Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Labor issues you care about in streaming video.

IAMpodcast

Thousands Rally for Employee Free Choice Act
June 21, 2007 - Every twenty three minutes a worker is fired or punished for supporting a union.  That is why thousands rallied in Washington this week to demand the passage of the Employee Free Choice Act.

Saving Energy
June 14, 2007 - How much is your electric bill each month?  What do you pay to fill up your car?  Will your kids have to stop global warming?  Americans are asking both big and small questions about energy and its future.

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.

Media Library
IAMpodcast

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

IAM Wins Election for 1,800 in Long Beach, CA

A campaign meeting for Long Beach, CA, Office and Technical city employees displayed the team effort by volunteers and staff from the Western Territory; District Lodges 947, 725 and 190; and the Long Beach city employees who worked together to win 1,800 new IAM members.

In a major organizing win, Office and Technical Workers from the City of Long Beach, CA, voted by a more than two-to-one margin to join the IAM. The 1,800 new members join four other groups in the city: Professional; Protection; Refuse and Skilled and General units to bring the total number of IAM-represented city workers in Local 1930 to nearly 4,000.

Key to the victory was the example set by previous IAM drives among the Long Beach workers, especially the Professional group’s win last year. “When we showed the Office and Technical group that others, such as the Professional group, saw immediate improvements in their wages, work standards, training opportunities and fairness on the job, they understood right away the value of joining the IAM,” said Western Territory GLR Joel Ochoa, who led the organizing drive.

Getting the word out to 1,800 workers spread out across the city was a daunting job that required an army of volunteers and staff. “We reached out to the Office and Technical unit, the Long Beach units, District Lodges 947, 725 and 190 and the Western Territory office,” said GLR and Western Territory Organizing Leader Steve Cooper. “We trained the volunteers on the approach for the campaign, gave them talking points and the locations of the Office and Technical employees who work all over the city in groups ranging from just a few to more than one hundred.”

The vote came just as the other Long Beach City workers are about to begin negotiations. The win gives all five groups a tremendous boost in bargaining power. “This was a total team effort,” said Western Territory GVP Lee Pearson. “The Office and Technical Workers saw that the IAM is the union of choice for working families. Now we will start negotiations for all five units and we are 4,000 strong. We will deliver a good contract.”

GOP Senators Filibuster Employee Free Choice Act

A majority of Senators voted in favor of the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) today, but the vote was nine votes short of the 60-vote requirement to break a filibuster of the bill by a handful of obstructionist Senators. In a normal vote, the 51-48 margin would pass the bill. But under Senate rules, 60 Senators must vote for “cloture” to end debate if a few Senators elect to “filibuster,” or keep debate open on the bill.

EFCA has gotten farther than ever under the Democratic majority in Congress. The House passed its version and there were enough votes in the Senate for passage if there were no filibuster.

The Employee Free Choice Act (S.1041) would have leveled the playing field in the workplace by allowing workers to decide to join a union without employer interference and require arbitration if a timely agreement is not reached on a first contract.

The AFL-CIO and its affiliates mounted an intense grassroots campaign that generated nationwide rallies, 50,000 telephone calls, 156,000 faxes and 220,000 postcards to the Senate in support of EFCA.

“In (the) 2006 (election), the middle class spoke up. They understand they have not shared in the wealth that’s been produced,” said Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH).

“It’s clear the majority of the American people want this legislation. A majority of the House wants it. A majority of the Senate wants it. And we will keep coming back year after year.”

Appeals Court Rules for IAM in U-Haul Case

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled late last week in favor of the IAM in the long-running legal battle to force U-Haul Co. of Nevada to recognize the results of a 2003 representational election and to begin bargaining a contract for U-Haul vehicle repair workers. The workers at U-Haul voted nearly 2-1 for IAM representation in May 2003.

In a strongly worded decision, the appeals court upheld an earlier National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruling that ordered U-Haul to recognize and bargain with Local 845 on behalf of repair workers at the company’s facility in Las Vegas. The court also rejected claims by U-Haul that a union observer engaged in improper electioneering by smiling at voters as they arrived to cast ballots in the election.

“The poorly enforced NLRB procedures that allow a company like U-Haul to thwart the outcome of a legal election for years is a prime example of how this politically rigged system favors employers and fails workers,” said IP Tom Buffenbarger. “If it takes a clean sweep of the political appointees at federal agencies like the NLRB to give workers the rights they’re entitled to, then we should demand nothing less. The labor movement in the country has been held hostage long enough.”

800 Army Workers in PA Win First IAM Contract

IAM Members employed by Defense Support Services, LLC (DS 2) at the Tobyhanna Army Depot in Tobyhanna, PA voted overwhelmingly this week to ratify their first collective bargaining agreement.

The nearly 800 members are employed under the Service Contract Act, which provides significant opportunities for union members employed by Federal contractors who furnish services to Federal agencies.

“This is a very good first contract with gains in several areas,” said District 1 DBR Danny Chmelko. “None of the accomplishments would have been possible without Organizer Gary Anthony. The organizing and negotiating committees helped lead this process from the beginning of the organizing drive through the successful conclusion of the negotiations. They did a great job.”

The negotiating committee cut the employee contribution portion for the health care plan in half. The accord also contains wage increases of 4 percent, 3.5 percent and 3.5 percent respectively over the three-year agreement.

“These new members recognized the IAM’s experience representing Service Contract employees,” said Eastern Territory GVP Lynn D. Tucker, Jr. “The proof is in the results. Cutting the cost of health care contributions in half at a time when the national trend is on the rise is no small accomplishment.”

IAM Legal Dept. Issues Security Clearance Guidelines

The increased attention to security since September 11, 2001 impacts nearly every aspect of our daily lives, from long lines at airport checkpoints to personal phone calls and library records being subject to surveillance. Government employees and contractors, however, face added scrutiny if they are required to obtain security clearances as a condition of their employment.

An extremely thorough background check of an individual’s financial and personal affairs can sometimes cause a long forgotten error in judgment or youthful indiscretion to resurface, with potentially serious consequences. The number of government employees facing security clearance-related problems, including discharge from a long-held position, has increased dramatically since 9/11.

The IAM Legal Department has assembled guidelines for government and government contract employees who are required to obtain and maintain security clearances from the U.S. Department of Defense. Available to authorized IAM representatives on VLodge, the guidelines detail how an employee can protect their security clearance and how representatives can best assist members with security-related problems.

While procedures and requirements may vary from one government agency to another, the key points for employees to remember are (1) be completely honest and forthright on their application and at any interviews; (2) identify any potential problems as early in the process as possible and take immediate steps to “mitigate” any problems identified; and (3) follow all appeal procedures and comply with all deadlines.

The guidelines start with a brief discussion of types of security problems that most frequently arise, followed by a discussion of the procedure, with a particular focus on those parts of the process where an employee is most likely to improve his or her chances of obtaining and protecting his or her security clearance.

In addition to making the guidelines available to IAM representatives, the IAM will also be developing a special course on the subject of security clearances to be taught at the WWW Center at Placid Harbor.

Pension Ruling at DOE a Victory for Workers

In a major victory that highlights the value of a politically involved labor movement and a Congress that is sensitive to workers’ issues, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced it is suspending an effort promoted by the Bush administration that would jeopardize pension plans and medical benefits for thousands of government workers.

Under the proposed policy change, DOE would have no longer reimbursed contractors for costs associated with providing traditional defined benefit pensions to new employees. The suspended DOE policy would also have required contractors to replace traditional pension plans for new workers with 401(k)-style plans, making workers responsible for investing contributions and providing no guaranteed benefit in retirement. Medical benefits also would have been switched to a so-called “market-based” program.

“This shows what we as union members can accomplish if we work together. Our efforts reinforced the initiatives of the IAM staff, district representatives and our brothers and sisters in other unions across the country to push back DOE’s attack on workers benefits,” said E.W. Seals, President of Local 480 in Oak Ridge, TN. “I'd like to personally thank our members for contacting their congressional delegation in an effort to stop this attack on our members’ benefits and the benefits of workers across the country.” 

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.



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