ATLANTA - Lockheed Martin and striking union members have agreed to meet again after talks failed earlier this month.
Federal mediators asked company representatives and the International Association of Machinists to attend a meeting next week in Washington, D.C. to try to resolve the 5-week-old strike.
More than 2,700 members of the Machinists union Local 709 have been picketing the defense contractor's Marietta plant since March 11, after rejecting a contract proposal by Maryland-based Lockheed Martin.
``We're definitely going,'' union spokesman Bob Wood said. ``We're going to bargain in good faith.'' Union leaders cite job security, pension and health insurance as sticking points.
Peter Simmons, a Lockheed spokesman, said the company's position remains the same. ``We've agreed to the meeting to assure that all avenues of possible settlement of the dispute are explored,'' he said.
The Marietta plant produces F-22 Raptor fighters and C-130J transports. Workers at Lockheed operations in Meridian, Miss. and Clarksburg, W.Va. that supply materials for the Georgia plant also are on strike.
Wednesday
July 9th, 2025
9:59PM
