Lockheed, unions reach tentative agreement

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/business/stories/2008/02/28/lockheed_0229.html

Machinists are expected to ratify contract Sunday

By PÉRALTE C. PAUL
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 02/29/08

A tentative agreement between Lockheed Martin Corp. and its machinist unions was reached late Wednesday, which could avert a strike by workers at the aerospace giant's Marietta assembly plant.

Lockheed, which manufactures the F-22 Raptor and C-130J at the Marietta facility, has been negotiating with officials representing the International Association of Machinists union for several days in California to finalize a new contract. The current three-year contract expires at midnight Sunday.

The roughly 5,500 workers at Lockheed plants in Georgia, California, Florida, Mississippi and West Virginia will vote Sunday beginning at noon Eastern time to ratify or reject the contract. Each plant can vote to accept or reject the contract independent of the others. If approved, the new contract would cover workers from March 2 through March 6, 2011.

Each local negotiating committee, including the group that represents the 3,000 hourly workers in Marietta under IAM Union Local No. 709, is in favor of ratification, said John Crowdis, aerospace coordinator for the national IAM union.

"Each location's local negotiating committee is unanimously recommending ratification of the contract," said Crowdis, who added that the national union supports the recommendation.

The main stumbling blocks to an agreement included job security, pension plans for current employees and retirees, and rising health care costs.

FULL story at link.