The Lockheed strike

rpchristian · May 29, 2012

I wonder if everyone is keeping up to date on what is happening at Lockheed? Just read that they're now hiring scabs. Anyone who cares about the rights and welfare of working people, and the future of the machinist's trade, should send their support to IAM workers, and their condemnation to Lockheed.

“Our CEO walked away a day-and-a-half after we went on strike with $22 million. All we’re looking for is our piece of the pie – affordable health care and a decent pension for people to look forward to. We’re going to stay out here. We’re not backing down.”

IAM Pickets Return to Lockheed Headquarters - 21st Century Labor Union - IAMAW

Lockheed begins hiring 'temporary' workers to fill in for strikers | Airlines and Aviation...

SND · May 29, 2012

I hadn't heard of it yet.
Interesting considering that company, like a few others wouldn't exist if it wasn't for all the $/contracts for the government, that is who pays their bills.
My guess is they'll still charge top dollar, screw the bottom guy and keep the bigger profits.

Joe788 · May 29, 2012

From the article:

Union members overwhelmingly voted down Lockheed's final contract offer, which called for 3 percent annual pay raises over three years, a $3,000 signing bonus and a 13 percent increase in future pension benefits for current employees.

What kind of greedy corporation offers 3 percent annual pay raises, a $3000 signing bonus, and a 13 percent increase in pension benefits? The humanity.

SND · May 29, 2012

Hadn't seen that second article, first one said they were cutting pension and such for the new hires.
In that case it sounds better than most have been offered the last 20yrs...

jscpm · May 29, 2012

What's a pension? Is that a European thing? Sounds like a French word.

toolmaker96 · May 29, 2012

Typing my email in support of Lockheed as we speak.

Cornilsn · May 29, 2012

toolmaker96 said:
Typing my email in support of Lockheed as we speak.

Likewise.

What profits are everyone talking about? thier margin is only 5ish%... they're in the 46th percentile for profitability in thier sector. I hardly call that "keeping bigger profits."

the ignorance that gets spouted here is astounding sometimes.

rpchristian · May 29, 2012

Well, I'm sure poor, misunderstood Lockheed will be grateful for your kind words of support. It will cheer them up; help them carry on when things look so grim.

If a man goes out on strike, and stays out there even when he sees scabs being brought in to replace him, there is usually a good reason for it. Sad to see people siding with the millionaires, and not with the workers.

davehud · May 29, 2012

Scab=a man willing to work for wages.
I got no problem with that.

rpchristian · May 29, 2012

If you read more about it you'll find out what kind of corporation offers that. The offer is restricted, as the quotation makes clear, to current employees. It's a sweetener to get them to waive through a general attack on health-care and pensions. This is an important fight for the status of machinists generally: please don't just take the side of the powerful and praise their generosity without properly listening to what the worker on the ground has to say about it.

rpchristian · May 29, 2012

Slave=a man willing to work for nothing. Got a problem with that?

westk · May 29, 2012

It's really hard to feel sorry for the union workers when they make two and three times the money they should.

You cannot have your cake and eat it too.

For example:

Having your cake = working your job as you normally would

Eating your cake = wasting time standing out front of the building looking like a dejected dog.

When "scabs" come in to do the work in your place, they are not scummy dirt bags the union portrays them as. They are merely opportunists that probably need to feed their family.

Do you think there is a scab crew that just sits there and waits for opportunity like this? They just sit at home and wait for people to be on strike so they can go "scab it up"?

Get real. Grow up and go back to work.

toolmaker96 · May 29, 2012

rpchristian said:
Slave=a man willing to work for nothing. Got a problem with that?

If you do not like your job & do not think that you are being fairly compensated, why not get another job?

hickstick_10 · May 29, 2012

toolmaker96 said:
If you do not like your job & do not think that you are being fairly compensated, why not get another job?

Because its easier to bitch, whine and soil yourself until you get what you want.

Alot of that going around in Europe lately.

rpchristian · May 29, 2012

Well, I can see I'm not winning anyone over, but I'm afraid this is also partly why German industry is kicking the US's ass. A German machinist earns a lot more than a US union machinist. He also has excellent health-care guaranteed, has paid nothing for his training and education, has a solid pension, and extensive vacations. In other words, he's treated like a human being, and industry benefits because of it. These things are the consequence of very strong unionism. US industry is a sad joke, while Germany is dominating the world in engineering exports. I think that has something to do with the US attitude that anyone who isn't thankful for the few peanuts the millionaire share-holders deign to throw him must be vilified. In consequence, the unproductive get ever richer, and the working man, on whom the entire production of value rests, is driven into the ground. I'll never understand it.

Greg White · May 29, 2012

You got my surport bro.just thought I would let ya know.

Some of these folk like the feelin of that bullet hole in their foot.
Next week they will complain bout wages being sooo low and why in the hell cant we get younger men interested in this trade?
Gw

davehud · May 29, 2012

Maybe you should stay in England and worry about English workers.
Us Americans will stay here and worry about American workers.
And as the other guy said, grow up.

rpchristian · May 29, 2012

davehud said:
Maybe you should stay in England and worry about English workers.
Us Americans will stay here and worry about American workers.
And as the other guy said, grow up.

In other words: just shut up. Good argument.

toolmaker96 · May 29, 2012

Why do you avoid my question? If you do not think you are making enough were you are at, why not get another job?

Answer: Because you know well you are cutting a fat hog right were you are at. Typical Union, lets see how deep we can gut this pig.

Funny predicament over here though, if the Dem's (supported by union) get there way, defense is going to take a hell of a haircut in the budget. If they get there way, you most likely will be out of a job anyway.

davehud · May 29, 2012

In other words: just shut up. Good argument.

I started working as a machinist in 1975. Between 1985 and 1996 I worked at General Dynamics Convair in San Diego. It was a IAM union shop. Best job I ever had. Great money and benifits. State of the art machinery. In those 11 years the union called 2 strikes, WTF? All the IAM wanted was more money for less work. In 1996 General Dynamics shut down Convair in San Diego. It was too expensive to produce aerospace parts there they said. Since then aerospace has departed Southern California, very little left.

The Lockheed strike

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