Electric Boat Inducts 49 Master Builders

The Master Builder program at Electric Boat began in 1999 to recognize employees who reach 40 years of service. This year, 45 men and four women will be honored at the celebration, which includes dinner and dancing and most likely, swapping stories about the long careers these workers have shared.

“It's an opportunity to recognize people who've been with us for 40 years and show them our appreciation for their service, their dedication, their pride,” said Vice President of Human Resources Robert Nardone. “And it's a blast. It really is fun.”

Along with the memories, these new inductees will leave the party tonight with a company jacket, a watch, a tie or scarf, and a pin.

All told, EB has 304 employees tapped as master builders. Thirteen of those people have been there for more than 50 years and two have been there for more than 55 years.

Here’s what some of this year’s inductees said about their careers:

Deborah Wisniewski

Wisniewski, a senior analyst from Uncasville, knew she wanted to work at Electric Boat since she was a teenager.

"I couldn't think of any other place that I would want to work other than Electric Boat," she said.

She knew of EB through friends who made a good living and had plenty of opportunities within the company and she decided, at 17 years old, "that's where I wanted to be."

Wisniewski started working at EB in January 1970 in the data processing department and hasn't looked back.

"I'm proud of the product and the people are generous, hardworking and I have a lot of respect for the people and workforce that I've come in contact with," she said.

Wisniewski said the high and low points of her career occurred in the early-1990s when the company was reducing its workforce. She said it wasn't easy watching her friends and co-workers walk out the gate for the last time.

"I made up my mind that I was not going to be one of those people," she said.

Wisniewski met with Fred Harris, the company's vice president of programs at the time.

"I told him I was ready to paint a boat or do whatever needed to be done and that what I didn't know I was going to learn in short order."

Her attitude and ambition impressed the vice president and he agreed to mentor her.

"That has always meant a lot to me," she said of his generosity.

Wisniewski, who now has her hands in all of the company's projects as a manpower analyst, said she knew the day would come when she would celebrate her fortieth year with the company because it's more than just a living to her.

"I enjoy working here,” she said. “I enjoy the challenge. It's different every day.”

Richard Partelo

Partelo began his career at EB in 1964 as a pipefitter, shortly after graduating from high school. He entered the apprentice program, graduated in 1969, and is now a design technician, “which is basically a glorified draftsman,” he said.

Partelo, of Sterling, said he did not plan on working for the company for 40 years but "I like the job, I like what I do. I like the people," said the husband and father of three.

Partelo was laid off in 1973 and again in 1977 and although he found work in Boston and New York during those periods, not working at EB was the lowest point of his career, he said.

EB “has always been like a home,” he said.

Bernard Payne

Payne, of Voluntown, has been a painter at EB since the day he started in September 1971 and he has travelled to Scotland, Spain, Idaho, Virginia, Georgia, and Florida painting submarines. He said he has "gone everywhere except Hawaii."

"It has provided me a living for my family," he said of his 40-year tenure with EB.

Payne said the lowest point in the past 40 years were the strikes and the layoffs.
"Fortunately in my 40 years I have never been laid off," he said. "I'm one of the lucky ones."

Payne, who paints the interior and exterior of submarines, said painters are rarely laid off. And, he said, one of the highlights of working at EB was when he worked as a career counselor during one period of downsizing.

"I really enjoyed that because we actually found jobs for our people until they could be recalled."

Payne went on strike twice – once in 1975 and again in 1988.

"In '75 I was a car salesman and I couldn't wait to get back in (to EB)," he said. "I'm not a car salesman."

Michael Alu

Alu, of Westerly, R.I., began his career at EB in January of 1971 as a first-step pipefitter.

“I started at the lowest rank you can possibly start at in the shipyard,” he said of his first job out of high school.

And for Alu, whose father worked at EB for approximately 30 years, the only place to go was up.

“…In 40 years I'm now the Director of Operations – two down from the president of the company,” he said of his rise through the ranks. “For someone to come in without a college degree and make my way up to Director of Operations … I don't think you can do that at any other company."

Alu said the last 40 years hasn’t been without hardship. He was laid off once and his union went on strike and he walked the picket line in 1975 and again in 1988, for a total of eight months.

“Those were the low points,” he said. Now he said, the unions and the company work well together and he can’t imagine the relationship will ever be as conflicted as it was in the past.

“There are two unions that work here, the relationships that we've built between those is pretty significant,” he said of the current day environment. “To build a relationship like that (is a) high point.”

William Terranova

Terranova, of Stonington, began working at EB as an electronics mechanic a few months after graduating high school in 1971.

“The high point was meeting a lot of nice people and the low point is seeing your friends leave,” he said of his career.

Terranova was laid off from his position as an electronics mechanic in 1972 for approximately six months. He returned as a rigger.

“I was getting married and I needed a job so I was lucky to get one,” he said of the work.

After two years as a rigger he was recalled back to electronics and he said he has also held other positions in the company, like nuclear inspector and in the quality assurance program.

“It feels pretty good,” he said of his life-long career at EB. “I knew I was going to work somewhere, but I didn't realize it would be 40 years.”

Other inductees into the Master Builder program are:

John Alden, Diane Amburn, William Babbitt, William Batzle, Paul Bergel, John Boyer, Noel Brehant, Evelyn Bryant, David Carlson, Dana Caviggia, Richard Clairwood, John Connolly, Charles Cox, Alvin Daniels, William Danusis, Edward Delaney, Paul Galipeau, John Gifford, Burton Gischner, Frank Glynn, Gale Hoy, Ronald Johanson, Paul Kazlauskas, Thomas Korzenowski, Alan Larkin, Thomas Larrivee, Harry Martinez, Maurice Moreau., Gene Netze, James Osbourne, Rinaldo Pazzaglia, James Procious, Mark Rayer, Ronald Reed, John Sanquedolce, Calvin Sebastian, Robert Sedotti, Robert Smith, William Startz, Donald Stenz, Thomas Sudol, Ralph Whitney, James Wilson, Richard Zirger.