Machinists Reach Historic Agreements at Lockheed Martin

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/machinists-reach-historic-agreements-at-lockheed-martin,296612.shtml

WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) announced today that they have reached three tentative agreements with aerospace giant Lockheed Martin Corporation that cover nearly 6,000 Machinists at eight Lockheed facilities throughout the country. The three-year accords secure the best pay package in the history of IAM-Lockheed negotiations, as well as historic improvements in pension benefits. The agreements are subject to approval by IAM members at ratification voting which will be held at all locations on March 2, 2008.

"Aerospace firms like Lockheed Martin are posting big profits and this agreement recognizes the key role our members play in making those profits possible," said IAM International President Tom Buffenbarger. "And at a time when American corporations are jettisoning pension plans, we improved defined-benefit pension benefits and ensured newly hired workers will be covered."

The proposed agreements include a $2,000 ratification bonus in addition to wage increases of four percent in the first year, and three percent in the second and third years. The agreements also increase the pension benefit by $11 to $77 a month, which would give IAM members the highest pension in the aerospace industry. Improvements in health care coverage, insurance benefits and other retire benefits are also included.

"These agreements set a high standard in the aerospace industry for wages and benefits," said IAM Aerospace Coordinator John Crowdis, who led the negotiating teams from eight IAM locations. "The leadership for each of the locations did an outstanding job to make this a successful round of negotiations not only for their respective sites, but for the Machinists union as a whole."

Negotiators representing IAM members at Lockheed Martin facilities in Palmdale, Sunnyvale, Santa Cruz and Vandenberg AFB, California; Cape Canaveral, Florida; Marietta, Georgia; Meridian, Mississippi and Clarksburg, West Virginia will return to their respective locations to present the agreements to the membership. Informational and ratification meetings will be held at all locations on March 2, 2008.

Details of the agreements are posted on http://www.goiam.org/lockheed.
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers