Military project goes to Lima

UAW Local 2075 members will build the Namer, an all-armor steel vehicle weighing about 60 tons.

“You sit down at the table and talk with the company about how to make it work for everyone, and at some point you find an answer that works,” said UAW Vice President General Holiefield.

In a recent case, it was working with General Dynamics Land Systems that won new work for about 900 UAW Local 2075 members in Lima, Ohio. They will build the Merkava Armored Personnel Carrier, also known as the Namer, for the Israeli Ministry of Defense.

An all-armor steel vehicle weighing about 60 tons, the Namer carries a total of 11 personnel, three crew and eight infantry. It has advanced defensive systems and an internal air-conditioning unit which enables the vehicle to continue operating in areas contaminated by nonconventional weapons. It carries a number of machine guns, missile launchers and reconnaissance equipment.

“In these tough times where all government spending is being scrutinized, it is a great thing to be able to win a military vehicle contract like this,” said Local 2075 President Al Saam. “Even better is that it will be built by UAW members in Lima. We are very happy to have this work.”

The vehicle will be built as part of a $400 million contract with Israel. About 600 vehicles are expected to be produced over the next eight years. The contract was awarded in October 2010.

Although some work on the carrier will be done in Eyon, Pa., by members of UAW Local 1193, the bulk of the project will be handled in Lima.

“We recognize the need to be competitive,” said Local 1193 President Ken Klinkel. “Because of the good relationship between the UAW and General Dynamics, we negotiated a contract that positioned General Dynamics to secure new work like the Merkava APC, and addressed the needs of our membership.”

“When the company wins good contracts, it reflects the best that General Dynamics has to offer and shows how skilled our members are with building these complex military vehicles,” Holiefield added. “That’s a good formula no matter how you look at it.”

Sandra Davis