May 12, 2021 | iMail
In accordance with Article III of the Constitution of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), nominations for Grand Lodge office for the term ending June 30, 2025 were conducted in January 2021. As a result of those nominations, the following officers were elected by acclimation (without a challenger):
Robert Martinez Jr., International President
Gary R. Allen, General Vice President
Sito Pantoja, General Vice President
Mark Blondin, General Vice President
Rickey Wallace, General Vice President
Brian Bryant, General Vice President
Steve Galloway, General Vice President
David Chartrand, General Vice President
James Beno, Committee on Law
Dave Weaver, Committee on Law
T. Dean Wright Jr., Committee on Law
Tania Canniff, Committee on Law
E. Michael Vartabedian, Delegate to AFL-CIO
Richard Jackson, Delegate to AFL-CIO
Sharon Sugiyama, Delegate to AFL-CIO
Kim Valliere, Delegate to Canadian Labour Congress
The General Secretary-Treasurer position was contested and a secret ballot election was conducted at local lodge meetings on April 24, 2021 and by absentee ballot.
In accordance with the Constitution, the Tellers began the count on May 1, 2021. Counting continued from day to day in front of any candidates or designated observers, until completed on May 7, 2021.
Dora Cervantes received the highest number of votes cast and is the successful candidate with 5,598 votes. The challenger received 3,416 votes.
Elected officers will begin their term on July 1, 2021.
Click here for the formal summary tally report for all Local Lodges signed by the Tellers.
Click here for the report of votes cast by local lodge.
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May 11, 2021 | iMail
Elections should be about people, not money.
That’s why the Machinists proudly support S.1, the For the People Act. Introduced by U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) and U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), the legislation aims to address voter intimidation and suppression across the U.S.A.
Already passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in early March, 2021, the bill would stop states from restricting a voter’s access to the ballot box and curb the role of money in politics.
Contact your Senators today and tell them to support the For the People Act.
The For the People Act would:
- Make it easier to vote by eliminating suppression obstacles
- Remove the influence money has gained in the political system
- Protect the election infrastructure
- Give power back to eligible voters
Do your part and let your Senators know it’s time to pass this groundbreaking piece of legislation so that every vote cast, counts. Let’s protect our right to vote.
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May 10, 2021 | iMail
IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr., released the following statement regarding a labor standards petition filed against Mexico under the USMCA:
“The IAM, an affiliate of the AFL-CIO, strongly supports the first petition filed under the USMCA charging Mexico with violating the labor standards provisions of the trade agreement. Workers at the auto parts plant Tridonex in Matamoros are entitled under the agreement to freely select the union they want. These rights were violated.
“Workers throughout the world are entitled to the right to form a union. The company’s conduct not only violated these fundamental human rights, but Mexico, which agreed to do honor these rights under USMCA, must act quickly to enforce its laws and provide adequate and effective remedies to the workers.
“The IAM will work hard in the coming days to make sure that the labor standards in USMCA are enforced in all industrial sectors in Mexico, including aerospace.”
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) is among the largest industrial trade unions in North America and represents nearly 600,000 active and retired members in the manufacturing, aerospace, defense, airline, railroad, transportation, shipbuilding, woodworking, health care, and other industries.
goIAM.org | @MachinistsUnion
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May 7, 2021 | iMail
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
I want to thank every member who participated in the IAM’s Grand Lodge Officer Election for General Secretary-Treasurer. Our election process allowed members from across North America to have a voice in the future of our great union.
The results show that Dora Cervantes has been re-elected as the IAM’s General Secretary-Treasurer. Complete results by local lodge will be released on goIAM.org in the coming days.
Your union went above and beyond to ensure every IAM member had an opportunity to cast a ballot. The IAM expanded access to absentee voting and extended the deadline to receive absentee ballots for anyone who had concerns about voting safely during the pandemic.
Now is the time to join together as one union. This moment will be an inflection point in the history of the IAM. We all know that the backbone of our great union is the hardworking men and women in every local, district, and territory.
With many local lodges not hosting regular, in-person monthly meetings and members still recovering from furloughs and layoffs, we are grateful for everyone who made their voice heard in this election.
I also want to personally thank everyone who helped with the observation and counting of ballots. You took on a huge responsibility and played a critical role in protecting the IAM’s great tradition of true union democracy.
No matter how you voted, now is the time to unite and move past the campaign rhetoric so we can grow and heal our great union. Let’s turn that energy into organizing and fighting for our members at the bargaining table and at every IAM workplace across North America.
Today, we move forward as a stronger union.
In solidarity,
Robert Martinez Jr.
International President
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May 6, 2021 | iMail
The IAM’s advocacy on Capitol Hill is paying dividends with growing bipartisan support for the F-35 program, which is proudly built by Machinists Union members. As Congress begins consideration of their Fiscal Year 2022 defense authorization and spending bills, the Machinists Union is working to ensure that Congress continues their investment in this vitally important defense program.
A bipartisan group of 132 House Representatives and 20 U.S. Senators recently penned their support of the F-35 program to House and Senate heads of the Appropriations and Armed Services committees.
IAM members work up and down the supply chain to build the F-35, which strengthens national security, enhances global partnerships and powers economic growth.
The IAM and allies in Congress are emphasizing the critical need to maintain course towards the F-35’s full rate of production and an increased investment in modernization and sustainment in order to improve readiness and repair capacity as the program continues to grow.
“Machinists Union members take great pride in building the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter for three U.S. military services,” said IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. “The F-35 program creates a powerful economic impact for our nation and it produces a game-changing aircraft that keeps our fighter pilots safe. Now is the time to invest in the best air-to-air fighter by ramping up the production line to reduce unit costs and continue to handle the world’s current and emerging threats.”
READ: Our national security depends on a strong F-35 program built by American workers The Hill
The F-35 industrial base consists of more than 1,800 suppliers and more than 254,000 direct and indirect jobs across the country.
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