NORTHAMPTON — A coalition of activist groups plans to come together to protest against L3Harris KEO in Northampton, alleging that the company’s continued presence goes against a city resolution opposing the nuclear arms industry.
The coalition includes Jewish Voice for Peace and Demilitarize Western Mass, groups that have previously rallied in front of the military contractor’s Northampton plant. In March, police arrested five activists with Demilitarize Western Mass after they managed to occupy the lobby of the building.
“It’s really a broad coalition of groups that are coming together [opposing L3Harris],” said Molly Aronson, an activist with Jewish Voice for Peace. “It’s drawing on the anti-war movements, the Palestinian rights movements and immigrant rights movements.”
A statement Aronson sent out last week details public records regarding the city’s relationship with the company, which is headquartered in Florida and one of the largest defense contractors in the nation.
The records show that in 2009, the city entered into a tax increment financing (TIF) agreement with Kollmorgen, later acquired by L3Harris to become L3Harris KEO. The agreement concerned Kollmorgen’s move from King Street to the current L3Harris KEO location on Prince Street.
A TIF agreement is used to encourage development by providing tax exemptions to businesses. In the case of Kollmorgen/L3Harris, the city agreed to a 5% tax exemption every year until 2022. The company agreed in turn to retain its existing 377 jobs and to “make a good faith” preference to Northampton residents and local contractors for future jobs.
The records provided show that Kollmorgen had requested the agreement and that it was supported by then-Mayor Clare Higgins.
“As is often the case with development projects, many interests and goals are trying to be achieved,” Higgins wrote to the Planning Board regarding Kollmorgen’s plans to move to Prince Street. “I believe the proposed project has successfully achieved this balance and will be an asset to the Village Hill complex, to the neighborhood and to our community as a whole.”
Though the TIF agreement ended in 2022, Aronson said the activist coalition would be focused on pressuring the city to not renew L3Harris’s business license in the city. Aronson also noted an ordinance adopted by the city in 2019 that allows the city to refuse contracts to a company that “participates in the design, manufacture or maintenance of nuclear weapons.”
“The two main things are, tax dollars were diverted for a billion-dollar company, and it’s a contract between the city and L3Harris, which is part of the nuclear weapons industry” Aronson said.
L3Harris KEO in Northampton manufactures periscopes and other optical equipment that have military applications, such as for submarines. It also provides boost propulsion systems for ballistic missile systems that are launched from submarines, according to the company’s website. Ballistic missile systems on submarines often carry nuclear warheads.
L3Harris did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In an email response to another activist who had expressed concern about the company, Northampton’s Administration, Licensing & Economic Development Coordinator Annie Lesko said a business certificate is mainly used to help creditors track business, and would not prevent the company from operating or conducting business in the city. Lesko also said the 2019 resolution does not apply to business certificates, only contracts, and the city has no current active contracts with L3Harris.
“If any such contract were ever under consideration, Mayor Sciarra would ensure that the provisions of Ordinance 19.113 are applied, and L3 Harris would be disqualified from the procurement process, as outlined in the ordinance,” Lesko wrote in the email, a copy of which was obtained by the Gazette.
In a statement to the Gazette, Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra noted the TIF agreement expired in 2022, before her tenure as mayor.
“I understand the concerns about L3Harris,” Sciarra said. “I remain committed to ensuring Northampton’s values are reflected in the decisions we are legally able to make.”
Another protest is planned in front of L3Harris on Thursday, coinciding with with the May Day holiday. According to a post on the Instagram account “stopl3harrisnoho,” activists plan to rally in front of the building before marching downtown to attend a City Council meeting scheduled for that day.
Alexander MacDougall can be reached at amacdougall@gazettenet.com.
