Aerospace Department staff, from left, Aerospace Coordinators Ron Eldridge, Frank Santos, Dick Schneider, John Crowdis and Secretary Karen Peek.

Aerospace

After a difficult round of aerospace negotiations in 1995 and 1996, which resulted in a 69-day strike at Boeing and a 104-day strike at McDonnell-Douglas, the question facing the IAM was, “What could be done to best represent our members in this industry?”

Over a period of years, starting in the 1950’s with the adoption of an aerospace coordinating group and then again at the 1984 IAM Convention with the adoption of a resolution to tighten coordination in aerospace negotiations, our Union has moved towards a unified approach in dealing with the aerospace industry.

In the fall of 1997 IAM President Tom Buffenbarger took a bold step in response to the dramatic turmoil and industry consolidation underway at that time. At a meeting with the aerospace coordinating committee President Buffenbarger proposed the idea of creating an Aerospace Department based at Grand Lodge.

Designed to reflect changes in the industry, and with a lean and focused mission, the creation of the Aerospace Department found unanimous support from the Directing Business Representatives who make up the aerospace coordinating committee and by the delegates to the 1998 Aerospace Conference.

The IAM Aerospace Department exists for one reason: to build workers power. We are continuing to battle for jobs, security and prosperity in an industry valued at 138.4 billion dollars a year in 2003, down from the high mark of 145 billion dollars a year in 1999.

This industry continues to be dominated by a handful of corporations with deep-rooted economic, political and military connections all around the globe.

Aerospace employers are eliminating jobs even as they increase their corporate bottom lines by billions of dollars a year. Since the year 2000 over 50,000 IAM members have lost their jobs in the aerospace industry.

The remaining 82,000 IAM Aerospace members of North America continue to unite industry-wide from the bottom up and act as a single force to fight for jobs and economic justice across the continent. These Jobs Are Worth Fighting For!