Thursday, May 31, 2007

Labor issues you care about in streaming video.

DL 751 'Flight for Sight' Fundraising Event May 24, 2007 - IAM District Lodge 751 Women's Committee hosted a fundraising event last weekend to benefit the Guide Dogs of America.

Still Standing Still Proud May 24, 2007 - On May 17, 2007, thousands of workers rallied on the National Mall for the Transportation Day of Action.  A day to tell the federal government "Enough is Enough" to practices that put the needs of businesses in front of American workers.

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.

Media Library

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Northwest Airlines Emerges From Bankruptcy

Northwest Airlines (NWA) today begins operating outside of bankruptcy court protection for the first time in 20 months. While the process has been full of sacrifices and difficult decisions, IAM members fared far better than other employees at the troubled carrier. The IAM is the only union at Northwest to successfully negotiate a replacement defined benefit pension plan for our members. In accordance with IAM collective bargaining agreements, Northwest will begin contributing to the IAM National Pension Plan upon emergence from bankruptcy. Important information about the plan is available at www.iamnpf.org .

Many observers believed that bankruptcy marked the end of the line for the carrier’s obligation to repay employees for concessions granted in 1992. The IAM continued to vigorously press its case throughout the bankruptcy court process. While it was the IAM who ultimately won this case, the victory benefits all Series C stock holders, including former IAM members and flight attendants.

The IAM also represented retirees throughout the bankruptcy process, securing substantial reductions in the cost of medical insurance premiums. As a result, IAM retirees will pay only 2.5 percent of the cost of medical premiums. Retirees from other employee groups will pay from 5 percent to 25 percent of their insurance premiums for the same coverage.

Obama Pledges Support for Organizing Rights

The IAM was well represented with local, district and international delegates at the 36th Annual Convention of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists in Chicago, IL.

Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama retuned to his Chicago roots last week and paid tribute to the labor and civil rights activists who helped launch his political career. The candidate was a featured speaker at the 36th International Convention of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) in Chicago, IL.

The former Illinois State Senator prefaced his remarks by singling out a core group of long-time allies, including IAM member and CTBU Executive Board member Eveleyna Washington, explaining, “Were it not for them, I would not be a U.S. Senator.”

More than 1,200 CBTU delegates responded with a series of standing ovations, particularly when the candidate pledged unconditional support for the Employee Free Choice Act, which would allow workers to form a union once a majority indicated a desire to do so. “We need a Free Choice Act so workers can organize without intimidation,” declared Obama. “We need an NLRB (National Labor Relations Board) that is friendly not just to managers,” and “we need a president who doesn’t choke saying the word Union.”

Obama noted the economic benefits of union membership for African-Americans, pointing to statistics that show that black workers in the U.S. who belong to a union earn 40 percent more than those who don’t.

Delegates from 70 cities in the U.S. and Canada attended the CBTU Convention. In addition to Sen. Barack Obama, speakers included Rev. Jesse Jackson, CBTU President Bill Lucy, AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Linda Chavez-Thompson and Alliance for Retired Americans Executive Director Ed Coyle.

Outsourcing a Factor in Walter Reed Scandal

The Bush Administration’s unrelenting effort to outsource federal jobs was a key factor in the shoddy treatment of wounded war veterans at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. A Washington Post story revealed wounded vets living in rat-infes ted and mold-ridden quarters while recovering from wounds they received in Iraq.

Using information released by the House Committee on Government Reform, the AFL-CIO Metal Trades Department reports IAP World Services, a company with more than $1 billion in revenue and headed by former Halliburton executives, was awarded a $120 million contract to take over management of the building and grounds at Walter Reed. IAP World Services has been accused of mishandling ice deliveries to Hurricane Katrina victims and has been questioned by Congress about overcharges for fuel deliveries in Iraq.

During the six-year changeover process to IAP World Services, more than 350 skilled federal workers retired or left Walter Reed and the Army was unable to find enough temporary replacements.

The Bush Administration has targe ted more than 450,000 federal jobs for outsourcing to private companies. Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told a Senate committee in 2004 that he wan ted to outsource almost 320,000 nonmilitary support jobs. Adding to the chaos was the Base Realignment and Closure process (BRAC) that put Walter Reed on the shutdown list. Many federal workers bid out of Walter Reed to lock in more stable jobs elsewhere.

Clinton Outlines Manufacturing Policy

In an important policy speech delivered to students at the Manchester School for Technology in Manchester, NH, Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton (D-NY) provided an in-depth look at the principles that would guide her administration if she succeeds in her bid to win the White House. Sen. Clinton also referenced auto mechanics, aerospace workers and specifically mentioned the Machinists Union in her speech.

Echoing populist themes previously discussed, but in far greater detail, the Democratic front runner acknowledged the lopsided evolution of globalization and how middle class workers in the U.S. are being penalized while CEO’s and foreign workers reap handsome dividends.

Clinton proposed what she described as a progressive plan to combat the assault on the middle class by global economic policies and wrongheaded economic policies. Her plan would cut back on corporate welfare and require oil companies to invest in alternative energy; eliminate incentives for American companies to ship jobs overseas; reform corporate governance rules that allow CEO’s to escape with golden parachutes while their companies abandon workers’ pension and restore financial responsibility to our own government. “It’s simply not fair that as corporate profits have skyrocketed, the percentage of taxes paid by corporations have fallen,” said Clinton.

Additional points included promoting alternatives to traditional education so jobs that require precision skills and training would not go unfilled.

“Unfortunately, for the past six years it’s as though we’ve gone back to the era of the robber barons,” said Clinton. “Year after year, this president has handed massive tax breaks to oil companies, no-bid contracts to Halliburton, tax incentives to corporations shipping jobs overseas, tax cut after tax cut to millionaires, while ignoring the needs and aspirations of tens of millions of working families.”

Good Advice for Teen Workers

With many teenagers looking for summer employment, the IAM has produced an informational pamphlet detailing their rights and risks as new employees.

Every year 100,000 young people are taken to the emergency room after being hurt on the job and an additional 70 lose their lives. Many of these young workers don’t realize they have basic employee rights, such as the right to refuse unsafe work assignments and the right to protective equipment.

If you or anyone you know of has children looking for a summer job, print out Rights At Work – A Guide for Teens, so they will know their rights and be knowledgeable enough to demand a safe workplace.

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