Blog

VOTE COUNTDOWN BEGINS!

On March 7, one week from today, ballots will be collected, certified and counted.

$600 Boost to Unemployment Benefits Available

The extended leave policy opens the door for HII employees to tap into unemployment benefits contained in the $2 trillion stimulus package passed by Congress last week to help keep families afloat during this health and economic crisis.

Employees who fall into one or more of the five (5) designated categories, as applicable, may be eligible for unemployment insurance, subject to approval through their state’s unemployment agency.

Leave Policy Change Offers Breathing Room for Workers

The company’s updated and extended Liberal Leave policy goes into effect on Monday, April 6th. It gives more breathing room to HII employees to handle family situations related to the coronavirus or the COVID-19 disease.

New Mary Jackson Center Update

Three years ago during Women’s History Month (March 2017), the members of Local 8888 launched a successful petition drive to have the City of Hampton name a street or public facility for Mary Jackson, the first African American female engineer at Langley Laboratory, who later joined forces with Katherine Johnson and Dorothy Vaughn to help put the first American astronaut into space in 1962.

Union Office Hours Modified

In response to federal guidelines to halt the spread of the deadly COVID-19 virus, Local 8888 has modified the hours of operation at the union hall, beginning Monday, March 23, 2020. In an effort to continue to serve our members in the safest possible manner, Local 8888 officers, staff and reps will mostly work remotely and practice social distancing.

The Local 8888 office schedule through mid-April follows:

President Charles Spivey                                 Mondays and Wednesdays

Coronavirus Cases Reported In Shipyard

The company has confirmed four cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) at NNS. The two employees who tested positive have been quarantined and are recovering. Company officials promptly contacted employees who work near those individuals or who came into close contact with them. Subsequently, a small number of employees have been told to self-quarantine as a precautionary measure and to call the clinic for additional guidance. 

Coronavirus Triggers New Announcements

At a time when patience is thinner than a potato chip and bad news shows up like an unwelcome guest, the shipyard, the Local 8888 office and the Newport News area got blindsided by a power outage yesterday. Eventually, power was restored, but the disruption added another layer of stress to an already stressful situation.

Now, we can share with you a few important announcements made by the company as part of its response to the first two cases of the coronavirus surfacing in the shipyard.

1st Steelworkers Basketball Jam: Ball-tastic!

Big props to the Local 8888 Organizing Committee for pulling off its First Annual 3-on-3 Basketball Jam Tournament last Saturday, Oct. 26. With short time and an even shorter budget, it was a huge success. The crowd was large and loud, the deejay was jamming, the games were competitive, and everybody had fun. “NO FICTION” emerged from a field of nine teams to capture the tournament crown. The team’s name will be the first placed on a plaque in the union hall that lists the tournament winner each year.

New Veterans of Steel Council Formed

Men and women who have served honorably in the United States military come to work in the shipyard every day, holding jobs in practically every department and work area. Now, veterans who are members of USW Local 8888 will have their own unique voice heard in union affairs, following the launch of the new Veterans of Steel Council. The council was established under the leadership of Tom Conway, USW International President, who served as a sergeant in the U.S. Air Force before he began his union career.