Thursday, May 3, 2007

Labor issues you care about in streaming video.

Remembering the Fallen May 2, 2007 - May 1st or May Day in an annual holiday to celebrate the achievements of workers around the world.  For the Machinists it was also a day to remember those who have passed.  The IAM honored its own at a ceremony earlier this week.

Making Work Safe May 2, 2007 - On December 29, 1970, the Occupational Safety and Health Act was signed into law.  Created to protect workers and the workplace, it cut on the job deaths in half.  But now it needs to be updated because it's not keeping up with the times.

A Level Playing Field April 26, 2007 - April 24th is Equal Pay Day.  A day on the calendar that indicates the point of the year when women's wages catch up to men's.  But for union workers, it's always been a level playing field.

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 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.

Media Library

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

2004
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2003
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2002
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2001
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February

Machinists Prevail in NWA Bankruptcy Case

The Machinists Union scored a major bankruptcy court victory this week when Judge Allan Gropper ruled that IAM members at Northwest Airlines (NWA) are entitled to Series C claims against the bankrupt carrier worth $212 million.

The ruling confirms an earlier state court judgment over the carrier’s refusal to repurchase shares of preferred stock issued to IAM members in exchange for pay cuts in 1993. Judge Gropper said he was bound by law to recognize the state court ruling.

“The rare bankruptcy court win came despite fierce objections from a group of Northwest bondholders who were intent on preventing employees from recouping anything from our Series C judgment,” said District 143 President and Directing General Chairman Steve Gordon, who credited the solidarity of IAM members at NWA in addition to the dozens of IAM members who packed Judge Gropper’s courtroom for this week’s hearing. “It is rare that such a pre-bankruptcy claim has any value when a company restructures, but the IAM memberships’ strength and solidarity made this victory possible.”

This week’s ruling will impact IAM members who were holding shares of NWA preferred stock in 2003, when the carrier refused to buy back shares at the agreed upon price. Following confirmation of Northwest’s plan of reorganization, an independent Series C trustees will distribute to affected employees their pro-rata share of the claim.

Edwards Welcomed at 751 Hall in Seattle

District 751-C member Aletha Johnson quizzes Democratic Presidential hopeful John Edwards about outsourcing during a town-hall style meeting in Seattle, WA.

Former North Carolina Senator and presidential hopeful John Edwards told a crowd of more than 800 union members in Seattle that if elected, he would ban permanent hiring of replacement workers, end tax breaks that encourage foreign outsourcing and tighten labor standards in trade agreements. In a statement that brought the crowd to their feet, Edwards declared “It is absolutely crucial that we make it easier, not harder to organize workers in the workplace,” adding “I think if someone can join the Republican Party by signing their name to a card, any worker in America ought to be able to join a union by signing a card.

Edwards spoke at the District 751 Union Hall in Seattle as part of a series of nationwide forums designed to provide AFL-CIO members with an opportunity to meet and question candidates about their positions on labor-related issues.

Space Center Workers Ratify New Contract

One hundred newly-organized members of Local 2249 in Bay St. Louis, MS, who work at the Stennis Space Center in Hancock County, MS have ratified a new 4-year contract that raises pay by 13 percent over the life of the accord. The contract also provides for increased sick leave, the IAM Pension Plan and improved contract language regarding seniority and grievances.

The workers, who support testing on engines that provide lift for the space shuttle and other launch vehicles, ratified an improved contract after rejecting an initial proposal from the company, a subsidiary of Jacobs Engineering.

 “I congratulate our Negotiating Committee for bringing a strong IAM contract to these new workers,” said Southern Territory GVP Bob Martinez. “It shows once again how important the IAM can be for workers in the Service Contract arena. The IAM brings results; it's that simple.”

China Trade Drains Jobs from Every U.S. State

The U.S. has lost an average of 441,000 jobs per year since China entered the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001, according to a new report from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI).

The report, Costly Trade with China, also finds that every single state and the District of Columbia have experienced a net job loss since China’s inclusion in the WTO.

Of the nearly 1.8 million jobs displaced, nearly three-quarters were in manufacturing industries. China’s undervalued currency and repression of labor rights are cited as key reasons for the U.S.’s massive $235 billion trade deficit with China and the resulting job loss.

“Growing trade deficits with China have clearly reduced domestic employment in traded goods industries, especially in the manufacturing sector, which has been hard hit by plant closings and job losses,” said the report’s author, Robert Scott.

New Hampshire was the state hit hardest by job loss as a share of total state employment with 2.1 percent of their job loss resulting from China’s trade practices. Close behind was North Carolina (-2.0 %), California (-1.8%) and Massachusetts (-1.8%).

In terms of total numbers of jobs lost, California has far and away been hit the hardest with 269,300 jobs lost. Also experiencing massive job loss due to trade with China was Texas (-136,900), New York (-105,900), Illinois (-79,900) and Pennsylvania (-78,200).

NFFE-IAM Honored with Veterans Affairs Award

Members of NFFE-IAM Local 1 who provide patient care at the San Francisco VA Medical Center are all smiles after winning a prestigious award.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs paid tribute to members of NFFE-IAM Federal District 1 in San Francisco, CA, with an award that cited the service they provide to U.S. veterans and their local’s achievement in the field of labor-management relations.

The 2007 Secretary of Veterans Affairs Award for Labor-Management Relations was presented by VA Deputy Assistant Secretary Gary Steinberg to NFFE-IAM Local 1 President Patricia La Sala RN, MS and Ms. Shelia Cullen, Medical Center Director at the San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVAMC).

“When employees are acknowledged for a job well done and they feel secure in their workplace, productivity increases as does job satisfaction and respect,” said La Sala, who also serves as National 1st Vice President of NFFE-IAM Federal District 1. “Patient care improves when labor and management work together and respect each other. When people feel good about themselves, they value the work they do. This is what’s happening at the VA in San Francisco.”

The VA is the second largest federal agency in the U.S. government with over 235,000 employees at 156 hospitals and outpatient clinics in all 50 states, Guam, the Philippine Islands and Puerto Rico.

New Report Details Wal-Mart Union Busting Techniques

Wal-Mart is once again coming under fire after the release of a Human Rights Watch report detailing the extent of the corporate giant’s aggressive union-busting techniques.

The report, which underscores the need for the Senate to pass the Employee Free Choice Act, said that when faced with unionization drives, Wal-Mart often eavesdropped on workers, used security cameras to spy on union sympathizers and planted supervisors alongside pro-union workers to monitor activities.

“Wal-Mart workers have virtually no chance to organize because they’re up against unfair US labor laws and a giant company that will do just about anything to keep unions out,” Carol Pier of Human Rights Watch said in a statement. “That one-two punch devastates workers’ right to form and join unions.”  

The Employee Free Choice Act, which passed the House in March and is currently in the Senate, would enable workers to bargain for better wages, benefits and working conditions by strengthening their rights to form unions.

Send a message to your Senator urging them to support the Employee Free Choice Act by clicking here.

Machinists News Network @ YouTube

YouTube For You We Can't Make It Here Anymore - by James McMurtry


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.



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.




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