Local 777 Marine Pipetrades Division
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The Local 777 Marine Pipetrades Division, formerly Local 620, is located in Groton, Connecticut, and is under the capable leadership of Mr. George Nowosielski. George was the president of the former Local and has been with the U.A. and the shipyard since 1973. The Division has a steady workforce of over 400 plus Members and also an active Retirees Club which meets on the first Tuesday of every other month.
General Dynamics Electric Boat division in Groton was founded in 1899 by Issac Rice, a financier, to bring to completion a 54 foot submersible vessel developed by John Philip Holland. In 1900 the world’s first submarine, name for its inventor, the Holland was accepted by the U.S. Navy marking the beginning the United States Submarine Force. During World War I, Electric Boat received orders to build 85 submarine chasers and during World War II they produced 74 submarines and 398 PT boats. It was in 1951 that the company announced its plans to build the world’s first nuclear powered submarine. That submarine was the Nautilus, christened in 1954.
The heart of the Groton shipyard is its Land-Level construction facility built in 1975, where submarine hull sections are assembled. Weighing as much as 2500 tons, they are positioned using small electric transfer cars and joined together using an automated cost efficient welding process. The piping and wiring systems are connected and all submarine systems are tested. The nuclear reactor core is loaded into the hull and readied to testing. The completed hull is placed in the graving dock and floated off in preparation for sea trials.
Throughout this complex building process, efficiency and success are dependent upon the teamwork between the Electric Boat engineers, our trades people and the U.S. Navy’s team and submarine crew. Construction involved thousands of highly skilled people and million of labor hours over a five year period.
Specialized facilities and equipment including machine, pipe, electrical, electronic and HVAC shops, heavy lift cranes, transports and graving docks as well as state of the art equipment, sophisticated accuracy control system and advanced welding techniques are integral parts of the submarine contraction process.
Local 777’s Marine Pipetrades Division has over 450 skilled workers that contribute to the success of the submarine division of Electric Boat and the US Navy.
Click Here to visits our Photo Gallery to view more incredible images of our Marine Division work.
