September 22, 2005- In the wake of Hurricane Katrina's devastation, many IAM members are dedicating their time and skills to relief efforts. Nearly 4,500 IAM/NFFE-represented employees from the Forest Service Council are providing management and support services in the battered Gulf Coast area.
IAM members are getting supplies into the disaster area, providing security for New Orleans and surrounding areas, managing evacuee centers, providing transportation services, conducting rescue and body recovery efforts and much more.
Meanwhile, the storm that struck on August 29 continues to generate remarkable stories. When Alfred Johnson, an IAM driver for Auto Truck Transport, was forced to evacuate his New Orleans home and then separated from his son and daughter, IAM members pitched in to help reunite the displaced family.
While Johnson made his way to a shelter in Atlanta, GA, his daughter was transported to a Raleigh, NC shelter after being plucked by helicopter from a New Orleans rooftop. When news of the family's plight reached Local 641 President Phil Calloway and Vice President Steve Campbell, they quickly volunteered to drive Johnson's daughter from Raleigh to Atlanta. With a donated van from their employer, Rolo Shuttle, father and daughter were reunited.
The generosity of IAM members did not end there. Grand Lodge Representative Paul Morris later accompanied Johnson to the monthly meeting of Local 709 in Marietta, GA, where IAM members made a generous donation to the family.
