A month-long strike at Olin Winchester’s Lake City Army Ammunition Plant ended after nearly 1,300 workers ratified a new collective bargaining agreement. Employees represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Union began returning to work at the Independence, Missouri, facility on May 7.
According to an IAM press release, the four-year contract features front-loaded wage increases and “some relief” from forced overtime. The union did not provide additional details.
Workers went on strike April 4 after rejecting an offer the union said did not address key issues. It later turned down another contract offer on April 27, arguing that the facility’s workers had not seen wage increases reflective of the economy and endured “countless hours of overtime.”
One week before the second rejection, IAM Local 778 Directing Business Representative Scott Brown accused Olin Winchester of prioritizing shareholder returns with $1.35 billion in stock buybacks and a CEO compensation package approaching $10 million.
On the same day employees returned to work, Olin posted that Winchester sales rose year over year from $388 million to $470.5 million in Q1 2026, driven by stronger military and commercial demand. However, the company noted that higher material and operating costs pushed segment earnings down to $15.2 million from $22.8 million.
The Independence facility manufactures 5.56 mm, 7.62 mm and .50-caliber rifle ammunition for the U.S. military. Olin Winchester also operates factories in Oxford, Mississippi and East Alton, Illinois.
IAM and Olin Winchester have not responded to Manufacturing.net's request for additional information.
