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Shipyard Bosses Forced to Pay Overtime to Get People to Stay for Pete Hegseth Speech

56 364
07.02.2026

The bosses at a Maine shipyard are offering overtime to workers there if they attend a speech by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, according to workers at the facility.

Hegseth is reportedly set to tour Bath Iron Works on Monday and give a speech on the recently announced “Trump” class battleship, according to the Bangor Daily News.

When the bosses reached out to workers for volunteers to attend the speech, however, few hands went up, according to one worker, who spoke with The Intercept on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. The speech is slated for Monday afternoon, shortly before a shift change, which means that workers who attend would need to stay past their normal work hours — and anyone who shows up would be required to stay until the event is over.

“They issued a polling sheet this morning to see who would attend and, at least from my crew, there were no takers,” said the worker, “and not even a mention of overtime.”

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Trump and Hegseth Gathered U.S. Military Leaders for an “Embarrassing” Rant

Hegseth has made his speeches a high priority during his tenure as secretary of the War Department, including one address in which he railed against “fat” generals. He later........

© The Intercept