Labor issues you care about in streaming video.

Fresh Faces on the Hill: Congresswoman Laura Richardson
September 21, 2007 - IAM member Laura Richardson is the newest additon to Capitol Hill, representing California's 37th District.

Something About A Harley
September 17, 2007 - Machinists never say no to the Guide Dogs and most members won't turn down a Harley ride either. For the IAM, Hogs and Dogs just works.

Protecting Programs That Work
September 14, 2007 - The Alliance for Retired Americans is a substantial voice for senior issues and one that may impact the next presidential race.

Congress's Machinist
September 11, 2007 - The IAM has always had some friends on Capitol Hill. But until now, they never had one of their own. On September 4th, Laura Richardson became the first Machinist in Congress.

IAM's Seal of Approval
September 10, 2007 - At the 2007 National Staff Conference held just weeks ago, the IAM endorsed two presidential candidates...Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Mike Huckabee.

Hot Days At NASA September 7, 2007 - Since June 14, 2007 nearly 500 members from IAM's Local Lodge 2061 have been on strike at the Kennedy Space Center. The place that once helped to launch a man on the moon, can't seem to put a fair contract on the table.

Conversations with the Candidates
Hear what the candidates have to say about jobs, globalization, healthcare and the other domestic issues that matter most to you.

Labor Day 2007
August 27, 2007 - For the IAM, Labor Day is a very important date. Not only does it celebrate American workers, but it's a holiday founded by a Machinist.

A Solution to Health Care
August 23, 2007 - It's almost impossible to talk about good jobs and wages without mentioning health care. That's why everywhere you look, someone is trying to come up with a solution.

The Next President...
August 22, 2007 - For the first time in its history, the IAM is making a dual endorsement for candidates in the 2008 presidential primaries. International President Tom Buffenbarger comments.

Will Bush Deny Millions of Children Health Insurance?
August 21, 2007 - You can now add America’s children to the list of potential victims of the Bush administration.

China Threatening to Sell Off U.S. Reserves
August 20, 2007 - For years, the Bush administration and Congress have stood by idly while China’s currency manipulation and unfair trade practices have led to massive jobs loss and a record $230 billion trade deficit.

Blogosphere
August 10, 2007 - The world wide web has changed our lives. First it was email, then came search engines like Google and Wikipedia. Today it's the blogs that are taking the net by storm.

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.

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Machinists Support UAW Strikers at General Motors

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) joins with all of organized labor in supporting the United Auto Workers (UAW) strike against General Motors. “Their fight is our fight,” said IAM International President Tom Buffenbarger.

“Job security is a paramount issue for all American workers. We simply cannot continue to ship our jobs and our children’s future overseas,” added Buffenbarger. “As new cars, trucks and automotive parts come on line in the years ahead, those jobs need to stay here in the United States. They need to be union jobs.

“We will support this strike because these are jobs worth fighting for. Saving American manufacturing jobs is a fight no one can back away from,” said Buffenbarger.

IAM Backs New Bankruptcy Legislation

IAM Representatives traveled to Capitol Hill in support of new legislation to protect workers' rights at companies in bankruptcy. Left to Right: AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Rich Trumka, Local 1759 Trustee Diane Dizak-Jones, District 141 Vice President Rich Pascarella, Transportation GVP Robert Roach. Jr., Local 1759 Trustee Billy Hoover and Local 1759 Grievance Committee Secretary David Davis.

The IAM joined with key lawmakers, the AFL-CIO and other unions at the U.S. Capitol to support the Protecting Employees and Retirees in Business Bankruptcies Act of 2007.

“Our airline members have endured tremendous hardships because of the unfair advantage enjoyed by companies in bankruptcy,” said Transportation GVP Robert Roach, Jr. “This legislation will ensure labor contract issues, including pensions, will remain a matter of collective bargaining, even when a company is in bankruptcy.”

The legislation is being introduced by U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-MI), U.S. Senate Assistant Majority Leader Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA), Chair of Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Current bankruptcy laws were used to extract $8.5 billion from IAM members in the airline industry since 2001.

“While workers made the sacrifices, the airline executives responsible for the bankruptcies rewarded themselves with multi-million dollar bonuses,” said Roach. “Bankruptcy cannot be used as a tool to destroy workers’ lives and stuff executives’ pockets.”

FAA Bill Opens Doors for FedEx Workers

The U.S. House of Representatives last week voted 267-151 to approve the massive $68 billion bill to finance Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) operations over the next four years. The FAA reauthorization bill (HR 2881) also contains language championed by the IAM that would dramatically increase the opportunity for FedEx workers to organize a union.

The “Express Carrier Employee Protection” language in the House legislation would allow FedEx workers to organize under National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) guidelines, rather than the Railway Labor Act (RLA), which prevents local organizing efforts. For more than a decade, nearly all FedEx workers have been classified as aviation employees, regardless of what work they do for the package delivery giant.

“This legislation is the result of years of work and a major step forward in our fight to give FedEx workers the right to organize,” said IP Tom Buffenbarger. “It will also level the playing field among the large package delivery companies and eliminate the unfair advantage FedEx has enjoyed for so long.”

The next battle will come as the legislation moves to the Senate, where anti-union forces are certain to oppose any restoration of collective bargaining rights for FedEx employees. “Now is the time to let Senators know how you feel about special favors for large corporations at the expense of workers whose rights have been denied for too long,” said Buffenbarger.

Click here to urge your Senators to insist the “Express Carrier Employee Protection” language is contained in the Senate version of the FAA legislation.

Kentucky Machinists Raise $16,500 for GDA

Pictured Left to Right: Southern Territory GVP Bob Martinez, Headquarters GVP Rich Michalski, District 154 DBR and Kentucky State Council President Benny Adair, General Secretary-Treasurer Warren Mart, International President Tom Buffenbarger and fundraiser sponsor Weldon Granger.

A pair of fundraisers netted more than $16,000 for Guide Dogs of America (GDA) during the recent three-day meeting of the Kentucky State Council of Machinists at District 154 in Calvert City, Kentucky. IP Tom Buffenbarger, GST Warren Mart, Headquarters GVP Rich Michalski and Southern Territory GVP Bob Martinez joined with dozens of IAM members for a skeet shoot and golf scramble to benefit the Sylmar, CA-based GDA, which trains and provides guide dogs, free of charge, to blind and visually impaired men and women in the United States and Canada.

Delegates at the meeting also heard from IAM Assistant Legislative & Political Director Rick de la Fuente, who urged support for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Steve Beshear, who is seeking to unseat GOP governor Ernie Fletcher. Often called the most anti-union governor in the state’s history, Fletcher eliminated collective bargaining rights for thousands of Kentucky state workers and promoted “right to work” (for less) legislation in Kentucky.

Ortis Named to Lead Florida League of Cities

Pembroke Pines Mayor and retired IAM member Frank Ortis is sworn in as president of the Florida League of Cities.

Pembroke Pines Mayor and retired IAM member Frank Ortis began a one-year term as president of the Florida League of Cities (FLC) recently. Established to serve the needs of Florida’s municipal officials, the league is the official organization of the 412 municipal governments in Florida.

As mayor of Pembroke Pines, Ortis leads the second largest city in Broward County and the ninth largest municipality in Florida. Pembroke Pines was designated an All America City by the National Civic League, and Ortis was named the 2006 Mayor of the Year by the FLC Cities of Excellence Awards program last November.

Mayor Ortis has been very active with the FLC, serving on many committees and on the board of directors. He has served on the League’s Federal Action Strike Team—a select group of municipal officials that advocate city issues at the federal level – the Florida Municipal Insurance Trust and the Florida Municipal Investment Trust. He is also a past president of the Broward County League of Cities.

Do Insurance Companies Make You Sick?

As the House and Senate debate whether to end large taxpayer subsidies to private insurance companies who run Medicare Advantage plans, a recent article in the Washington Post underscores the tremendous power of the health insurance lobby on Capitol Hill.

On August 1, the House voted to strip $50 billion over five years out of Medicare Advantage, a program in which every person in traditional Medicare pays an additional $2 more per month in premiums to subsidize overpayment to health insurance companies.

However, after intense lobbying from the health insurance industry, the House might soon bow to the Senate and spare the program from any cuts.

Click here to visit the Alliance for Retired Americans and send a message to Congress telling them to stand up to the health insurance lobby and stop Medicare Advantage overpayments.

Past iMail | Your Email |www.goiam.org | Print Version

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
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.

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

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