Memorial Service Honors Fallen Friends

In a solemn ceremony held on the grounds of the Winpisinger Center, more than 100 friends and family members gathered to mourn loved ones whose names were added to bricks in the IAM Workers’ Memorial.

“All year long we fight for the living. Today is a day for us to pause and remember the dead,” said IP Buffenbarger, who recalled fallen members from each territory and the loss of Southern Territory GVP Hooper. Buffenbarger called for an end to “the harm that comes too often to people who work hard for a living.”

The event was one of hundreds commemorating Workers Memorial Day, a day of remembrance on behalf of the 60,000 workers who die each year from job-related injury and illness. An additional 4.7 million workers are injured on the job each year.

Among the fallen IAM members added to the memorial this year were six members of Local 2386 in Meridian MS, who were killed in a workplace shooting and Denny Lynne Bogucki, a member of Local 2914 who died on September 12, 2004 while preparing a Northwest Airlines aircraft for takeoff.

“It is what we do from this day forward that will show how we honor these brothers and sisters,” said Transportation GVP Robert Roach, Jr. A total of 17 names were added this year to the walkway surrounding the memorial.

Workers Say Job Crisis Far From Over

Four years of non-stop job losses cannot be erased by fractional changes in the unemployment rate, according to a poll released this week by the IAM. The survey identifies issues that could decide the upcoming presidential election in Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin and Washington State.

“A tick up or down in the unemployment rate misses the point,” said IP Tom Buffenbarger. “The fear of job loss runs deep among the workers surveyed in this poll. For millions of middle class Americans, both in and out of work, the nation’s employment crisis is far from over.”

The survey revealed dramatic political potential for the candidate or party willing to give more than lip service to America’s blue-collar concerns. Every job creation idea tested in the survey, from tax incentives to keep jobs in the U.S. to new investments in high tech industries, drew strong support from four-fifths of the respondents. Additionally, seven out of ten voters polled said they would be willing to forgo current or future tax cuts for programs to create or protect U.S. jobs.

Despite the traditional alliance between blue-collar workers and Democratic candidates, the survey found a huge reservoir of potential votes for whichever candidate will act decisively on their behalf.

“The blue collar vote in these four core states is still up for grabs,” said Buffenbarger. “The candidate who ultimately connects with these workers could ride that support all the way to the White House. The candidate who ignores them will do so at his own expense.”

CEO Pay Jumps Nine Percent in 2003

How big was your raise last year? If you were a large company CEO in Business Week’s Annual Executive Compensation Survey, you averaged a 9.1% raise. U.S. production workers averaged about 2.1% in 2003, according the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The 2003 increase pushes the pay gap between CEOs and workers to a whopping 301-to-1 ratio. In 1982, CEOs earned just 42 times more than average workers, according to a report by United for a Fair Economy (http://faireconomy.org). Large company CEOs now earn about $155,769 per week while the average worker earns $517. If the federal minimum wage had risen as fast as CEO pay since 1990, it would be $15.71 per hour today, more than three times the current $5.15 per hour.

The CEO figures illustrate the growing gap between wealthy Americans and average families and the concentration of wealth at the top. Corporate profits, CEO pay and the stock market have skyrocketed yet average worker pay barely keeps ahead of inflation.

Between 1990 and 2003:

CEO pay up 313%

S&P 500 stock index up 242%

Corporate Profits up 128%

Average worker pay up 49%

Inflation up 41%.

Bush Refuses to Protect U.S. Workers

The Bush administration rejected a landmark petition from U.S. labor unions that charged low wages and brutal working conditions in China cost up to 727,000 U.S. jobs and give that country an illegal and unfair advantage over U.S. workers.

The petition, filed by the AFL-CIO on March 16, tagged China’s widespread suppression of workers’ rights for lowering average Chinese wages by 47 to 86 percent, giving that country’s finished products a significant advantage in the global marketplace.

The petition called on the President and the U.S. Trade Representative to impose sanctions under U.S. trade laws to offset China’s unfair and illegitimate cost advantage. Instead, the administration opted for a non-binding “investigation” into China’s trade practices – the bureaucratic equivalent of a green light to continue the practices.

“By refusing to acknowledge China’s brutal treatment of its workforce, the President is clearing the way for additional U.S. job losses that result from unfair trade practices,” said IP Buffenbarger. “U.S. workers should not forget this betrayal in November.”

Hamilton Sundstrand Contract Expires May 2

Negotiations for a new contract covering IAM members at Hamilton Sundstrand in Connecticut are heating up with the current contract set to expire at midnight on May 2, 2004. Union negotiators say Hamilton Sundstrand’s parent company, United Technologies Corporation (UTC), is directing the company’s stance at the bargaining table.

“They have put nothing on the table but takeaways, and they won’t even talk about job security.” said Local 743 President Hebert, who was joined by hundreds of fellow workers chanting “No Insurance, No Work!” at a recent rally in front of UTC headquarters in Hartford.

“These proposals are not from Hamilton Sundstrand management. They are from UTC Corporate,” said Jim Parent, District 26 Assistant Directing Business Representative and lead IAM negotiator. “They want to pass the cost of health care onto the workers rather than work with us to control these costs.”

According to Grand Lodge Representative Bill Rudis, officers, members and families of all three Pratt & Whitney locals, the Connecticut AFL-CIO and the Hartford Labor Council attended the rally in support of Hamilton’s workers.

U.S. Gas Prices Hit Record High

The price of gasoline and diesel continued to soar this week with the national average price for all grades of gasoline up another three cents to $1.86 per gallon. The average per gallon price of mid-grade and premium gas hit $1.92 and $2.01 respectively; with California drivers facing the highest gas prices in the nation.

The average gas price “has broken all-time record highs for two months straight,” according to a survey of 8,000 stations. With crude oil prices topping $36 per barrel, analysts predict additional increases with the approach of the summer driving season.

Soaring gas prices took on a political component last week with the publication of “Plan of Attack,” Bob Woodward’s look inside the Bush administrations’ preparations for the war in Iraq. According to Woodward, Saudi Arabian Ambassador Prince Bandar bin Sultan met with President George W. Bush and pledged to keep oil prices high until shortly before the November elections. According to Woodward, the Saudis would then cut oil prices to lower the price of gas at the pump, giving the U.S. economy and Bush’s election prospects a timely boost.

Keeping NASAs Rails Rolling

Six Civil Engineering workers who perform railroad maintenance on 200 miles of track at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida voted to join the IAM recently. “They had one major issue,” said District 166 Organizer Dave Liebeck. “The company was unable to find medical insurance for only six people at the amount allowed under the Service Contract. With collective bargaining we hope to help the company come up with a medical plan for our new members.”

“Good medical insurance for working families is a priority of the Machinists Union,” said Southern Territory GVP Bob Martinez. “I'm sure our newest members will be able to secure a strong contract with good benefits. Congratulations to DBR McGahee and his staff for this win.”