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2008 Archived District 725 Events
(Please note that some of the hyperlinks below may be out of date)

Machinists Mall - Big Savings for Members

Tuesday November 25, 2008

Save big this Holiday Season with stores like Lands End, earning 4% in mall rebate dollars, Sirius Satellite Radio, earning 8%, Overstock.com - save up to 80% on name brands plus earn your 4%, and Barnes and Noble saving up to 40% plus earn 4% in rebate dollars. Thousands of products are available, click here to discover the savings.

Learn More | Enroll Here | Machinists Mall

Buffenbarger Welcomes Obama’s Jobs Initiatives

Tuesday November 25, 2008

“President-elect Barack Obama has got it exactly right and I can’t applaud him enough, even before he’s taken the oath of office, for providing some inspiration and leadership on this issue,” International President Tom Buffenbarger said in a wide-ranging interview with newsman and author Bill Press about a proposal by Barack Obama to create 2.5 million jobs by January 2011.

Click here to listen to the interview.

“It’s going to take blue-collar jobs and white-collar jobs,” said Buffenbarger of the work ahead. “We’re talking about roads, bridges, the water system, the power grid and the supply of energy. We’re also talking about re-tooling America’s manufacturing base.”

Both Buffenbarger and Press spoke up on behalf of U.S. autoworkers at General Motors, Ford and Chrysler, who are facing layoffs, shutdowns and worse in the wake of the global credit crisis. “This is an outrage,” declared Buffenbarger about the double standard that is allowing banks and investment firms to access billions in emergency federal funds while automakers are being required by Congress to provide detailed restructuring plans.

“The thing is, they (U.S. automakers) have a plan,” said Buffenbarger. “They are retooling their industry. They have an idea what it’s going to take to make the cars that people want to buy, and with that, generate all the cascading jobs that supply that industry.”

Buffenbarger reserved his strongest criticism for lawmakers who see the crisis in the auto industry as an opportunity to shred labor contracts and shift auto production to states with low wages and few benefits.

Give Union Made Gifts This Christmas

Looking for something fun and educational to get for your children or grandchildren this holiday season? At The Union Shop Online, we have lots of great children's items that we're sure they'll love. Best of all, buying at The Union Shop Online is a way to support America's workers and share your values with family and friends.

What better way to help teach a child about the importance of our labor movement than a Rosie the Riveter jigsaw puzzle (http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/qdq612F1SuDw/) or the Community of Workers Coloring Book (http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/1pq612F1SuDN/) displaying the diverse range of work and workers.

Are your kids a little older? We have the Original Memory Game (http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/17q612F1SuDM/). And for those up for an even tougher challenge, there is always the great American-created and union-manufactured game of Scrabble (http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/q7q612F1SuDs/).

We also have lots of great ways for children to show their union pride at home, in the playground and at school. From the bib for kids in the International Babyhood of Eaters, Soilers &
Snugglers (http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/C7q612F1SuDS/) to the cute as a Union Bug T-shirt (http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/a1q612F1SuD3/) and companion sweatshirt (http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/adq612F1SuDe/), you can be sure your child is dressed for success.

For the singer in every kid (and adult) we have a wonderful CD with a collection of labor songs and stories: Ella Jenkins and a Union of Friends Pulling Together
(http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/q1q612F1SuD2/). This great CD is full of classic union songs and stories for children and the grown-ups who love 'em.

Guide Dogs Rescued as California Wildfire Advanced

Thursday November 20, 2008

Fueled by 70 mile-per-hour winds, wildfires roared through the hills around Los Angeles last week, forcing an emergency evacuation of the Guide Dogs of America (GDA) breeding and training facility in Sylmar, CA.

“At some points, burning tree limbs were flying past staff members as we loaded the dogs,” said Chuck Jordan, Director of Programs for GDA. “I can’t believe how fast the puppy raisers mobilized and came to our aid. We are all safe and appreciate the help from everyone.”

A half-dozen GDA staff members began the evacuation at 1:30 a.m. on Saturday, braving smoke and ash as they loaded the 69 dogs and puppies into six vans - using crates, tie-downs and even the front seats. The hasty effort took only an hour and the dogs were on their way to the Rose Bowl, where they were temporarily placed with puppy raisers and area volunteers. Click here to view an extraordinary video about the evacuation.

While U.S. Forest Service workers battled the inferno on the ground, IAM pilots from Local Lodge 946 employed by Dyncorp flew non-stop, dropping tons of fire retardant material from tankers and helicopters for Cal Fire. Supported by mechanics and staff at McClellan Field, their combined efforts were no doubt instrumental in saving the GDA facility, which suffered ash accumulation but no serious damage.

“I am so thankful for the efforts of the volunteers and staff associated with Guide Dogs of America,” said Western Territory GVP Lee Pearson. “I’m also grateful for the work of our members at Cal Fire, who have had an incredibly long and arduous fire season.”

Sacramento Auto Show Raises $16,000 for GDA

Thursday November 20, 2008

Warm temperatures, good food and classic cars made for a great day recently at Hagan Park in Rancho Cordova, CA, site of the IAM's 9th Annual Sacramento Classic Auto Show.  The show, which drew over 100 entries and hundreds of car admirers, netted an estimated $16,000 for Guide Dogs of America (GDA).
 

The event was sponsored by Local Lodge 946's New Horizon Retiree Club, led by President Robert Gregory, and was staffed by volunteers including GLR Mike Wardle and Western Territory GVP Lee Pearson.  Cars were judged in 16 separate categories, along with awards for People's Choice and Best of Show.

The cost to raise and train a guide dog is $40,000.  The charity, which turns 60 this year, was founded by an IAM member and is funded entirely by charitable contributions. To learn more about this great organization and how you can help, visit www.guidedogsofamerica.org.

Join the Campaign for the Employee Free Choice Act

Tuesday November 18, 2008

IAM members can help win passage of the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) by joining the AFL-CIO’s “Million Member Mobilization” to call on the next president and Congress to pass EFCA and give more working families a chance to organize and bargain for a better future.

The IAM has joined the effort with customized cards for IAM members to sign. Cards are being distributed via District Lodges to Local Lodges in the United States. “We need every IAM member possible to sign a card to support the Employee Free Choice Act,” said IAM President Tom Buffenbarger. “The Employee Free Choice Act will give employees the voice they need to win better wages, benefits and a strong voice on the job.

IAM Mourns Passing of Robert Kalaski
Tuesday November 18, 2008

Former IAM Communications Director Robert J. Kalaski passed away on November 16, 2008, after a courageous struggle with cancer. Kalaski, 67, led the Communications Department from 1977 until his retirement in 2001.

Serving under numerous IAM presidents, Kalaski pioneered the IAM’s landmark media monitoring project and guided the IAM’s press and public relations efforts during monumental battles with Eastern Airlines and against the corporate pirate Frank Lorenzo.

“Bob Kalaski was a good friend and a shining light, in his craft of labor journalism and as a person whose warm-hearted personality touched so many in the Machinists union,” said IAM President Tom Buffenbarger. “We will miss him.”

The son of a Grand Lodge Representative, Kalaski joined IAM Headquarters in 1966 as an Associate Editor of the Machinist weekly newspaper. He was also a respected member of the labor journalism community, serving as vice president of the International Labor Press Association and the first president of the International Labor Communications Association.

IAM Organizers Log 77.8% Win Rate

Tuesday November 18, 2008

U.S. labor unions increased their overall percentage of successful representational elections during the first half of 2008, with the IAM recording the third highest number of workers organized, according to National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) data.

The IAM won 35 out of 45 elections held during the six-month period, bringing collective bargaining rights to 1,015 new members. The IAM also tallied the highest win rate among major unions, winning 77.8% of the elections in which it participated.

While the number of resolved representation elections conducted by the NLRB during the first half of 2008 was exactly the same as the number concluded in the same time period last year, the percentage of union victories increased more than eight percent, from 58.5% to 66.8%.

“Despite a political and business environment that is more hostile to union organizers than at any time in recent history, it’s heartening to see workers in this country are still willing to stand up for their rights on the job,” said IAM Organizing Director Larry Washam. “The IAM has a great team and a great program and I’m confident we’re on track to improve on these numbers in the months to come.”

2009 IAM Calendar Available for Bulk Orders

Thursday November 13, 2008

Local and District Lodges can order bulk quantities of the 2009 IAM Calendar, featuring winners of the IAM Photo Contest. Calendars are an excellent way to showcase the IAM in the workplace. Also, two dollars from the sale of each calendar goes to the IAM-sponsored charity, Guide Dogs of America.

All Lodges that order 100 or more calendars get a price break from seven dollars to five dollars per calendar.

Click here to download a bulk order form.

For individual calendar orders, click here to download an individual order form.
 

Machinists Ratify Accord with United Launch Alliance
Thursday November 13, 2008

Nearly 900 IAM members in five different local lodges in Alabama, Florida and California will benefit from a newly ratified master agreement with United Launch Alliance (ULA), the joint rocket-building and launch venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

The contract covers members of Local 44 in Decatur, AL, Locals 610 and 1163 in Cape Canaveral, FL and Locals 2024 and 2786 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

The master agreement was overwhelmingly ratified on Nov. 9 by members in all locations and provides for annual wage increases of five percent, four percent and four percent over the term of the 42-month accord. In addition to improved pay and a long list of benefits, members will receive an $80 pension multiplier and lump sum ratification bonus of $3,000.

An additional benefit of the master agreement is the common expiration date for all locations, allowing for a more coordinated approach to future negotiations and giving members and their representatives the leverage and benefits of increased bargaining unit size.

Before negotiations began, the 23-member IAM-ULA Negotiating Committee took part in a week-long Negotiating Preparations Class held at the Winpisinger Center, where representatives developed strategies and proposals that would be used when face-to-face negotiations began. More than 20 negotiating committees have gone through the Negotiations Prep training at the WWW Center since the program was launched in 2006.

“I would like to thank the staff of the Winpisinger Center for facilitating the initial training and structural development of this very diverse negotiating committee,” said Aerospace Coordinator John Crowdis. “The tools, techniques and training were second to none and a real tribute to what can be achieved when non-traditional methods are necessary.”

Western Territory GVP Pearson to Retire

Friday November 7, 2008

IAM International President Tom Buffenbarger announced today that Western Territory GVP Lee Pearson will retire on June 30, 2009, at the end of his current term.

“Lee Pearson has been an invaluable member of the IAM Executive Council since 1992,” explained IP Buffenbarger. “And he has served the membership of the Western Territory with distinction throughout his tenure. With Lee Pearson’s retirement, an accomplished labor leader and a close, personal friend of mine will close the book on a spectacular career.”

Lee Pearson’s IAM career spans four decades. He first joined Local Lodge 685 in San Diego in 1966 and held key leadership positions in his Local and District lodge. In 1978, he was elected as a Business Representative in District Lodge 50 and then was appointed Special Representative in 1981 and became a Grand Lodge Representative in 1986. He was re-elected Western Territory GVP in 1993, 1997, 2001 and 2005.

The IAM Executive Council will recommend to the membership that Gary Allen, Administrative Assistant to GVP Lee Pearson, be elected to fill the vacancy. Allen is a 29-year member of the IAM, and has served as the Western Territory AA since 2003.

As one of the IAM’s first Aerospace Coordinators, Allen made his mark developing the GrowCT campaign and negotiating with Pratt & Whitney, Raytheon, General Electric and Rolls Royce. Allen joined Local Lodge 794, Albuquerque, NM in 1979 and was elected President and Directing Business Representative in 1984. He was appointed Special Representative in 1989 and Grand Lodge Representative in 1991.

“Gary Allen will begin to write a vibrant new chapter in IAM history,” said IP Buffenbarger. “His enormous energy and drive will be focused on growing our union in the 13 states that comprise the Western Territory.”

District 725 Delegate Body Meeting
Saturday October 18, 2008
Huntington Beach, CA
11:00 a.m.

The final regularly scheduled District Lodge 725 Delegate Body meeting will be held on Saturday October 18, 2008 in Huntington Beach, California. The meeting will begin promptly at 11:00 a.m.

WWW Center Hosts ULA Negotiating Committees

Thursday September 18, 2008

IAM representatives from Decatur, AL, Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL are joining forces this week at the IAM’s William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center in Placid Harbor, MD to prepare for upcoming negotiations with the United Launch Alliance (ULA). The ULA is a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin to provide launch services to the U.S. government.

The elected negotiating committees are going through the Winpisinger Center’s comprehensive Negotiations Preparation for Bargaining Committees class. By simulating all stages of contract negotiations with experienced staff from the Winpisinger Center and the IAM Strategic Resources Department, the class gives negotiating committee members invaluable experience before actual negotiations with ULA opens on October 7th, 2008.

“This is a unique class because not only are we meeting to prepare for contract negotiations, but we are also working together to develop a Master Agreement with the United Launch Alliance,” said Aerospace Coordinator John Crowdis. “Our goal is to develop the best possible contract proposal for submission to the ULA on behalf of all of our membership.”

The Winpisinger Center’s Negotiations Preparations class provides intensive training in bargaining strategies, contract costing, strategic planning, contract labor regulations and the law and more. Since its start in 2006, the Negotiations Preparation class has doubled the number of training sessions offered each year and the demand is still growing.

“The Negotiation Preparation class is one of many courses we have added or updated to ensure IAM representatives at all levels have the best training available,” said Winpisinger Center Director Chris Wagoner. “We welcome the ULA negotiating committees and look forward to working with them for successful contract negotiations.”
 

District 751 Contract Negotiations

Wednesday September 17, 2008

Keep up to date with IAM District 751 and the ongoing strike at Boeing by clicking the link. 

Alliance Urges Retirees to Weigh In

Tuesday September 16, 2008

The Alliance for Retired Americans is launching ‘Retirees with the Write Stuff,’ a new campaign to encourage retirees to write letters to the editor about Social Security, Medicare and other issues of critical importance to seniors. “It's more important than ever for retirees to make their voices heard in their local communities,” said former IAM International President Kourpias.

Kourpias is encouraging retirees to take full advantage of their local newspaper’s Letters to the Editor section as a means to get their message out to a wider audience. The Letters to the Editor section of a local newspaper is frequently the most widely read section of a newspaper.

37th Grand Lodge Convention

Sunday September 7, 2008

IAM members from the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico gathered in Orlando, FL for the 37th IAM&AW Convention. Stay up to date with convention highlights and streaming video feeds from the convention floor by clicking this link.

Boeing Machinists Vote to Strike

Thursday September 4, 2008

The second strike in three years at Boeing will go forward if an acceptable agreement that addresses members’ concerns over job security, pensions and wages cannot be hammered out during the two-day extension. Federal mediators will assist in the effort to broker an improved agreement.

Eighty-seven percent of Machinists in Oregon, Kansas, California and Washington state voted to strike, while 80 percent voted to reject the company’s so-called “best and final” offer. The vote results leave no doubt about how members view the company’s offer and gives their negotiators unmistakable leverage at the bargaining table.

“Our job as negotiators is to do everything possible to reach an agreement and we pledged to meet anytime and anyplace to achieve that goal,” said IAM Aerospace Coordinator Mark Blondin. “We intend to honor that pledge but if Boeing fails to use this time wisely and resolve the remaining issues, this strike will be of their making.”

EPI Releases State of Working America

Thursday September 4, 2008

The average American worker is worse off now than they were when the recession ended in 2001, according to The Economic Policy Institute’s The State of Working America 2008/2009. The report finds that despite growth in productivity, there has been weak job growth and stagnant or falling household income.

There has been a 1.1 percent decline in labor force participation, which translates to about 1.4 million people who could otherwise have been working or actively job-hunting, according to the report.“If job growth from 2000 to 2007 had matched the 1990s cycle, the economy would have added 7 million more jobs than it did,” said co-author Heidi Shierholz. “The weak jobs situation means that the potential of millions of productive, hard-working Americans has been left untapped -- a profound disservice to them, their families, and the economy as a whole.”

Another finding from the report is the growth in income inequality among Americans, with the real income for the median family falling by 1.1 percent from 2000-2006, while income more than tripled for the top 1 percent.

Boeing Gets an Earful

Thursday July 31, 2008
IAM Communications Department

IAM leaders urged Boeing Company officials to think twice before proposing a substandard contract offer for 26,000 Machinists in Washington, Kansas and Oregon, who assemble the company’s commercial aircraft, including the next generation 787 Dreamliner.

Speaking on a conference call for investors and journalists that was co-sponsored by the IAM and the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), IAM Aerospace Coordinator Mark Blondin warned that Boeing’s current position at the bargaining table will need to improve considerably to avoid a strike. “So far, all they are talking about are take-aways,” said Blondin, who leads the IAM’s Bargaining Committee. “If that continues over the next couple of week, they’re in deep trouble.”

The IAM struck Boeing for 28 days in 2005 over a divisive contract offer that failed to acknowledge the surge in profits and aircraft orders Boeing was experiencing. Despite current delays due to Boeing’s global outsourcing strategy, the company remains awash in orders and profits.

The goal of the current negotiations remains a contract that can be ratified, and a company that continues to thrive, rather than a strike. “We want to ensure that we come out of these negotiations with something that is going to be good for us, good for the company and good for the future – not only in Seattle, Wichita and Portland, but good for America,” said Headquarters GVP Rich Michalski, who moderated the call.

The conference call included the IAM, SPEEA and more than fifty Wall Street analysts, investment managers and pension fund representatives. Together, the IAM and SPEEA represent more than 50,000 employees at Boeing.

“This round of negotiations is shaping up to be particularly critical for the future direction of Boeing,” said David White, IAM Assistant Director of Strategic Resources, who pointed out that three of the last four contract cycles for IAM and SPEEA resulted in strikes at Boeing. “Our members have delivered for management. Now its time for Mr. McNerney and his executive team to acknowledge this contribution.”

To hear a replay of the hour-long forum, call 1-800-475-6701, passcode: 955367.

IAM Members Killed in Wisconsin Paper Mill Blast

Thursday July 31, 2008
IAM Communications Department

Two members of Local 1713, District W-3, were killed this week when a six-story high storage tank exploded at a paper mill in northern Wisconsin.
 
The explosion took the lives of 34-year member Steve Voermans and 31-year member Randy Hoegger, 56, who were performing maintenance on top of the tank used to store recycled fibers. Also killed in the explosion was 46-year old Donald Snyder, a production superintendent at the facility. A fourth employee, Alex Loka, who just became an IAM member, was working at the base of the tank when the blast occurred. He was treated for injuries at a local hospital and released.

“Every effort will be made to uncover the cause of this deadly explosion, but at this time our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the workers who were killed and injured,” said Headquarters GVP Rich Michalski. “More than 5,000 workers die every year in workplace accidents, but each one is a heartbreaking reminder of how lethal our workplaces can suddenly become.”
 
IAM Health and Safety personnel will take part in the investigation to determine the cause of the explosion, while the IAM Community Services Department has already dispatched Certified Employee Assistance Program personnel to the scene to provide counseling and assistance for co-workers.

The mill where the explosion occurred is located in Tomahawk, WI, and owned by Packaging Corp. of America, which operates four paper mills and 67 corrugated product plants in 26 states.

Your Chance to Win a New Harley
Tuesday July 22, 2008

Don’t miss out on a chance to win a Vivid Black Rocker C Harley-Davidson. Tickets are on sale now for $5 each or six for $20. Proceeds of the raffle will help fund the 37th Grand Lodge Convention.

The Host Committee will draw the winning ticket during the Grand Lodge Convention in Orlando, FL.  The Rock C is “the next degree of custom,” according to Bill Davidson, son of Willie G. and great grandson of Harley-Davidson co-founder William A Davidson. Tickets are available at your District and/or Territory office.

District 725 Delegate Body Meeting
Saturday July 19, 2008
Huntington Beach, CA
11:00 a.m.

The third regularly scheduled District Lodge 725 Delegate Body meeting will be held on Saturday July 19, 2008 in Huntington Beach, California. The meeting will begin promptly at 11:00 a.m.

They said it couldn’t happen. The industry experts and defense analysts who track the aerospace industry said there was no way the Government Accounting Office (GAO) would ever recommend an overhaul of the $35 billion tanker contract that was awarded earlier this year to EADS/Airbus over Boeing.

But the so-called experts were wrong. Not only did the GAO recommend a new round of bidding, but they rebuked the Air Force decision to award the contract to Airbus in blunt and unequivocal terms.

“Our review of the record led us to conclude that the Air Force made a number of significant errors that could have affected the outcome of what was a close competition between Boeing and Northrop Grumman,” the GAO said. “We therefore sustain Boeing's protest.”

The 69-page GAO decision was not made public because it contains proprietary and sensitive information about the Boeing and Northrop tanker bids. But the GAO did issue a three-page summary that found significant mistakes by the Air Force in seven key areas.

Among the points made in the GAO report was that the Air Force did not assess the relative merits of the tanker proposals in accordance with the criteria it initially established. The GAO also cited the Air Force for conducting "misleading and unequal discussions" with Boeing by informing Boeing that it had fully satisfied a key performance objective, but later determined privately that Boeing had not. The GAO also concluded the Air Force miscalculated the life-cycle costs of Boeing's tanker, and incorrectly concluded that the Northrop tanker would have lower operating costs.

The IAM enthusiastically welcomed the GAO report as the foundation for reversing the award without delay. “Not only is the Boeing aircraft superior, but we can begin building these planes right away,” said GVP Rich Michalski, who urged IAM members to contact lawmakers and demand the contract be awarded to the workers, the aircraft and the company that won it in the first place.

The IAM renewed its call for the controversial tanker refueling contract to be reversed following news that the U.S. Air Force awarded the $35 billion contract based on errors that favored the Airbus tanker over a version of Boeing’s 767.

“This process has been deeply flawed from the beginning,” said Headquarters GVP Rich Michalski. “First, the Air Force admitted they never took into account the employment consequences of awarding a multi-billion contract to a company based in France. Now we learn they used grossly inaccurate numbers to compare operating costs of the two aircraft. It’s clear that Boeing won this competition and they should be awarded the right to build these planes.”

The Air Force recently admitted it miscalculated the life-cycle costs of operating Boeing’s refueling tanker by at least $36 million per aircraft and that it awarded the contract to the more expensive proposal for an Airbus tanker. The recent increase in fuel prices makes the cost difference between operating the two aircraft even larger.

Additionally, the Air Force said earlier this year that it was not required to consider the employment impact of outsourcing such a large defense contract.

“We need to decide as a nation if billions in taxpayer dollars should be used to support job creation programs overseas while this country slips deeper into recession,” said Michalski.

The IAM has led a sustained grassroots effort to overturn the tanker award, with members in all 50 states contacting lawmakers and urging an investigation of the process that resulted in the Airbus design being chosen over one based on Boeing’s 767, a model with more than 10 million hours of commercial flying time.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers celebrates its 120th anniversary this week. It was on the evening of May 5, 1888 that railroad machinist Tom Talbot held a secret meeting with eighteen fellow machinists in a locomotive engine pit in Atlanta, Georgia. That meeting was the foundation of the IAM.

Unemployment was high in the 1880s and people were still hurting from the ravages of a depression of the 1870s. With 10-hour days, unsafe working conditions and declining wages (journeymen machinists, at $2.00 an hour, were earning about half as much as twenty years earlier), the need for workers to unite and organize was never greater.

First named the Order of United Machinists and Mechanical Engineers of America, Tom Talbot became the union’s first president. With the help of “Boomers,” Machinists organizers who traveled by rail, membership grew to 4,000 in just two years.

With less than two months remaining before the Government Accountability Office is set to rule on a formal objection filed by Boeing, opponents of the U.S. Air Force’s decision to award a $40 billion tanker contract to Airbus and Northrop Grumman are stepping up the pressure.

Boeing, which has been supplying tankers to the Air Force for nearly half a century, took out a full page ad in the Washington Post stressing the importance of experience and expertise in securing the tanker contract.

“Designing, building, certifying and delivering tanker aircraft and booms is a complex, high-risk process,” the ad states. “Boeing’s track record of superior management of complex military programs is unsurpassed.”

Union members, meanwhile, continue to flood lawmakers with petitions protesting the deal. You can send a message to Congress telling them “U.S. Forces Deserve U.S. Tankers” by clicking here.

Lawmakers also continue to remain active in their opposition. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), along with seven other Senators, recently sent a letter to President Bush questioning the decision.

Machinists gathered this week for a solemn service to honor fellow members who perished on the job or from work-related conditions during the past year. The names of five IAM members were inscribed on bricks and set among 240 others at the IAM Workers’ Memorial on the grounds of the William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center in Southern Maryland.

Added to the IAM memorial this year were: Eugene (Geno) Campagna, Local 1529; Thomas Cherry, Local 83; Danny Givens, District 75; Rick Smith, District 837 and Denise Wilson of Local 1833.

“We don’t forget our brothers and sisters,” said IAM President Tom Buffenbarger, in an address to students and staff at the Winpisinger Center before the names of the fallen were read to the tolling of a bell. “We need to think about their lives and their sacrifice. They were loyal and true and they deserve to be remembered.”

This year’s service was the 20th annual observance of Workers’ Memorial Day, which began in Canada and is now observed in thousands of annual services around the world. More than 5,800 workers were killed in work-related accidents last year, with up to 60,000 perishing from work-related illnesses. Millions more are injured each year.

Among the students at the Winpisinger Center this week were IAM members taking part in the Spanish Leadership I course. Coincidently, the U.S. Department of Labor recently released their annual statistics showing the death and injury rate for Hispanic workers exceeding all other ethnic groups in the United States.

For twenty years the IAM has been observing Worker Memorial Day, honoring those men and women who gave the ultimate sacrafice to the job. Click the link below to watch a brief video about this year's ceremony.

You Are Not Forgotten

The second regularly scheduled District Lodge 725 Delegate Body meeting will be held on Saturday April 19, 2008 in Huntington Beach, California. The meeting will begin promptly at 11:00 a.m.

In the midst of tough financial times for many families, the IAM is giving members a chance to save their hard-earned money by shopping online at the Machinists Mall on GOIAM.org.

Every time a member completes an online purchase through the Machinists Mall, they’ll earn Rebate Dollars for their purchases. On a quarterly basis, members who have accumulated at least $10 in Rebate Dollars will be converted into a check and mailed to them.
The Machinists Mall offers an extensive selection of retailers for members to choose from, offering a wide range of products including home appliances, clothing and electronics.

Click here to visit the Machinists Mall and start earning your rebate dollars.

The IAM announced today that they have reached three tentative agreements with aerospace giant Lockheed Martin Corporation that cover nearly 6,000 Machinists at eight Lockheed facilities throughout the country. The three-year accords secure the best pay package in the history of IAM-Lockheed negotiations, as well as historic improvements in pension benefits. The agreements are subject to approval by IAM members at ratification voting which will be held at all locations on March 2, 2008.

“Aerospace firms like Lockheed Martin are posting big profits and this agreement recognizes the key role our members play in making those profits possible,” said International President Tom Buffenbarger. “And at a time when American corporations are jettisoning pension plans, we improved defined-benefit pension benefits and ensured newly hired workers will be covered.”

The proposed agreements include a $2,000 ratification bonus in addition to wage increases of four percent in the first year, and three percent in the second and third years. The agreements also increase the pension benefit by $11 to $77 a month, which would give IAM members the highest pension in the aerospace industry. Improvements in health care coverage, insurance benefits and other retire benefits are also included.

“These agreements set a high standard in the aerospace industry for wages and benefits,” said IAM Aerospace Coordinator John Crowdis, who led the negotiating teams from eight IAM locations. “The leadership for each of the locations did an outstanding job to make this a successful round of negotiations not only for their respective sites, but for the Machinists union as a whole.”

Negotiators representing IAM members at Lockheed Martin facilities in Palmdale, Sunnyvale, Santa Cruz and Vandenberg AFB, California; Cape Canaveral, Florida; Marietta, Georgia; Meridian, Mississippi; Clarksburg, West Virginia will return to their respective locations to present the entire agreements to the membership. Informational and ratification meetings will be held at all locations on March 2, 2008.

Details of the agreements are posted on www.goiam.org/lockheed.

With their current contract set to expire at midnight on March 2nd, negotiations between the IAM and Lockheed Martin are heading into the home stretch as IAM negotiators look to secure a solid contract for nearly 6,000 IAM members at eight Lockheed locations.

After months of preparation, negotiations kicked off in Palm Springs, CA on February 17th and are scheduled to continue through Wednesday. Over the past 10 days, members of the IAM negotiating committee have honed in on the issues members cited as their top concerns: pensions, health care, wages and job security.

“The negotiating committee has been working diligently to ensure they leave here with a contract they can take back to the membership that addresses pensions, health care and all of the issues our members have said they are concerned about,” IAM Aerospace Coordinator John Crowdis said. “We are making progress, but there are still significant differences that need to be worked out.”

Members from Palmdale, Sunnyvale, Santa Cruz and Vandenberg AFB California; Cape Canaveral, Florida; Marietta, Georgia; Meridian, Mississippi; Clarksburg, West Virginia will vote simultaneously on March 2, 2008.

A special IAM website will continue to provide updates on the progress of negotiations.

On February 14, 2008 an overwhelming majority of Pacific Treatment Environmental Services workers at Fort Irwin in Barstow, CA voted to join the IAM. These highly skilled maintenance mechanics, heavy equipment operators and waste disposal techs perform necessary environmental services for  the U.S. Army.

“These workers were tired of being paid minimum wage and minimum benefits for the work they do,” Organizing Director Brian Miller said. “Their wages simply were not keeping up with the cost of living. They contacted Local Lodge 25 member Jesse Hodges and he put them in touch the District Organizing Department. After establishing the in-plant organizing committee, we gathered enough signatures to file for an election with the National Labor Relations Board.”

 The District 725 Organizing Department conducted a “Union YES” blitz from February 8th through February 10th in Barstow, CA and secured enough signatures to proceed with the election. On election day, the bargaining unit employees prevailed by a 60% margin.

“These workers are eager to begin the collective bargaining process,” Brian Miller said. “On Thursday March 6, 2008 the bargaining unit elected Robert Baker as their negotiator and Bob Miller as their alternate negotiator. They will work with Business Representative Al Rosales to negotiate the wage and benefit increases these workers desperately need.”

“Congratulations to our newest IAM members.” President/DBR Gary Holt said. “We are proud that they selected us to represent them and with their help we will bring back a contract for the approval of the membership.”

After months of preparations and in the midst of record-breaking profits for the aerospace industry, IAM leaders today launched the opening round of negotiations for a new contract covering nearly 6,000 members at eight Lockheed-Martin locations. Union members cited pensions, health care, wages and job security as top concerns heading into negotiations.

“These negotiations are the opportunity for workers and management to establish levels of compensation and respect that are essential to continued success in this volatile industry,” said Machinists President Tom Buffenbarger at the initial meeting with Lockheed representatives. “It is also critical to provide this sophisticated workforce with the training and technology that will allow them to be as productive in the future as they have been in the past.”

Signaling the importance of the Lockheed Martin contract, Buffenbarger was joined by IAM General Vice President (GVP) Rich Michalski, Western Territory GVP Lee Pearson, Southern Territory GVP Bob Martinez and local IAM representatives from Palmdale, Sunnyvale, Santa Cruz and Vandenberg AFB California; Cape Canaveral, Florida; Marietta, Georgia; Meridian, Mississippi; Clarksburg, West Virginia.

“The importance of these negotiations is profound,” said IAM Aerospace Coordinator John Crowdis. “What happens here will set the curve for aerospace negotiations over the next three years.”

A special IAM website  will provide updates on the progress of negotiations, which will continue through February 27, with IAM members at all locations expected to vote simultaneously on March 2. The current three-year agreement expires at midnight on March 2, 2008. Click here to visit this website.

District Lodge 837 President/DBR Rick Smith of O’Fallon, MO passed away at the age of 60. A machinist by trade and 41-year IAM member, he served his fellow brothers and sisters in various capacities over the years, including Shop Steward, Plant Chairman, and Local 837-B Recording Secretary. In 1994, he became a Business Representative for District 837, and since 1998, led the District as President/DBR.

“This is a great loss,” said IAM Midwest GVP Phil Gruber. “Rick Smith exemplified the very essence of service. Throughout his career in the IAM and the labor movement, it was his integrity and dedication to making life better for others - no matter how difficult the circumstances - that encouraged and inspired all who were privileged to know him.”

Rick is survived by his wife, Nancy; children, Richard, Eric and Stacie and their families. The family asks that memorial donations be sent to Guide Dogs of America-St. Louis, c/o Jim Marshall, 212 Utz Lane, Hazelwood, MO 63042.

After more than 19 months of intensive bargaining, members Local Lodge 727-P, in Palmdale, CA, voted on January 21, 2008 to ratify their first contract with Pratt & Whitney.

Terms of the hard won first agreement include a $1250.00 contract ratification bonus, $1.30 per hour equity adjustment effective January 21, 2008, 8.5% in General Wage Increases over the life of the three year agreement (3.5% GWI effective March 3, 2008, 2.5% effective March 2, 2009 and March 1, 2010), a binding grievance and arbitration procedure, union security language and improvements to medical and pension benefits.

These proud new IAM members at Edwards Air Force Base include highly-skilled mechanics, inspectors and support personnel who work on Pratt & Whitney aircraft engines for the F-22 Raptor program. Pratt’s latest engine powering the F-22 is designated the F119, considered to be the world’s most advanced fighter engine. The two F119’s per F-22 Raptor provide the ability for supersonic cruising without the use of afterburners.

“I’d like to recognize Business Representative Mike Palazzo, the District Lodge 725 staff and especially Shop Negotiating Committee members Ted Hyatt and Victor Rico, who held the unit together during this long and difficult process,” said Aerospace Coordinator Frank Santos. “Special recognition goes to all 15 members of the unit, who stood united throughout this extensive journey to a first agreement.”

The union’s negotiating committee included bargaining unit members Ted Hyatt and Victor Rico, Business Representative Mike Palazzo, President/DBR Gary Holt & IAM Aerospace Coordinator Frank Santos.

The first regularly scheduled District Lodge 725 Delegate Body meeting will be held on Saturday January 19, 2008 in Huntington Beach, California. The meeting will begin promptly at 11:00 a.m.

On January 16, 2008 an overwhelming majority of L-3 Vertex workers on the F/A-18 program at Naval Air Station Lemoore voted to join the IAM. These highly skilled mechanics, electricians and painters perform depot level maintenance on these aircraft for the U.S. Navy.

“The workers asked for our help because their wages weren’t keeping up with the cost of living, and company policies were being applied in an arbitrary manner,” Organizing Director Brian Miller said.  “They realized the only way to earn management’s respect and improve their wages and working conditions was through collective bargaining.”

“Congratulations to our new IAM members, as well as District 725 Organizing Director Brian Miller and Business Representative John Fox for another successful organizing drive under the Service Contract Act,” Western Territory GVP Lee Pearson said. “Fundamental rights on the job and pay equity are well-deserved by mechanics like these, who help keep our armed forces safe and functioning.”

Area 1 Director Virginia Cobb reported that the Mechanics and Vehicle Service Technicians at American Medical Response (AMR) in San Diego ratified their  first agreement with the company on December 21, 2007.

The three-year contract is the result of 14 months of intensive bargaining and provides 11% in General Wage Increases over the life of the contract, ratification bonuses, a formal grievance procedure with binding arbitration, safety-shoe reimbursements, $3.00 per hour for On Call employees, $1.00 per hour night shift premium, eight paid holidays per year, health, dental and vision coverage and seniority provisions.

“These new members – mechanics, technicians and service coordinators – perform an integral function in the maintenance of AMR’s ambulances in San Diego,” said Western Territory GVP Lee Pearson. “They deserve nothing less than reasonable compensation and a fair set of work rules. District 725  Business Representative Virginia Cobb and Negotiating Committee member Baltazar Molinar did an outstanding job laying the groundwork for our members with this first contract.”

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!

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