Over 900 United Auto Workers (UAW) members walked out in protest over Lockheed Martin, alleging unfair labor practices and a failure to resolve their concerns.
Union strikes occurred in Florida and Colorado, a UAW press statement said Thursday. (RELATED: Union Workers Say Trump’s Tariffs Are ‘Very Positive Thing’ For Auto, Steel Industries)
The union also accused the company, who they noted was “the U.S. government’s largest defense contractor,” of failing to recognize Veterans Day as a holiday. Lockheed Martin secured $1.7 billion in net earnings in the first quarter of 2025, according to a company statement. However, UAW said months of negotiations failed to deliver an acceptable agreement between the union and the defense contractor.
The company’s latest offer would allegedly mean that more than “80% of the UAW workforce would remain in an unfair, extremely long pay progression” that would take between 16 to 23 years to attain the “top rate for most pay classifications.” The recently hired would be stuck with “a measly starting rate of $15 per hour,” the UAW’s statement claimed.
UAW members at Lockheed Martin are on strike! While Lockheed rakes in billions in taxpayer dollars—seeing $24 billion in profits between 2022 and 2024 — their latest offer would force most employees to work between 16 and 23 years to reach top rate and would start pay at just $15… pic.twitter.com/LoAm0wwuMz
— UAW (@UAW) May 1, 2025
“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,” UAW Region 4 Director Brandon Campbell said. “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 company has broken labor laws and refused to offer a fair deal that meets workers’ basic needs. Lockheed’s record profits should mean a record contract,” UAW posted in a statement on X.
Spirits were high on the picket line in Denver, CO, as members of UAW Local 766 (Lockheed Martin) went on strike this May Day. Workers are standing up because they’re tired of falling behind while the cost of living in Colorado keeps going up. The company has broken labor laws… pic.twitter.com/deMOhsOdeu
— UAW (@UAW) May 2, 2025
A Lockheed Martin spokesperson responded to the Daily Caller’s request for comment. “We value our employees and their expertise and look forward to reaching a fair labor agreement for both sides. Our employees perform important work for our customers and the nation through their work supporting programs critical to our national security,” the spokesperson told the Caller.