Labor issues you care about in streaming video.

Pushing State Politics
October 11, 2007 - The Northern Virginia CLC canvassed the community last weekend in support of Chap Peterson for State Senate.

A New World Order
October 5, 2007 - Globalization is something organized labor has been talking about for years. But nowadays, the issue seems to seep into conversations around the world, no matter your economic status and many are starting to notice its' dramatic effects.

Financing the Future
October 2, 2007 - House Majority Leader, Steny Hoyer, doesn't paint a promising picture of the country's long term fiscal growth if nothing changes.

A Call To Duty
September 28, 2007 - National Service or working for a non-profit organization may not be something you think of as a job option. But some people are starting to look at it as a key for developing future leaders.

Sharing Bankruptcy Backlash
September 27, 2007 - Unfortunately, most workers know the hardships of corporate bankruptcy. That's why Congress is trying to pass a new bankruptcy bill to protect the men and women who helped build the organization.

Uninsured America
September 26, 2007 - Families USA, a national non-profit voice for health care, just came out with startling statistics about uninsured Americans. According to their data, the health insurance issue in the U.S. is worse than it looks.

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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Showdown Looms on Bush SCHIP Veto

House lawmakers will vote October 18 on whether or not to override President Bush’s veto of legislation to increase funding for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) by $35 billion over five years.

The highly popular program is currently being funded by a stop-gap bill in effect through mid-November and provides 6.6 million children of low and middle income families with health insurance. Additional funding passed by the House and Senate would provide an additional four million children with health care.

“The President said ‘no’ to bipartisan legislation that would have extended health care to 10 million American children for the next five years,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said in a statement. “The President said ‘no’ to giving assurances to America’s working families that if they work hard and play by the rules, then we are their partners in raising the next generation of Americans and investing in their future.”
While there’s a veto-proof majority in the Senate, House Democratic leaders have been working to secure the additional 20 votes needed to override Bush’s veto.

Contact your Congressional Representative and urge them to vote for the override of President Bush’s veto by dialing 1-866-544-7573.

IAM Women’s Conference, CLUW Convention Conclude

Delegates to IAM Women’s Conference also attended CLUW Convention. Conf. speakers included IP Tom Buffenbarger, Western GVP Lee Pearson, HQs GVP Rich Michalski, Women’s Director Cheryl Eastburn, GLR Heather Kelley, Executive Assistant Diane Babineaux, General Counsel Allison Beck, Human Rights Director Charlotte Sund, Community Services & Retirees Director Maria Cordone and Organizing Director Larry Washam.

The IAM Women’s Conference and the Coalition of Labor Union Women’s (CLUW) 14th Biennial Convention were held back-to-back last week in Las Vegas, NV.

First up was the IAM Women’s Conference, where nearly 150 members gathered from across North America. Guided by the theme, “Machinists Women – Visions and Values in the Pursuit of Victories,” organizing and growing the IAM was at the heart of every speaker’s presentation or report, including a rousing keynote address by International President Tom Buffenbarger.

“Joining the union is key to empowering women and restoring the middle class,” said Women’s Department Director Cheryl Eastburn. “Too many working women and their families are living in poverty, but we can help change that.” GLR Heather Kelley, who heads up women’s activities for the IAM in Canada, added “We know the benefits of a union contract. It’s up to us to educate, motivate and organize.”

The IAM delegation then joined nearly 800 other activists from around the labor movement for the CLUW Convention. CLUW President Marsha Zakowski reminded delegates that women are the fastest growing part of the union. In mobilizing around the convention theme, “A New Direction for Women,” delegates discussed strategies for channeling their political strength to create change in the 2008 elections.

Local 1486 Stands Out at UPS Car Show

Local 1486 member Joe Brame, right, and District 4 Business Rep. Lonnie Vick, left, helped staff the IAM booth at the UPS Auto Show that drew thousands of car enthusiasts.

Auto shows are a natural audience for automotive and truck technicians and Local 1486 members in the metropolitan Washington, DC area made their annual appearance at the United Parcel Service Auto Show in Laurel, MD. The show attracts more than 2,000 car exhibitors and even more visitors. Each year, UPS turns over their sprawling facility to car enthusiasts to help raise money for United Way charities.

Local 1486 member Joe Brame was joined by fellow member Paul Kelly, who shows his IAM-customized Harley-Davidsons, District 4 Business Rep. Lonnie Vick and other Local 1486 members who manned an information booth stocked with IAM literature. Local 1486 represents metro-area UPS truck technicians who maintain the fleet of familiar ‘Big Brown’ trucks.

“We look forward each year to meeting many of the thousands of people who attend the auto show,” said Brame. “We can spread the word about IAM membership and get more shops in the area organized.”

Click here for photos from the auto show.

Pro-Business Bias Taints NLRB Rulings

In a ruling that emboldens anti-union employers and further narrows workers’ rights, the Republican-dominated National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) voted to permit a minority of employees to petition for a decertification election within 45 days of one being formed through a majority sign-up or “card check” process. Newly unionized workers previously had six months to negotiate a contract before a minority in the bargaining unit could challenge the representational status of the new union.

In a dissenting opinion, minority NLRB members Wilma Liebman and Dennis Walsh said the decision, “undercuts the process of voluntary recognition as a legitimate mechanism for implementing employee free choice and promoting the practice of collective bargaining.”

With the terms of three of the five NLRB members set to expire soon, the decision was another in a series of hurried rulings along party lines that favor management rights over workers’ rights. The NLRB recently issued a ruling limiting the amount of back pay an employer owed to a fired worker and overturned an established precedent that permitted unions to challenge the permanent status of replacement workers.

Vermont Valve Workers Win New Deal

One hundred and twenty IAM members of Local 2704 at Velan Valve Corp. in Williston, VT, struck the company for three days last week over a company proposal that would have tripled members’ health insurance co-payment.

The walkout ended when members ratified a new company proposal, with lower health insurance co-pays and improved company contributions to the IAM Pension Plan for each year of the three-year contract.

“These workers know that we need to stand together, side by side, if we want to protect our health care benefits. And that is exactly what they did,” said Local 2704 President Mark Nadaeu, quoted in the Burlington Free Press. Nadeau also praised Velan Valve. “They understand to continue to make world-class quality valves in Vermont they need to meet the workers halfway,” said the union president. “That is what they did and that is why the contract was approved by the membership.”

Velan Valve Corp. makes industrial steel valves and has a dozen manufacturing plants throughout the world, including five in North America.

“The Local 2704 membership and the bargaining committee exhibited professionalism throughout the negotiations,” said District 65 Assistant Directing Business Representative David Lowell. “Their solidarity made all the difference.”

BIW to Build First Zumwalt DDG-1000 Destroyer

IAM members of Local S6, District 4 at Bath Iron Works (BIW) in Portland, ME welcomed news recently that their shipyard has been selected to build the Navy’s new Zumwalt-class of advanced destroyers. The flagship DDG-1000 is scheduled to begin fabrication sometime in 2008 with delivery expected in 2013.

“This is wonderful news for the skilled men and women of Bath Iron Works,” said Maine Sen. Susan Collins. It is a tribute to the dedication and skill of the BIW workers that the Navy has reversed its previous decision and is now providing the materials for the first DDG-1000 to BIW.”

The news comes just as BIW approaches the end of a shipbuilding era with construction of the Arleigh Burke destroyers winding down. Union members at BIW began work on the 62nd and final ship in that class earlier this year. Arleigh-Burke class destroyers have been the shipyard's mainstay since the early 1990s.

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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