Tuesday, May 22, 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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‘Day of Action’ Signals Grassroots Revival

The thousands of Machinists who came to Washington, DC last week for the 2007 Legislative Conference and the Transportation Department’s “Day of Action” returned home after witnessing firsthand the impact that grassroots political involvement can have.

From an impassioned speech by John Edwards at the Legislative Conference, who repeatedly echoed the Machinists theme of “Enough is Enough,” to Hillary Clinton’s vow to restore visibility to union members and working families, it became clear that candidates are already listening closely to what IAM members have to say.

“Last week’s events are one part of a comprehensive strategy to ensure our members’ concerns are part of this nation’s political dialog heading into the 2008 presidential election,” said IP Tom Buffenbarger, whose own remarks at the Day of Action were greeted with cheers of approval. “I want to thank every member who took part in last week’s activities. This union is clearly motivated and it’s inspiring to see such solidarity in action and to hear it reflected in the remarks of candidates seeking the highest office in the land.”

Appeals Court Rules Against Defense Workers

In a 2-to-1 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled last week that the Department of Defense (DoD) has the right to “curtail” collective bargaining rights for more than 400,000 federal employees for the next two years. The decision dismisses a lower court injunction barring implementation of personnel rules proposed as part of the DoD’s controversial National Security Personnel System (NSPS).

The ruling will allow the DoD to circumvent civil service protections for government workers and to abrogate collective bargaining agreements practically at will. At risk will be federal workers’ hours of work, shifts, alternative work schedules, overtime and more.

“We are appalled by the hostility the Bush administration continues to display toward federal workers,” said IAM Government Employees Director Frank Carelli. “It was bad enough when the Department of Defense overreached in developing the regulations for the new personnel system. It’s even worse now that the court has taken the liberty to expand it.”

The IAM vowed to stand with the United Defense Workers Coalition (UDWC), a coalition of 36 unions representing 750,000 government workers. “We will not back up, back down or retreat from this administration’s assault on federal workers,” said IP Tom Buffenbarger. “Together with UDWC, we will move for a full court review of the latest decision.”

In more encouraging news, the U.S. House of Representatives voted last week 397-27 to support collective bargaining in the DoD and to stop the department's attempts to eliminate due process rights. “We believed all along that we would need a legislative fix for NSPS,” said Carelli. “Now it’s up to the Senate to act.”

Please contact your Senator by clicking here and urging them to restore the rights of federal workers.

IAM-GE Negotiations Underway in New York

Pensions, heath care and job security are key issues in the negotiations that began this week between General Electric Co. (GE) and a coalition of 14 unions representing 23,000 workers nationwide. The IAM represents nearly 2,500 employees at 18 GE facilities in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, New Mexico, Ohio, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin.

“We are determined to bargain a contract that acknowledges GE’s enormous financial resources and assures good jobs for current and future employees at GE,” said GVP Rich Michalski. “We are equally determined that these talks will not become an opportunity for GE to renege on long-standing commitments to its employees or to benchmark itself against financially troubled competitors.”

The contract talks, now underway in New York City, will conclude with a vote by members on a so-called “last, best and final” offer from the company. The current four-year contract expires on June 17.

Virginia Members Ratify New Accord with Philip Morris

Local 10 in Richmond, VA, announced a new three-year contract with good wages, job security language and a pension plan for IAM members who manufacture smokeless tobacco products at Philip Morris’ newest facility in Williamsburg, VA.

Philip Morris agreed to recognize the IAM as the workers’ representative after 26 of the 27 employees at the new facility signed authorization cards seeking IAM representation. Local 10 Business Representative Jeff Agee then sat down with the company and negotiated a new, cover-to-cover collective bargaining agreement, which was ratified by a 90 percent margin.

“It’s a good tobacco contract,” said Agee. “We got raises, performance payouts, pension, and job security language for the workers. Everyone is very pleased,” said Agee. “If the product is successful, this could easily translate into hundreds of new members in Williamsburg.”

“It took less than two months from the day the workers walked into a brand-new facility until they were under a strong IAM contract,” said Southern Territory GVP Bob Martinez. “Congratulations to BR Agee and his committee for an outstanding job of ensuring a bright future for our newest members at Philip Morris.”

Machinists Ratify Three-Year Contract at Boeing St. Louis

IAM members of District 837 voting late last week on a new three-year contract with the Boeing Co. in St. Louis, MO.

IAM members of District 837 voted late last week to ratify a new three-year contract with the Boeing Co. in St. Louis, MO, that includes a 9.5 percent wage increase over the life of the accord and lump sum payments in the first and second years of the contract.

The new contract also includes a pension increase from $60 per month per year of service to $70 and will also include newly-hired employees in the Defined Pension Plan which Boeing had sought to exclude.

“DBR Rick Smith assembled a fine bargaining committee,” said Aerospace Coordinator Mark Blondin, who also praised assistance of Midwest Territory GLR Rod Hoffman and David White from the IAM Strategic Resources Department.

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, the F-15 Eagle and manufacture parts for the C-17. 

2006 Winners Honored at Communications Conference

Winners of the 2006 IAM Newsletter and Website Contest, Kalaski Award and Kourpias Award were honored at a special awards dinner as part of the 2007 Communications Conference in Baltimore, MD.

International President Tom Buffenbarger presented the awards and General Secretary-Treasurer Warren Mart and General Vice President Rich Michalski were also on hand. Winners included District Lodge 141 and Local Lodge 1781 who took top honors in General Excellence for newsletters and District Lodge 143 and Local Lodge 1782 who won top honors for General Excellence for websites. Click here for a list of all winners and comments by the independent panel of contest judges.

Al Abromitis, a 24-year member of Local 1759 in Herndon, VA, won the Robert J. Kalaski Award, which is given to honor distinguished and effective communication efforts promoting the mission of the labor movement. Abromitis was a local lodge newsletter editor and is now the web steward and Communicator for District 141.

Michelle Amber was awarded the George J. Kourpias award for excellence in labor journalism. Amber is a 30-year veteran journalist for two BNA publications, Daily Labor Report and Labor Relations Week, who writes about collective bargaining and organizing in both the manufacturing and service sectors and is the lead reporter for AFL-CIO issues.

“The awards ceremony is our newsletter editors’ and web stewards’ chance for a well-deserved thank you for the vital job they do for our union,” said IAM Communications Director Rick Sloan. “All of the IAM’s editors, web stewards and award winners work hard getting out the IAM’s message to our members and the public.”

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.


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


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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