Tuesday, February 20 , 2007

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Labor issues you care about in streaming video
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Chi-Town Tear Down Pit Crew Competition 2007 February 16, 2007 - The command “Begin your teardown now….” marked the start of the annual Chi-Town Tear Down Pit Crew Competition.


Cold Day At Harley February 16, 2007 - At one minute after midnight on February 2nd, nearly 2,700 workers began picketing at the Harley-Davidson plant in York, Pennsylvania.


To Merge Or Not To Merge?
February 16, 2007 - US Airways planned hostile takeover of Delta Airlines is off the table. General Vice President Robert Roach, Jr, testifed at the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing.

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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Harley Workers in PA to Vote on Accord

Nearly 3,000 IAM members of Local 175 in York, PA, will get to vote Feb. 22 on a tentative agreement reached last week after two days of face-to-face meetings with Harley-Davidson representatives. If approved by the members, the accord would end the high profile 3-week dispute over health care, pensions and new hire rates. Full details of the tentative agreement will be provided to members at an informational meeting prior to the vote. Results will be posted on the Local 175 website.

 

‘Hire a Hero’ Aims to Link Vets with Aviation Jobs


IP Tom Buffenbarger speaks at the joint labor and aerospace industry unveiling of the Hire a Hero program in Wichita, KS.


Military veterans and the aerospace industry in Kansas could be dual beneficiaries of a unique program that seeks to match highly-skilled, highly-disciplined former soldiers with good paying jobs in that state’s rapidly expanding aircraft building industry.

In an historic meeting of labor and business leaders, IP Tom Buffenbarger joined with Spirit AeroSystems CEO Jeff Turner, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, Ret. Maj. Gen. Matthew Caulfield and leaders of the state’s largest aerospace firms to unveil the Hire a Hero program in Wichita, KS, home to Spirit, Boeing, Raytheon, Cessna and Bombardier Aircraft.

“We believe the program we are launching today is truly the answer to the growing shortage of skilled workers in high tech manufacturing and aerospace jobs,” said Buffenbarger, who noted the presence of more than 3,000 aviation-related companies in Kansas and the expected surge in hiring over the next decade. More than 40 percent of the aerospace work force in Wichita alone is set to retire within the next four years.

The Hire a Hero program would evaluate and certify the skills returning soldiers acquired during military service and then steer them to aerospace-related jobs that frequently go unfilled for lack of qualified candidates. According to Spirit AeroSystems CEO Jeff Turner, Wichita aircraft firms will need to fill between 5,000 to 6,000 new jobs this year alone.

Kansas Gov. Sebelius signed a proclamation of support for the Hire a Hero program and pledged to immediately begin promoting the program in Wichita.

 

IAM Backs Stronger FMLA Protections

In a strongly worded letter to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), the IAM voiced support for the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and declared its opposition to any attempt to weaken the landmark legislation.

“The IAM strongly opposes changes that would curtail existing rights under the FMLA, and we support regulations that will ensure workers can take full advantage of their FMLA protections,” said IP Tom Buffenbarger in a letter to Richard M. Brennan, the Senior Regulatory Officer of the Wage and Hour Division of the DOL. The AFL-CIO also submitted remarks in support of the FMLA.

“The FMLA has been largely successful at helping IAM-represented employees take care of their family’s and their own health while at the same time ensuring they can remain productive employees,” said Buffenbarger, who also expressed concerns over convoluted rules and complicated paperwork that prevents workers from getting the lawful leave they are entitled to.

“The Department of Labor should require employers to take steps to provide workers with adequate information regarding their rights and responsibilities under the FMLA,” said Buffenbarger. “Particularly, employees should be expressly notified of their right to take intermittent leave.”

In addition to traditional leave, current FMLA regulations allow for intermittent leave, which ensures that employees can take a few hours or a few days to attend to their own serious medical condition or that of a family member.

The FMLA allows employees to balance their work and family life by taking unpaid leave for medical reasons, for the birth or adoption of a child or the care of a child, spouse or parent who has a serious health condition.

 

Watch Wrench Wizards Compete for Top Honors

The command “Begin your teardown… now!” marked the start of the 2007 Chi-Town Tear Down Pit Crew Competition, where teams of Chicago-area high school and college students raced the clock and each other to disassemble and reassemble a modern automobile engine.

The competition, now in its 7th year, began when Local 701 BR Tom Gregg had an idea for a program to give young students an opportunity to better understand what it takes to be a skilled and successful auto mechanic. Watch Chi-Town Tear Down Pit Crew Competition 2007.

 

Budget Ploy Threatens NASA Workers

A parliamentary budget maneuver by last year’s GOP-controlled Congress is threatening federal workers, including critical NASA employees in Florida and Texas. After last year’s election gave control of 110th Congress to the Democrats, the Republican-controlled 109th Congress failed to pass a budget for 2007. In the last days of the 109th Congress, GOP leaders passed a continuing resolution that funds the federal government at 2006 budget levels and left passing a new budget up to the 110th Congress.

The GOP’s continuing resolution, however, leaves workers in federally funded programs, including highly skilled workers at Kennedy Space Center in Florida and the Houston Space Center in Texas, in danger of layoffs because 2006 budget levels do not provide adequate funding.

The IAM is pressing the newly-elected Congress to pass a budget for 2008 that properly funds jobs directly impacted by the federal budget. “Now that we have strong allies in Congress, we must let them know that promoting U.S. jobs and retaining critical skills in the federal workforce is a top priority,” said IP Tom Buffenbarger.

“The IAM is at the forefront of the fight for U.S. jobs,” said Southern Territory GVP Bob Martinez. “For example, District Lodge 166 Directing Business Representative John Walker currently serves a member of the Board of Directors at Space Florida, appointed by the Governor of Florida, to obtain and keep high-tech jobs in Florida.”

Click here to tell your Congressperson and Senators to pass a budget that protects American workers and NASA jobs in Texas and Florida.



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Announcing the IAM Photo Contest

The IAM is repeating its members-only photography contest again this year and you are encouraged to enter. You can download a complete contest entry form by clicking here.




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
Spring 2007


FOCUS America’s union members do not need to be told what to do. They do what they believe is right, and let the chips fall where they may.


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.


Union Plus
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