
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I mean, if they want to boost morale, can't they just offer some actual benefits or recognition instead of trying to buy people over with money? 
I think there should be more transparency and communication between management and employees on this stuff.
Maybe management should take a step back and think about what's really going on here instead of trying to sweeten the deal with overtime pay. 
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. But at the end of the day, it's still just a speech. Can't they just leave them alone? The whole thing feels like a bit of a power play to me 
. If workers are too stressed out about attending Hegseth's speech, it could impact their ability to do their jobs effectively 
. Maybe management should be focusing on ways to make work more enjoyable and less stressful instead of trying to manipulate them with promises of extra cash 
.
By requiring workers to stay past their normal shift hours, aren't they putting themselves at risk of burnout or, worse still, compromising on work quality? It's almost as if management is prioritizing short-term gains over long-term benefits. 
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. It feels like there's a whole lot of unaddressed tension between the workers and management that needs to be explored 
- we need to support our US warfighters and their families, not just use them as props for a politician's speech 
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I mean, I'm all for morale-boosting activities, but this seems like a pretty underhanded move. And can we talk about how weird it is to have a politician showing up at your workplace? Like, doesn't that just feel like a huge distraction from the actual work you're trying to do? 
It's almost like they want you to be distracted so they don't have to actually address the real issues. Anyway, I guess only time will tell how this whole thing plays out 
. And let's be real, overtime pay might not even make up for the fact that they're being asked to dip out of their shifts in the first place 
. It's just another example of corporate trying to buy its way into good will with its workers instead of actually listening to them and addressing their concerns 
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like if u r already feeling apathetic about the whole thing why make it worse by paying overtime to attend? 
. im all about that overtime pay life 
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But seriously, it's a good sign that management is listening to their employees' concerns and trying to make them feel valued. It's not always easy for workers to be enthusiastic about company events, but the fact that they're willing to offer extra compensation shows that they care.
Instead of being a distraction, Hegseth's visit could actually bring new ideas and energy to the workplace. Fingers crossed for a productive and positive experience! 
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. it just feels like a cheap trick to keep employees in line.
. But I'm not sure if it's worth sacrificing their own work time and potentially overworking themselves just for a politician visit 