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The IAM negotiates many contracts for its membership every year. Members often wonder what it takes to sit down at the bargaining table and negotiate a contract. For instance, negotiations often involve discussing and agreeing on issues such as wages, working conditions, benefits and more. These discussions can be intense and require a deep understanding of our members’ needs and concerns.
Recently, four IAM shop stewards were asked to join a negotiations team of more than 30 in Chicago to bargain with management for a new national IAM agreement with UPS.
IAM Local 701 Shop Steward Bernard Horbrook was one of the four stewards who attended the important contract negotiations.
“Negotiations certainly is a lot more detailed and intricate than most of us would know,” said Horbrook. “My presence being here certainly gave me a different outlook or how important it is for all to come together and to be able to negotiate something this comparable and better for all of us going forward.”
IAM Local 10 Shop Steward Travis Smith also participated during the session and is proud to represent his membership.
“I became a shop steward to help out my membership, my group and basically to be the change,” said Smith. “Participating in negotiations gives us the opportunity to influence decisions that directly affect our members, making our union stronger and more responsive to our needs.”
