KANSAS CITY, Mo. — About 1,350 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 778 at Olin Winchester voted to go on strike Saturday in Independence.
The union's current contract expires at 12:01 a.m. Saturday.
Key issues for the union are wages, mandatory overtime and work-life balance.
“The bargaining committee did not recommend a yes-vote on the company’s offer and the membership showed the same sentiment,” said IAM Local 778 Directing Business Representative Scott Brown in a statement from the union. “The company’s offer to these workers is just not good enough. We are not asking for anything unreasonable, as these workers have not seen wage increases reflective of the economy and have endured countless hours of overtime.”
The workers at Olin Winchester's Lake City Army Ammunition Plant manufacture small arms ammunition for the United States military and our allies, according to the news release.
“IAM Local 778 members at Olin-Winchester have the full support and solidarity of the IAM Midwest Territory,” said IAM Union Midwest Territory General Vice President Sam Cicinelli in the Thursday news release. “These workers are simply asking for what is fair for their hard work and dedication for many years. Our members are not going to settle for less than they deserve.”
We reached out to Olin Winchester for a response to the union's claim, but had not heard back late Friday night.
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