The United Starshipwrights
Goals
Overview
The federally recognized union organizing a shipbuilding crews based on bases of the fleet, and construction docks. While other wildcat unions and shipbuilding unions in the private sector exist, that have members working jobs at these locations, only members of this union are recognized and given full union protection. The “shipwrights” as they are also known, use their connection into the republican government to protect their favored position, at the same time giving the republic an easier method to negotiate contracts across republican space.
Members, as well as non-members working in these union shops, pay dues to the union. In exchange the union offers job and benefit protections not offered to non-union shops. In the last decades, some private sector corporations have made inroads to capture business from the fleet operations. While these cost cutting methods offer benefits to the republic, they are seen as a threat to the union. The republic requires these private companies to respect the union’s position, but more often this is coming into conflict with the ways these companies want to operate.
The union holds relations with many higher ranking government and elected officials that they use to protect and benefit themselves and their members. These relations over the last few decades are becoming frayed as budgetary issues begin to cause problems.