Brothers and Sisters,

It is becoming more and more obvious our strike IS having major effects on Lockheed production. Lockheed stock has dropped like a stone ever since our strike began, and there is undoubtedly a lot of pressure on Lockheed to end the strike. We are hitting them in the pocketbook, and they are now admitting they have made schedule promises that are unlikely they will be able to keep, not just with our government, but with others.

Lockheed has continued to use every trick in the old Lockheed trickster book that they’ve used against striking employees in the past. It has all been stunts. The strength of our picket lines and our membership’s support of our strike show the innuendo, threats and other stunts have not been successful.

They’ve sent letters to your homes. They’ve tried to act like everything is going fine without you. They’ve continued to spread rumors. They’ve tried to mess with your loans. They’ve hired temporary strike-breaking workers.

None of it has worked. I don’t think they understand why. Desperation is now likely the order of the day for Lockheed as their customers are probably telling them they need to start making airplanes again.

So, what will Lockheed do next? Certainly more rumors, more “temporary” workers, rumors of permanent replacement letters, more “we’re doing fine” stories, more faked “plant tours”. They may even try the big scare tactic of actually sending out letters threatening permanent replacements… to all three and a half thousand already mad striking workers. Really? Come on… The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee has already challenged Lockheed on the quality. Now they want us to believe they can use replacement workers, that will have to be trained while they’re still trying to find the bathrooms before they can build a “quality F-35”? Really?

If a board charge goes to complaint that will rule this an Unfair Practice Strike. Lockheed would be barred from hiring permanent replacement workers during an Unfair Labor Practice Strike. We have four board charges now, and more have been filed. Our legal counsel believes all our charges are valid, and that our charge concerning Lockheed’s ongoing use of the 401(k) program as a weapon against our membership is a very strong charge, that WILL be upheld and moved to complaint. We are also now moving forward on further legal action. We will advise you as soon as these actions are filed.

If Lockheed were to hire any permanent replacement workers, and a complaint was issued, this could be another large economic cost to Lockheed, which could have been avoided by just addressing the issues which caused this strike! We believe the letters are yet one more ploy, and it can only work if we fall prey to Lockheed’s scare tactics. Just HOW much further will Lockheed allow their stock prices to plummet before their stockholders ALSO say enough is enough?

Brothers and Sisters, we have been straight and transparent with you since these negotiations began. Your leadership has said all along what Lockheed’s plans were. They’ve tried many stunts to get people to cross the picket line. As long as we ignore these stunts as we have all along, we will win this strike. We have been honest and truthful with you all along, while Lockheed has been deceitful and dishonest. We do ask that you not give in to fear and that we all stay on THIS side of the picket line!

This fact remains; Lockheed NEEDS this workforce back at work. Without this workforce, the work we’ve ALL done to make this program successful will be for nothing. We all know it would be impossible to train another workforce to build the F-35 in time to meet any production schedules. It would be ridiculous to think they could do this.

Our members at our Local Lodge meetings this week told us again they will not sacrifice our future members, they will not accept Lockheed’s unreasonable medical proposals, and unjustified language changes.

We voted by 93% to go on strike. If we stand together, we will force Lockheed back to the table. We all went out on strike together, and we will all go back to work together, when we win our demands.

Paul Black

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