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Base Commission Overrules Pentagon; Two New England Sub Stations to Remain Open

August 29, 2005

Workers scored a rare victory Wednesday against U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, when the Base Realignment and Closure Committee voted 7-1 to keep the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard off the list of doomed installations.

A collective cheer went out from the submarine repair facility that even military officials who targeted it for closure acknowledged was among the best in the world. The jobs of thousands of members of the Portsmouth Metal Trades Council would have been lost with the base. Council President Paul O’Connor, who is one of 200 members of IBEW Local 2071 working at the base, fought to avert the closure, which the Navy said would save millions by farming its work out to other shipyards.

"One of the big incongruities in all this was the indisputable fact that we are the most efficient, proficient shipyard in the country, public or private," O’Connor said.

Portsmouth supporters were able to disprove the Navy’s justification for closure was wrong: that other shipyards be able to absorb Portsmouth’s work in addition to their own and that closing it would save the Navy money. "We showed with their own data it would be cheaper over 20 years to keep us open than to close us," O’Connor said.

Those arguments and the genuine spirit of spirit of labor-management cooperation convinced the commissioners.

"It is the gold standard by which we should measure shipyards," said Commission Chairman Anthony Principi before the vote. "It is a national resource and it would be a tragedy for this nation to lose it."

Despite its status, Portsmouth – which straddles the border between Maine and New Hampshire – made the roll of bases to be closed when it was submitted by the Pentagon in May. The list went to the BRAC committee, which compiles a final list to be submitted to President Bush.

BRAC’s picks will be final after a vote scheduled for Saturday. The Pentagon aims to save more than $50 billion with its base closure plans.

One of the nation’s four nuclear shipyards, Portsmouth consistently performs work below cost and on schedule. On June 1, while members of the BRAC commission were visiting the installation, it was announced the workers had replaced a submarine shaft in record time, said IBEW Government Employees Director Chico McGill. McGill said he is not surprised the commission removed Portsmouth from the list, since even Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice have publicly admitted their apprehension about China’s naval buildup.

Already, the United States has half the number of ships in its naval fleet than it had during increased defense spending under President Reagan in the 1980’s. And China continues to purchase Russian submarines and develop cruise missile submarines.

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