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2007 Archived District 725 Events
District 725 Delegate Body Meeting The final regularly scheduled District Lodge 725 Delegate Body meeting of the year will be held on Saturday October 20, 2007 in Huntington Beach, California. The meeting will begin promptly at 11:00 a.m. Newly Organized LL1125 Members Ratify 1st Contract Area 1 Director Virginia Cobb announced the ratification of a first agreement for 70 newly organized Custodians employed by Chugach McKinley Corporation. Highlights of this historic 1st agreement are as follows:
Kevin Cummings Named Western Territory Special Representative Communications Representative Kevin Cummings will add a new role to a long and varied career as an IAM representative when he moves into the position of Special Representative for the Western Territory starting October 1. Cummings joined the IAM in 1988 as a Tooling Inspector for McDonnell Douglas in Huntington Beach, CA. As a member of Local 2025, Kevin served as Steward, safety representative, negotiating team member, Recording Secretary, Local Lodge President and served four years as a full-time representative to the Boeing Company on issues of job classifications and training. A precision Mold Maker by trade, Cummings joined the IAM Grand Lodge staff as a Communications Representative in 1999, coordinating media relations and communications training for the Western Territory. Cummings earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the National Labor College and is currently working on a Masters Degree through the NLC and American University. IAM&AW Sues NASA for Misconduct in Kennedy Space Center Negotiations On August 13, 2007 the IAM&AW filed suit in the United States District Court in the District of Columbia against the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for interfering in the negotiations for a new contract for almost 500 workers represented by IAM Local Lodge 2061 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The IAM-represented employees provide launch services to NASA through the United Space Alliance (USA), a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and the Boeing Co. A copy of the complaint is available at http://www.goiam.org. “NASA management is violating the law by attempting to dictate the terms of the economic package between the United Space Alliance and the IAM,” said IAM International President R. Thomas Buffenbarger. “That interference is a violation of the Service Contract Act and it has harmed the dedicated IAM workers who are a key part of America's space program.” The suit alleges that NASA violated its duty under the Service Contract Act and regulations implementing that act by telling the United Space Alliance that it would not reimburse USA for any increased labor costs in a new agreement with the IAM. Federal law requires NASA and other federal agencies to remain neutral in the collective bargaining process between federal contractors and the unions representing their employees. Federal agencies are also required to reimburse federal contractors for labor cost increases if they are the result of bona fide collective bargaining. Federal agencies have an explicit mechanism for protesting any increase they deem excessive by requesting a review by the Department of Labor, which NASA tried to circumvent by direct intervention in negotiations. “The IAM's proposals have been reasonable and in line with other related contracts at NASA,” said IAM Southern Territory General Vice President Robert Martinez. “NASA intentionally undermined the negotiations process between United Space Alliance and the IAM by injecting itself into the negotiating process that should be solely between the IAM and the contractor.” Negotiations between the IAM and USA began in mid-2007. The parties were unable to reach an agreement because of NASA's interference and IAM-represented employees were forced on strike on June 14, 2007. “Our goal in our negotiations with the United Space Alliance is to reach a fair and equitable settlement that will place our members and USA on the path to success in the future,” said District 166 Directing Business Representative Johnny Walker. “NASA's misconduct made that almost impossible to do.” Walker has been asked to appear before the Science and Technology Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, which has jurisdiction over NASA, to testify about issues concerning the workplace at the NASA facility at the Kennedy Space Center. LL 946 Members Ratify New Contract Area 5/6 Business Representative Mike Cook reported on the recent contract ratification for LL 946 members employed by AMPAC Fine Chemicals in Rancho Cordova, CA. Highlights of the new agreement are as follows:
DL 947 Wins Election for 1,800 members in Long Beach In a major organizing win, Office and Technical Workers from the City of Long Beach, CA, voted by a more than two-to-one margin to join the IAM. The 1,800 new members join four other groups in the city: Professional; Protection; Refuse and Skilled and General units to bring the total number of IAM-represented city workers in Local 1930 to nearly 4,000. Key to the victory was the example set by previous IAM drives among the Long Beach workers, especially the Professional group’s win last year. “When we showed the Office and Technical group that others, such as the Professional group, saw immediate improvements in their wages, work standards, training opportunities and fairness on the job, they understood right away the value of joining the IAM,” said Western Territory GLR Joel Ochoa, who led the organizing drive. Getting the word out to 1,800 workers spread out across the city was a daunting job that required an army of volunteers and staff. “We reached out to the Office and Technical unit, the Long Beach units, District Lodges 947, 725 and 190 and the Western Territory office,” said GLR and Western Territory Organizing Leader Steve Cooper. “We trained the volunteers on the approach for the campaign, gave them talking points and the locations of the Office and Technical employees who work all over the city in groups ranging from just a few to more than one hundred.” The vote came just as the other Long Beach City workers are about to begin negotiations. The win gives all five groups a tremendous boost in bargaining power. “This was a total team effort,” said Western Territory GVP Lee Pearson. “The Office and Technical Workers saw that the IAM is the union of choice for working families. Now we will start negotiations for all five units and we are 4,000 strong. We will deliver a good contract.” District 725 Delegate Body Meeting Saturday July 21, 2007 Huntington Beach, CA 11:00 a.m. The third regularly scheduled District Lodge 725 Delegate Body meeting will be held on Saturday July 21, 2007 in Huntington Beach, California. The meeting will begin promptly at 11:00 a.m. Two Big Arbitration Wins in Sunnyvale Area 5/6 Director John Fox and Business Representative Mike Cook are pleased to report two (2) arbitration victories with the Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company (LMSSC) in Sunnyvale, California. On March 17, 2007, the first award was received and seven weeks later, came the news of the second victory. Arbitrator Michael Prihar in the first case ordered the reinstatement and full back for 27-year veteran Electronic Technician Terry Newland. In a separate ruling, Arbitrator Edgar Jones ordered the reinstatement with full seniority for 22-year veteran Heavy Truck driver and Senior Steward Willie Richardson. Arbitrator Jones reduced the discharge to a 6-day suspension. As stated on the arbitration award, Brother Newland was awarded nearly 51 weeks back pay less any earned wages and Brother Richardson was awarded near 45 weeks back pay less any earned wages. “A rough estimate that even with the outside earnings, the back pay for these two members will easily exceed $75,000”. Area Director Fox said. “These brothers had their lives turned upside down and both were out for nearly a year. We may not be able to reason with Lockheed Martin but we can present the facts to impartial arbitrators.” Gerry Greer Named to Oregon Labor Hall of Fame June 2007 Retired Western Territory GLR Gerry Greer is the newest member of the Labor Hall of Fame; an honor bestowed by the Northwest Oregon Labor Retirees Council (NOLRC) and the Northwest Oregon Labor Council, AFL-CIO. Greer, who retired from the IAM in 2005 and now lives in Washougal, WA, first joined the IAM as a welder for Caterpillar and quickly became President of the Marion, Polk, and Yamhill Counties Central Labor Council. He also served as a Business Agent for IAM Districts 163 and 24. In 1989, Gerry joined the International staff of the IAM as a Grand Lodge Representative, servicing members in Arizona, New Mexico and Southern Nevada. Gerry then worked out of the Western Regional office in Sacramento. From there, he handled assignments in many states of the territory, including Hawaii, and was the territory coordinator for the can industry. “We congratulate Gerry on his induction into the Hall of Fame, and wish him continued happiness in his retirement,” Western Territory GVP Lee Pearson said. District 725 Delegate Body Meeting Saturday April 21, 2007 Huntington Beach, CA 11:00 a.m. The second regularly scheduled District Lodge 725 Delegate Body meeting will be held on Saturday April 21, 2007 in Huntington Beach, California. The meeting will begin promptly at 11:00 a.m. Chugach McKinley Workers Vote Union YES! April 19, 2007 On April 19, 2007, seventy janitorial workers employed by Chugach McKinley Corporation at NAS North Island and Naval Amphibious Base Coronado voted for IAM representation by an overwhelming 80% margin. “We had several meetings with the primary contacts at the beginning of February, and on Valentine’s Day, Business Representative Jim Croswell and I held our first mass meeting with these workers at the 8th Street Park in Coronado.” Organizing Director Brian Miller said. “We explained the IAM organizing plan to them in detail, and established our in-plant committee on that day. Within a few weeks we secured enough information about their Service Contract to determine the size of their unit. We filed their petition and our RC election date was scheduled for April 19, 2007.” The company ran a fairly intense anti-union campaign, but the workers were not fall for it. The organizing department held a “Union YES” Blitz from April 12th through April 15th, 2007 and secured more than 70% signatures from the employees. On April 19th the union prevailed by an 80% margin. “We could not have succeeded in bringing justice to these workers without the hard work and dedication of our in-plant organizing team,” Brian Miller said. “They held their coworkers together when management pressured and intimidated them during captive audience meetings.” A team of dedicated District 725 members volunteered countless hours of their time to help these workers achieve justice on the job by attending meetings and performing house calls. These members were: DL 725 BR Jim Croswell, DL 725 ADBR Bob Gutierrez, LL 755 members Lester Pagel and Ruben Cervantes, LL 726 members Jeff Stephenson, Terrell Moose and Chris Howell, DL 725 Organizers Calixto Tapia, Mike Bellestri and Joe Young, LL 1125 members Celsa Medellin and Rosa Alba, and DL 947 Organizer Felix Osuna. Tom Wroblewski Elected District Lodge 751 President District 751 in Seattle, WA has a new president. Tom Wroblewski was elected to lead the more than 20,000 Puget Sound area members as of April 1, replacing Mark Blondin, who accepted a position with the Grand Lodge to serve as Aerospace Coordinator. Wroblewski joined the IAM in 1976, and served the last 14 years as a District 751 business representative and grievance coordinator. “I want to unite the membership to ensure we have a strong bargaining position for upcoming negotiations and hope to get more members involved in our Union,” said Wroblewski. “We have many issues ahead of us and by working together, we will continue to have the best contracts in the aerospace industry.” GLR Jose Rodriguez Retirement Date Set Western Territory General Vice President Lee Pearson announced that long-time Grand Lodge Representative Jose Rodriguez is retiring, effective March 31, 2007. Rodriguez has served as full-time representative for more than 30 of his 41 years as an IAM member. Jose Rodriguez worked as organizer and servicing agent, concentrating his efforts in New Mexico, Arizona, Texas and California. GLR Rodriguez also served as a Vice President of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA). As a Grand Lodge Representative, he successfully coordinated the IAM’s efforts to defeat the Teamsters Union when they raided multiple General Dynamics’ facilities in San Diego and Pomona. Brother Rodriguez will have his official retirement celebration in Cathedral City, CA on April 21, 2007. A Delegation of District Lodge 725 representatives will be in attendance to honor his years of service to our membership. “Jose has been a tireless advocate for working people, and an ambassador for the IAM,” said GVP Pearson. “He has been a leader in the Latino community, and families all across our territory are better off today because of his work. We all wish Jose and his family a long, happy and healthy retirement.” Unions Continue To Set The Standard March 2007 Despite claims to the contrary by anti-worker interests, Unions continue to have a positive influence in the American workplace. By negotiating living wage and benefit packages, Unions continue to raise the working standards for all workers, Union and non-Union alike. According to the Economic Policy Institute, Union workers make 14.7% higher wages, are more likely to have defined pensions and employer-provided health insurance, and get more paid time off than their non-Union counterparts. Unions won the 8-hour day and fought to abolish Child Labor; they established Worker’s Compensation and protect worker’s health and safety on their jobs. Unions also played a strong role in creating Social Security and unemployment insurance for all U.S. workers. Gary Holt Re-elected District Lodge 725 President/Directing Business Representative Saturday January 20, 2007 Huntington Beach, CA  On January 20, 2007 Delegates from all 19 affiliated Local Lodges met in Huntington Beach, CA for the first Delegate Body meeting of the year. The Delegates were recently elected for a four-year term beginning January 20th. After receiving the oath of office from Area 3 Director Gladys Mason, the newly elected Delegates were seated. The first order of business was to elect the District Lodge 725 President/Directing Business Representative. Brother Gary W. Holt was re-elected by the Delegate Body unopposed. Western Territory Grand Lodge Representative Jose Rodriguez stepped forward and administered the oath of office to Brother Gary Holt. "I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the Delegates and members of our affiliated Local Lodges who have worked with me over the last few years," P/DBR Holt said. "It is a great honor to be re-elected as President/Directing Business Representative of District Lodge 725. Working together I am sure that we will achieve great things for our membership." Local Lodge 933 Members Win New Contract Tuesday January 16, 2007 Tucson, AZ Local 933 members at Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson, AZ approved a tentative agreement, ending a 10-week strike against the aerospace-industry giant. The new agreement was hammered out with the help of a federal mediator during a marathon 18-hour negotiating session that began Friday and lasted until early Saturday morning. The talks were the first held since the walkout began on November 5, 2006. “The Brothers and Sisters of Local 933 can be proud. They held the line and didn’t back down,” IAM&AW International President Tom Buffenbarger said; he walked the picket line with Local 933 members last week. Raytheon workers won a three percent raise each year of the new three-year pact, lower caps on medical cost increases than Raytheon originally proposed and an increased lump-sum payment of $1,000 to offset medical plan costs. “Raytheon is making record profits, but they wanted Local 933 members to pay far more than their fair share. These members stood up for what’s right on behalf of aerospace workers in all of North America,” Western Territory GVP Lee Pearson said. “Our members at Raytheon were prepared and they held strong. They deserve a lot of credit for standing up to a multi-billion dollar company’s unreasonable demands,” said IAM Aerospace Coordinator Ron Eldridge. “I am extremely proud of our members and what they have accomplished,” said Local 933 Directing Business Representative Bobby Martinez. “They spent countless hours preparing for these negotiations and did everything that was asked of them, and more. Thank you to all of our members, their families and this community for their support and strength during this battle.” 
The IAM's i-Mail is an Internet based communication tool that was launched recently. IAM members can receive a short email containing a hyperlink to the most recent news items involving IAM members, Local Lodges and District Lodges. Published once or twice a week, i-Mail also highlights the best web sites in the labor movement. Don't delay, sign up for i-Mail today! District 725 Delegate Body Meeting Saturday January 20, 2007 Huntington Beach, CA 11:00 a.m. The first regularly scheduled District Lodge 725 Delegate Body meeting will be held on Saturday January 20, 2007 in Huntington Beach, California. The meeting will begin promptly at 11:00 a.m. |
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