Labor issues you care about in streaming video.

Americans Want Bush to Follow Lead of Democrats
February 5, 2007 - A majority of Americans are fed up with President Bush’s job performance and believe the country should head in the direction congressional Democrats want to take it.

Fresh Faces on the Hill February 5, 2007 - The elections in November brought many new faces to Capitol Hill.

Senate H.E.L.P. Committee January 22, 2007 - The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee held a hearing this week to talk about soulutions for working class Americans who are having trouble making ends meet.

Changing The Future January 22, 2007 - The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. It's a saying that's at least 100-years old and according to the Economic Policy Institute, one that still holds true today.

Will Your Vote Count? January 22, 2007 - In addition to changing the look of Congress, Election Day 2006 did something more. It brought to the forefront a variety of voting problems experienced across the country.

Senator Kennedy On Iraq And Healthcare
January 17, 2006 - In a speech meant to focus onn America's health care crisis, Senator Ted Kennedy instead took the time to criticize President Bush's plan to surge troop levels in Iraq by 20,000.

America’s Most Wealthy Bask in Bush Tax Cuts
January 11, 2007 - Reaffirming what middle class families know all too well – the Bush tax cuts primarily benefit America’s wealthiest families.

New Speaker Of The House, Nancy Pelosi
January 10, 2007 - In the first full week of the 110th Congress, House Speaker Nanacy Pelosi has taken her place as the unquestioned leader of the 435-member body. But the IAM was one of the few unions to recognize her potential long ago.

Surviving On Mimimum Wage
January 3, 2006 - As you stroll down city sidewalks, you're bound to see poverty, pain, strife and struggle.

Mayor Ray Nagin Talks About Rebuilding New Orleans January 3, 2007 - New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin discusses the obstacles facing the city since the devistation of Hurricane Katrina.

The Employee Free Choice Act
December 19, 2006 - The Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) is a piece of legislation for the middle class that limits an employer's ability to prevent workers from forming unions. If passed it could ultimately improve the lives of working men and women across the nation.

Middle Class Squeeze
December 19, 2006 - Median household incomes for families headed by non-retirement age, or working age folks incomes are down about 5.4% which translates into about $3000.

Bush Administration Signs Another Faulty Trade Deal
December 11, 2006 - Despite calls from the incoming Democratic Congressional leadership to strengthen labor protections in current and future trade agreements – the Bush administration has signed the U.S. – Columbia Free Trade Agreement - without including adequate worker protections.

Machinists Take Back Ohio December 7, 2006 - Machinists canvassed all 88 counties in Ohio, educating union members about the candidates who care about American Workers.

Video: Working Families Expect Results from Governor Elects
November 20, 2006 - Thanks to a critical push by working families – Democrats picked up six governor seats across the country last week.

Video: Voters Offer a Clear Mandate for Minimum Wage Increase
November 20, 2006 - Voters in six states voted overwhelmingly to increase the minimum wage last week – a clear sign that Americans are ready for Congress to finally raise the federal minimum wage.

Video: 2007 Day of Action
From air and rail to auto and trucking, transportation is essential to our lives. But the industry has fallen on tough times over the last few years, leaving its workers unsure about the future.

To view these videos you will need to download the free Windows Media Player 9

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Negotiations to Resume with Harley-Davidson

Round the Clock Solidarity: Members of IAM Local 175 rotate picket duty at the barricaded entrances to the Harley-Davidson facility in York, PA.

IAM officials from Local 175 and District 98 will meet with Harley-Davidson representatives on Feb.14 in York, PA, in a bid to resolve the two-week old contract dispute at the company’s largest U.S. facility. More than 2,700 IAM members have been locked out since the company barricaded entrances to the facility shortly before the current contract expired at 12:01 on Feb. 2, 2007.

Earlier this week, Harley announced it will lay off more than 400 employees in Wisconsin in addition to cutting off health benefits for locked out workers in York, PA.

House Lawmakers Introduce Employee Free Choice Act

House Democrats introduced the Employee Free Choice Act (H.R. 800) last week, making good on their pledge to introduce legislation aimed at improving the lives of working families.

Just two days after House lawmakers introduced the Employee Free Choice Act, (EFCA) the House Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions held a hearing examining the legislation. The hearing focused on the benefits of the EFCA, which would enable workers to bargain for better wages, benefits and working conditions by restoring their rights to form unions.

Under current law, even if a majority of workers asks for union representation, the company can still seek a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) secret ballot election and use the delay to fire, threaten and coerce employees in efforts to keep their workers unorganized.

The EFCA would establish stronger penalties for violation of employee rights when workers seek to form a union and during first-contract negotiations, provide mediation and arbitration for first-contract disputes and allow employees to form unions by signing cards authorizing union representation.

“Coercive employers determined to obstruct any effort to allow workers to organize have eroded the basic underpinnings of middle class life: decent wages and benefits,” said the committee’s chairman, Rep. Robert Andrews (D-NJ).

Legislation Gives Oregon Log Truckers Bargaining Rights

Log truckers in the Northwest are on the road to winning collective bargaining rights with legislation introduced this week in Oregon.

The IAM is supporting a bill (HB 2497) in the Oregon State Legislature to give log truck drivers the right to bargain collectively with the state’s largest forest land owners for wages, benefits and safety standards.

“This bill will give log truck drivers the same rights that millions of workers have had for years,” said Rod Kelty, Director of the IAM Woodworkers Department. “These huge logging corporations are padding their bottom line at the expense of hard working drivers and their families. These workers deserve a level playing field.”

Most of the major timber corporations in the Northwest are contracting out log harvesting and hauling services solely to avoid providing health insurance, social security payments, and minimum wages for former employees.

The IAM helped craft the legislation to establish a process for drivers to petition the state for a wage determination when hauling for the state’s largest forest landowners. In addition, log truckers can coordinate their activities and negotiate in a concerted and effective fashion.

“Many drivers today don’t have health insurance, they don’t have pensions and many are driving more hours than the law allows simply trying to make ends meet,” said District 1 Directing Business Representative Chuck Macrae. “These drivers deserve the right to have a voice in their hours, wages and working conditions. They should have a right to join a union and HB 2497 can help give them those rights.”

Click here to send a letter to Oregon lawmakers urging them to support HB 2497.

Trade Deficit under Bush Hits $3.37 Trillion

Spurred by increased deficits with China and a shrinking manufacturing sector, the U.S. trade deficit hit a record $763.59 billion last year. The overall trade deficit for 2006 was up 6.54 percent from last year’s total of $716.73 billion and pushes the cumulative deficit under the Bush administration to $3.37 trillion.

Thanks to the Bush administration’s failure to take measures to halt China’s unfair trade practices, the goods deficit with China jumped 15.38 percent to a record $232.55 billion last year.

The manufacturing trade deficit also increased another 4.66 percent last year, from $601.98 billion to $630.07 billion. As a result, employment in the manufacturing sector continues to struggle. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows manufacturing employment declined by 16,000 in January and by 110,000 over the last 12 months.

News of the worsening trade deficit comes as President Bush presses Congress to renew his Fast Track Trade Authority, which Democrats have said they will not approve unless existing and future trade agreements include more labor and environmental protections. Fast Track authority gives Bush more leverage in pushing his trade agenda that has failed working families.

Last Call to Enroll for Basic Newsletter Course

The application deadline for the 2007 Basic Newsletter Development course at the William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center in Placid Harbor, MD is Friday, February 23. The course will be held from April 29 through May 4, 2007 and is the only Basic Newsletter course for 2007. Local or district lodges who want to start a newsletter or train editors for existing newsletters are encouraged to apply. The course covers writing and editing, effective layout and design techniques and desktop publishing.

Click here for the course description and to download the official call and course application. For more information, call the Communications Dept. at 301-967-4520.

Past iMail | Your Email |www.goiam.org | Print Version

Machinists News Network @ YouTube

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. Members can buy a variety of IAM related products such as t-shirts, jackets, jewelry and caps — all emblazoned with the IAM logo.

IAM Journal
Fall 2006

Gridlock in Washington, D.C. makes state capitols the place for innovative action working families care most about.

Get Ready for the Day of Action.
The Transportation Department is preparing for a major March and Rally on May 17, 2007, in Washington, DC. Thousands of working men and women from every state of the Union will join us on that day to say “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!”
For more information, visit 17may07.org

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.

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

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