Georgia is going to be an important state in the upcoming political season. The Georgia State Council of Machinists is making sure the candidates running are good for labor and will fight and protect the best interests of workers and their families in the Peach State.
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During Women’s History Month this year, the IAM is highlighting current trailblazers in the union. Are you an IAM Sister interested in taking a more active role in your union? Reach out to your District leadership about the IAM Leadership Assembly of Dedicated Sisters (LEADS) Program.
Melone Wey was a dues paying member for three years before she attended a union meeting.
“When I showed up, the Chief Steward said ‘oh you only come to a meeting when it affects you?’” said Wey. “This hit me hard and I made it a priority to get more involved.”
She began her union career as a steward when working at Gerber Baby Foods in Fort Smith, AR. She held many different positions before going to work for District 171 as a Business Representative.
Wey admits encountering obstacles along the way.
“One of the hardest things is not everyone will thank you and sometimes you have to educate members it’s about the good of the body not just individuals,” said Wey.
“Sister Wey stepped into a District leadership role as a business representative when there were only a few female reps in the Southern Territory,” said IAM Southern Territory General Vice President Rickey Wallace. “Sister Melone soon earned a reputation as a no-nonsense representative at the bargaining table that would get as aggressive as necessary to represent her members. She is viewed as an example of a Sister who has walked the walk and earned the respect and admiration of her co-workers throughout the Southern Territory. This Sister is truly an example for other Sisters who inspire to advance in our union.”
Wey’s mentor is retired Pat Harmon.
“Pat told me on her last day with the company to stay involved in the union,” said Wey. “That I would do great things.”
Wey says she admires Rosa Parks because she took a stand, no matter the cost.
She says that other women remember that “just because women have always been portrayed as a supporting role to men, it does not mean it’s not our time to rise up.”
Wey’s hope for the future is that “we get more involvement from women. From the local lodge all the way to the international level.”
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The Machinists Union scored a huge legislative win for IAM Local 778 Members at the Olin-Winchester Lake City Army Ammunition Plant (LCAAP) in Independence, MO. Proposed budget cuts, now cancelled due to the IAM’s advocacy, would have had a devastating impact on the 1,700 workers at the facility.
The fiscal year 2022 budget unwisely included a 30 to 50 percent reduction in these munitions compared to 2021.
At the time, IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. sent a letter to U.S. House and Senate appropriators, urging them to reject the effort to cut funding for U.S. Army ammunitions, and asking them to restore adequate funding for the procurement of small caliber ammunition for the U.S. Army
“The IAM’s victory ensures that our military will continue to have access to quality ammunition,” said IAM Local 778 Directing Business Representative Joe Capra. “Our highly skilled members take great pride in their work to make the finest ammunition in the world.”
“Our members can be assured that the IAM is fighting for their jobs at every level,” said IAM Midwest Territory General Vice President Steve Galloway. “This was a tremendous effort on everyone’s part.”
“This crucial funding secures the work of our members,” said IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. “My thanks go to all involved, especially our Political and Legislative Department, whose efforts made a huge difference.”
The Independence facility manufactures the Army’s 5.56 mm, 7.62 mm and .50-caliber rifle ammunition.
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IAM Local 447 members at Cummins have been on strike for six weeks at three locations in the New England area. Cummins wants to put into place inconsistent and subjective pay for performance policies Instead of guaranteed wage language, which has been negotiated since the contract’s inception.
These workers serviced generators in nursing homes, kept emergency vehicles running and supported frontline workers during the pandemic, risking their health and the health of their families. Asking for a fair and equitable contract that falls in line with current economic conditions is what they deserve.
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The IAM’s William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center in Hollywood, Maryland, is excited to announce its new website and logos. This is the first time the Center has redesigned its logo since it opened in 1981 and it is the third major relaunch of the website since the Center went online in 2000.
The Communications Department and the Winpisinger Center worked together on these projects.
The website refresh prioritized an intuitive and clean design, making it easier to find content with fewer clicks, adding a FAQ section, and making travel forms and documents easier to locate. Program information is streamlined and descriptions of Negotiation Prep and Field Programs have been added. Future updates include a robust members-only section that will provide access to resources like the IAM constitution, official circulars, research guides, and back issues of IAM Educator.
“Our website is often the first interaction member-participants have with the Winpisinger Center,” said Director Chris Wagoner. “We want it to be engaging, informative, and easy to search. The new site more than meets these requirements; the group that worked on this project outdid themselves.”
The Winpisinger Center’s new logo is bold and modern and incorporates colors similar to those of the original IAM gear logo. In addition to the main logo there are two variants that will allow for flexibility in application and use.
The William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center embodies the IAM’s commitment to membership training, with a comprehensive and concise curriculum that includes programs on lodge administration, organizing, collective bargaining, communications, and arbitration. Participants learn how to navigate the changing workplace, advocate for their fellow members, and stand up to unfair bosses and company practices.
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