Lockheed Martin and the striking Machinists union have agreed to meet Wednesday with a federal mediator, a sign that both sides may be looking for a way to settle a walkout that has entered its ninth week.
Both Lockheed and the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers issued statements Monday saying they had accepted an invitation to intervene from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.Federal mediators previously offered to help the union and the company work out an agreement but were rebuffed."We welcome the opportunity to find a resolution to the strike," Lockheed spokesman Joe Stout said in a brief statement.Mark Blondin, a union vice president, said in a statement: "The IAM welcomes the involvement of federal mediators and we're looking forward to the face-to-face meetings with Lockheed. We're hopeful the [mediator] can provide the independent perspective that often produces the framework for a resolution."The strike by about 3,600 workers at the west Fort Worth fighter jet plant has gone on longer than many workers had expected, with no sign that either side is willing to budge on key pension and healthcare issues.Several union members said Monday that they were pleased to hear that both sides had agreed to resume negotiations with a mediator."A lot of my colleagues are calling and saying they're glad to see there's a glimmer of light," said Steve Warner, a longtime Lockheed employee and union steward.Lockheed said an additional 34 workers crossed the picket line in Fort Worth on Monday, bringing the total to 295 since the strike began. That's less than 10 percent of the local union membership. Also, 240 union members have crossed at Edwards Air Force Base in California and the Navy's Patuxent River flight test center in Maryland.In recent weeks, Lockheed has begun hiring temporary replacement workers. It had about 380 as of Monday and more coming this week. If the strike continues, Stout said, the company could hire as many as 2,000 temporary workers.The union suffered a setback last Wednesday when informed that the National Labor Relations Board regional office in Fort Worth had dismissed the first three of seven unfair-labor-practice charges filed against Lockheed.Regional director Martha Kinard told the Star-Telegram on Friday that the charges had been investigated and lacked merit. The union asked for written decisions and said it will appeal the dismissals, which could take weeks or months.Far more union members than usual turned up at District Lodge 776 on Clifford Street on Monday expecting to meet with union leaders despite a posting on the union's website over the weekend that no meeting was scheduled.At the request of union officials, White Settlement police dispatched two officers to the lodge about 11 a.m. to observe and keep the peace if necessary. The officers left after two hours, and there were no incidents that required intervention, Detective Michelle Lenoir said.Union members heeded the urgings of their leadership April 22 and rejected the company's final contract offer, with 93 percent of those voting supporting a strike.The proposed contract offered 3 percent annual wage increases and a $3,000 signing bonus but would have ended a traditional pension plan for new hires and changed health benefits offerings.The union said the changes would have forced workers into a "high-deductible, high-cost healthcare plan with no cap on annual out-of-pocket expenses."Bob Cox, 817-390-7723Twitter: @bobcoxictHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
