The process to ratify the proposed new contract will begin this week.

Be sure to check your mailbox, because a Contract Summary and a Mail-in Ballot will be sent to your mailing address on record.

It will include instructions on how to cast your vote and mail it in and when the ballots will be counted.

This new process, hopefully, will encourage thousands of shipbuilders -- new and seasoned -- to learn more about the agreement that will impact their daily lives for the next 5 years. The mail-in ballot puts the outcome in your hands.

Now, you can vote without making a special trip to the union hall and searching for limited parking. It will also allow fuller participation in the ratification vote.

Because this process is more inclusive, it will take more time to conduct the ratification vote. Therefore, immediate pay raises will be paid retroactively to February 7, 2022.

Be assured, you will get the $22,000 in new money contained in this new contract.

Ballots will be counted on March 7, 2022.

This is a big moment. For some members, it could open the door to a happy retirement. For others, it could mean faster progression and higher pay. And for domestic partners, it could bring much-needed medical benefits.

Whatever this contract means to you, don't be a bystander! Don't leave it in someone else's hand to decide the outcome.

Be clear, a "NO" vote will trigger another vote to STRIKE, with no guarantee of a better contract. The stakes are that high.

Consequently, the union plans to hold meetings at the union hall to help members understand new features in the contract and to answer members' questions. A meeting schedule will be published and circulated soon.

Meanwhile, get ready to let your voice be heard!