May 3, 2022 | iMail
WASHINGTON, May 3, 2022 – Apple store employees in Towson, Md. have organized a union called Coalition of Organized Retail Employees (CORE), with the assistance of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM).
CORE and IAM recently sent a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook informing him of the decision to organize their union, listing “access to rights we do not currently have” as a driving reason for the move, which has strong support from a majority of the workers.
READ: Apple store in Maryland becomes third to launch union drive The Washington Post
“As other large companies in the service and tech sectors continue to organize we are also proud to take this step,” reads the letter. “As our store approaches its 20th year anniversary we think about the history of this company and how we have always been different; because we have always thought differently. Today we are asking you to do the same and to pledge not to use your resources to engage in an anti-union campaign to dissuade us. We ask that you voluntarily recognize our union so we can begin working together as equals in a spirit of cooperation and collaboration.”
The Coalition of Organized Retail Employees (CORE) is requesting that Apple follow the same neutrality requirement laid out in its Supplier Code of Conduct under the section “Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining” so that employees can obtain their rights to information and collective bargaining that the law affords through unionization.
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) is one of the largest and most diverse industrial trade unions in North America, representing approximately 600,000 active and retired members in the aerospace, defense, airlines, railroad, transit, healthcare, automotive, and other industries.
@ACOREUNION | @ACOREUNION Instagram | goIAM.org | @MachinistsUnion
The post Maryland Apple Store Employees Move to Join the IAM appeared first on IAMAW.
May 3, 2022 | iMail
The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear a challenge from a Cadillac dealership in Naperville, IL, giving IAM Local 701 a huge win stemming from a strike against the Chicago New Car Dealer Committee in 2017. The recent ruling upheld a lower court decision which found the dealership unlawfully threatened an IAM Local 701 mechanic when a manager told the mechanic “things would not be the same” if he went on strike.
“This is a great victory for the labor movement and this decision protects our right to strike without any intimidation from management,” said IAM Local 701 Directing Business Representative Sam Cicinelli.
“Unions have the right to strike free from intimidation and threats, and this decision by the Supreme Court to reject the dealership’s frivolous protest affirms bullying tactics from management will not be tolerated against our members exercising their rights,” said IAM Midwest Territory General Vice President Steve Galloway. “The Machinists have, and always will, fight back against any scare tactics against our members.”
The post High Court Rejects Cadillac Dealership’s Challenge to Ruling That it Threatened IAM Local 701 Mechanic Going on Strike appeared first on IAMAW.
May 3, 2022 | iMail
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), the largest aerospace and defense union in the United States, continues its advocacy for robust funding of the F-35 Lightning II program in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 defense budget.
Partnering with Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT) and the U.S. House of Representatives Joint Strike Fighter Caucus, the IAM continues to build congressional support for the F-35 Program. Most recently, the IAM and its partners supported a Congressional letter to the chairs and ranking members of the House Armed Services Committee and House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee in advocating for continued support of the F-35 program. The letter, which was signed by 154 members of Congress, expressed the critical need for Congress to provide the necessary program funding to support an increase in the production ramp rate towards full-rate production and continued investment in modernization and sustainment in the upcoming defense authorization and appropriations bills for the Fiscal Year 2023.
The F-35 Lightning II program provides for tens of thousands of Machinists Union jobs at Lockheed Martin and across the F-35 supply chain, supports nearly 300,000 total jobs nationwide, and accounts for more than $65 in annual economic activity. In addition to its vitally important job creation and economic impact, the F-35 program is essential to ensuring U.S. national security and ensures that our men and women in uniform are supported by the most capable fighter jet known to man.
“The F-35 is an engineering marvel that continues to set the bar in the defense and security of this Nation,” said IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. “The Machinists Union will always do whatever it can to advocate for this program. Thousands of our highly-skilled members working at Lockheed Martin facilities across the country are honored to be a part of the defense of our country and proud that their strong, union job allows them to take care of their own at home. The F-35 is much more than a job for Machinists Union members; it’s a shining example of American and union pride.”
For the IAM, supporting the F-35 Lightning II Program is key to taking care of our proud members across the country who build this peerless aircraft.
“The F-35 is the most advanced fighter aircraft in the world, setting the trajectory for our country’s future defense and security,” said Martinez. “For our members on shop floors across the U.S.A., the F-35 Lightning II Program represents much more than that. It symbolizes what it means to be union, providing thousands of highly-skilled, union jobs that allow our proud members to take care of their families, their communities, and this great country.”
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers is one of the largest and most diverse industrial trade unions in North America, representing approximately 600,000 active and retired members in the aerospace, defense, airlines, railroad, transit, healthcare, automotive, and other industries.
goIAM.org | @MachinistsUnion
The post Machinists Union Proudly Supports Robust Funding of the F-35 Lightning II Program appeared first on IAMAW.
May 3, 2022 | iMail
IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. has appointed Angela Colaizzi as a Headquarters Communications Representative, effective May 1, 2022.
Colaizzi joins the IAM from the United Steelworkers (USW), where she has worked in the USW’s New Media Department since 2015, aiding in strategic and digital campaigns.
“Angela’s experience in a wide variety of communication channels will be incredibly valuable to the IAM’s Communications Department and our membership,” said Martinez. “We look forward to our members, staff and leaders benefitting from her expertise and passion for the labor movement.”
Colaizzi will hit the ground running on the IAM’s social media, building digital campaigns and promoting the union and its resources to members and the public. She will also help with internal and external communications, digital campaign strategy, and writing for IAM publications.
At the USW, Colaizzi coordinated the USW Cares Jefferson Awards program and supported multiple USW initiatives through her work in New Media, including Next Generation and Veterans of Steel. She also assisted the Strategic Campaigns, Organizing, and Rapid Response departments with mass-texting, mass-email, website building and social media.
Colaizzi holds a bachelor’s degree in English language and literature from Washington and Jefferson College in Pennsylvania.
The post Angela Colaizzi Appointed IAM Communications Representative appeared first on IAMAW.
May 3, 2022 | iMail
This week at the IAM’s Winpisinger Education and Technology Center (W3), a negotiations prep was conducted for the newly organized non-profit group Leadership for Educational Equity (LEE). The IAM recently was certified January 7, 2022 to represent these hardworking dedicated educators.
The five LEE negotiations members who travelled to the Winpisinger Center and met for the first time and each other were Alex Totten, German Cash, Art Phung, William Netherland and L Driskell. The team is working and being briefed on contract structure, language and legal ease to prepare them for bargaining.
LEE, which is nominally progressive, provides training to individuals seeking elected leadership positions in education. The bargaining unit is all non-supervisory employees who are a younger, diverse demographic and work all over the country.
“This group of stewards is an exquisite example of the younger generation smashing down archaic walls and crushing corporate norms to stand up and say enough is enough,” said IAM District 160 Business Representative Tommy Hunt, who also attended the negotiations prep. “They are all incredibly competent and even in the face of high stress and anxiety, they are all more than capable of turning that pressure into the proper leverage needed to secure a strong first contract. “
The LEE members were excited and engaged in the training.
“I have found the training sessions, as a brand new steward who is new to organizing, bargaining and all of it, to be so incredibly empowering,” said William Netherland, a negotiating committee member. “Not only in the sense of knowledge and information, but in terms of affirmation and encouragement. I will leave knowing that I can do this!”
“I’m very proud of the LEE negotiations team members and District 160. They’re a very focused and determined group,” said IAM Western Territory General Vice President Gary R. Allen. “The Machinists Union is totally committed to backing them up with any and all resources to help them achieve their first collective bargaining agreement.”
The post District 160 Educational Equity Members Prepare for First Contract at Winpisinger Center appeared first on IAMAW.
