Tuesday, July 5, 2005

A New Era

The IAM ushered in a new era of organizing and militancy with the installation of new officers in a ceremony at IAM headquarters in Upper Marlboro, MD. Former IAM President George Kourpias administered the oath of office for IAM International President, General-Secretary-Treasurer, seven General Vice Presidents, the Law Committee, Delegates to AFL-CIO and the Canadian Labour Congress.

“This new Executive Council will aggressively push organizing. Every day, every way we can,” said IAM President R. Thomas Buffenbarger. “But growth is not an end in and of itself. Growing the IAM is a means to an end. Bigger numbers lead to more power. And more power leads to winning an even better life for our members.”

Buffenbarger called on IAM members to continue the traditions of the “Fighting Machinists,” using the high-tech tools of the IAM’s redesigned website, www.goiam.org and our old-fashioned willingness to take on all challenges.

“From the negotiating table to the halls of Congress, from the picket lines to in-plant organizing committees, from precincts to the governors mansions and the White House, from every point on the compass the ‘Fighting Machinists’ will be seen, heard and felt,” said Buffenbarger.

“A new era starts here, today,” Buffenbarger declared. “And that new era will be one of growth and militancy.”

Sour Grapes for Gallo Vineyards

The United Farm Workers (UFW) Union is calling for a boycott against Gallo Vineyards for the treatment of their seasonal contract laborers.

The UFW represents 85 regular Gallo employees and more than 200 seasonal contract workers. In the 2000 contract the seasonal workers did not receive health benefits, vacation time or grievance procedure rights.

Since that time Gallo has steadily increased the use of seasonal contractors and has been unwilling to negotiate better benefits in the agreement.

House Approves Pay Increase For Defense Workers

The U.S. House of Representatives approved a 3.1 percent pay increase for both military personnel and civilian federal workers by a 405-18 vote, going against the wishes of the Bush administration.

The Bush administration had proposed a 2.3 percent pay increase for civilian federal workers and 3.1 percent for active duty military. The pay parity measure, according to the Bush administration, would limit the new National Security Personnel System (NSPS) Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of Defense (DoD).

The House measure would exceed Bush’s proposal by almost $1 billion. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) claims the House bill limits DHS and DoD’s ability to implement NSPS and to “design and implement a modern personnel and pay system that best fits their needs.”

“In every meeting the coalition held with George Nesterczuk and Mary Lacey from the Office of Personnel Management, we were told that NSPS would be cost neutral,” said Jim Price, IAM Collective Bargaining Coordinator.

“We calculated by the DHS numbers provided that the cost to implement NSPS to DoD workers would be $7.4 billion,” said Ron Ault, President of the AFL-CIO’s Metal Trades Department.

NSPS was a priority for the DoD, nothing was supposed to get in the way of implementation or the ability to apply NSPS government wide. Keep the pressure on Congress, tell them to stop the unfair NSPS system for federal workers.

New Day At New Piper

More than 700 workers at New Piper Aircraft Company in Vero Beach, FL voted June 30 to accept a company contract proposal. The workers had fought for a first agreement through natural disasters and rebuilding the company after voting to join the IAM in December, 2003.

Negotiations were progressing in 2004 when New Piper, in financial turmoil in recent years, suffered major damage when two hurricanes hit the city of Vero Beach head on. Workers who had shouldered the loss of benefits including 6 percent across-the-board pay cut were now faced with rebuilding New Piper. Some buildings at the plant remain unopened.

“This is a strong bunch of folks,” said Southern Territory General Vice President Bob Martinez. “They stood together and won the day. I know it was a long and hard road, but now New Piper employees will reap the rewards of their solidarity.” 

“What this contract did was to provide union protections to the workers of New Piper,” said Aerospace Coordinator Ron Eldridge. “Now they have seniority and a grievance procedure. These are important protections sorely needed at New Piper. Now our job is to bring this company back to financial health, to provide good jobs on the Florida coast. We are building the future.”