Machinists at Lockheed Ratify New Accord

The IAM announced today that members employed by Lockheed Martin in Marietta, Georgia; Meridian, Mississippi and Clarksburg, West Virginia voted by a 3 to 1 margin to accept a modified contract proposal from the company.

Approval of the 3-year agreement brings an end to the week-long strike that began on March 8, 2005, following the member’s rejection of an earlier Lockheed proposal. Workers are expected to quickly return to work at all affected Lockheed locations.

“Lockheed Martin modified their original proposal and the membership voted to accept the revised contract,” said IAM Aerospace Coordinator John Crowdis.

“The settlement represents a compromise by both sides and we’re looking forward to getting back to doing what we do best: building the best aircraft in the world today.

The vote on the new agreement took place following an informational meeting held earlier today where full details of the new accord were presented to IAM members.

“I want to commend the IAM Negotiating Committee for their work to bring this dispute to a conclusion,” said Crowdis.

For more information about IAM Local 709, visit their website at http://www.local709.org.

Maytag to Send More U.S. Jobs Overseas

In a presentation to an investors' conference in Orlando, Florida, Maytag CEO Ralph Hake announced that Maytag would outsource even more of its production to foreign companies.

According to Hake, about 12 percent of Maytag's products are currently made overseas. "We have sourced very little historically as a company and we will continue to source more," said Hake. "The percentage will go up."

Maytag closed the Galesburg, IL refrigerator plant in 2004, moving the work to a low-wage factory in Reynosa, Mexico putting 1,600 IAM members out of work.

Tomato Pickers Reach Accord With Taco Bell

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) in Immokalee, Florida announced an end to its boycott against Taco Bell on March 8. The accord is a major victory not only for immigrant farm workers in the tomato-rich Immokalee region, but also for the growing movement to make companies take responsibility for the welfare of workers at the bottom of the supply chain.

The CIW launched a nationwide boycott in 2001 after Taco Bell, the major buyer of tomatoes grown in Immokalee. The boycott was supported by the AFL-CIO, United Farm Workers (UFW), Oxfam America and other labor organizations.

In the agreement, Taco Bell agreed to work with the CIW to increase the wages and improve the working conditions of thousands of workers in Florida's huge tomato industry.

Local 822 Hosts Mayoral Debate

Local 822’s union hall was the location for a debate between Democrat John Spring and Republican C. David Nuessen — both candidates for the mayor of Quincy, Illinois.

Local 822 President Ross Miller, moderator of the 90-minute debate, said the good news was that both candidates called job creation in Quincy their number one issue.

“It’s difficult to remain relatively calm when candidates bring up privatization of city services,” said Miller. Local 822 represents 120 city employees in the west central Illinois community.

Rep. Hoyer Rips Civil Service Overhaul

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer told a National Treasury Employees Union rally in Washington, D.C. that the Bush Administration’s plan for overhauling the civil service system is fundamentally unfair.

“We are not afraid of pay for performance, but what we want is a fair system in which to operate,” said Hoyer to a cheering crowd. He said current civil service laws allow for performance pay in limited circumstances.

Hoyer characterized the issue as another attack by the Bush Administration against organized labor. “They do not philosophically believe in your right to organize. They want to do away with collective bargaining.”

The federal registry is accepting public comment on the National Security Personnel System (NSPS) on their website. For more information on NSPS view the IAM video, Federal Employees Face Unfair NSPS.