The Lake City Army Ammunition Plant in Independence, Missouri, is the only federally-owned small-caliber ammunition plant in the United States.

Earlier this week, more than 1,300 workers at a government-owned facility managed by a private defense contractor walked off the job. The strike at the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant (LCAAP) in Independence, Missouri, could impact the supply of small-arms ammunition for the United States military.

The striking employees at the LCAAP, represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Union Local 778, rejected the company’s contract offer and set up picket lines outside the facility last Saturday.

“The IAM Local 778 negotiating committee met with company representatives earlier this week and raised key concerns from the membership, including the need for pay that keeps up with persistent inflation, high turnover, and excessive mandatory overtime,” the union announced in a statement to the media.

The LCAAP strike is only the latest work stoppage to hit the aerospace and defense sector in the past year—and comes just a week after hundreds of designers and engineers at Bath Iron Works (BIW), Maine, also took to the picket line. The latter strike lasted five days, from March 23 through March 28, and ended after the shipbuilder agreed to a four-year deal that included significant pay increases.

While the BIW strike was somewhat more abstract, in that it affected long-term shipbuilding, the LCAAP strike has the potential to impact the production of ordnance for the US military on a much more immediate timeframe. LCAAP is “the backbone of America’s small-caliber ammunition supply and the only site capable of rapidly scaling production to meet national defense demands,” according to IAM Local 778.

The union claimed that the Olin Corporation, whose subsidiary Olin Winchester manages the plant for the US military, has failed to address concerns—notably salaries that are not in line with inflation, high turnover at the facility, and overtime requirements.

Officials at Olin Winchester told Spectrum News that it was “disappointed” that the union failed to ratify the new agreement, and said it would aim to reach a settlement with the employees.

“The company needs to recognize the highly skilled work being done at this facility and deliver a contract that keeps up with inflation, reduces excessive mandatory overtime and addresses the high turnover that is hurting this operation,” said IAM Union Local 778 Directing Business Representative Scott Brown. “Our members are ready to get back to work, but it takes a fair agreement that reflects their value and the critical role they play.”

Union members also appear to have determined that the union has the cards. The strike has virtually shut the LCAAP plant down, with potentially adverse consequences for the military.

“As global conflicts continue to escalate, the importance of this work cannot be overstated,” said IAM Union International President Brian Bryant. “Our members are standing up for a fair contract that reflects their skill, their sacrifice and the essential role they play in supporting our nation and its allies.”

IAM noted in its media statement that Olin Winchester had received more than $1.2 million in tax credits and subsidies from Missouri during its time managing the facility.

LCAAP Supplies Much of the Military’s Small-Caliber Bullets

LCAAP is the nation’s only government-owned, contractor-operated small-caliber ammunition production plant. The 3,935-acre facility, which was originally established by Remington Arms in 1941, is now part of the US Army Joint Munitions Command. The plant has been in near continuous operation since it opened, except for a short period after the end of World War II.

LCAAP manufactures small-caliber military ammunition and other ordnance for both combat and training purposes. It also serves as a national test center for the military’s ammunition performance and weapon firing.

Olin Winchester has operated the plant since October 2020. It currently manufactures every caliber of small-arms cartridges used by the US Armed Forces, including 9-millimeter, 5.56-millimeter, 7.62-millimeter, .50-caliber, and 20-millimeter rounds.

In 2019, Olin Winchester was selected by the US Army to operate and manage LCAAP under an $8 billion contract. Following a one-year transition period, it assumed full operational control on October 1, 2020.

The company was awarded an $8 billion contract to operate the facility for 7 years, with the option to extend for an additional 3 years. It is unclear if the current strike will impact the contract extension.

Olin Winchester had previously held the contract from 1985 to 2001. Competitor Alliant Technologies managed the LCAAP from 2001 until 2020.

Last year, the US Army announced that a new 450,000-square-foot facility would be added to the site, utilizing a new “modern manufacturing system” that can produce “all components” of the ammunition, including the case and projectile.

About the Author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu has contributed to dozens of newspapers, magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

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