Introduction — 3

IAM members reacted in horror as their own governments, now led by President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Paul Martin, waged economic warfare on their own people. Cutting taxes on corporations and the wealthiest meant but one thing: working families would pay more in property and sales taxes. Budget deficits meant fewer government services in the short run and higher interest rates for consumer purchases over time. The pressure on working families grew relentless.

Time after time, governments intervened in IAM contract, bankruptcy and pension negotiations on the side of the employer. They made no pretense of impartiality. Instead, they sought to undercut this union’s position and reputation. And when they did so, they found a foe willing to fight back.

When Magellan Aerospace forced IAM members in Fort Erie, Ontario out on strike, the federal and Ontario governments stood by as the vicious employer worked to deny them their earned statutory rights to unemployment insurance benefits and severance payments.

When the President of the United States sought to impose a wage agreement on 15,000 IAM-represented mechanics at United Airlines, the IAM launched a nationwide “Make an Appointment” campaign to persuade Congress to let direct negotiations proceed. By buying time, those negotiations produced an industry-leading contract with substantial gains beyond the PEB-brokered proposal.

When the U. S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao sought to slander this union, the IAM defended the integrity of its 33,000 officers, stewards and staff with a full-page ad that appeared in The Washington Post. The ad explained that the IAM was “rightfully proud of its reputation as a clean union with solid procedures to protect our members’ dues dollars.” By picking on the wrong union, Secretary Chao’s slander campaign ended ignominiously.