Machinists Poll Confirms Excise Tax Opposition

IAM members delivered a bipartisan thumping to both political parties as well as the White House in an online survey of workers’ attitudes. But there can be no mistaking their strong opposition to key provisions of health care reform. 

UK Union Announces Strike Dates at British Airways

Flight Attendants in the United Kingdom announced today this week that they would be taking seven days of strike action at the end of the month if their contract dispute is not resolved before then.

Huffington Post Carries UCubed Message

Lower turnout in the midterm elections and persistently high unemployment will create an explosive mix this November. That’s according to a recently published article by UCubed Acting Executive Director Rick Sloan in the widely read Huffington Post.

Ohio Machinists Reject Union Busting Proposal

IAM members of Local 225 in Dayton, OH, went on strike March 7 after machinists, welders and assemblers unanimously rejected a new three-year contract offer from Chemineer, a Dayton-based maker of industrial mixing equipment. The company’s offer came three weeks after negotiations began when the company suddenly called a halt to the talks, leaving behind a grossly substandard contract proposal.

Norway Pressured to Divest Holdings in Grupo Mexico

Two global trade union federations, together with four Norwegian unions, have asked the Council on Ethics of the Government Pension Fund of Norway to divest its holdings in the Mexican mining conglomerate Grupo Mexico because of alleged labor, human rights and environmental violations.

Federal Workers Group Salutes Lilly Ledbetter

IAM representatives took part in recent a celebration of Women’s History Month that featured fair pay trailblazer Lilly Ledbetter and actress Tanya Blount. The event was hosted by the Federal Triangle Partnership, consisting of the U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Agency for International Development, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the United States Postal Service.

Florida Members Rally at Mercedes of Orlando

Nearly a dozen unions joined with District 166 Machinists in support of auto technicians at Mercedes-Benz of Orlando in Orlando, FL, where seven workers were fired for demanding a fair contract.

Union of Unemployed Now Active in All 50 States

The IAM Community Service project known as Ur Union of Unemployed, aka UCubed, now has 1,649 members in over 1,400 zip codes -- up from 321 only thirty days ago. Its jobs activists now can be found in every state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Three hundred fifty-seven cubes are operating. That’s up from 72 a month ago – a five-fold increase. Cubes exist in all states save Alaska and Nebraska.

Obama’s Space Cuts Threaten 9,000 Shuttle Jobs

President Barack Obama’s proposed budget promises to send thousands of U.S. space workers to a new frontier: the unemployment line.

Wealth Gap Widens for Women of Color

Women of color face an enormous wealth gap when compared to the rest of society, says a new report by the Insight Center for Community Economic Development. However, the wealth gap is far narrower for minority women belonging to a union, says one official.

Union Sportsmen’s Online Store Open for Business

I am Union. I am Sportsman. I Belong. If you’re a hunter or fisherman, these are more than just words…they’re a statement about who you are and what you believe in. They’re just one reason why you belong in the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance, the hunting and fishing club exclusively for union members, retirees and their families.

IAM Retiree Digs Out of Debt with Help from Union Plus

Retired Local Lodge 2763 member Robert Harrison of Memphis, TN recently found himself overwhelmed with hospital bills, but Union Plus was able to provide fast financial relief through their Medical Bill Negotiating Service and by providing a $1,000 Hospital Care Grant.

FAA Invites Recipes for Recovery

“Without a serious commitment to protecting jobs, without new limits on unrestrained outsourcing and without a second stimulus program that is equal to the crisis this nation is facing, the airline and aerospace industries will continue to struggle, even if the rest of the economy recovers,” said International President Tom Buffenbarger, who spoke as the sole labor representative at the FAA 35 th Annual Aviation Forecast Conference in Washington, D.C.

House Introduces Public Jobs Bill

After more than a year since the launch of the IAM’s JOBS Now! campaign, legislation to quickly reverse high unemployment by hiring the unemployed to work in the public sector has finally been introduced.

Charlie Cooke Predicts Mid-term Shakeup

Members of the 2010 MNPL National Planning Committee meeting in Savannah, GA, welcomed the opportunity this week to ask questions and share insights with Charlie Cook, one of the nation’s most highly regarded political analysts and odds makers.

IAM, Alaska Airlines Open Negotiations

District 143 announced it has opened collective bargaining for an amended contract covering 2,800 Alaska Airlines employees in the clerical, office and passenger service (COPS) group. The current agreement becomes amendable on July 19, 2010.

MNPL Committee Examines 2010 Election Landscape

Calling it the most challenging political and economic environment in decades, IAM International President Tom Buffenbarger urged members of the MNPL National Planning Committee to hold labor’s political allies to higher standards than ever before, and to make certain that candidates don’t develop “amnesia” once they become elected.

FedEx Friend Threatens to Block FAA Reform Bill

Move over Jim Bunning, another GOP Senator has threatened to single-handedly stop legislation that benefits American working families. Tennessee Republican Bob Corker has vowed to block the comprehensive FAA Reauthorization bill if it contains language that ends the advantage non-union FedEx has over rival UPS. FedEx is based in Memphis TN. In 1996, FedEx won a special favor that put it under different labor rules than UPS, making it much more difficult to organize FedEx workers.

Union of Unemployed Warns of Endless Recession

In the absence of economic policies that generate 450,000 jobs per month for at least 60 months, the U.S. will remain mired in a recession that will linger for years if not decades. To give the economy the traction it needs, Ur Union of Unemployed (UCubed) is calling for the immediate establishment of a public job-creation program far larger than anything proposed thus far.

Pax River Unit Ready for Contract Talks

In preparation for bargaining a new agreement with DynCorp at Patuxent River Naval Air Station in Southern MD, the Local 4 Negotiating Committee completed an intense week of training in the Negotiation Preparation for Bargaining Committees Class at the William W. Winpisinger Education & Technology Center in Hollywood, MD. The Local 4 members at Pax River perform aircraft maintenance and their current agreement expires on August 31, 2010.

Members Ratify Pact with Lockheed Space Systems

More than 420 IAM members at a pair of Lockheed Martin Space Systems locations voted to accept a new three-year contract. The members are from District 112, Local 2772, in Kings Bay, GA, and District 160, Local 282, in Seattle, WA.

Mixed Messages from Boeing CEO

The CEO of Boeing’s Commercial Airplane division, Jim Albaugh, sat down recently for a lengthy interview with Seattle Times reporter Dominic Gates and promptly took credit for driving the decision to build a second 787 assembly line in South Carolina. Albaugh then admitted that the company had outsourced far too much work and declared his first preference for a location to build future aircraft was in the Puget Sound.

Foreign Energy Firms Reap Stimulus Windfall

Four U.S. Senators are calling on the Obama administration to suspend a federal grant program that has paid out more than $1 billion in stimulus funds to foreign manufacturers. U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Bob Casey (D-PA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Jon Tester (D-MT) urged the Obama administration to suspend the program indefinitely until the law can be fixed so that funds only flow to projects that will create jobs in the United States.

Is Wichita the Next Detroit?

In a recent editorial published in the Wichita Eagle, Southern Territory GVP Bob Martinez, Jr.discussed the future of the aviation industry in Wichita, KS, and addressed comparisons to Detroit’s troubled automotive industry.

Air Canada to Furlough 1,000 Aircraft Mechanics

“Over one thousand highly-skilled aircraft mechanics at Air Canada will be laid off this April and the company doesn’t give a damn,” said District 140 Regional Assistant Directing General Chairperson Fred Hospes.

International Women’s Day to Focus on JOBS Now!

The IAM is calling for JOBS Now! in commemoration of this International Women’s Day, Monday, March 8, 2010. International Women’s Day is a day when thousands around the world gather to mark the many economic, political and social successes and struggles of women past, present – and future.

Deadline Nears for 2010 Legislative Conference

The cut-off date for reduced room rates for the IAM 2010 Legislative Conference is April 1, 2010. The Conference will be held May 10-13 at the Hyatt Regency in Washington, D.C. Call the hotel at 202-737-1234 to make your room reservations.

Sign the Bunning Petition: Throw The Bum Out!

On the floor of the U.S. Senate, Kentucky GOP Senator Jim Bunning declared aloud it was “tough sh*t” if Senators disagreed with his efforts to block an extension of unemployment benefits for jobless Americans.

NASA Workers Rally for Jobs

Nearly 2,000 Space Coast workers, family members and community activists gathered near the Kennedy Space Center in Titusville, Florida, to hear labor leaders call for an end to government plans to outsource critical NASA programs, including include lunar landers, moon bases and the manned shuttle program.

Support U.S Withdrawal from NAFTA

With the unemployment rate at its highest point in decades, the U.S. economy continues to shed much-needed manufacturing jobs. The loss of manufacturing jobs can be tied directly to our so called “free trade” policies, which have facilitated the movement of production to cheap-labor sites across the globe.

Pratt & Whitney Appeals Court Decision

Pratt & Whitney is adding insult to injury by filing an appeal of the court decision castigating them for failing to make an effort to preserve work in Connecticut. The appeal comes a day after the company announced layoffs in the locations they were barred by court order from closing.

Allison Beck Named to FMCS Position

IAM retired General Counsel Allison Beck has been appointed as Deputy Director for National and International Programs of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), effective March 2, 2010.

Ontario Machinists Expand in Hospitality Sector

Twenty employees of the Days Inn in London, ON, are the latest hospitality workers to join the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.

UCubed Catching Hold and Gaining Momentum

Ur Union of Unemployed, or UCubed, generated record-breaking numbers over the last 24 hours, with membership jumping from almost 480 job activists yesterday to well over 800 today. Ninety-six new cubes were created within the same time period, adding to the 84 cubes already created (six people within the same zip code make one cube). UCubed is now up-and-running in 48 states and the District of Columbia.

IAM Signs Historic Agreement with Japanese Aviation Federation

The IAM is the first North American transportation union to enter into an alliance agreement with the Japan Federation of Aviation Workers’ Unions (KOHKUREN), the largest federation of air transport workers in Japan. Both the IAM and KOHKUREN represent workers at the same airlines, including Northwest/Delta, United, Continental and others.

IAM Supports Bankruptcy Reform

IAM International President Tom Buffenbarger has sent a letter to Congress requesting support for thousands of IAM members and retirees who have seen their wages, benefits and pensions shredded as airlines and manufacturing companies use bankruptcy to gut union contracts, while at the same time rewarding executives with big bonuses.

Pratt & Whitney Announces Connecticut Layoffs

Just two weeks after a federal judge issued an injunction against Pratt & Whitney to keep them from closing the Cheshire and East Hartford CARO plants in Connecticut, the company announced that it intends to lay off 119 workers at Cheshire and 44 in East Hartford. Pratt President David Hess then announced that the company would be appealing the court decision on their failure to make any effort to preserve Connecticut jobs.

Analyst: No Jobs Growth Until 2013

A top Federal Reserve official warns the current jobs crisis could go on until 2013 as more employers become comfortable with doing more with less.

IAM Says JOBS Now! For International Women’s Day

In anticipation of International Women’s Day, Monday, March 8, 2010, the IAM Women’s and Human Rights Department is encouraging members to take part in the IAM campaign to create JOBS Now! for 30 million unemployed Americans.

Cut-Off Dates Near For Federal Employees Classes

The IAM Government Employees Department is conducting two programs in June at the William W. Winpisinger Education & Technology Center in Southern Maryland, and enrollment deadlines for both classes are nearing.

Take Action for COBRA Subsidy Extension

A last-minute provision put in place by Congress which allows jobless workers to receive up to 15 months of help with COBRA payments is set to expire.

Hawker Beechcraft Sends U.S. Jobs to Mexico

Hawker Beechcraft announced this week that more than 250 high-skill, high-paying jobs will be eliminated when it closes a factory in Salina, KS. A company spokesperson confirmed that half the jobs would go to a facility in Mexico and half to outside vendors.

Mexican Court Rules Against Striking Miners

A Mexican appeals court issued an order that allows the Grupo Mexico mining company to terminate the employment and dissolve the union contract for nearly 1,200 members of the National Union of Mine and Metalworkers (SNTMMSRM) at the massive Cananea copper mine.

Support International Women’s Day

The IAM Women’s and Human Rights Department is urging members to take action today in honor of International Women’s Day, Monday, March 8, 2010.

IAM Mourns Retiree, EAP Activist Buddy Sugg

Long-time IAM member John “Buddy” Sugg, 73, died last week after a lifetime of serving fellow IAM members in a variety of roles, including certified alcohol/drug counselor, liaison to IAM members and Employee Assistance Programs (EAP), and non-stop supporter of the IAM’s Retirees, Community and Membership Services Department.

Health Care Excise Tax Hits Millions

An article in The Washington Post confirms what the IAM has been saying all along: the Senate-proposed “Cadillac Tax” on health care benefits will not only affect union workers, but non-union workers, as well.

Senate Jobs Bill Insults Unemployed Americans

Senate Democrats have already begun congratulating themselves on securing enough votes to move forward with grossly inadequate legislation to address the most urgent issue facing the nation today, unemployment. By a 62-30 vote, the Senate approved a $15 billion package that provides $13 billion for companies who hire unemployed Americans and a payroll tax exemption for those workers through the end of this year.

AFL-CIO Unions Rally for TSO Workers

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and the AFL-CIO are calling for an end to the Bush-era policy that has been used to prevent lawful collective bargaining rights for 40,000 Transportation Security Officers (TSO) who work for the Transportation Security Agency (TSA).

IUPAT Member Hailed as Texas Hero

Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) member Robin De Haven is being hailed nationally as a quick-thinking hero for his actions after anti-IRS fanatic Joseph Stack crashed his private plane into an Austin, TX, office building.

National Call-in Day for Jobs Now

The ‘Jobs for America Now’ coalition is hosting a National Call-in Day on February 23, 2010, to urge members of Congress to support a full year extension of unemployment insurance and COBRA subsidies.

Opposition Intensifies to Health Care Excise Tax

Resistance from union households is causing headaches for lawmakers and labor leaders who agreed to support health care reform that included a 40 percent excise tax on employer-sponsored health insurance plans.

Dismal Poll is Layoff Notice for Members of Congress

According to a New York Times/CBS poll released late last week, only eight percent of the American people want the members of this Congress re-elected. And 81 percent believe the lawmakers should not be re-elected.

NASA Budget Cuts Could Cost 7,000 Florida Jobs

Rather then return to the moon, NASA could be forced to send 7,000 workers at the Kennedy Space Center to the unemployment line.

Machinists Gain in New Clow Canada Agreement

Wages, benefits and pension increases are highlights of a new four-year agreement for members of Local 835 in St. John, New Brunswick who are employed by Clow Canada.

Pennsylvania Member Wins Union Plus Scholarship

Scranton, PA, Local 847 member Michael Poch has been awarded a $3,200 Union Plus Scholarship to attend the National Labor College (NLC) at the George Meany Campus in Silver Spring, MD.

IAM Mourns Pair of West-Coast Aces

The IAM has lost two long-time activists from the Western Territory recently; retired Grand Lodge Representative Andy Barnes and District 947 Business Representative Gloria Carter. Both died after battles with cancer.

Lawmakers Welcome IAM Win at Pratt

Connecticut state lawmakers are applauding the landmark decision by U.S. District Court Judge Janet Hall to block Pratt & Whitney from closing a pair of factories in Cheshire and East Hartford, CT.

Urge Governors to Address JOBS Crisis

On February 20-22, 2010, governors from across the nation will converge upon Washington, D.C., for the Annual National Governors Association Winter Meeting. The governors will be meeting to discuss issues vital to each of their individual states, as well as the nation’s future. As tradition dictates, the governors will also be meeting with the president and cabinet members.

Spanish Leadership Programs Building on Success

Local Lodges are encouraged to send their enrollments early for the 2010 Spanish Leadership programs.

Los programas de Liderazgo en Español continúan con éxito

Se les pide a los locales que envíen a la mayor brevedad posible las matriculas para los miembros participen en los programas de Liderazgo en Español de 2010.

States Struggle to Handle Record Unemployment

The National Association of State Workforce Agencies survey shows as many as 35 states, in an effort to replenish their unemployment insurance trust funds, will be forcing employers to pay higher unemployment insurance taxes this year. The trust funds are used to pay out unemployment insurance claims to jobless residents.

2010 IAM Scholarship Deadline February 26

The deadline to apply for a 2010 IAM Scholarship Award is fast-approaching. Applications must be postmarked no later than February 26, 2010, to be considered.

President Urged to Act on Pratt Factory Closure

The IAM is welcoming the unanimous support of Connecticut’s Congressional delegation in the fight to prevent Pratt & Whitney from closing a pair of aircraft factories in Connecticut and eliminating more than 1,000 high-skilled jobs.

Machinists Support NMB Voting Rule Change

Transportation GVP Robert Roach, Jr. testified this week at the National Mediation Board’s (NMB) public hearing on the agency’s proposed change to rules governing union representation elections.

IAM Defends Service Contract Workforce

In response to job security concerns among IAM members employed in the service contract industry, the IAM recently convened a meeting of ten major service contract companies and an equal number of IAM representatives with members covered under Service Contract Act (SCA) agreements.

Machinists Fight AFSS Reductions by FAA

The IAM has lodged a protest with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) over plans by contractor Lockheed Martin to reduce the number of Automated Flight Service Stations (AFSS) in the United States.

NMB Rule Change Draws Broad Congressional Support

The National Mediation Board’s (NMB) proposed change to its current election process is gaining wide bi partisan support in Congress. On December 7, 2009, James Oberstar (D-MN), Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and George Miller (D-CA), Chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor, led 178 Democratic members of the House of Representatives in sending the NMB a letter in support of the agency’s proposed rule change that would end its practice of counting eligible voters who do not cast a ballot as voting against unionization.

IMF: A Voice for Workers at Climate Conference

Industrial trade union federations representing workers in the metal, chemical, energy and mining sectors are taking part in the largest climate change conference in history now underway in Copenhagen. Members of the International Metalworkers’ Federation (IMF) join world powers, environmentalists, activists and others as they negotiate a global strategy for tackling international climate change.

Contractors to Run U.S. Space Program?

In a letter to President Obama, IAM President Tom Buffenbarger warns of significant domestic job losses, potential security breaches and the loss of important new technologies if the administration moves forward with its plan to have NASA rely on the private sector to develop and operate the nation’s manned space program.

Court to Pratt: ‘Stay Where You Are’

In a major legal victory for Connecticut’s IAM members, the U.S. District Court issued an injunction against Pratt & Whitney, prohibiting them from moving work and equipment out of their Cheshire and East Hartford CARO operations. The decision by Judge Janet Hall sustains a lawsuit brought by IAM District 26 on behalf of more than 1,000 members working in those locations.

Employment Data Doesn’t Add Up

In a telling example of how the government’s official employment numbers don’t paint a reliable picture of the nation’s economy, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recently announced the unemployment rate fell from 10.0 percent to 9.7 percent. Meanwhile, the same department reports that 20,000 more jobs were lost in January.

Support Airline Workers, Complete the FAA Bill

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has existed on eight short-term funding extensions since the funding legislation first expired in September 2007. Meanwhile, the FAA needs updated safety, infrastructure and modernization programs, as well as protections for worker rights.

Voter Participation Critical in First Delta Election

The National Mediation Board (NMB) this week mailed telephone and Internet voting instructions to nearly 100 Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines Flight Simulator Technicians (Sim Techs), opening a three-week voting period in the first IAM election since Delta acquired Northwest.

New AIG Bonuses Top $100 Million

Just one year after executives in the troubled Financial Products Unit at AIG split $168 million in “retention bonuses,” the same group is poised to get another $100 million in bonus money.

IAM Urges Jobs Priority in Export Control Review

The IAM is calling on President Obama to proceed with caution during the administration’s ongoing export control review, and to not assume that easing export controls will necessarily lead to U.S. job creation.

IAM Mourns Ohio State Council President Harold Langford

Long-time Ohio State Council of Machinists President Harold Langford of Galion, OH passed away today at the age of 77. Langford, a 54-year member, was also serving as Local 1151’s President.

Canada Members Welcome First Agreements

Members of Local 714 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, were all smiles following the recent ratification of their first collective agreement with Wasaya Airways.

GE Brings Good Things… to China

General Electric, exporter of thousands of U.S. jobs, is running a major ad campaign called American Renewal. The radio, television and print ads give the impression that GE is now a champion of “Made in America.” One print ad boasts “We call it the American Renewal. And it means making things right here in America. The American Renewal is happening.”

Nevada’s Nellis AFB Workers Vote for IAM

More than 250 Service Contract workers who provide valuable support for the U.S. Air Force at Nellis AFB near Las Vegas, NV, recently voted overwhelmingly for IAM representation, citing the Machinists’ great track record in Service Contract agreements.

Brother Can You Spare a Dime?

The White House released its $3.8 trillion dollar budget this week, with $100 billion earmarked for its highly-touted jobs program. The program, designed to address the highest unemployment levels in decades, would be funded with 25 cents out of every 10 dollars the federal government will spend next year.

Ohio Workers Rally to Stop Pension Theft

IAM members of Local 1471 in Columbus, OH, braved freezing temperatures and sub-zero wind chills last week to provide members and the community with updates regarding an attempt to eliminate pensions for workers at Center City International Trucks (CCIT).

House Honors A. Philip Randolph, Also Passes Paycheck Fairness Act

Members of the House passed a resolution honoring the legacy of labor and civil rights leader A. Philip Randolph. Randolph is known as the father of the modern civil rights movement.

Conigliaro Honored for Lifetime Achievement

District 15 DBR James Conigliaro, Sr. was recently presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Peggy Browning Fund, in recognition for a union career that spans more than three decades of fighting for workers’ rights and shows no sign of ending anytime soon.

President Declares ‘Jobs’ is Top Priority in 2010

In response to a State of the Union speech that was long on rhetoric and short on specifics, the IAM renewed its call for a more coordinated and aggressive response to the most serious jobs crisis since the Great Depression.

Wisconsin Gov. Doyle Praises IAM

In a State of the State address delivered earlier this week, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle made special mention of last year’s high-profile fight to save jobs at the Mercury Marine facility in Fond du Lac, WI. Gov. Doyle praised IAM members and leaders who approved significant and divisive concessions to secure a pledge from Mercury to remain in Fond du Lac.

GOP Response Insults Jobless Americans

Ur Union of Unemployed reacted strongly to the Republican response to the State of the Union address, calling the GOP position “worst than vacuous” on the jobs issue.

Machinists Donate $50,000 for Haitian Quake Relief

The IAM stepped up to the ‘Humanitarian Plate’ this week with a $50,000 donation to Canada’s Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund (CERF). For every dollar donated to the CERF, the government of Canada will donate an equal amount, bringing the combined donation to $100,000.

Try Something - UCubed’s Latest Video

Ur Union of Unemployed, or UCubed, the online community for America’s unemployed, has a new short video on its site titled, “FDR: Try Something.

IAM Prepares for Historic Negotiations at Spirit

The bargaining committee for members of Local 839 at Spirit AeroSystems in Wichita, KS, recently completed an intense week of negotiations preparation at the Winpisinger Center, where they are readying for a bargaining session that could change the face of the aerospace industry.

An Idea Whose Time Has Come

Ur Union of Unemployed, or UCubed, launched 11 days ago. And not a moment too soon.

In the Massachusetts Senate race last Tuesday, Scott Brown...

Oregon District 24 to Share in $5 Million Training Grant

IAM District Lodge 24 in Portland, OR, will share in a $5 million grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor to the Oregon Manufacturing Extension Partnership to provide job training in renewable energy industries. The grant is part of nearly $100 million of green jobs training grants authorized by the Recovery Act of 2009.

New Mexico Forest Service Workers Vote NFFE-IAM

More than 250 employees in the U.S. Forest Service Human Resources Management (HRM) department in Albuquerque, NM voted in favor of representation by the National Federation of Federal Employees-IAM (NFFE-IAM). The vote brings the benefits of collective bargaining and union representation to 385 employees in the public-sector bargaining unit.

U.S. Members Strike UK-based Renold

Members of Local 1555 in Westfield, NY, who are on strike against British-owned Renold Inc., recently received a pledge of support from the 25-million member International Metalworkers’ Federation (IMF).

New York Local Delivers Help and Hope

Machinists at Local 1580 in Wellsville, NY, made the 2009 holiday season a memorable one by supporting The Salvation Army, ARC Children’s Home and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Pratt Case Awaits Judge’s Decision

The IAM’s lawsuit to preserve more than 1,000 jobs at Pratt & Whitney in Connecticut entered its final phase last week when attorneys for the IAM and the company filed final briefs for closing arguments. The case is now in the hands of U.S. District Judge Janet Hall, who oversaw the five-day trial.

District 141 Members Ratify Hawaiian Airlines Pact

Seventy-five percent of District 141’s membership at Hawaiian Airlines ratified a four-year agreement that provides immediate wage increases of five percent, followed by raises of four percent, three percent and three percent in each successive year of the agreement.

UCubed Message Gains Traction

With a new video, editorial and a growing list of partners, the IAM community service project known as Ur Union of Unemployed, nicknamed UCubed, is beginning to resonate among labor organizations and unemployed workers, who have created more than 40 individual “cubes” to share their experiences and gain the benefits of collective action.

Senate Democrats Get Wake Up Call

The outcome of the special election in Massachusetts is being touted as a victory for Tea Party activists, who grabbed the public’s attention with a non-stop smear campaign against the proposed health care legislation. But an article by Roger Bybee in In These Times magazine, argues that Democrats who buy that reasoning are missing the boat.

California Machinists Rally for Passage of TRADE Act

A vocal contingent of Machinists union members took part in a recent rally in Concord, CA, to support passage of the Trade Reform, Accountability, Development and Employment (TRADE) Act of 2009.

IAM Launches “UCubed” to Help Unemployed

On Friday, January 15, 2010, the IAM launched Ur Union of Unemployed – known as UCubed - an online community that aims to unify the unemployed in a unique and useful way.

‘They Sat, So that We Could Stand’

Three of the four college students who sat down at a segregated lunch counter in Greensboro, NC, on February 1, 1960, returned to that city last week as living legends of the civil rights movement and guests of honor at the 2010 AFL-CIO Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Observance.

IAM Wins Another FAA Contract Unit

The IAM won another victory in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) service field after a group of Remote Pilot Operators, known as Ghost Pilots, voted to join the growing family of FAA service contract employees.

GSA Group Gets Ready for Negotiations

The popular Negotiation Preparation for Bargaining Committees class at the IAM’s William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology got off to a busy start in 2010 when members of the NFFE-IAM GSA Council Negotiating Team met last week to prepare proposals for the upcoming contract negotiations with the General Services Administration (GSA).

Donate to Help Relief Efforts in Haiti

Working people and unions from around the world are responding in a big way to the earthquake disaster in Haiti.

Basic Newsletter Course Rescheduled for May 2-7

The 2010 Basic Newsletter Development course at the William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center in Placid Harbor, MD originally scheduled for April 25-29 has been rescheduled for May 2-7, 2010.

Countdown to UCubed

Tomorrow, January 15, 2010, marks the start of a movement. The IAM will launch Ur Union of Unemployed – or UCubed for short – an online community that aims to unify the unemployed in a unique and useful way.

NMB Announces First Machinists Election at Delta

The National Mediation Board (NMB) has announced the dates for a union representation election for flight simulator technicians (Sim Techs) at Delta Air Lines.

Court Testimony Reveals Pratt Deception

A top labor relations executive for Pratt & Whitney testified in federal court Tuesday that the company purposely hid plans from the IAM to shut down its Cheshire, CT, plant.

IAM Members Reject Teamster Raid

District 947 IAM members who work at Coca-Cola plants throughout Southern California rejected a raid by the Teamsters.

Registration Deadline Extended for Basic Web Development

The January 15 deadline for applications for the 2010 IAM Basic Web Development Course has been extended to January 22. The class is offered by the IAM Communications Department and will be held March 21-26 at the William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center in Placid Harbor, MD.

Escape to the Wild Show Featuring IAM Member Airs This Weekend

Don’t forget to tune in this Sunday, January 17, at 9:30 a.m. to VERSUS Country network for the TV show Escape to the Wild Show featuring IAM Local 655 member Pat Stashek of Wisconsin Rapids, WI.

IAM Mourns Former GST Eugene Glover

The Machinists union lost a member of its own “greatest generation” recently when former General Secretary-Treasurer (GST) Eugene D. Glover passed away at age 86 from complications of diabetes. Glover served as GST from 1969 until 1987 and was instrumental in the creation, development and funding of the William W. Winpisinger Education & Technology Center in Southern Maryland.

‘Overwhelming’ Support for NMB Rule Change

IAM representatives this week presented the National Mediation Board (NMB) with an additional 12,000 signed post cards expressing support for their proposed rule change to make air and rail union elections more democratic.

Wisconsin Machinist Featured on ‘Escape to the Wild’

As president of IAM Local 655 in Wisconsin Rapids, WI, Pat Stashek knows all about the sacrifices people went through to organize and bargain for better wages and working conditions. He believes unions have long led the fight for health care, pensions, workplace safety, a cleaner environment and job security.

Register Now for 2010 Federal Employees Classes

The IAM Government Employees Dept. will hold a pair of “Federal Employees Basic Programs” on February 7-12, 2010 and March 14-19, 2010, at the William W. Winpisinger Center in Southern Maryland.

Class-Action Lawsuits Continue at Wal-Mart

On the heels of a $40 million settlement with its Massachusetts employees regarding wage-and-hour violations, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. now finds itself hit with another class-action lawsuit.

Bucks in the Wind

The multi-billion dollar American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), which was passed by Congress and signed by President Obama in February 2009, contained provisions specifically intended to fund the development of alternative energy sources.

$8 Billion Keyed to High-Speed Rail Jobs

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood declared recently that President Obama’s $8 billion commitment to high-speed rail and expanded intercity passenger service was designed to create U.S. jobs and to boost domestic manufacturing.

Poll Reveals Trauma of Joblessness

Losing a job in today’s economy means more than just cutting back on necessities and struggling to make financial ends meet.

Saskatchewan Machinists Ratify Contract with Bombardier

Members of Local 32 in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada, have ratified a new three-year agreement with Bombardier Military Aviation that provides wage increases of 2 percent in the first year, 2.5 percent in the second year and 3 percent in the third year.

Enroll Now for EAP-II Class in March 2010

The 2010 Employee Assistance Professional -II Program (EAP-II) at the William W. Winpisinger Center, will be held March 21 to March 26, 2010.

Machinists Leaders Vote to Oppose Health Benefits Tax

The IAM Executive Council voted unanimously to oppose any health care reform legislation that is funded by taxing the value of workers’ existing health care benefits.

Tell Congress: No Taxes on Family Health Care Benefits

As the fight to shape a final health care bill moves through Congress, working families can help stop the effort to tax their health care benefits by joining millions of fellow workers in the AFL-CIO’s National Call-In Blitz to the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday, January 13, 2010.

New York DOL Orders Delta to Pay Up

The value and power of an IAM contract was on prominent display in a recent ruling from the New York State Department of Labor (DOL), settling a dispute over how often IAM members at Northwest Airlines in New York would be paid.

85,000 More Reasons for JOBS Now!

The unemployment rate held steady at 10 percent for the month of December – but only because more people dropped out of the workforce.

Sit-In Heroes Returning to Greensboro

Three of the four students who faced extraordinary abuse and harassment in 1960 when they sat down at a whites-only lunch counter in Greensboro, NC, will return to the city as guests of honor when the AFL-CIO holds its annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Observance.

Register Now for 2010 Metal Trades Training Program

The IAM Collective Bargaining Department will hold its “Metal Trades Training Program” May 2-7, 2010 at the William W. Winpisinger Education & Technology Center in Southern Maryland.

Machinists Call for Bankruptcy Reform

Transportation GVP Robert Roach, Jr. testified this week before the House Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law and called for changes to existing bankruptcy laws that have been used to extract massive concessions from workers while restricting their right to employ the self help provisions in their agreements.

Legislation Introduced to Strengthen ‘Buy American’

Much needed legislation to create jobs and strengthen Buy American provisions advanced this week in the House of Representatives, where the Jobs for Main Street Act (HR 2847) passed by a vote of 217 to 212.

Jeff Doerr Named to IAM Law Committee

International President Tom Buffenbarger today announced that the IAM Executive Council has approved the appointment of Railroad District 19 General Chairman Jeff Doerr to serve on the IAM Law Committee.

Overwhelming Public Support for NMB Rule Change

On November 3, 2009, the National Mediation Board (NMB) announced a proposed rule change to allow union representation elections for air and rail workers to be determined by the majority decision of those voting, as occurs in every other union representation and public election in the country.

Ohio Local 912 Honors Longtime Members

IAM Aircraft Engine Lodge 912 in Cincinnati, OH, held its annual Awards and Dinner Meeting last week, honoring 183 retired members who represented more than 5,000 years of combined service and solidarity.

Virginia Woodworkers Get International Support

Approximately 800 trade union delegates at the recently concluded Builders and Woodworkers International Congress in Lille, France, voted to accept an emergency resolution submitted by the Machinists union calling on furniture giant IKEA to honor the rights of workers at an IKEA subsidiary in Danville VA, seeking to join the IAM.

Give the Gift of a USA Membership

Whether you’re ready or not, the holidays arrive every year toward the end of big game season. And if you’re like many sportsmen, you'd rather sit in the woods until your fingers and face go numb than set foot in a shopping mall near Christmas.

Grand Lodge Sets Holiday Closing

IAM Headquarters will close for the holidays at the close of business Friday, December 18, and re-open Monday, January 4, 2010. Best wishes to all for a safe and joyous holiday season.

Jobs Fight at Pratt Gets National Attention

CBS Evening News this week featured the efforts by IAM and its members to preserve more than 1,000 jobs at a pair of Pratt & Whitney facilities in Connecticut which the aerospace company says are not profitable enough to remain open.

IAM Moves Closer to First Delta Election

On December 22, 2009, the National Mediation Board (NMB) granted the IAM’s request to declare that Delta and Northwest Airlines’ flight simulator technicians (Sim Techs) are operating as a single carrier.

Obama Signs COBRA Subsidy Extension

An extension of the 65 percent COBRA subsidy was signed into law by President Obama on December 19, 2009. This extension extends the eligibility window for the subsidy until February 28, 2010, and also increases the subsidy period for laid-off workers to 15 months of coverage, up from the current nine months.

CanJet Workers in Nova Scotia Join the Machinists

Dispatch workers at charter carrier CanJet Limited in Halifax, Nova Scotia, have joined the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.

Human Rights Seminar Rescheduled for April

The IAM Human Rights Seminar originally scheduled for February 28 - March 5, 2010, will now be held April 11-16, 2010, at the William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center in Hollywood, MD.

Herbert Delivers Needed Reality Check

New York Times columnist Bob Herbert has a well deserved reputation for cutting through the clutter and getting to the heart of an issue. In a column published this week, Herbert rejects the happy talk of recovery and vividly describes the ongoing impact of what he rightfully calls “The Great Recession.”

NMB Hearing Provides Compelling Testimony

More than thirty people spoke at the National Mediation Board’s public hearing this week on the board’s proposal to implement a fair representation election voting process for air and rail workers.

A Recipe for Real Recovery

According to a distinguished quartet of business and labor leaders, the U.S. financial system will remain vulnerable to crisis until a reasonable balance exists between the nation’s manufacturing and services sector, with at least 12 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) coming from manufacturing.

Connecticut Members Ratify New Contract at UTC Power

Machinist Local 1746 members at UTC Power in South Windsor, CT, overwhelmingly approved a new collective bargaining agreement covering wages, benefits and other working conditions for 150 hourly workers who manufacture fuel cells.

Fighting the Good Fight Since 1949

The old saying, “The more things change, the more they stay the same” is sure to come to mind upon reading this letter to all locals and districts from former IAM International President Al Hayes.

Charity Trap Shoot Raises $7,500 for United Way

Organized labor and the United Way in the greater St. Louis metropolitan area joined forces this year to raise more than $7,500 with the second annual Labor/United Way "Trap Shoot Kickoff.”

Enroll Now for 2010 Human Rights Seminar

The IAM Human Rights Seminar will be held February 28 - March 5, 2010 at the William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center in Hollywood, MD.