March 12, 2026
Photo caption: A shipbuilder at HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division welds structural components for a U.S. Navy ship.
PASCAGOULA, Miss. (March 12, 2026) — HII (NYSE: HII) announced today that all five collective bargaining units at its Ingalls Shipbuilding division have ratified new collective bargaining agreements, securing an immediate 18 percent or higher base wage increase for union‑represented shipbuilders. This is the largest single wage increase in Ingalls Shipbuilding history and will extend the contract through March 8, 2031.
The Ingalls Shipbuilding Collective Bargaining Agreement, for union-represented shipbuilders, provides historic wage growth of 35 to 47 percent through 2031. Shipbuilding leadership anticipates this will improve recruitment and attrition that will enable accelerated throughput.
“This agreement strengthens our partnership with our represented shipbuilders and affirms our commitment to providing competitive wages and stability for our workforce,” said Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Blanchette. “The dedication and expertise of our Ingalls shipbuilders are essential to meeting the U.S. Navy’s growing demand for more ships, and together we will continue advancing our mission to build the most capable ships that protect and serve our nation’s warfighters.”
This historic wage increase reflects the essential role Ingalls shipbuilders and their families play in delivering the most capable ships in the world and provides meaningful wage growth, long-term stability and certainty for our shipbuilding community.
Negotiations between company leadership and union representatives concluded on February 12, 2026, with both parties reaching consensus on contract proposals to bring forward for a vote. Ratification followed votes by members of the Pascagoula Metal Trades Council (PMTC), International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU), International Association of Machinists (IAM), and the United Federation of Special Police and Security Officers (UFSPSC).
To learn more about careers at HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division, visit /careers
HII is a global, all-domain defense provider. HII's mission is to deliver the world's most powerful ships and all-domain solutions in service of the nation, creating the advantage for our customers to protect peace and freedom around the world.
As the nation's largest military shipbuilder, and with a more than 135-year history of advancing U.S. national security, HII delivers critical capabilities extending from ships to unmanned systems, cyber, ISR, AI/ML and synthetic training. Headquartered in Virginia, HII's workforce is 44,000 strong.
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