When the union posted a list of candidates for office last week, it included a lot of unnecessary information. Nominees, who nominated them, and whether or not they accepted. It included a lot of names that will not actually be on the ballot. “It’s confusing people,” a longtime member complained. So I simplified the list.
In the interest of accessibility:
- I removed all names that will not actually appear on the ballot.
- I tell you exactly how many candidates to vote for. The IAM uses block voting. This means you have to select as many candidates as there are seats.1 Your vote won’t count unless you vote for as many candidates as there are openings.
- I have included a short blurb about each position’s role for members who may not know what their Officers do. Footnotes provide sources for more information.
- I moved incumbents to the top of the list and marked them in parentheses. If no incumbents are listed, you can find an explanation of what happened to them in the footnotes. This is the only change I’ve made to the order presented in the union’s official list.
I encourage everyone to thoroughly vet candidates before casting their ballot on October 23. If any candidates are interested in being featured on From the Deckplates, reach out to me here. I am happy to give everyone a platform. It’s up to us to make democracy happen.
President
Presides over union meetings, casts tie-breaking votes, and acts as the business manager. Automatic member of the Negotiating Committee.2
- Chris Williams (Incumbent)
- Tim Suitter
Vice President
Fills in whenever the President is absent, manages most committees, and deals with subcontracting issues. Votes on the Executive Board.3
- Ray Orff (Incumbent)
- Nate Wallace
- Matt Wooten
- David Clukey
Recording Secretary4
Conducts correspondence in the union’s name, presents communications and bills at union meetings, takes minutes, and oversees elections. Votes on the Executive Board.5
- Cameron Fisher
- Isaak Spain
- Scott MacDonald
Secretary Treasurer6
The union’s chief financial officer. Votes on the Executive Board.7
- Ryan Ryder
- Billy Jenkinson
- Matt Vattanasil
Trustee
Vote for three (3) candidates. Manage the union’s property, sell union label (shirts, etc.), and post to the bulletin boards. Vote on the Executive Board.8
- Marc Lindvall (Incumbent)
- Clayton Reid (Incumbent)
- Josh Johnstone (Incumbent)
- Dan Bailey
- Rick Sites
- Matt Dustin
- Marc Cyr9
- Angela McCarren
- Eric Severy
- Brandt McCollett
- Julie Rogers
- Airika Beaulieu
- David Wagg
- Tony Capano
- Matt Toothaker
- Mike Day
- Jason Ryder
Conductor Sentinel10
Secures union meetings and takes attendance. Votes on the Executive Board.11
- John Cabral
- Terry Frost
- Brad Farrell
Chief Steward (Bath)12
Manages stewards and takes charge of the contract. Chairs the Bath Grievance Committee. Automatic member of the Negotiating Committee.13
- Don Bowen
- John Witcomb
Grievance Committee (Bath)
Vote for five (5) candidates. If stewards cannot settle issues with department managers, they reduce your grievances to writing. Members of the Grievance Committee research and present these grievances to Labor Relations for resolution.14
- Rick Sites (Incumbent)
- Doug Hall (Incumbent)
- Tim Halle (Incumbent)
- Mark Cyr (Incumbent)15
- Ryan Ryder (Incumbent)
- Isaak Spain
- Devin Ragnar
- Matt Dustin
- John Cabral
- Mike Day
Grievance Committee (Harding)
Vote for five (4) candidates. If stewards cannot settle issues with department managers, they reduce your grievances to writing. Members of the Grievance Committee research and present these grievances to Labor Relations for resolution.14
- Todd Biswell (Incumbent)
- Tim Marquis (Incumbent)
- Clayton Reid (Incumbent)
- Rob Hale (Incumbent)
- Aaron Gagnon
- Marc Lindvall
- Josh Johnstone
- Danielle Koughan
- Mike Danforth
- Joe Jackson
Auditing Committee17
Vote for three (3) candidates. Audit union finances twice a year.18
- Jason Ryder (Incumbent)
- Nate Wallace (Incumbent)
- Katie Baker
- Mike Caraway
- Airika Beaulieu
- Noah Jalbert
- Dan Bailey
- “Block voting system,” Ballotpedia, accessed October 4, 2025. ↩︎
- For more information: IAM Constitution (2025), 105; IAM Local S6 Bylaws (June 2023), 12 & 18-19. ↩︎
- For more information: IAM Constitution (2025), 105; IAM Local S6 Bylaws (June 2023), 12-13; Agreement between Bath Iron Works and Local S6: August 21, 2023 to August 23, 2026 (Bath Iron Works, 2023), 94. ↩︎
- Incumbent Recording Secretary Ryan Ryder is running for Secretary Treasurer instead. ↩︎
- For more information: IAM Constitution (2025), 105-106; IAM Local S6 Bylaws (June 2023), 13. ↩︎
- Incumbent Secretary Treasurer Stephen Stewart accepted an appointment to IAM International Auditor: IAM Union, “Stephen Stewart Appointed IAM International Auditor,” news release, September 26, 2025. ↩︎
- For more information: IAM Constitution (2025), 106-108; IAM Local S6 Bylaws (June 2023), 13-14. ↩︎
- For more information: IAM Constitution (2025), 109-110; IAM Local S6 Bylaws (June 2023), 14-15. ↩︎
- Inconsistent spelling in the original document. “Marc Cyr” and “Mark Cyr” are the same person. ↩︎
- Incumbent Conductor Sentinel David Clukey is running for Vice President instead. ↩︎
- For more information: IAM Constitution (2025), 110; IAM Local S6 Bylaws (June 2023), 15. ↩︎
- Incumbent Chief Stewart Tim Suitter is running for President instead. ↩︎
- For more information: IAM Local S6 Bylaws (June 2023), 16-19. ↩︎
- For more information: IAM Local S6 Bylaws (June 2023), 16-17; Agreement between Bath Iron Works and Local S6: August 21, 2023 to August 23, 2026 (Bath Iron Works, 2023), 47-50. ↩︎
- Inconsistent spelling in the original document. “Marc Cyr” and “Mark Cyr” are the same person. ↩︎
- For more information: IAM Local S6 Bylaws (June 2023), 16-17; Agreement between Bath Iron Works and Local S6: August 21, 2023 to August 23, 2026 (Bath Iron Works, 2023), 47-50. ↩︎
- Incumbent Scott MacDonald rejected Terry Frost’s nomination for Auditing Committee. ↩︎
- For more information: IAM Constitution (2025), 109; IAM Local S6 Bylaws (June 2023), 15. ↩︎