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 and NASSCO Open Negotiations in San Diego

IAM District 947 Negotiating Committee (left and left to right: Roberto Becerra, Nick Ferioli, Joe Zimolzak, Richard Sanchez, Scott Gilding, Gilbert Huffman, Robert Martinez and, not pictured, Steve Cooper) sits across bargaining table from NASSCO Reps. (right to left: Tom Fawcett, Ted Scott, Anna Cooper, Don Dame) for the opening round of negotiations.

District 947 in Long Beach, CA and General Dynamics NASSCO opened bargaining on January 8 for a new contract that will cover both machinists and newly-organized electricians. The serious and productive tone of negotiations showed that both sides were ready to get the process underway. Determined to strengthen contract language and improve working conditions, the IAM Negotiating Committee is focused on issues such as union representation, overtime and improved grievance handling.

“I have every confidence that this committee can get the job done for our members at NASSCO,” said District 947 President and Directing Business Representative Richard Sanchez. “We've got regular meetings scheduled and hope to have a good offer to present to our members by April or sooner. I would encourage our members to keep in touch with their Shop Stewards and Committee members, as well as the District office, during these negotiations.”

IAM members at NASSCO, the only major ship construction yard on the West Coast, specialize in building auxiliary and support ships for the U.S. Navy and oil tankers and dry-cargo carriers for commercial markets. General Dynamics acquired NASSCO (formerly National Steel and Shipbuilding Company) ten years ago. The IAM also represents workers at the two other General Dynamic shipyards; Electric Boat Co., in Groton, CT and Bath Iron Works in Bath, ME.

GVP Philip J. Gruber Joins Picket at Valley Ford

Midwest territory GVP Phil Gruber recently joined striking members of Local 777 working for Valley Ford in Hazelwood, MO, protesting Valley Ford’s request for outrageous concessions from the 18 technicians, service writers and bodymen at the dealership.

The strike began on November 1, 2007 when Valley Ford said they wanted to gut paychecks, implement a two-tiered wage scale, replace the current pension plan with a no value 401(k) plan, eliminate the employees' family health plan, employee portions for insurance would go as high as $540 per month and other ridiculous takeaways.

Jerry Vaughn, who has worked 40 years at Valley Ford, was told by management to pack up his tools and clear everything out. There would be no more contract negotiations with the union.

IAM District 9 Assistant Directing Business Representative Tony Rippeto praised the members saying, "We are extremely proud of our members for standing up for themselves and all the other technicians in the St. Louis metro area. The fight continues with the support of hundreds of union members from all over St. Louis who have been picketing and holding rallies in order to help our members.”

Machinists ‘America’s Edge’ Campaign Grows

Support is growing for the IAM’s ‘America ’s Edge: Our Skills, Our Kids’ campaign to draw public attention to skills training, apprenticeship programs and greater funding for technical and vocational education. The Machinists campaign kicked off with a pair of TV ads in key states, membership mailings and a feature article in the IAM Journal.

IAM members can show their support by adding their names to the Blackboard on the America’s Edge website. There is also a special section on the America’s Edge website where members can post video clips of themselves and their coworkers on the job. To sign the Blackboard and to learn more about posting your own video on the America’s Edge website, go to www.americasedge.tv.

District 751 and SPEEA Speak Out for Boeing Tanker

IAM District 751 President and Directing Business Representative Tom Wroblewski and Cynthia Cole, president of Local 2001 of the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA)/International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers (IFPTE), wrote a joint letter to The Seattle Times to call attention to the tremendous stakes involved in the Air Force’s decision on who will build the replacement for its aging fleet of KC-135 aerial refueling tankers. The Air Force will soon choose either Boeing’s KC-767 Advanced Tanker or the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company’s (EADS) Airbus A-330.

Choosing the American version could support more than 44,000 jobs with 300 contractors in forty states. “First and foremost, it just makes sense for the U.S. Air Force to use an American plane,” stresses Wroblewski and Cole. “The idea of outsourcing a $40 billion U.S. military aircraft program to the [EADS]… makes neither national-security nor economic sense. Why hand over some of our most valuable technology to Europe when we should be protecting it and our industrial base here at home?”

And who better to speak on the value of experience than the folks who’ve been designing and building tankers for years; namely IAM and SPEEA members? “Generations of Boeing engineers, technicians and machinists have worked on military programs,” continues Wroblewski and Cole. “That's in stark contrast to Airbus, which has never built or flown a tanker.”

If the Air Force chooses the Boeing KC-767, an estimated 9,000 jobs will be created in the Washington state alone. To read the full letter, click here.

Bush Threatens to Veto Mine Safety Bill

The House yesterday passed legislation strengthening the nation’s mine safety and health laws, providing comprehensive jobsite protections for miners. The S-MINER Act builds on the 2006 Miner Act and would help prevent disasters, improve emergency response in the event that a disaster does occur and reduce long term health risks facing miners.

Despite receiving strong support from families of coal miners killed on the job, health experts and labor leaders, the Bush administration is threatening to veto the bill.

“It is critical that Congress take this action, because one thing is clear: We cannot leave mine safety and health to the Bush administration,” said U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee. “We owe it to the loved ones of miners who died on the job to pass these protections today.”

The fatality rate for miners is more than seven times higher than the average for all private industries. Sixty-four miners died on the job in the U.S in 2007, according to the Mine Safety and Health Administration. Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) has introduced similar legislation in the Senate.

Jan 18 Deadline Intermediate Web Class Enrollment

The enrollment deadline for the Communications Department's Intermediate Web Class is January 18. This course, designed for IAM lodges currently operating websites and whose web stewards have attended Basic Web Design (not in the same year) will be held March 16-21, 2008 at the William Winpisinger Education and Technology Center.

Click here to download the official calls outlining class requirements and application forms. Completed Registration Forms should be faxed to the Communications Department at 301-967-4586.

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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
Winter 2008

Skills Pat Malonie examines parts before they are put on Boeing aircraft. Any primary processing defects, problems
with the metal or even the
smallest crack, Maloney is the one who needs to catch it.

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