Local Support Buoys Lockheed Strikers in Maryland

Students from the Winpisinger Center have been joining District 776 members at Patuxent River Naval Air Station in Maryland who are part of the Lockheed Martin strike at facilities in Texas, Maryland and California. From left, TCU National President Robert Scardelletti, Winpisinger Center Director Chris Wagoner, District 776 Business Representative Joe Alviar, Local 776A Steward (PAX) Manuel G. Torres and Local 776A Web Steward Dan Johnson who was attending Basic Web Design.

IAM members at the William W. Winpisinger Center this month are earning some real world extra credit in addition to classes, workshops and homework assignments. Students at the Center have been walking picket lines, and providing support for members of District 776 on strike against Lockheed Martin at nearby PAX River Naval Air Station (NAS).

While the majority of the 3,600 IAM members at Lockheed are employed at the company’s main facility in Fort Worth, TX, there are approximately 300 members of District 776 also on strike at Lockheed facilities at PAX River NAS and at Edwards AFB in California.  

Ft. Worth, TX Local 776A web steward Dan Johnson was among 30 students who marched with the Lockheed strikers recently at PAX River. “We left at 4:30 AM to join the picket line,” said Johnson, who was at the WWW Center for the Basic Web class. “We had to return in time to start our classes at 8 AM but it was great to walk that picket line.”

Winpisinger Center Director Chris Wagoner is proud of the volunteer effort by students and staff at the Center. “We want our members on strike at PAX to know they have the support not only of District 776, but of the entire IAM membership.  We’ve had students and staff assisting with picket duty nearly every day since the strike began – and we’ll be there every week until the strike is settled.”

The WWW Center is also accepting donations from participants to purchase grocery cards for members starting this week. “We provided meals for the strikers and their families and the folks in the Media Center and Maintenance made signs for the picketers,” said Wagoner. “The kitchen has been keeping the strikers fueled with coffee and sandwiches, while other staff members held a barbeque for the workers on strike.”

The Winpisinger Center kitchen staff will hold a cook-out this week to honor mothers and spouses while Tom Brick, who works at the Center and is also a DJ, will provide music for the gathering.

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