Thursday, August 9, 2007

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Stealing Our Steel
August 09, 2007 - All of nearly two-thousand IAM members who work for AK Steel in Middletown, Ohio want to see their jobs stay put.  That's why Local Lodge President Dan Lawwill traveled to Washington to make sure the U.S. continues to be a leader in the world of steel.

Transportation Makes It Happen
July 31, 2007 - The upcoming elections were at the top of the list at this year's Transportation Conference.

The Next Big Idea July 19, 2007 - Hundreds of young adults gathered in Washington, DC for Roosevelt Institute's 2nd Annual Policy Expo.

Protecting Our Protectors July 18, 2007 - It's been an uphill battle for twelve years, but this week it's over.  Now, public safety employees in all 50 states have finally been extended collective bargaining rights.

Trading Our Future July 13, 2007 - If you're in manufacturing, there's no doubt you've seen American jobs go overseas and probably wondered if your position is next to go.

Bringing Back the Jobs July 3, 2007 - For most, having a good job is the way to achieve the American dream.  It's how families gain not just wages, but also security.  Unfortunately, today's climate of depressed wages and outsourcing is leading many to give up on what was once in their grasp.

National Press Club Welcomes Lou Dobbs July 3, 2007 - For decades Lou Dobbs has been a force in the news business.  In a recent speech at the D.C. Press Club, he focused on immigration and why for the first time in history, most middle class parents don't believe their children will have it better than they did.

Wal-Mart's Dealings With China Driving Job Loss June 29, 2007 - Just how devastating has Wal-Mart’s exploitation of cheap labor in China been?  Since China’s entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001, the corporate giant’s trade deficit with China has cost the U.S. nearly 200,000 jobs.

Outsourcing Security In the Air June 28, 2007 - According to the Department of Transportation, a decade ago, airlines outsourced about 10% of their maintenance work.  Today, more than 60% of aircraft repairs is sent overseas.  Some say this is a huge security risk, with no accountability.

With Honors
June 27, 2007 - Last week a group of Machinists from all walks of life fulfilled a life long dream of graduating from college

Fluctuating Gas Prices
June 28, 2007 - For the second straight summer Americans have been faced with steep gas prices at the pump.

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.

Senate Takes Up Manufacturing June 8, 2007 - Union leaders, small business owners, corporate CEO's...this is just a partical list of those who gathered to talk about America's Manufacturing Sector and try to to come up with ways to bring back this industry that once ruled the world.

IAM Voices on the Hill June 8, 2007 - No one knows the issues of workers better than the workers themselves.  That's why it's so important for members of organized labor to take their voices to the hill.

On the Machinists Tour
June 6, 2007 - In the last few weeks, the IAM has seen and heard a lot from quite a few of those vying for the democratic presidential nomination.  Take a look at some of the highlights from these Machinists events.

Ralph Fasanella: A Painter of Working Class People
June 4, 2007 - Whether it’s a strike or factory floor, former union organizer Ralph Fasanella devoted his life to painting working men and women.

To Tell The Truth
June 1, 2007 - IAM delegates gathered in Baltimore for this year's Communications Conference.

Obama Talks Politics at CBTU
May 31, 2007 - More than 1,000 people, including Machinists, gathered in Chicago for the 36th Annual Coalition of Black Trade Unionists Convention.  

Tom Buffenbarger: 2007 Day of Action Speech
May 31, 2007 - International President, Tom Buffenbarger addresses thousands at this years Day of Action rally in Washington, D.C.

IAM's Suit Against OPEC
May 29, 2007 -  In 1978, the IAM, led by International President William Winpisinger, filed a lawsuit charging OPEC with price fixing.

'07 On the Hill
May 25, 2007 - Before the 2006 Elections, the Machinists took their message to the people.  Passing out leaflets, phonebanking, knocking on doors, whatever it took to bring some new faces to Congress.  The end result, a tally in the win column for workers.

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.

 

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Candidates Catch a Union Wave in Chicago

A lineup of seven Democratic presidential candidates took turns touting their union credentials before a boisterous crowd of more than 15,000 union members and their families this week at the AFL-CIO Presidential Forum in Chicago, IL.

Moderated by MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann, the forum included New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich.

The real stars of the event, however, were the union members themselves who challenged the candidates with tough questions on trade, jobs, health care and pensions.

There was Steve Sarka, a retired steelworker who asked the candidates what they would do for families like his who could no longer afford health insurance after his pension was wiped out in a bankruptcy proceeding. “What’s wrong with America and what will you do to change it?” asked an emotional Sarka.

Former IAM member and Army veteran Jim McGovern, who returned from a year in Iraq to find his job at Maytag had been shipped to Mexico, wanted to know what the candidates would do for veterans facing the same problem. “What will you do to keep manufacturing jobs like mine from leaving the country?” asked McGovern.

Additional questions came from workers seeking to organize a union and wanted to know if candidates would support the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). The entire debate can be viewed online at MSNBC.com . A full transcript is available here.

 

IAM Poll Weighs Presidential Preference

Hundreds of IAM members have already visited GOIAM.org  to vote for the presidential candidate they would like to see win their party’s nomination. The online poll comes less than a month ahead of the IAM’s “Conversations with the Candidates,” in which both Democratic and Republican presidential candidates will appear before nearly 600 IAM leaders at the IAM National Staff Conference in Orlando, FL.

The candidate conversations, coupled with the new poll on GOIAM.org, will help guide the IAM leadership as they move forward in making an historic dual-endorsement in the primaries.

The IAM will make its customary recommendation for U.S. President and Vice President following input from elected delegates at the IAM Convention in September 2008.

To vote for a Democratic candidate click here and to vote for a Republican candidate click here.

 

District 166 DBR Walker Named to Space Commission

District 166 Directing Business Representative Johnny Walker has been re-appointed to the Space Florida commission by Florida’s Republican Governor Charlie Crist.

Space Florida is the public-private partnership responsible for promoting and developing Florida’s aerospace industry. Space Florida was created by the Florida legislature to sustain Florida’s position as the global space leader. As declared in its mission statement, Space Florida drives state economic development across the global aerospace enterprise.

“Congratulations to Brother Walker,” said Southern Territory GVP Bob Martinez. “Florida will be undergoing a transformation in the space business in the coming decades, and it’s important for the highly-skilled space workers in Florida to have a voice and opportunities in the changes occurring.”

“It is crucial that the IAM, the preeminent aerospace union in North America, has a seat at the table in preparing for the future of the space industry in Florida,” continued Martinez. “Brother Walker has the leadership and knowledge that is key to continuing our leadership in the space sector.”

 

House Strips Funding for Unfair NSPS

Department of Defense (DoD) workers scored a huge victory when the House approved an amendment that would strip funding for key parts of the anti-worker National Security Personnel System (NSPS).

NSPS rules, which the Bush administration and Congress authorized in the aftermath of 9-11, drastically reduces federal worker protections, guts the current pay system and virtually eliminates collective bargaining and union rights for DoD employees.

After an appeals court in May overturned a district court decision that struck down the labor relations portion of the NSPS, the IAM joined a coalition of federal labor unions seeking a rehearing before the U.S. Court of Appeals.

The House amendment, which was added to the 2008 defense appropriations bill, passed without objection by a voice vote. The Senate has yet to write its defense appropriations bill.

“This is a great win for federal employees,” said IAM Government Employees Director Frank Carelli. “Our members did a great job keeping the pressure on Congress to stop this unfair system. Now we have to keep up the pressure in the Senate.”

Click here to send a message to Congress to repeat the unfair NSPS system.

 

New Trade Deals Threaten Food Safety

As the Bush administration presses Congress to approve a flurry of trade agreements it has recently negotiated, a new report from Global Trade Watch says passage of the deals would further threaten the safety of the U.S. food supply.

The report, Trade Deficit in Food Safety; Proposed NAFTA Expansions Replicate Limits on U.S. Food Safety Policy That Are Contributing to Unsafe Food Imports states: “Passage of the pending FTAs would elevate, not lessen, the threat to the safety of the U.S. food supply.”

Global Trade Watch points specifically to seafood imported from Peru, Panama and Columbia as a top concern. The countries are already three of the world’s top exporters of shrimp and the agreements the Bush administration has negotiated would likely further increase imports.

More than 80 percent of the seafood Americans eat is imported, and in 2006, the Food and Drug Administration inspected only 1.93 percent of those imports, according to the report.

“NAFTA failed, CAFTA failed, and Peru and Panama – as written – are just more of the same," said Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) in a statement regarding the study. "With a string of contaminated products from China flooding our markets, ensuring food and product safety standards in trade agreements is not an option; it is an imperative. This report underscores the importance of a new direction for trade policy.”

 

Local 778 Hosts First ‘Ride for the Guide'


Local 778 "Ride for the Guide" volunteers stand behind IAM Pro-Street bike. L to R front: Local 778 President Leo Berroteran, J.R. Rogers, Don Stella, Local 778 BR Mike Roepke. Back: Don Long, Howard Brown, Duane Adams, Ed Tervol, Elmer Becker.

Local 778 in Kansas City, MO, began a new tradition by hosting their First Annual Ride for the Guide, a charity motorcycle run to raise money for Guide Dogs of America (GDA).

“This is our first ride,” said Local 778 Organizer Howard Brown, who was the force behind the event - coordinating volunteers and sponsors. “They will be bigger and better in the years to come.”

For a first-time effort, however, the event was a great success. The ride started at the Blue Springs Harley-Davidson, continued on a scenic course to Lake Perry, and ended up at the Local 778 Union Hall where riders enjoyed food, entertainment and prizes.

“I would like to thank everyone who assisted to make our Guide Dogs of America run a real success,” said Local 778 Business Rep and event coordinator Mike Roepke. “It was a hot and muggy day for the ride and when we returned to the [union] hall, it made all of the riders so proud to see such a great setup and reception... a truly inspiring moment for us riders that will never be forgotten!”

 

L3 Vertex Workers in Florida Vote IAM


Four workers from L3 Vertex T-1A show their union support after winning IAM representation on August 7.

After three previous organizing attempts, the 18 employees of L3 Vertex T-1A Maintenance at Naval Air Station in Pensacola, FL, voted on August 7, 2007 for IAM representation.

“The Vertex employees decided that it was time they started receiving benefits like the IAM members located in the hangar next to them,” said Southern Territory Organizer Carlos San Miguel. “IAM members of Local 2777 had better benefits, including medical coverage, retirement pensions, wages, work rules and company policies.” The new members will become part of District 75.

 

 


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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
Summer 2007


ENOUGH! More than 5,000 union members packed the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to stop the attacks on working families in the largest labor rally since 1991.


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.


Union Plus
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