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| Grand Lodge Representative Joe Greaser (left) and District 74 Directing Business Representative Larry Young (right) bookend NAS Norfolk workers who voted to join the IAM. |
The Southern Territory doubled down with a one-two organizing punch when 111 aircraft workers and mechanics at NAS Norfolk, VA joined the IAM just days after 210 workers at NAS Oceana voted overwhelmingly for the IAM. Both groups are employed by AECOM, a contractor on the southeast Virginia bases.
The IAM has been aggressively organizing in the South, especially Service Contract workers on military bases. The two Virginia wins comes while state Republicans are looking to add an anti-union right-to-work law to the state’s constitution.
“Workers today are fed up,” said IAM Southern Territory General Vice President Mark Blondin. “They are turning to the IAM, and we can negotiate contracts that raise their standard of living.”
Grand Lodge Representative Joe Greaser and District 74 Directing Business Representative Larry Young led the organizing efforts.
“We’ve had a lot of success in Virginia the last few years,” said Greaser. “We organized the IKEA facility, then Radiological Technicians at Huntington Ingalls, now the workers at AECOM. Workers in Virginia are turning to the Machinists Union for effective representation.”
“Our efforts are picking up speed across the South,” said Blondin. “Congratulations to the efforts of Brother Greaser and Brother Young, and their entire team. I want to welcome our newest members. We build on the wins with strong contracts, which means more wins. Everyone in our territory is saying it – just win baby!”
