Labor issues you care about in streaming video.

IAM's Political Fight For Families
January 2, 2008 - Iowa is a Midwest make up of farm land, faith and close knit neighbors. At IAM Local 831 in Cedar Rapids family is number one.

A Christmas Story
December 19, 2007 - Police officers, firefighters, EMS workers and the like are the people you only call when you need them the most. But you need to know that these men and women give of themselves both on and off the job.

A Global Solution
December 19, 2007 - Capitol Hill set the stage for a momentous event recently. Two hundred union leaders from sixty three countries met to come up with ways to stop the worldwide attacks on trade unionists.

Iowa Rallies For Clinton
December 18, 2007 - On January 3, 2008, Iowa is going to make headlines as the first state in the nation to hold its presidential primary, the earliest date in history for a primary to be held.

Fingers Crossed At The PEB
December 13, 2007 - This is a story that's been going on for nearly a decade. For the past eight years, 10,000 Amtrak workers have been without a contract or a raise.

United Airlines Forgets Its Roots

December 11, 2007 - United Airlines has come up with a plan. It's going to pay its stockholders a special, one-time per share dividend to keep them coming back for more. But labor leaders wonder why United isn't worried about its employees coming back.

Behind the Candidates
November 27, 2007 - As the presidential election gets closer, you are going to see a lot more of the candidates. But sometimes it's the faces you don't see, like those of the candidate's economic advisors.

The Dogs Take Vegas
November 20, 2007 -More than sixty years ago a Machinist named Joseph Jones founded an organization called the Guide Dogs of America. Through his work he and countless others have given thousands of people the gift of sight.

U.S. Senators Hold Nominees Accountable
November 20, 2007 - The U.S. Senate's Labor Committee recently held a hearing on President Bush's nominees for two powerful positions at the Department Labor.

CAFTA Strikes El Salvador
November 9, 2007 - CAFTA was supposed to change the world. The promise was that this would increase the economies of many countries but workers from both sides of the continent agree, CAFTA didn't deliver.

Rally the Troops
November 9, 2007 - This Fall, the National Labor Relations Board has not been kind to workers in its decisions. The men and women of organized labor want the NLRB to know, they aren't going away quietly.

Hot Days Are Over!!!
November 5, 2007 - The IAM strike at the Kennedy Space Center is finally over! After nearly five months of walking the line, hundreds of Machinists are heading back to work.

Bridging the Gap: Part Two
November 2, 2007 - Last week we aird a story about the millions of Americans who work full time but because of low wages and no benefits, still can't make ends meet. This week, we bring you a story on ways organized labor can help close these income gaps.

2007 Automotive Conference: Thinking Outside the Box
October 30, 2007 - The last few decades have dramatically changed America's industrial landscape. The automotive field is no stranger to this new world. The challenge for the IAM is to harness this power by thinking outside of the box.

Bridging the Gap: Part One
October 26, 2007 - The middle class is caught in a trap. Although most work full time becasue of low wages and no benefits, millions of Americans still can't make ends meet.

NASA On Notice
October 19, 2007 - Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur of Ohio took the floor in the US House of Representatives this week in support of the IAM workers at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

Labor's Red Carpet
October 19, 2007 - For the past seven years, the DC Labor Film Fest has been celebrating workers around the world. Premiering at the American Fil Institute Theatre in Silver Spring, this event turns the Hollywood spotlight on what really matters.

Pushing State Politics
October 11, 2007 - The Northern Virginia CLC canvassed the community last weekend in support of Chap Peterson for State Senate.

A New World Order
October 5, 2007 - Globalization is something organized labor has been talking about for years. But nowadays, the issue seems to seep into conversations around the world, no matter your economic status and many are starting to notice its' dramatic effects.

Financing the Future
October 2, 2007 - House Majority Leader, Steny Hoyer, doesn't paint a promising picture of the country's long term fiscal growth if nothing changes.

A Call To Duty
September 28, 2007 - National Service or working for a non-profit organization may not be something you think of as a job option. But some people are starting to look at it as a key for developing future leaders.

Sharing Bankruptcy Backlash
September 27, 2007 - Unfortunately, most workers know the hardships of corporate bankruptcy. That's why Congress is trying to pass a new bankruptcy bill to protect the men and women who helped build the organization.

Uninsured America
September 26, 2007 - Families USA, a national non-profit voice for health care, just came out with startling statistics about uninsured Americans. According to their data, the health insurance issue in the U.S. is worse than it looks.

Fresh Faces on the Hill: Congresswoman Laura Richardson
September 21, 2007 - IAM member Laura Richardson is the newest additon to Capitol Hill, representing California's 37th District.

Something About A Harley
September 17, 2007 - Machinists never say no to the Guide Dogs and most members won't turn down a Harley ride either. For the IAM, Hogs and Dogs just works.

Protecting Programs That Work
September 14, 2007 - The Alliance for Retired Americans is a substantial voice for senior issues and one that may impact the next presidential race.

Congress's Machinist
September 11, 2007 - The IAM has always had some friends on Capitol Hill. But until now, they never had one of their own. On September 4th, Laura Richardson became the first Machinist in Congress.

IAM's Seal of Approval
September 10, 2007 - At the 2007 National Staff Conference held just weeks ago, the IAM endorsed two presidential candidates...Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Mike Huckabee.

Hot Days At NASA September 7, 2007 - Since June 14, 2007 nearly 500 members from IAM's Local Lodge 2061 have been on strike at the Kennedy Space Center. The place that once helped to launch a man on the moon, can't seem to put a fair contract on the table.

Conversations with the Candidates
Hear what the candidates have to say about jobs, globalization, healthcare and the other domestic issues that matter most to you.

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IAM Journal Addresses Critical Skills Shortage

The need to provide young workers with apprenticeship programs, technical and vocational education and affordable alternatives to a four-year college education is the focus of the latest issue of the IAM Journal, the award-winning publication of the Machinists Union.

While labor economists are predicting a shortage of 21 million skilled workers in the U.S. by 2020, many working families are still pursuing a traditional four-year college education for their kids. Despite the opportunities for good careers in the skilled trades, less than two percent of the half-trillion in annual education spending in the U.S. goes towards skills training and other viable alternatives to college.

The latest issue of the Journal also coincides with ‘America’s Edge: Our Skills, Our Kids’ an IAM issue campaign that aims to make skills training a key issue in the ongoing presidential election. IAM members can show their support for the next generation of workers by signing a virtual Blackboard on the America’s Edge website.

“In order to retain America’s Edge, there must be a comprehensive national effort to re-emphasize technical and vocational classes in America’s high schools, expand the availability of industrial-technology and information-technology courses in our community colleges and create high-tech institutes in each state that focus on 21st century manufacturing technologies and materials,” says International President Tom Buffenbarger. “We must demand no less from the next president and the next Congress.”

Also included in the Journal is a look at an historic organizing victory at Vought Aircraft in South Carolina, an interview with Congressman George Miller of California and a look ahead to the 40th anniversary of the tragic death of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

San Diego Ambulance Mechanics Ink First Agreement

American Medical Response (AMR) ambulances serviced by IAM members in San Diego, CA, helped transport over 55,000 patients in 2006.

Mechanics and Vehicle Service Technicians at American Medical Response (AMR) in San Diego, CA, successfully ratified a first agreement between the IAM and AMR just in time for the New Year. A familiar sight throughout San Diego, AMR’s vehicles were also deployed during recent Southern California wildfires and provided aid to Gulf Coast residents during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005.

The three-year contract caps off 14 months of intensive bargaining and provides annual wage hikes of 3.5 percent, 3.5 percent and 4 percent, in addition to a signing bonus that ranges from $200 to $1200. Additional terms include a formal grievance and arbitration process, safety-shoe reimbursements, eight paid holidays, health, dental and vision coverage and seniority provisions.

“These new members – mechanics, technicians and service coordinators – perform an integral function in the maintenance of AMR’s ambulances in San Diego,” said Western Territory GVP Lee Pearson. “They deserve nothing less than reasonable compensation and a fair set of work rules. District 725 Business Representative Virginia Cobb and Negotiating Committee member Baltasar Molinar did an outstanding job laying the groundwork for our members with this first contract.”

Sign up Now for Basic Web Class

If you want to attend the Communications Department’s Basic Web Development Class being held April 6-11, 2008 at the IAM William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center, you’ll need to register no later than January 25. The course is designed for IAM lodges just beginning their websites. To find out more about the class and to print out the Registration Form, click here.

As time is late, completed Registration Forms should be faxed to the Communications Department at 301-967-4586. Should you have any questions, please contact Donna Georgallas at dgeorgallas@iamaw.org, or at 301-967-4520.

Elaine Kennedy Named IAM Sister of the Month

Elaine Kennedy has been an IAM member for more than two decades. For the past eight years, she has served Lodge 389 in San Diego, CA, as the local’s Secretary-Treasurer and previously served as President, Vice President and Trustee.

Employed as a Precision Inspector at Solar Turbine in San Diego, CA, Kennedy says she’s always been a civil rights activist, and therefore naturally drawn to the basic principles and goals of the labor movement.
To ensure she could do the best job possible as a union leader, Kennedy took advantage of every educational opportunity she could find. To those in similar situations, Kennedy advises, “Don’t give up. Be persistent. Find a good and trusted mentor.”

Kennedy is a member of many labor constituency groups and represents the IAM as an alternate delegate on the CLUW National Executive Board. She is also active in a local community redevelopment project that aims to improve living conditions and employment opportunities.

District 15 Secures Recognition in Four Locations

Brooklyn, NY-based District 15 recently won voluntary recognition for new IAM members at four locations in two states. Drivers for New England Motor Freight at terminals located in Chicago, IL, Cleveland, OH and Cincinnati, OH, joined the IAM after a majority of employees signed authorization cards.

“By networking throughout the system and at other terminals where we already represent drivers, we were successful at these three new locations,” said District 15 Organizing Director Vinny Addeo. “Thanks to Assistant DBR Mike Walsh for his support and efforts to bring these new members to District 15.”

Also, Truck King International in Ronkonkoma, NY, gave District 15 voluntary recognition after opening a new location there. The IAM represents the mechanics at three other Truck King terminals.

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2006 IAM Newsletter & Website Contest Awards
Newsletter Award entries are judged on Layout & Design, Best Feature and General Excellence. Local lodges and Districts are judged separately.

The goal of the USA is to create an outdoor hunting and fishing club exclusively for union members and their families. TRCP Launches Union Sportsmen’s Alliance

IAM members can now purchase union gear online at the IAM Store.

IAM Journal
Fall 2007

Choices!Americans can choose to register to vote or not, select a political party or remain independent; follow the campaigns closely or tune in later; switch off the debates or debate with friends over the merits of various candidates; and, finally, choose to cast a ballot or stay home.

The 2008 Convention website is online. The site features updates, travel tips, convention news reports, info for the media, and official convention gear. Check it out.

IAM Member Benefits mean money-saving discounts for IAM members and their families.

Your union source for Sharp® and Océ® copiers, high-speed duplicating and archiving equipment, fax machines and Hasler® postage equipment, along with over 35,000 items you can order online.

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Enter member ID PS16626766 when ordering online or call 1-877-289-9437. When ordering, you must reference code: PS16626766 to receive your union discount.

See who works for you, how the IAM is structured, and what services the IAM offers.
Go to: IAM2007

Read the International Metalworkers' Federation magazine 'Metal World'

FlatRateTech is an organization “created for and by Ford and Lincoln Mercury service technicians solely to speak as one loud voice rather than 50,000 smaller voices.” according to their website The fast-growing site offers forums for Ford customers, technicians and dealers to exchange information.

IAM
Executive Council

Tom Buffenbarger
International President

Warren L. Mart
Secretary-Treasurer

Lee Pearson
GVP Western Territory

Dave Ritchie
GVP Canada

Robert Roach,Jr.
GVP Transportation

Lynn Tucker
GVP Eastern Territory

Robert Martinez
GVP Southern Territory

Richard Michalski
GVP Headquarters

Philip J. Gruber
GVP Midwest Territory