Feb 13, 2020 | iMail
The Trump administration floating the possibility of removing collective bargaining rights for Department of Defense personnel is an unjust attack on federal employees, many of whom are military veterans, said IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr.
“The president steadily touts a pro-veteran platform, but removing the rights of veterans at the Defense Department should make many question whether his support for the brave men and women who served this nation is just an empty promise,” said Martinez, a U.S. Navy veteran. “These are men and women who sacrificed a lot for this great nation. We don’t honor them by stripping their rights. Removing their right to collectively bargain is blatantly wrong and promises to have a negative impact on the morale within a department so vital to our nation’s security.”
The Department of Defense employs 324,253 veterans, which is about 48 percent of the total civilian workforce, according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Many of those workers are represented by the IAM and other labor unions.
The administration in late January disseminated a memo that outlines a means for Defense Secretary Mark Esper to have the authority to exclude Pentagon “agencies or subdivisions thereof” from the law guaranteeing federal workers the right to unionize, citing the need for “flexibility,” according to a Feb. 8 article by Government Executive.
The post Removing Defense Department Unionization Rights Attacks Veterans appeared first on IAMAW.
Feb 13, 2020 | iMail
Take up the fight in our nation’s capital for policies that actually benefit working people and their families at the 2020 IAM Legislative Conference in Washington, DC. The deadline to register is Friday, March 27.
Join hundreds of your fellow IAM members at the 2020 IAM Legislative Conference from Monday, May 4 to Wednesday, May 6, 2020 at the Hyatt Regency Washington, 400 New Jersey Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20001.
Get the official call letter, registration information and hotel booking details here.
As part of the conference agenda, attendees will lobby members of Congress and remind them who they were elected to represent. Machinists will hit Capitol Hill and talk about the issues that affect IAM members most–trade, defense funding, retirement security, health care costs and more.
During general sessions, delegates will also hear from allies in Congress and attend a congressional reception hosted by the IAM.
All delegates planning to attend the 2020 IAM Legislative Conference should pre-schedule meetings with their Congressional District Representatives as well as Senators for Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon.
Make a difference by participating in this important conference.
Register today.
The post Fight for Working Families at the 2020 IAM Legislative Conference appeared first on IAMAW.
Feb 13, 2020 | iMail
In case you missed it, this Wednesday’s edition of the IAM’s live webcast featured participants in the IAM Women’s Leadership Program as they discuss their experiences in class this week at the William W. Winpisinger Center in Hollywood, MD.
Activate L!VE streams every Wednesday at 3 p.m. EST.
If you can’t join us live, watch it or previous shows anytime on:
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
The post ICYMI: Women’s Leadership Program on Activate L!ve appeared first on IAMAW.
Feb 13, 2020 | iMail
The IAM mourns the death of former Texas AFL-CIO President Emmett Sheppard. He passed away Feb. 8 at age 77.
“Emmett Sheppard is a great example of an amazing unionist who fought every day to advance the labor movement,” said IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr., who started his IAM career as a member of Local 776A in Ft. Worth, TX. “Brother Sheppard will be forever remembered for his relentless hard work to successfully advance the needs of the federation affiliates in Texas, including the Machinists Union. We offer our thoughts and prayers to the Sheppard family as they go through this difficult time.”
A long-time member of the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers Local 4-23 (now part of the United Steelworkers union), Sheppard was Texas AFL-CIO Legislative Director and Secretary-Treasurer before serving a four-year term as Texas AFL-CIO President from 2003 to 2007. Sheppard revamped every aspect of the Texas AFL-CIO’s information systems to take advantage of the digital age in political and legislative advocacy.
Sheppard was a member of the Texas Labor Hall of Fame. He remained active in the labor movement as a retiree, taking a leadership role in a statewide network of volunteers that continues to this day.
The post IAM Mourns the Loss of Former Texas AFL-CIO President Sheppard appeared first on IAMAW.
Feb 13, 2020 | iMail
The deadline to enroll for the May 31-June 5, 2020 IAM Federal Employee Program at the William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center in Hollywood, MD is March 30, 2020. This will be the last class for the year.
Due to limited class space of 30, only those who have not previously attended may enroll. Participants will be chosen on a first-come basis, so do not delay.
Click here for the call letter and registration information.
The week’s program will include training in areas specific to the federal sector. Collective bargaining, the Hatch Act and legislative action, prohibited personnel practices, unfair labor practices (ULP) and grievance handling, arbitration and the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) are among the topics of the program.
This program is valuable for stewards, officers and business representatives who service members in the federal sector.
Please contact the Government Employees Department at 301-967-4753 if you have questions.
The post Enroll Now for 2020 Federal Workers Program appeared first on IAMAW.
