Tuesday, April 24, 2007

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Labor issues you care about in streaming video
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Flying Rights
April 19, 2007 - Satisfied workers equals satisfied customers.  This is a notion plaguing the airline industry, especially with so many carriers trying to stay out of bankruptcy or away from mergers.  But now these actions are trickling down to the customers.

Health Care For All April 19, 2007 - From the politicians in Washington to the family next door, everyone seems to be concerned with health care costs.

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 5th 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.


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Presidential Candidates to Join ‘Day of Action’


Senator Hillary Clinton (left), Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich (center) and Delaware Senator Joe Biden (right).

New York Senator Hillary Clinton, Delaware Senator Joe Biden and Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich will address the Transportation Department’s 2007 ‘Day of Action’ rally in Washington, D.C., on May 17, 2007. The rally is aimed at highlighting the sacrifices and contributions of transportation workers worldwide.

“Our goal is to articulate a clear message, ‘Enough is Enough!’ and to do so at the front end of the 2008 presidential election cycle,” said Transportation GVP Robert Roach, Jr., who is coordinating the event. “Union members have suffered grievously under the current gang that occupies the White House, but on May 17 our members will make their voices heard.”

The day-long rally will begin at 10 a.m. on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. where more than 10,000 union members and representatives of global unions are expected to attend. Additional information can be found at www.17may07.org.

 

Metro-North Rail Workers Ratify New Contract

Union members in the Metro-North Labor Coalition voted overwhelmingly to ratify a new agreement that TCU International President Bob Scardelletti called “positive and progressive” and “a testament to the unity of the membership and to the labor coalition that persevered through four long years of difficult bargaining.” 

Highlights of the contract include substantial wage increases throughout the life of the contract, no increases to health and welfare contributions for current or new hires and improvements to the Defined Benefit Plan.

The coalition represents some 3,500 employees at Metro-North, a commuter railroad serving parts of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.  Of these, some 800 clerks and 300 supervisors are members of TCU and another 200 are Machinists. In addition to the ratification votes of TCU units, coalition unions whose members also have ratified the contract are IAM District Lodge 19, IBEW System Council 7 and Local 1573, Firemen and Oilers (SEIU) System Council 2 and Transport Workers Locals 2001 and 2055.

“Throughout these years, our goal never changed: we were determined to reach a fair agreement containing the wage increases and improved benefits that our members deserve,” said TCU Vice President Joel Parker. “Thanks to the membership’s solidarity and resolve, we reached an agreement that is far superior to every previous offer, including the recommendation of Presidential Emergency Board 240.”

 

St. Louis Machinists Authorize Strike at Boeing

Rick Smith, District 837 President and DBR addresses members during recent strike authorization meeting.

Members of District 837 employed at the Boeing-St. Louis, MO, facility voted overwhelmingly to authorize strike actions if a satisfactory contract is not tendered before the May 20 expiration of the current agreement. The vote was 1,167 to 38.

Member after member rose at the strike authorization meeting to express outrage over several proposals currently on the table. “The membership attending the meeting made it very clear to myself and the entire Bargaining Committee that they will not sit back and accept the proposals the Company currently has on the table regarding retention, mergers of existing classifications, and a new system of classifying workers,” declared Rick Smith, President and Directing Business Representative for approximately 2,600 Boeing employees.

The District 837 Negotiating Team, led by Smith, will begin main table meetings on April 30, 2007, knowing members at Boeing-St. Louis are willing to take whatever action is required to secure a good contract. The main table will focus on unresolved issues from the sub-committees and main economic issues.

District 837 members last struck the plant in 1996 when McDonnell Douglas still owned the facilities. Since Boeing bought out McDonnell Douglas in 1997, the membership has been increasingly displeased with the overall direction the company is taking.

 

Strikers Solid at Tennessee Muffler Maker

Car buffs and high-performance enthusiasts have known and loved the “Cherry Bomb” glass packs and Maremont Mufflers for years. But few are aware that International Muffler Company (IMCO) bought Maremont in 2006 and promptly began an assault on the workforce, calling for wage freezes, lower wages for new hires and sharply higher employee insurance costs. The company demands continued, ultimately forcing the 245 members of Local 2545 to strike the muffler maker on Feb. 5, 2007.

Southern Territory GVP Bob Martinez visited the picket line in Louden, TN last week, and spoke with the members. “These are strong, proud people,” declared Martinez. “It’s inspiring to see their resolve and to witness the support they have in the community.” IAM members at last weekend’s meeting of the Tennessee State Council, raised over $1,000 for the strikers. Additional information and photos can be found at the Local 2545 website.

 

Wheel of Fortune Ads to Feature IAM Pride

In the weeks ahead, as many as 47 million TV viewers will see the IAM and its members featured in a series of commercials airing during the popular game show.

Look for the IAM spots and products between April 23 and May 18 and then again from August 27 through September 7 (including Labor Day). Check your local listings for program times as air dates draw nearer.

“We want America to know about the Machinists union and the products our members proudly manufacture,” said IP Tom Buffenbarger. “As the number-one syndicated show in America, Wheel of Fortune is a great way to get our message out about the Machinists union and the benefits of union membership.”

 

April 24 is Equal Pay Day

More than four decades after the Equal Pay Act of 1963 made it illegal to pay women less than men for work that is “substantially equal,” a 25-year old woman today will lose on average about $455,000 to unequal pay during her working life.

Today, Equal Pay Day, calls attention to the dramatic pay gap that still exists in many U.S. workplaces. According to recent data, a woman earns, on average, 77 cents for every $1 a man earns at an equivalent job.

Elected officials are considering two pieces of legislation to help close the pay gap: The Paycheck Fairness Act (S. 766 and H.R. 1338), which would provide more effective remedies for victims of wage discrimination on the basis of sex and The Fair Pay Act (S. 1087), which would prohibit sex-based wage discrimination and would address the issue of comparable worth by calling for equal pay for equivalent work.

Members can send a message to legislators on this important issue by clicking here.

 

New Mexico Local Ratifies Contract with Lockheed

Members of Local 794 in Albuquerque, NM, who are employed by defense contractor Lockheed Martin at Kirtland Air Force Base, voted April 19 to ratify a new 3-year agreement that raises wages by 11 percent over the life of the accord. The IAM members at Kirtland work on the Aircrew Training and Rehearsal Support Systems (ATARS) for Fixed and Rotary Wing Aircraft.

Additional improvements achieved under Service Contract Act guidelines include a lump-sum wage payment of $2,000, an increase in Chief Instructor pay from $1.50 to $2.00 per hour, a 10 percent annual cap on increases to employee’s premium for medical insurance and numerous other language improvements.

The Negotiating Committee of Lanny Languit, Mike Briody and Duane Turner worked closely with Local 794 Business Rep. Ernest “Red” Dow, Special Rep. Don Gresham and Russ Whaley from the Lockheed Martin C-130 site at Little Rock AFB, AR.

“Through coordination and continued assistance from all involved, these negotiations were highly successful for our members working under this agreement and set a high standard to be matched in other area contracts,” said Aerospace Coordinator Ray Moffatt.

 

IAM Seeks $212 Million Claim in NWA Bankruptcy Case

The IAM filed a motion in U.S. bankruptcy court seeking full allowance of $212 million in claims related to the Series C judgment it obtained against Northwest Airlines (NWA) in 2005.

he IAM filed the joint motion with NWA, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) and the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) to allow the Series C judgment claims. The Unions also filed a brief in support of the motion.

Prior to the Northwest’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in 2005, the IAM and IBT won judgments against the airline for breach of contract over its refusal to honor its promise to repay the value of employee concessions in the amounts of $212 million and $65 million, respectively. Those judgments form the basis for the IAM and IBT bankruptcy claims.

If the bankruptcy court grants the IAM’s motion, the claims may be sold by the IAM and IBT trustees. The entire amount recovered through the sale of the claims will be distributed on a pro-rata basis to all eligible current and former Northwest employees. The IAM is not seeking to recoup any of the considerable fees and expenses it incurred in obtaining the Series C judgment in court.

 


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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.

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.

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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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.
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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