Labor issues you care about in streaming video.

Spirit Aerosystems: A Conversation With IP Tom Buffenbarger
July 2, 2008 - IP Tom Buffenbarger discusses unique wage negotiations at Spirit Aerosystems.

Hawker Beechcraft: A Conversation With IP Tom Buffenbarger
July 2, 2008 - IP Tom Buffenbarger discusses the latest developments at Hawker Beechcraft.

IAM College Graduating Class of '08
July 2, 2008 - Last weekend 11 Machinists graduated from the National Labor College in Silver Spring, Maryland.

The GAO Says No!!!
June 26, 2008 -
A few months ago, the United States Air Force awarded a U.S. Military Contract to a foreign owned company. Machinists jumped on the issue and the government heard us loud and clear.

Around The Globe June 25, 2008 -
A historic event took place recently at the Winpisinger Center when 37 women from 25 different countries gathered to change the future.

An Agenda For Education
June 18, 2008 - According to recent polls, Americans want to see more training for middle class jobs but the government doesn't seem to be getting the message. The IAM is hoping to help change that.

To All Who Would Listen
June 4, 2008 - It's one thing to talk something and a whole other to take action. That's exactly why Machinists at this year's Legislative Conference took their issues to Capitol Hill, talking to all who would listen.

Mergers, Tankers and Fairness
June 2, 2008 - IAM Members from around the country gathered in Washington D.C. to let the politicians know they aren't going to be silent on the issues that matter most.

The Recession Question
May 28, 2008 - All around the country economists are trying to answer whether or not the United States is in a recession.

Off-Setting the Economy
May 8, 2008 - Owen Herrnstadt, Director of the IAM'S Trade and Globilization Department talks about the topic of offsets.

You Are Not Forgotten
April 29, 2008 - For twenty years the IAM has been observing Worker Memorial Day, honoring those men and women who gave the ultimate sacrafice to the job.

Equal Pay for Equal Work
April 29, 2008 - In a union, workers share the same contract and therefore, the same pay and benefits.

More Broken Merger Promises
April 29, 2008 - Last week the IAM's International President Tom Buffenbarger headed to Capitol Hill to tell Congress that the proposed merger between Northwest and Delta Airlines is going to do much more harm than good.

Delta and Northwest Merger
April 21, 2008 - Last week Northwest and Delta Airlines announced a merger. GVP, Robert Roach Jr. comments on the situation.

A New, New Deal
April 18, 2008 - Just blocks away from the Capitol, a group from the Roosevelt Institution gathered to talk about a new, new deal for the future.

The Sky Is The Limit
April 15, 2008 - For the past six years the IAM has shared a very unique relationship with the students at Aviation High School. Last week these students visited the Winpisinger Center.

Tankers Today, Fighters Tomorrow?
April 4, 2008 - Americans around the country are angry as they watch their jobs and livelihoods go overseas. Most recently, it was the award of a US Military contract to a foreign country. GVP Rich Michalski traveled to Pennsylvania to speak about this issue.

A 'Not So Mock' Negotiations
April 3, 2008 - Many in the labor movement say there's nothing more difficult than negotiating contracts. That's why the Winpisinger Center is arming Machinists with the tools needed to succeed at the bargaining table.

Violence In Colombia
March 20, 2008 - The words "Colombia" and "Labor" have almost become synonymous with the word "Violence". In fact, some labor leaders argue there's not a moment in the history of unions in Colombia untarnished by violence.

Linking Catholics With Organized Labor
March 20, 2008 - An independent group of labor activists share their religious perspectives on worker rights.

Homeless Vets Need Housing and Healthcare
March 14, 2008 - Some of our U.S. Veterans who once served this great country are homeless and Congress is taking action.

Defending America
March 14, 2008 - About a week ago, the United States Air Force awarded a $35 billion dollar defense contract to a European aircraft manufacturer called Airbus. The Machinists and their allies didn't take this news lightly.

Going Green
March 12, 2008 - Many in the labor movement say if you want to keep the USA strong, you need to bring back American manufacturing. Some say the way to do that is to go green.

The Skills Needed
March 10, 2008 - The IAM's America's Edge Campaign doesn't start and stop with the Machinists. The word is out and people are listening.

A 'No Win' Situation
February 29, 2008 - For years the Machinists Union has fought against airline mergers and with good reason. A merger doesn't just hurt employees but also the American public.

Looking At Transportation's Future
February 29, 2008 - The Winpisinger Center was the meeting place this month for the IAM's Transportation Principal Officers Conference.

Lockheed Martin Negotiations Begin
February 20, 2008 - Negotiations between the IAM and Lockheed Martin kicked off this weekend in Palm Springs, California.

The Battle of Valley Ford
February 12, 2008 - In January, America's midwest turns cold and windy. That becomes more obvious if you're spending January on strike like the workers in Hazelwood, Missouri.

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Machinists Fight Back in Wichita

In a well-timed and well-placed editorial, District 70 President Steve Rooney saluted generations of aerospace workers in Wichita, KS, who built everything from WW II bombers to the latest business jets.

Rooney’s editorial, titled ‘Don’t Sit Back and Let Aircraft Industry Leave,’ appeared in the July 4 edition of the Wichita Eagle, where he called on the community to resist a plan by Wichita-based Hawker Beechcraft to transfer increasingly large amounts of aircraft assembly work to a facility in Mexico, where workers would earn as little as $3 per hour.

“The aviation industry is the last great American industry in which we indisputably lead the world,” said Rooney. “The aircraft jobs in Wichita provide the ability to make a good living and raise a strong family. Aviation fuels a tax base that allows the city to be vibrant with good schools and services. In short, it makes Wichita a great city.”

The City of Wichita also deserves credit for its decades-long support of the aerospace industry, according to Rooney, including a research center at Wichita State University to the soon-to-be-built National Center for Aviation Training.

“There's no good reason for these companies to leave,” said Rooney. “The skills that build these airplanes are American, and much of the technology on which these companies rely was developed with government funding.”

In closing, Rooney sounded a battle cry that is as relevant today as it was in 1776: “Some would say there's nothing we can do. I disagree,” declared Rooney. “Americans are tired of the exodus of American industry, and we need to shake the rafters and demand that our legislators work to keep the aviation industry in America and in Wichita.”

IAM Jobs Saved at Quebec Turbine Plant

The 450 members of Local 1660 in Lachine, Quebec, are breathing easier following news this week that their plant, GE Hydro, has been purchased by Andritz Va Tech Hydro of Austria and Metso Incorporated of Finland.

“This is great news,” said, District 11 Business Representative Denis Longtin. “Things didn’t look good when GE Hydro announced last September that it would close this place. We never gave up hope and now these good-paying jobs have been saved.”

The facility had produced hydroelectric turbines for Hydro-Québec, China and California but GE felt it was no longer viable when Hydro-Québec decided to purchase its turbines in Brazil and Mexico. The facility located in suburban Montréal will now specialize in the manufacturing of crushers and crushing cylinders for the mining industry.

“We expect the new owners will give new energy to an old building,” added Longtin. “The new employers have told us that Metso will take care of the factory while Andritz will concentrate on research and development in the laboratory.”

Globalization Driving Wages Down Even In Mexico

More than 15 years after supporters of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) predicted a boatload of benefits for workers on both sides of the border, the hemispheric trade pact is fast becoming a global albatross for workers in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

While workers in the U.S. and Canada are continually subjected to downward pressures from China, competition from China is actually widening the wage gap between the U.S. and Canada with Mexico.

“Global corporations who turned their backs on U.S. and Canadian workers are now using China to cut even Mexico’s ridiculously low wages,” said IAM Trade and Globalization Director Owen Herrnstadt. At an assembly plant where workers build Ford Fiestas on the outskirts of Mexico City, wages were cut from $4.50 per hour to as little as $1.50 per hour to prevent work from being moved to China, where wages at a foreign-owned factory are as low as $2 per hour.

The squeeze on wages is reaching astounding levels. At a Volkswagen plant in the central city of Puebla, workers now face a seven-year progression to get to what used to be starting pay of $1.95 an hour.

“This is just one more example of why we need a new trade agenda—one that is based on fairness and that works for all of us,” said Herrnstadt.

Florida Local 2460 Member Named ‘Sister of the Month’

Debra Trotter has been an active member of Local 2460 in Pensacola, FL, for 31 years and has served on the Executive Board for the past ten years as Vice President and President. In addition, she’s held the office of Vice-President for the Florida State Council of Machinists.

A Maintenance Lubricator at Armstrong World Industries, Trotter is very proud of her lodge and her union sisters and brothers. Despite Florida’s “right-to-work” labor policies, their shop boasts a membership of 231 strong, with only 12 non-members in the plant.

Recently, they’ve felt the thrill of victory with a win on a major arbitration case.
Raised in a union family, Trotter displays her leadership style by trying to involve all the members and, “get them working together instead of against each other.”

To sisters thinking about getting involved, Sister Debra advises, “Stay strong. You will never please everyone, but the majority rules.” She adds that no one can do it alone. Her support has come from wonderful mentors, knowledgeable E-Board members and chairpersons, as well as an extremely supportive husband.

Congress Returns to Full Agenda

House and Senate lawmakers returned to work this week with a host of issues to address before Congress breaks in August for the national party conventions. Issues lawmakers will look to address include Medicare cuts, the mortgage crisis and soaring gas prices.

The Senate is expected to vote for a second time on the ‘Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act,’ which would prevent a 10.6 percent cut in Medicare payments to doctors who care for the elderly. Despite a veto threat from the Bush administration, the bill overwhelmingly passed the House, before falling just one vote short of the 60 needed to pass the Senate.

“The Medicare doctors fix passed the House by a stunning 355-59 vote,” said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV). “Yet Senate Republican leaders blocked the Medicare fix – and chose to protect health insurance companies at the expense of elderly patients and their doctors.”

The Senate is also expected to vote this week on housing legislation aimed at saving hundreds of thousands of homeowners from foreclosure. If the legislation passes the Senate, it would then have to be reconciled with the House version before going to the White House. Democrats and Republicans are also expected to battle over reducing gas prices and a second economic relief package in the coming weeks.

Portland Goes to the Dogs

Nearly seventy-five riders and passengers turned out for the Second Annual Guide Dog Dash sponsored by Local 63 in Portland, OR. The event, a poker-run style ride into the countryside outside of the city, raised over $3,200 for Guide Dogs of America.

Members of Local 63 and their families - unable to resist the sound of IAM-made Harleys - volunteered their time at the District 24 union hall, where the ride began and ended. Volunteers also manned the stations along the route: the Carver Hangar, Fearless Brew Pub and the Horseshoe Bar & Grill.

A barbeque followed the run, along with a raffle, awards and visits with GDA volunteers and their guide dogs in training. Participants and volunteers also received a custom-designed event t-shirt. For more information on Guide Dogs of America, visit www.guidedogsofamerica.org.

Millions of Retirees Still Eligible for IRS Checks

More than 5 million retirees and disabled veterans may still be eligible to receive stimulus checks from the Internal Revenue Service.

In order to issue a stimulus check, the IRS must have an individual’s 2007 income tax return. However, roughly 20 million retirees and disabled veterans do not normally file tax returns because their benefits are not taxable.

While the IRS has successfully contacted 74 percent of this group, that still leaves 5.2 million individuals who could be eligible for a stimulus check. The IRS will send out information later this summer with information on stimulus payment eligibility and how to claim it.

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2007 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
Summer 2008

What kind of union do we want to be? That's the question delegates at the upcoming Grand Lodge Convention in Orlando, FL, will have to answer when the discussion turns to the IAM's 32-year-old dues structure.

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.

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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

Read the International Metalworkers' Federation magazine 'Metal World'

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