1,300 workers returned to the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant on May 7. The members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers ended a month-long strike in Independence, Missouri. Their new four-year contract features front-loaded wage increases. It also provides some relief from the forced overtime that plagued the facility. The union accused the parent company, Olin Winchester, of prioritizing its $1.35 billion in stock buybacks over its labor force.

Winchester sales rose to $470.5 million this quarter. The workers hit the machine where it hurts; they forced the board to share the military-industrial windfall. The IAM union said the deal addresses the "countless hours of overtime" required to meet surging military demand. This victory for biological labor stands against the trend of automation. While the tech elite celebrate AI, these workers in Missouri proved that the war machine still requires human hands. They walked back into the plant after proving they are more than just line items on a spreadsheet.