Thursday, May 10, 2007

Labor issues you care about in streaming video.

Straight Talk From John Edwards May 9, 2007 - IAM District 751 in Seattle was the backdrop for Machinists and other union members to talk openly with presidential candidate John Edwards about the issues that matter to the middle class and his plan to help organized labor.

Earnings Aren't Stagnant, They're Plummeting!
May 3, 2007 -  With housing and living expenses steadily climbing, it’s no secret many middle class families are struggling with stagnant wages.

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.

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IAM and Swedish Metalworkers in Historic Alliance

IAM President Tom Buffenbarger and IF Metall President Stefan Löfven signed an agreement this week in Stockholm, Sweden, that will significantly increase cooperation between the IAM and IF Metall.

Leaders of the IAM and the Swedish Metalworkers Union (IF Metall) today announced a trans-Atlantic union alliance to coordinate communications and collective bargaining at companies that employ members of both labor organizations.

“We affirm our resolve to find new and innovative strategies that will have a real and direct impact on ensuring security, dignity and respect for our members,” declared the document establishing the alliance, signed in Stockholm, Sweden, by IAM President Tom Buffenbarger and IF Metall President Stefan Löfven.

While the IAM and IF Metall have traditionally worked closely together in matters involving collective bargaining and organizing, this alliance agreement represents a significant step forward in creating a solid framework for even greater cooperation.

“A vibrant, aggressive and global labor movement is the only answer to the globalization of industries where we represent workers,” said Buffenbarger. “I fully expect this alliance to generate substantive benefits where we have members in common,” added Löfven.

Formed in 2006 from a merger between the Swedish Industrial Union and the Swedish Metalworkers Union, the IF Metall currently represents nearly 450,000 members in mechanical engineering, mining, building components, ironworks, textile and auto repair industries. Additional information about IF Metall can be found at www.ifmetall.se .

IAM Announces Key Staff Assignments

Special Assistant Rob Minnich, left, will assume the duties of Assistant Secretary to the GST after Mike Dorsey, right, retires on July 31, 2007.

General Secretary-Treasurer (GST) Warren Mart today announced that Special Assistant Rob Minnich will become Assistant Secretary to the GST when long-time Assistant Secretary and IAM legend Mike Dorsey retires on July 31, 2007. Additionally, GST Mart named veteran Grand Lodge Auditor Steve Dunn to become Special Assistant to the GST when Minnich assumes his new duties on August 1, 2007.

“The IAM is extremely fortunate to have such a wealth of experience to draw on when someone of Mike Dorsey’s caliber decides to retire,” said Mart. “Mike has served this union and its members in countless ways since joining the IAM more than 40 years ago. We will miss his skills, his experience and his tenacious loyalty, and we wish him the best in his well-deserved retirement.”

Before coming to IAM headquarters as Special Assistant to GST Mart in October 2003, Rob Minnich served in numerous capacities, including local lodge financial officer and Grand Lodge Auditor in the Eastern and Southern Territories from 1995 to 2003. His responsibilities as Assistant Secretary will include managing operations in the GST Department and overseeing the activities of the IAM’s 16 Grand Lodge Auditors.

“I have no doubt that Rob will exceed the already high standards set by his predecessors,” said Mart. “He’s proven his value in so many capacities since joining the IAM in 1985 and he understands the structure and politics of locals and districts as well as anyone in this organization. His skills and insights will be invaluable in the months and years ahead.”

GLA Steve Dunn joined the IAM in 1986 as a production mechanic for McDonnell Douglas on the F-15 assembly line in St. Louis, MO. He went on to serve as Shop Steward, Recording Secretary, Bylaws Committee Chairman and Plant Chairman before being elected Secretary-Treasurer of District 837 in 1997. Dunn has served as a Grand Lodge Auditor in the Southern and Midwest Territories.

Tennessee Strikers Need Your Help

Last February, Maremont CEO Ken Banks tried to institute a wage freeze and an increase in health care premiums for 300 IAM members who build the world-famous Cherry Bomb muffler in Loudon, Tennessee.

The members of Local 2545 voted to strike rather than accept the 70-cent an hour pay cut. Banks soon brought in strikebreakers to replace the plant’s skilled and experienced workers, who have been walking picket lines since Feb. 3rd.

“These Machinists are standing strong and proud for what’s right,” said Southern Territory GVP Bob Martinez. “I’d urge everyone to please sit down and take a few minutes to send an email to support our proud Machinists.”

Please click here to tell CEO Banks to bring back the experienced workers who make the legendary Cherry Bomb Muffler .

House Committee Votes to Reform NSPS

The House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee vo ted to roll back key provisions of the unfair National Security Personnel System (NSPS) for civilian employees at the Department of Defense (DoD). The subcommittee added language to a fiscal 2008 defense authorization bill that would restore collective bargaining and disciplinary appeal rights for DoD workers and give federal sector unions a greater role in setting up any new pay system.

The previous GOP-controlled Congress, the Bush administration and former DoD Secretary Donald Rumsfeld implemen ted NSPS over strong objections by federal employees and their unions. NSPS would have gut ted traditional civil service rights and set up an unfair system that gave almost complete control over raises and disciplinary review to supervisors and DoD managers. A federal judge ruled key NSPS provisions went too far and were illegal for employees working under collective bargaining agreements.

“The House Committee responded to the tremendous pressure genera ted by union members and other federal employees against this unfair system,” said IAM Government Employees Director Frank Carelli. “Rolling back NSPS shows that active members can make a difference. We elec ted a friendlier Congress and then made sure they kept their promises. Now we have to make sure the full House and Senate do their part.”

Click here to send a message to your Representative and Senators to urge them to stop funding for the unfair NSPS system.

The Jones Act Under Attack

In the latest threat to the U.S. shipbuilding industry, the U.S. Coast Guard is collaborating with shipbuilder and defense contractor General Dynamics to allow the importation of so-called “kit ships” in direct violation of long-standing U.S. law. Kit ships are vessels built in South Korea and then transported to the U.S., where they are assembled and sold as U.S.-built ships.

For 80 years, the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, better known as the Jones Act, requires

ships used to transport cargo between domestic U.S. ports be U.S. built and staffed by U.S. crews. By scuttling the core requirements of the Jones Act, the Coast Guard threatens U.S. shipbuilding jobs in addition to weakening the long-term capacity of the United States to fabricate components critical for defense systems. 

Click here to send a message to Admiral Thad Allen, Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, urging him to support and protect the U.S. shipbuilding industry, rather than facilitate efforts by large corporations to take advantage of low-cost foreign labor sources.

Day of Action Countdown!

There is just a week to go before the Machinists Union leads thousands of workers from more than a dozen unions on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. declaring “Enough is Enough” and demanding a president who isn’t deaf to the needs of America’s workers.

IAM members will be traveling from as far as Guam to attend the event, and international union representatives from the United Kingdom, Spain, France and Germany will hear presidential candidates Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE) and Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) address the thousands of union members. Presidential candidates Governor Bill Richardson and John Edwards will appear via video.

Check the Day of Action website, www.17may07.org , for updated site maps and the latest information about the event.

Help Letter Carriers ‘Stamp Out Hunger’ on May 12

National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) President William H. Young noted that the upcoming summer months “are a particularly critical time for millions of children whose school lunch programs are suspended until fall and their families must find alternate sources of nutrition.”

Since its inception in 1993, the nationwide drive has collected and delivered over three-quarters of a billion pounds of food to help hungry families.

To participate, simply place canned goods and non-perishable items in a bag and leave it by your mailbox on Saturday, May 12, 2006. To find out more visit the NALC Stamp Out Hunger campaign website 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.



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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