Maine shipyard workers are being forced to stay past their shift to attend a speech by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, with overtime pay offered as an incentive.
Workers at Bath Iron Works, one of the largest employers in Maine, were initially unenthusiastic about attending the speech, which is scheduled for Monday afternoon. However, after management explicitly stated that workers would receive overtime if they stayed past their shift, some employees have begun to RSVP.
The offer has raised eyebrows among workers, who feel that it's unusual for their employer to be paying out overtime specifically for a speech. Some have expressed frustration at the idea of being forced to stay past their normal work hours, especially given the challenges of maintaining productivity and efficiency during such events.
Bath Iron Works is owned by General Dynamics, a defense giant, and has received billions of dollars in government contracts over the years. The facility's management has signaled its support for President Donald Trump's plans to build new battleships, including the "Trump" class ships that Hegseth will be discussing during his visit.
The Intercept reported this week on how Trump's authoritarian tendencies are taking a toll on democracy and journalism. Despite facing numerous challenges, The Intercept is committed to expanding its reporting capacity in 2026.
Workers at Bath Iron Works, one of the largest employers in Maine, were initially unenthusiastic about attending the speech, which is scheduled for Monday afternoon. However, after management explicitly stated that workers would receive overtime if they stayed past their shift, some employees have begun to RSVP.
The offer has raised eyebrows among workers, who feel that it's unusual for their employer to be paying out overtime specifically for a speech. Some have expressed frustration at the idea of being forced to stay past their normal work hours, especially given the challenges of maintaining productivity and efficiency during such events.
Bath Iron Works is owned by General Dynamics, a defense giant, and has received billions of dollars in government contracts over the years. The facility's management has signaled its support for President Donald Trump's plans to build new battleships, including the "Trump" class ships that Hegseth will be discussing during his visit.
The Intercept reported this week on how Trump's authoritarian tendencies are taking a toll on democracy and journalism. Despite facing numerous challenges, The Intercept is committed to expanding its reporting capacity in 2026.
. I mean, I get why they wanna have that speech, but forced overtime just feels off, you know? Like, can't we just have a normal day at the shipyard? 
And what's up with the secrecy around Trump's plans for new battleships, anyway? Sounds like some shady stuff to me 
. I'm not against our military or anything, but come on, transparency is key, right? 
It's like, what's the real incentive here? Getting paid for being there and listening to some speech? 
And don't even get me started on how this is gonna affect our work efficiency... all these extra hours are just gonna add up and stress us out. 
Can't we just have a normal day at the shipyard without all this drama? 
like back in the day we didn't need incentives to show up to work, especially not for some politician's visit... remember when politicians used to be all about serving the country, not just themselves? anyway, it's funny how some employers think they can just use overtime pay as a way to control people... like, what's next? paying them to sit through a timeshare presentation? 
. And what's really weird is that management seems to be trying to tie it into some big project about building new battleships - does that really have anything to do with the speech? 
I guess we'll just have to wait and see how this all plays out 
But seriously, I get why some people would RSVP – the promise of extra cash is tempting. Still, it feels a bit fishy, especially given Bath Iron Works' ties to Trump and his...interesting plans for the military 
. I guess it's also worth noting that Bath Iron Works has been a major employer in Maine for years, so they've gotta make some sacrifices sometimes... 
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. I mean, if the company wants to pay them for staying late, that's not like they're forcing them to work extra hours or anything 
. Although, on the other hand... shouldn't workers be allowed to say no to things like this if they don't want to? Maybe it's just a case of people being weirdly enthusiastic about politics 
. The thing that bugs me is how this whole thing is tied into Trump's battleship plans and stuff. I mean, what's next? A lecture on patriotism or something? 
. As someone who values free press and democracy, it's reassuring to see outlets like that keeping an eye on things. Fingers crossed they can expand their capacity in 2026 
!
It seems like a way to get them to attend the speech, but it's also kinda shady that they're not being allowed to leave when they want to 
. I guess it just goes to show how connected these workers are to the government contracts and the big picture of the company 
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. And honestly, who wouldn't want to hear about more battleships? It's not like we have anything better to do with our time 
. I mean, it's not like they're paying us under the table or something 
I guess what I'm saying is, if you wanna stick around to hear him out, go ahead! Just don't expect me to be all enthusiastic about it