UAW members strike against Lockheed Martin over unfair labor practices

UAW Members Strike Against Lockheed Martin Over Labor Disputes

Detroit, MI – More than 900 members of the United Auto Workers (UAW) union have initiated a strike against Lockheed Martin in response to alleged unfair labor practices and the company's failure to offer a satisfactory economic proposal. The strike involves members from Local 788 in Orlando, FL, and Local 766 in Denver, CO.

Lockheed Martin, the largest defense contractor in the United States, is currently experiencing historically high profits funded by taxpayers. Over the past three years, it has generated $24 billion in profits and compensated its CEO with $66 million. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, the contractor made an additional $1.7 billion. This profitability trend seems set to continue, as the Trump administration is reportedly preparing a defense budget exceeding $1 trillion for 2025.

Despite its financial success, Lockheed Martin has not satisfactorily addressed the union's demands. The company's recent proposal entails a lengthy pay progression, requiring workers to labor between 16 and 23 years to achieve top pay rates in most classifications. Consequently, over 80% of UAW workers remain subject to this extended pay scale. The company is also offering a starting wage of $15 per hour and has resisted recognizing Veterans Day as a paid holiday, a point of contention for UAW members with military service.

“Lockheed’s workers have to wait years and even decades before seeing a comfortable standard of living, while its executives are swimming in taxpayer dollars,” stated UAW Region 4 Director Brandon Campbell. “Lockheed is a textbook example of corporate greed and I’m proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our members as they fight for their fair share.”

The overwhelming sentiment among the UAW workers is evident, with UAW Region 8 Director Tim Smith noting, “UAW members at Lockheed Martin voted 99.3% in favor of authorizing a strike. We are standing together in solidarity and we will have each other’s backs until we get a fair contract. Who are we? UAW!”

Lockheed Martin is not the only defense sector company facing challenges from UAW members. In Groton, CT, thousands of UAW marine drafters are engaged in similar efforts to secure fair contracts, while General Dynamics also benefits from lucrative government contracts.