Labor issues you care about in streaming video.

Video: Health Care Costs, Declining Wages Batter Working Families
OCTOBER 10, 2006 - As real wages continue to fall and health care costs spiral out of control, working families are struggling to stay afloat.

Video: 2007 Day of Action
OCTOBER 3, 2006 - From air and rail to auto and trucking, transportation is essential to our lives. But the industry has fallen on tough times over the last few years, leaving its workers unsure about the future.

Video: What Is Ford's Future?
SEPTEMBER 21, 2006 - On June 16, 1903, Henry Ford And eleven associates, with about $28,000 in cash started what would become a leader in the automotive world, Ford Motor Company. Fast forward a century later to find a very different picture. Today it’s a company struggling to stay afloat.

Video: DC Labor Film Fest
SEPTEMBER 21, 2006 - For the sixth year in a row, Washington DC hosted its annual Labor Film Fest. A compilation of long and short, big budget and documentary films looking at labor issues. Sponsored by groups like the Debs Jones Douglass Institute and the AFL-CIO, it's a way to bring attention to the working men and women of the world.

Video: Republican Gubernatorial Candiates Running 'Bait and Switch' Campaigns
SEPTEMBER 21, 2006 - Aware that they are out of line with the values of working Americans, many Republican gubernatorial candidates are falsely campaigning on highly selective but liberal sounding issues heading into the November elections.

Video: Record Highs For China
SEPTEMBER 15, 2006 - For the fourth month in a row, China's trade surplus with the United States hit a record high in August of more than $19.6 billion dollars. The U.S. is on track to have a $150 billion dollar trade deficit for 2006 with China, a fifty percent increase in just one year.

Video: A Century Old Celebration
SEPTEMBER 8, 2006 - As part of the IAM's 2006 Solidarity Tour, the group headed to Michigan where thousands crammed the streets of downtown Detroit to show their support for the men and women who created the middle class.

Video: A Labor Day To Remember In Ohio
SEPTEMBER 7, 2006 - Union leaders and thousands of union members rallied in Ohio this Labor Day weekend at the Lorain County Labor Day Picinic where they cheered on gubernatorial candidate Ted Strickland.

Video: Pennsylvania Has The Juice
SEPTEMBER 7, 2006 - Over Labor Day weekend the IAM along with other labor leaders traveled to Pennsylvania, Ohio, Detroit, Wisconsin and Connecticut to urge union members to get involved and vote in the upcoming midterm elections. The first stop was in Allentown, PA with Governor Ed Rendell.

Video: Kick Off To Labor Day
SEPTEMBER 6, 2006 - The IAM surveyed workers in five key states about the upcoming elections and revealed the results at a press conference last Friday in Washington, DC.

To view these videos you will need to download the free Windows Media Player 9

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Call to Action for November Elections

Volunteers from IAM Grand Lodge, IAM Local CE1 and other area unions staff phone banks to contact union members as part of the AFL-CIO Labor 2006 election effort.

With the critical midterm election less than two weeks away, IAM members have a chance to change the face of Congress and state capitols, if they show up to vote.

“This election will be decided by turnout. It’s simple, if you stay home on Election Day or don’t volunteer some time on union-sponsored Get-Out-The-Vote drives between now and November 7, it will be more of the same anti-worker policies for years to come,” said IP Tom Buffenbarger. “IAM officers and representatives at every level, everyone who has attended classes at the Winpisinger Center, stewards and regular members, should volunteer some time to educate our fellow members about candidates who will do the best job for working families and get our members to show up at the polls.”

Mid-term elections historically see a drop of almost 30 million voters, making voter turnout among union households even more important. “In these last few days, volunteer to phone bank, help pass out handbills or help visit union households. Just a small effort by a lot of people will make the difference,” said Buffenbarger.

To volunteer, contact your lodge or click here to find an AFL-CIO event in your area.

IAM Automotive Conference Wraps Up

IP Tom Buffenbarger opened the Automotive Conference in Phoenix, AZ and urged delegates to organize new members.

The 2006 IAM Automotive Conference wrapped up yesterday in Phoenix, AZ, with the nearly 70 delegates going home re-energized after three days of crafting strategy and programs to grow the IAM’s automotive membership.

“It’s all about organizing. It’s about being committed to grow and serve our membership,” said IP Tom Buffenbarger in opening remarks. “It’s about looking beyond traditional thinking as to who our membership is. It’s about doing the good things better, and doing away with the things that no longer work.”

“Automotive is one of the fastest growing segments of the IAM,” said Automotive Coordinator Boysen Anderson. “Our goal is to keep growing. This conference provides an opportunity for automotive reps to meet and exchange their experiences, to learn, and then take it all back home and put it to work to grow this great union.”

The final day of the conference was set aside for a roundtable discussion on “Organizing From the Ground Up” concerning the successes and challenges of organizing FedEx.

“How many more court rulings before FedEx gets it?” asked General Vice President Rich Michalski, who participated in the roundtable. “They may never get it. So we need to help them along.” Michalski urged delegates to get fully involved in the upcoming elections. “A large part of what’s happening at FedEx is their ‘it’s-all-about-the-profits’ mentality, and this GOP Congress has allowed it. That needs to stop. Congress should represent the interests of America’s working men and women, and not the interests of Corporate America,” said Michalski.

TCU Int’l Secretary-Treasurer Howard Randolph, Jr. to Retire

International Secretary-Treasurer (IST) Howard Randolph, Jr.,(pictured at left) announced he will retire at the end of this year after serving TCU and its members for 42 years. International Vice President (IVP) Daniel Biggs has been elected by TCU’s executive council to succeed Randolph.

IST Randolph, Randy as he is known, started out as a yard clerk for the New York Central in his hometown of Cleveland, OH in 1964 and has been dedicated to the principles of the labor movement ever since. From his early participation in Lodges 725 and 1097 to overseeing TCU’s legislative and political efforts as an IVP and then as IST, Randolph has always been dedicated to improving conditions in the workplace and in society.

Like his predecessor, Biggs (pictured at right) steps up to the post of IST following years of commitment to protecting the rights and needs of TCU members. Starting at Amtrak in San Francisco in 1975, Biggs currently serves as IVP overseeing the Social Services Department and the Manpower Training Department.

“I genuinely regret IST Randolph’s plans to retire,” said TCU International President Bob Scardelletti. “He has contributed so much and has also been a good friend. But he leaves TCU in good hands. Danny Biggs is a smart, dynamic and committed leader who inspires confidence and stands up for what he believes in.”

Labor Department to Outsource Jobs

The Labor Department’s plan to implement a public-private competition that could possibly outsource the jobs of 80 professional employees within the department is drawing harsh criticism from lawmakers Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT).

The two sent a letter on October 12 to the DOL’s Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management Patrick Pizzella protesting the move. The letter focuses on one of two notices from the DOL targeting jobs such as EEO specialist, social science supervisor and writer/editor.

"The competition includes important policy-making positions that are inappropriate for outsourcing, including developing draft policies and preparing draft comments on legislation, regulations, and testimonies of high-level officials,” said Kennedy and DeLauro. “We believe that putting these important duties in the hands of private contractors is irresponsible.”

New Accord for Local 2797 at Halifax Airport

Members of Local 2797 in Enfield, Nova Scotia have a new three-year collective bargaining agreement with Cara Foods at Halifax International Airport. The 70 members ratified the new agreement by a margin of 72 percent.

The agreement provides a wage increase totaling six percent. Other contract highlights include improvements in pension plan contributions, work wear provisions and eye exam benefits. “Our members operate the only flight kitchen in Halifax and following a summer of out-of-control overtime demands, they refused to buy into the company’s claim of not making any money,” said District 140 General Chairperson Ken Russell. “I give full marks to the local bargaining committee for hanging tough to get an agreement the membership is very happy with.

The members perform kitchen, delivery and warehouse duties for Cara Foods which provides in-flight meals for Air Canada and all other carriers operating out of Halifax Airport.”

Spaces Available for VL Membership Class

The IAM Information Systems Department reports that a few spaces are still available for the December 3-8, 2006 VL Membership (VLM) class at the Winpisinger Education and Technology Center, but you need to hurry! VLM is the IAM membership tracking and per capita reporting software, and this class is geared to those having that responsibility within their lodge.

Deadline for reservations is November 3. You can download a Participant Registration Form here, or contact IAM Compass Support at 301-967-4780.

Completed Registrations should be e-mailed to: compass-class@iamaw.org, or sent via FAX to 301-967-4584.

Maritime Machinists’ Council Elects New Executive Board

The Maritime Machinists Council elected their new executive board at their recent conference held in Moncton, New Brunswick October 13-15, 2006. From left to right,
Andy Byron, LL 1763, Trustee; Robert Mallet, LL 2797, Vice President for Nova Scotia; Grant Graham, LL 1763, Secretary Treasurer; David Reid, LL 2797, President; Donna Boudreau, LL 2418, Trustee; Pat Goodbran, LL 2797, Recording Secretary and Dick Maguire, LL 835,Vice President for New Brunswick. Absent from the photo were Rick Jenkins, LL 1934, Vice President for Prince Edward Island and Paul Goodet, LL 2797, Trustee.

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IAM Journal
Fall 2006

Gridlock in Washington, D.C. makes state capitols the place for innovative action working families care most about. Find out who has the JUICE in your state.

IAM members can now purchase union gear online at the IAM Store. Members can buy a variety of IAM related products such as t-shirts, jackets, jewelry and caps — all emblazoned with the IAM logo.

Get Ready for the Day of Action.
The Transportation Department is preparing for a major March and Rally on May 17, 2007, in Washington, DC. Thousands of working men and women from every state of the Union will join us on that day to say “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!”
For more information, visit 17may07.org

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.

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: IAM2006

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