Thursday, April 19, 2007

Labor issues you care about in streaming video.

American Manufacturing: Flourishing or Floundering
April 17, 2007 - Many analysts point to manufacturing as a cornerstone of the American middle class. 

Oldest U.S. Manufacturer Threatened By China Trade
April 10, 2007 - More than 200 years ago the legendary Paul Revere created what is now the oldest manufacturing company in the United States, Revere Copper.

Space: The Next Generation April 5, 2007 - The last generation only knows space travel by the shuttle.  That's going to change in 2010 when the shuttle fleet is retired and replaced with a new program.

Families On Shaky Ground
APRIL 5, 2006 - According to the folks at the Center for American Progress, the economy has been great for those at the top but stagnant for those in the middle or lower income classes.

Safety In The Skies April 4, 2007 - Safety in the skies is everyone's issue, especially after 9-11.  Robert Roach Jr. testified on Capitol Hill about what more needs to be done.

Fresh Faces on the Hill: Congressman Keith Ellison
March 26, 2007 - Congressman Keith Ellison of Minnesota’s 5^th District has had a lot of firsts.  He’s the first muslim ever elected to Congress.  And the first African American elected to the House from Minnesota. 

China's Taste for Trash
March 20, 2007 - According to recent statistics, in 2006 the U.S. exported nearly 60 billion dollars of goods and services to China. But what were those products?  It may surprise you to know that a good portion of it was garbage.

American Workers Want a Union Contract
March 16, 2007 - As the battle over the Employee Free Choice Act heats up – a new report from the Economic Policy Institute shows workers want to join a union NOW, more than any time in the recent past.

Latest Job Numbers Don't Bode Well for Working Families
March 15, 2007 - Employers added only 97,000 jobs last month – marking the slowest month of job growth in two years.

Korea's Turn Now?
March 14, 2007 - For hundreds of years america has been trading.  And most agree that’s a good thing.  But how to do it in today’s global world, without hurting america or its workers, is the next big question to answer.

What Happened to Good Trade?
March 14, 2007 - For decades, Congressman Sandy Levin has been part of a lot of trade issues on the hill.  He’s seen what’s worked and what hasn’t.  And in a global world that’s constantly changing, he knows our future depends on what we do now.

EFCA Takes the House
March 9, 2007 - The Employee Free Choice Act has passed the house.  That’s good news for the labor movement.  And even better news for the men and women who want to organize.

HIV Epidemic
March 8, 2007 - HIV/AIDS infection rate is increasing in minority communities, especially in areas of poverty. In the video a man with HIV, chronicles his struggle with the virus and AIDS advocates call for more community awareness.

Fast Track to Nowhere
March 8, 2007 - Is trade important you?  It should be.  In the past, bad trade policies only hurt blue collar laborers by sending jobs overseas.

Media Library

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United in Sorrow and Grief

The heartbreaking sound of gunfire this week at Virginia Tech echoed closer to home when it was learned that an IAM member’s stepson was among the 32 students and teachers killed in the nation’s worst school shooting ever.

Ryan Clark, 22, a fourth-year Biology, English and Psychology major and stepson of IAM member Mae Clark, was the second student to be slain on April 16 when he came to the aide of fellow student Emily Hilscher. Mae Clark is a member of IAM Local 641 in Cleveland, NC, and employed at Auto Truck Transport in Mt. Holly, NC.

Among his talents and passions, Ryan “Stack” Clark played baritone in Virginia Tech’s marching band and worked summers as music director at a camp for physically and mentally disabled adults and children. “He was just one of the greatest people you could possibly know,” said friend Gregory Walton in the Detroit Free Press.

Police have identified a senior at Virginia Tech, Cho Seung Hui, as the gunman who moved from building to building, methodically executing students and teachers despite heroic efforts to stop him. One professor, Liviu Librescu, 76, a holocaust survivor, died trying to block a door while students escaped by jumping from windows.

“It is difficult to fully express the sadness and sorrow we feel for the victims and their families,” said IP Tom Buffenbarger. “On behalf of our officers, staff and members, I want to extend our deepest sympathies to the families, friends, colleagues and classmates of those who perished at Virginia Tech.”

Help Our Federal Members - Tell Congress to Repeal NSPS

In 2004, Congress granted former Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s Department of Defense (DoD) authority to establish a new human resources system and to modify certain labor relations provisions for federal employees under what is known as the National Security Personnel System (NSPS). Rumsfeld, however, misused that authority.

Contrary to what Congress intended, NSPS strips federal employees of their right to collectively bargain, eliminates any semblance of a fair appeals process, and shifts workers to a pay system that is entirely subjective.

Enough is enough! NSPS was so bad a federal judge ruled key parts of it illegal. Now Congress must finish the job: repeal NSPS and restore fairness and dignity to the federal workforce. It’s time that Congress stop NSPS and repeal the former Secretary’s ill-conceived reforms, which take much-needed resources away from our men and women in uniform as they defend our country.

Click here to tell your Congressperson to repeal NSPS. Click here for a background on NSPS.

Aviation HS and Rail Seminar at WWW Center

Nearly two dozen students from New York’s prestigious Aviation High School (AHS) braved gale force winds and record rainfall to travel to the William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center for the Transportation Department’s annual 3-day program about the realities of working in the air transportation industry.

The popular program, now in its 5th year and open only to AHS students with high grade point averages, examines career opportunities and discusses challenges facing employees in the dynamic and fast changing air transport arena.

Also at the WWW Center were Local Chairpersons from IAM and IAM-TCU rail locals for a week-long seminar to review organizing strategies, grievance handling and legislative issues unique to members working under the Railway Labor Act.

Strong Support for Union Proposals at UTC Meeting

The IAM turned out in force at the annual United Technologies Corp. (UTC) shareholder meeting in New York City to back a union-sponsored shareholder proposal seeking an advisory vote by shareholders on senior executive compensation practices.

UTC President and CEO David George is among the world’s most lavishly compensated chief executives, pocketing $27.1 million in compensation in 2006 alone. Additionally, during 2006, George exercised stock options that were awarded in previous years with a value of $28.3 million.

Among the union members and representatives stocking the annual shareholder meeting were nearly two dozen members from District 26 and Local 743 in Windsor, CT. Also attending for District 26 was LL1746A president Wayne McCarthy.

The resolution, which garnered support from a remarkable 38 percent of the shareholders casting ballots, was designed to allow shareholders a voice through an advisory vote on matters of executive compensation and pay practices. Investors in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Australia, and the Netherlands already have the right to vote each year on executive pay reports. Shareholders holding stock in U.S.-based companies have filed more than 60 so-called “say on pay” resolutions this season that seek an annual advisory vote on the compensation received by senior executives.

IAM Pro-Street Bike Rolls into Thunder Beach

The IAM custom Pro-Street bike will be rolling into the Thunder Beach Spring Motorcycle Rally to be held May 3-6, 2007 in Panama City Beach, Florida. The bike was built through the efforts of the IAM, Celebrity Build TV and Guide Dogs of America (GDA) as a fundraiser for GDA. The unique bike is now on a nationwide tour to give the public an opportunity to see the spectacular bike in person.

If you plan to be one of the estimated 65,000 attending the Thunder Beach Rally, the bike will be on display at the GDA booth at the Spinnaker Beach Club, 8795 Thomas Drive, Panama City Beach. Stop by to check out this IAM-made bike and lend a hand to the folks manning the booth. Contact GDA rep Grace Cohan at 818-822-9274 or Steve Cohen at 818-822-6573 to volunteer.

This one-of-a-kind motorcycle will be raffled off at GDA’s annual banquet on November 17, 2007 (winner need not be present). Go to http://iamawbikebuild.com for more information on the bike and to see how it was built.

All proceeds from this fundraising effort will go directly to Guide Dogs of America for their mission to provide professionally-trained guide dogs to blind and visually-impaired individuals at no cost.

Boeing Members in St. Louis to Vote on Strike Authorization

District 837 members employed at Boeing in St. Louis, MO will vote April 22, 2007 on whether they’re ready and willing to strike in the event the final contract proposal is not accepted by the membership. The Strike Authorization Vote, as it is called, is required by the IAM Constitution. The current contract is set to expire May 20, 2007.

The vote is an important step in the negotiating process that began March 19, 2007, when Union negotiators began sub-committee meetings with Boeing representatives. Main-table negotiations are set to begin April 30, with a vote to accept or reject the proposal being held May 20.

“Our members have expressed a great displeasure with company proposals handed to the union up to this point,” said District 837 President and Directing Business Representative Rick Smith. “In addition to official notification purposes, this vote will serve notice to the Boeing Company that our members stand united with their elected officials and expect a fair and equitable contract offer.”

GOP to Seniors: Drop Dead

Senate Republicans denied many seniors the opportunity to have their prescription drug prices lowered this week when they blocked legislation that would have allowed the government to negotiate Medicare drug prices.

In a mostly party line vote, Senate lawmakers blocked debate on a bill that would have allowed the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate prescription drug prices on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries. Sixty votes were needed to move the bill forward.

"It's time for Congress to put the needs of seniors first. Yet what did our Republican colleagues do today? They blocked us from debating a bill to allow Medicare to negotiate to get better drug prices,” said Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA). “Time and again, the interests of the drug industry are put ahead of the interests of the elderly."

House Democrats pushed through similar legislation in January as part of their 100 hour legislative blitz aimed at improving the lives of working families.

Click here to visit a special website about the prescription drug crisis.

Machinists News Network @ YouTube



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.

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
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 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

Video: 2007 Day of Action



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.



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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