Transportation Officers Meet at Winpisinger Center

More than 100 air and rail district and local lodge presidents, recording secretaries and secretary-treasurers convened this week at the IAM William W. Winpisinger Education & Technology Center for the Transportation Department’s initial Principal Officers’ Conference.

“You play a critical role in this Union,” IP Tom Buffenbarger told the assembled officers, “and we need your help. Union members are under attack in every industry, but we can defend ourselves through aggressive organizing.”

“The grand lodge, district and local lodge officers attending this conference jointly addressed issues which concern everyone, such as organizing new members and mobilizing current members,” said Transportation General Vice President Robert Roach, Jr. “There is no problem that cannot be resolved for the membership’s benefit by drawing on the collective knowledge and experience we possess.”

Unionists Tell Schwab: Hands Off Our Social Security

AFL-CIO President John Sweeney joined hundreds of union members and activists in downtown Washington, D.C. as working families and community allies in Washington D.C. and more than 70 cities across the country challenged Charles Schwab, Wachovia and other Wall Street firms to withdraw their support for privatizing Social Security.

Under pressure from unions and seniors, investment groups Edward Jones, Waddell & Reed and Financial Services Forum have already pulled out of lobbying outfits pushing Social Security privatization.

Now it’s Charles Schwab’s turn. Schwab still is a leading member of the pro-privatization Alliance for Worker Retirement Security—and also has funded the Cato Institute, the think tank that has been the godfather of the scheme to privatize Social Security.

District 60 Organizes Battle Creek Auto Techs

District Lodge 60 added new members to the Machinists Union recently by organizing the Automotive Technicians at Four Star Mufflers in Battle Creek, Michigan. The organizing win is the eighth for the Eastern Territory this year.

“On behalf of the Eastern Territory Office and its members, I welcome these new members and extend our congratulations and appreciation to District Lodge 60 Organizer Beau Jencks, Grand Lodge Representative Dave Porter and all of the team for a job well done,” said Eastern Territory GVP Lynn D. Tucker, Jr.

FAA Employees Seek Injunction To Block Outsourcing

The National Association of Air Traffic Specialists (NAATS) filed a class action complaint against the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for age discrimination today.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, argues the agency is discriminating against the specialists because of their age. The suit also contends the FAA outsourced its flight service function to avoid having to pay retirement benefits to employees. The lawsuit will seek an immediate injunction to stop the work from being transferred.

In February, the FAA awarded a $1.9 billion, five-year contract to Lockheed Martin to assume full control of flight service operations in October. It’s the largest public-private jobs competition in the government’s history.

“The agency even admitted that a main reason for its decision to outsource flight service was the retirement eligible workforce,” said Kate Breen, NAATS President. “It has been a long and laborious fight for us, we have been forced into a legal battle over our Federal jobs and retirement benefits that our members have worked for and earned and are now being denied.”

Servisair/Globeground Organized By District Lodge 15

District Lodge 15 brought 38 new members into Local Lodge 447 by recently organizing the employees at Servisair/Globeground located at LaGuardia Airport, New York. This is the ninth organizing win for the Eastern Territory this year.

“I am proud to announce that we have also successfully negotiated a first agreement for these new members,” said Eastern Territory GVP Lynn D. Tucker, Jr. “This brings the total number of first agreements in the Eastern Territory to six for the year.

“On behalf of the Eastern Territory Office and its members, I extend our congratulations and appreciation to District Lodge 15 Directing Business Representative James Conigliaro. A special thanks to Business Representative Charlie Hawkins and all of the team for a job well done.”

March 31: A Day to Honor Cesar Chavez

Senator Robert F. Kennedy once called Cesar Chavez “one of the heroic figures of our time.” A second-generation American, Cesar Chavez is perhaps best known for his work with the farm workers in California and the rise of the United Farm Workers (UFW). He fought and achieved dignity, respect, fair wages, medical coverage, pension benefits and humane living conditions for hundreds of thousands of farm workers. March 31 is Cesar Chavez’ birthday and a holiday in several states.

“Heroism has at times been confined to professional athletes, but Cesar Chavez was a true American hero,” said IP Tom Buffenbarger. “He was a fighter for civil rights, labor rights, a crusader for social change, an environmentalist and a relentless consumer advocate.”