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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Thousands Join ‘Day of Action’ Rally in Washington, D.C.

2008 Democratic Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton addresses thousands of union members at the 2007 IAM Day of Action in Washington, D.C.

The IAM today led transportation workers from more than a dozen unions in a massive rally on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to declare “Enough is Enough” over Bush administration policies that have plagued air and rail workers since 2001.

“This nation’s air and rail workers suffered one grievous assault after another under the present administration,” said IP President Tom Buffenbarger. “Hundreds of thousands of workers lost jobs, pensions and health care while CEO’s and senior executives gorged themselves with outrageous compensation packages. It’s time for a president who isn’t deaf and blind to this kind of rampant injustice.”

Presidential candidates Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE) and Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) spoke to the workers who came from as far as Guam, Alaska and Hawaii to attend the rally.

Additional speakers included Rich Trumka, AFL–CIO Secretary-Treasurer, and lawmakers Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD), Rep. George Miller (D-CA), (D-MN), Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD), Former Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater, Rep. Corrine Brown (D-FL), Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) and Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-HI).

“The sacrifices, contributions and needs of transportation workers are lost on the Bush Administration,” said IAM General Vice President Robert Roach, Jr. “Today we begin our search for a president who will work with transportation labor to provide the secure jobs, pensions and benefits our members deserve.”

District 837 Reaches Tentative Agreement with Boeing

IAM members of District 837 in St. Louis, MO, will vote May 20 on a tentative agreement reached this week with the Boeing Co. The three-year contract provides for 9.5 percent pay increase and includes a 17 percent increase in pension benefits while preserving defined benefit pensions for new employees. The tentative contract also limits increases to employee health care premiums and does not include a controversial “Retention Plan” that would significantly alter the existing seniority system.

“I want to tell you with pride that due to your solidarity in the shop, the company withdrew all language pertaining to their “Retention Plan,” said District 837 DBR Rick Smith, who credited members for a favorable resolution to the seniority issue. “You drew the line in the sand that could not be crossed.”
District 837 represents approximately 2,600 members at Boeing’s Integrated Defense Systems unit in St. Louis, MO, who build the F-18 Super Hornet and F-15 Eagle in addition to missiles and component parts.

Western Territory Honors Cobb, Duryea

Western Territory GVP Lee Pearson recently presented “Awards of Excellence” to two Business Representatives from the Western Territory for outstanding effort and success in contract negotiations and a major arbitration victory. Receiving the awards were Virginia Cobb, Area Director and Business Representative for Distict 725, serving the San Diego, CA area; and Marion “Bud” Duryea, Business Representative for Local 2515 in Alamogordo, New Mexico.

BR Cobb received the award in recognition for her achievement in securing a quality first contract for IAM members at L-3 Vertex. Brother Duryea received his award in recognition of a major arbitration win, where an independent arbitrator ordered an unjustly terminated member was ordered back to work in a ruling that could be worth up to $40,000.

“I think it is important to recognize how hard our representatives work for our membership,” said GVP Pearson. “Virginia Cobb and Bud Duryea put in the long hours and sacrifice to improve the lives of IAM members. Getting a first contract and winning a good decision from an arbitrator are not easy tasks and the success they delivered is proof of their dedication and effort. I am very proud of them, and of all our representatives.”

O’Malley Signs Living Wage Bill

Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley signed legislation last week making Maryland the first state in the country to require government contractors to pay workers a “living wage.”

The measure will require service contractors doing business with the state to pay employees $11.30 an hour in urban areas and $8.50 an hour in rural areas. The law, which goes into effect Oct. 1, could affect as many as 50,000 workers.

Cities and counties across the country have voted to pay workers a living wage, but Maryland is the first state to adopt the measure.

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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