July 26, 2006
Western Territory Gets Four Organizing Wins!
General Vice President Lee Pearson is excited to announce that the hard work of the organizers in the Western Territory is paying off. “Four separate wins, over the span of two days, have us feeling very good about the hard work that we have been putting into organizing in this territory. Organizing is difficult, but American workers are hurting and we offer them relief from what is ailing them. Our Territory Organizing Leader, Steve Cooper, is doing an outstanding job in leading our efforts here and the results are showing it”. These four campaigns bring 458 new sisters and brothers into our family (keep reading – it could be up to 558), and the Western Territory organizing efforts are in full swing on several campaigns that will bring many more to join these new ones. Congratulations to all who worked so hard to bring relief to families all across North America.
Grand Lodge Representative Joel Ochoa spearheaded an organizing drive that has landed 409 new workers into IAM District 947 in Long Beach, CA. The workers are city employees, employed in professional occupations varying from Librarians and Analysts to Doctors and Nurses. The Unit is one of five that the IAM represents in the city, but it did not have a union security, or “Agency Shop” provision; as such, the IAM only had 120 of the 529 workers as members. The Agency Shop campaign highlighted the strength they would have if everyone became part of the solution, and the vote was in favor of Agency Shop by a nearly two-to-one margin!
DL 947 Business Representatives Janet Wright, Gloria Carter and ADBR Linda Amparan were instrumental in the success of this campaign, working for nearly a year to educate the workers until they were ready to vote YES. Neighboring Districts also lent a hand, organizer Mike Bellestri from DL 725, and Al Lopez, organizer from DL 190 worked on the campaign, calling the homes of the workers and making site visits. GVP Pearson assigned GLR Steve Cooper (Territory Organizing Leader), GLR Jose Rodriguez, GLR Ray Rivera, GLR Don Whitaker and Communications Representative Kevin Cummings to help with the campaign.
Brother Ochoa said, “This is a great victory, but it was only possible because of the hard work of a lot of people. We had a wonderful inside committee – some from the professional unit, and some from other units of city employees, who worked tirelessly. I’m very proud to have been able to work with them, and help bring about this win.”
Thirty-five flight simulator technicians, working for Lockheed Martin at Kirtland Air Force Base, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, voted overwhelmingly to join the IAM. GLR Rod Weigand, and Local 794 Directing Business Representative Ernest “Red” Dow, would like to thank their in-plant committee for their hard work that led to the 29-4 win. The flight simulation technicians had attempted to organize three years ago, but decided to accept company promises to improve instead. This time, the workers were determined to get the promises in writing.
GVP Pearson said, “These workers have given Lockheed Martin every chance to exhibit respect for them, and felt that the IAM was the best way to protect themselves. We are pleased to welcome them into our family. Congratulations to Rod and all of those who worked so make this win a reality”.
District 725 Organizing Director Brian Miller won an election to represent flight technicians at DynCorp International, MCAS Miramar in San Diego, CA. The 4 techs are part of a much larger group of DynCorp technicians that the Machinists have been successfully organizing across the country over the last several months.
GLR Mike Wardle recently won an organizing campaign for 219 workers at Bechtel Bettis in Idaho, now he is at it again. He has gotten a card-check agreement with the company for two additional classifications that will join the original 219 workers. The new classifications include ten workers, and seven have already signed the cards. Brother Wardle is currently negotiating the first contract for these new sisters and brothers, and the new members will be covered under the agreement when it is ratified. In addition, the company notified Brother Wardle that they have received approval to bring an additional 100 employees onto the DoE facility, and they will also join the group he organized earlier. Great work Mike.
