“In an instant, the world changed for airlines, passengers and airline employees,” said conference chairman and IAM Transportation Vice President Robert Roach, Jr.

“We will meet the challenge of this national emergency. At the same time we make sure it is not used as an excuse to roll back rights we fought so hard to win.”

Transportation Vice President Robert Roach Jr. opens the IAM Transportation Conference in New York, held just weeks before the September tragedy.
 

Airline CEO’s March On Washington 
Soon after the terrorist attacks, airline executives asked Washington for billions in government aid. 

Within days they managed to win more than $15 billion in federal aid, protection from lawsuits and the government’s promise pay for aircraft insurance for at least 180 days.

“It’s obscene that not one of those executives asked for so much as a penny for the tens of thousands of workers forced out of work due to this tragedy,” said IAM President Tom Buffenbarger.

“The airlines panicked, and then they plotted,” said Buffenbarger. “This crisis called for real leadership. Instead, we saw the worst example of self-serving corporate greed in decades.”

In testimony before House and Senate committees, IAM Transportation Vice President Robert Roach, Jr. supported broader use of federal aid to rebuild the airline industry. “Extended unemployment benefits, retraining and health insurance for affected workers must be part of any aid package,” said Roach.

Roach also called for swift changes to airport and aircraft security. “A major security problem results every time the carriers subcontract work previously done by their own employees,” said Roach. “The airlines have no control over who these companies hire or any knowledge of their security background.”

“Flight attendants, aircraft mechanics, ticket agents and ramp workers are the backbone of this industry today,” said Roach. “They deserve to be protected and included in every aspect of the plans being made for the industry.” 


An American Hero
Heroes do not just happen. Their lives are spent preparing for a moment when they will risk everything to save another life, even at the cost of their own. Keith Maynard was an American hero . . . as a New York City fireman and as an IAM organizer.

On September 11, Keith Maynard answered the call and rushed up 26 flights of stairs at the World Trade Center bringing hope to strangers in harm’s way, doing a job he loved. His life and his sacrifice show us what real heroes are made of.

“I know he was in there giving his life to try and help someone else,” said Keith’s twin brother, Kevin. “That’s the only thing he knew; to help others no matter what the circumstances.”

Keith Maynard has a bond with the IAM that goes back to 1998, when he signed on to help organize his fellow workers at Continental Airlines. As a Ramp Service lead at New York’s LaGuardia airport, Keith collected authorization cards, made speeches and believed passionately the IAM could make a difference. “Keith not only took the union campaign seriously, he made it personal,” said Vinny Addeo, IAM organizer and US Airways Aircraft Technician. “He gave more of himself than anyone I ever met,” added IAM Vice President and close friend Robert Roach, Jr.

Following that campaign, Keith studied for the New York City firefighters exam. To no one’s surprise, he passed the department’s written and physical tests. In August 1999, he was called to serve and followed in the footsteps of his father, NYFD Captain Reynold White. Once a fireman, Keith immediately joined the Vulcan Society, the organization of black NYC firefighters and quickly became Sergeant of Arms and the youngest member of its Executive Board.

Keith even worked on the second IAM-Continental organizing campaign after joining the NYC Fire Department. “He was the first one to call and volunteer his time,” said Addeo. “He knew his rights and he wanted others to know what they were missing. I’m proud to say I learned more about dedication, sacrifice, friendship and solidarity from Keith, an African-American from the small island of Monseratt, than I learned from anyone else over the past few years.”

Keith Maynard is one of 5,000 still missing despite round-the clock-efforts by rescuers. His twin brother can only hope for a miracle. “They say the bond between twins is so strong that at times communication can occur with unspoken words,” said Kevin. “That connection is what I’ve been holding on to since the attack on the World Trade Towers in New York.”