Striking unionists at the Lockheed Martin plant in Marietta, Georgia, approved a new contract March 15 by a three-to-one vote. The 2,800 members of International Association of Machinists (IAM) Local Lodge 709 had walked off the job a week earlier after rejecting the bosses’ demands for concessions on medical benefits and pensions. The initial company offer proposed a 10 percent pay increase over three years and higher premiums for health-care and retirement insurance.

The Machinists’ walkout also included plants in Meridian, Mississippi, and Clarksburg, West Virginia. Lockheed Martin is one of the largest contractors for the Pentagon. A company spokesperson said that no major changes were made from the original contract offer on pensions, wages, or health insurance.

—NED MEASEL  
 
 
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