Negotiations better than picket lines

A picket line might be in Lockheed Martin’s future.

Some workers want a longer contract and more pay, without sacrificing healthcare or pension benefits. They also have some reservations about the Fort Worth plant’s new scheduling proposal and the possibility of mandatory overtime.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District Lodge 776 approved a strike if contract negotiations fall short of the union’s expectations.

District Lodge 776 represents about 2,600 Lockheed workers.

The last strike happened in 2012, when workers walked out for almost three months.

Negotiations have entered a crucial time, but conversations seem to have been actively working toward an agreement since they started in March.

Strikes rarely yield long-term advances for either Lockheed Martin or its workers, so it would be best if every avenue of negotiation is exhausted before workers pick up a picket sign.

Paul Black, the District Lodge 776 president and chief spokesman, told Star-Telegram reporter Max Baker, “Everyone loses in a strike.”

We agree.

This story was originally published June 21, 2016 at 6:42 PM with the headline "Negotiations better than picket lines."