Women’s Department Director Cheryl Eastburn, right,
and Bridget Fitzgerald,Secretary.

Women

In its 116-year history the IAM has made dramatic changes. What originated as a pure craft union on the railroads has evolved into both an industrial and craft union, now representing nearly every trade imaginable. However, it is not only the work performed that has dramatically changed, so has the membership. An organization that was once sought out by white males, has gradually grown into an association richly diverse in color, gender and nationality.

With the influx of women entering the workforce in the 1960s and 1970s, the need to transform the workplace to meet modern times has become glaringly apparent. The IAM stands at the forefront of trade unions who recognized a need for change early on and sought to resolve inequities through the establishment of a department designed to address and seek resolution for gender-specific issues.

Our Women’s Department was created as a result of a proposal put forth by the IAM Executive Council to the delegates at the 1996 Grand Lodge Convention. Through the guidance of our Council and a unanimous vote from the delegates at that convention, the IAM Women’s Department was born. The following is that historic resolution:

The Resolution

WHEREAS women now constitute a large growing percentage of the workforce; and

WHEREAS the IAM’s female membership has steadily increased as a percentage of our total membership; and

WHEREAS women workers still earn considerably less than their male counterparts and are concentrated in lower paying jobs; and

WHEREAS addressing the needs of women workers requires a certain expertise and an organizational structure designed to meet the special needs of women workers; and

WHEREAS it is vitally important for the future of this union that we be able to organize working women;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that, this 34th Grand Lodge Convention of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers go on record as mandating that at the earliest practicable opportunity the Grand Lodge establish a Women’s Department at our International Headquarters and staff it with people capable of meeting the needs of women workers.

This department came into existence March 1, 1997, under the guidance of Sister Cheryl Eastburn. Additionally, General Vice President Dave Ritchie appointed Grand Lodge Representative Heather Kelley to coordinate the women’s program and its activities with our members in Canada.

Taking proactive measures through the use of education and networking over the past six years has resulted in a very successful program. The rate of success is measured by the marked increase of women now actively involved in their local and district lodges, and serving on Executive Boards and numerous lodge committees, including but not limited to Women’s Committees.

Through the encouragement of our Women’s Department, many of our lodges now have active women’s committees. These committees provide various services and support to their members and build liaisons within the communities where they live and work, furthering the IAM’s goals to provide justice on the job and service to the community.

Department Activities

The Women’s Department, with the assistance of various other Grand Lodge Departments and our William W. Winpisinger Education Center (W3 Center), provides several Specialized Basic and Advanced Training Schools to our female membership on a yearly basis. These schools not only increased the activity of our women members, but have served as an excellent segue to attending Leadership classes offered through the W3 educational facility.

The department has held six Women’s Conferences. These conferences provide an avenue for our female members to acquire additional skills and knowledge to improve their lives and that of their members. These conferences also provide an environment for sisters to mentor and support one another, enabling them to freely exchange ideas through sister-to-sister networking.

To track our members’ needs and the progress of our women’s program the department has conducted several surveys with our membership. These surveys have been a valuable resource in charting the course of direction for the department and identifying the issues most important to our members.

The Women’s Department website is another valuable tool for our membership. Through the use of our website, members can easily locate current department activities including dates of women’s schools and conferences, legislative alert activities and other websites of merit.

In an effort to keep the lodge leadership abreast of the department and engage lodges in the department’s activities, the Women’s Department annually participates in the Regional Territorial Vice President’s Staff Conferences.

Furthermore, the Women’s Department has also been actively involved in the Transportation Department’s Station Visits occurring throughout the country. These visits have been conducted system-wide on our carriers and railroads, spearheaded by General Vice President Robert Roach, Jr., his Grand Lodge Representatives and General Chairs.

Since the implementation of our women’s program, the IAM has built strong relationships with like-minded constituency groups around women’s issues. Groups such as the AFL-CIO Civil, Human and Women’s Rights Department; the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC); National Council of Negro Women (NCNW); National Action Committee on

the Status of Women; Children’s Defense Fund (CDF); International Transport Workers Federation (ITF); International Metalworkers Federation (IMF); Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) and the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW) have each enriched and strengthened our program through collaboration.

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