NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) — A workers union has ratified a 60-month (5 years) contract with Newport News Shipbuilding Tuesday.

Members of United Steelworkers Local 8888 ratified a new collective bargaining agreement with Huntington Ingalls Industries Tuesday. The agreement covers nearly 10,000 shipbuilders at Newport News Shipbuilding.

USW Local 8888 represents more than 10,000 workers at the Newport News shipyard

According to the union’s Tellers Committee, the mail ballot count resulted in 3,678 YES votes compared to the 533 NO votes.

“Our members have spoken — decisively,” said Local 8888 President Charles Spivey in a press release Tuesday praising the overwhelming Yes vote.

“They have ratified a contract that broke new ground and enhanced gains from previous negotiations. Now it’s time to move this union forward, understanding that a good contract is no better than the members who know what it says and what it means.”

The new 5-year contract went into effect on February 7 and will expire on February 7, 2027.

The agreement contains over $22,000 in new money based on a 40-hour week. Additionally, it alto features a first-time $2,000 Essential Pay bonus; a new Domestic Partner benefit; an additional 8 hours of annual leave, and a monthly boost to the pension payment to future retirees.

Members previously rejected the initial tentative agreement in November.

Newport News Shipbuilding is Virginia’s largest industrial employer and a key player in the Navy’s modernization efforts. There are 12,000 workers in the collective bargaining union.

Moments after the announcement, Newport News Shipbuilding President Jennifer Boykin expressed her excitement for the new contract on social media.

“With this new contract in place, we are more focused than ever on tackling our complex work and meeting our Navy commitments in support of America’s defense, said Boykin in the post Tuesday. “And we do it best when we do it together.”

Congressman Bobby Scott also praised the announcement. Read his statement below:

“I congratulate USW Local 8888 President Spivey and Newport News Shipbuilding President Boykin on coming together and reaching a hard-fought agreement for the benefit of our nation’s best shipbuilders. As the representative of Newport News and the Chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor, I was very pleased to see USW Local 8888 ratify a new collective bargaining agreement that will cover over 10,000 workers at Newport News Shipbuilding. This agreement will mean that our shipbuilders will be well-compensated and protected on the job. Newport News Shipbuilding remains a critical piece of the Hampton Roads economy and integral to our Navy and national security.”

Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03)