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| International President Bob Martinez, Headquarters GVP Rickey Wallace, Southern Territory GVP Mark Blondin and District 776 negotiators were on hand in Ft. Worth, TX to open contract negotiations with Lockheed Martin. |
IAM negotiators sat across from management as IAM District 776 and Lockheed Martin opened negotiations today in Ft. Worth, TX. International President Bob Martinez, who hails from District 776, was part of the team that included Headquarters General Vice President Rickey Wallace, Southern Territory General Vice President Mark Blondin andIAM Aerospace Coordinator Terry Smith.
“Business is booming, and Lockheed Martin soon will be hiring hundreds, if not thousands,” said Martinez as the meeting began. “The F-35 is a fantastic aircraft, and our members have made it happen. Health Care and pensions are some of our top priorities as we move forward. We have a lot of work to do as our members haven’t forgotten the strike and so-called ‘reset’ after returning from the strike.”
“We have 135 days to find a way forward to a fair and equitable contract. I have confidence in our professional and skilled negotiating team, and I pledge to put all the resources of the IAM behind them,” said Martinez.
The current contract expires July 3, 2016 and District 776 DBR Paul Black will lead the negotiations for the union. The last contract negotiations ended in a bitter 10-week strike over health care and pensions.
