Hispanic Heritage Month is observed each year from September 15 – October 15 to pay tribute to the contributions, rich legacy, culture, and influence of the Hispanic and Latino community in the United States.
The celebration dates back to 1968 when President Lyndon B. Johnson created Hispanic Heritage Week beginning September 15 to honor the contributions of this growing community and to mark the anniversary of the independence of a few Latin American countries. The observation was then expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period.
The IAM honors the history-making power of past and present Latino leaders who have been critical to the advancement of the labor movement – within our union and beyond.
As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, the IAM recommits to keep fighting for a more equal and just workforce and takes pride as having one of the most diverse Executive Councils with Latino representation in the labor movement.
International President Robert Martinez Jr. made history as the first Hispanic ever elected to the IAM Executive Council and the first Latino in labor to head a major North American international union. General Secretary-Treasurer Dora Cervantes also paved the way as the first Hispanic to serve as General Secretary-Treasurer in the history of the IAM.
In order to mentor and build the next generation of Latino leaders in the union, the IAM created the Spanish Leadership Program at the William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center. The program provides IAM members with the skills and tools they need to effectively represent and fight for workers’ rights.
IAM also partners with many Latino advocacy organizations to address and educate about issues affecting Latino working families. This includes groups like the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), an AFL-CIO constituency group committed to improving the rights and conditions of Latino workers.
El Mes de la Herencia Hispana es celebrado cada año desde el 15 de septiembre al 15 de octubre para rendir homenaje a las contribuciones, el rico legado, la cultura y la influencia de la comunidad hispana y latina en los Estados Unidos.
La celebración se remonta a 1968 cuando el presidente Lyndon B. Johnson creó la Semana de la Herencia Hispana a partir del 15 de septiembre para honrar la contribuciones de esta creciente comunidad y para conmemorar el aniversario de la independencia de algunos países latinoamericanos. La celebración fue luego ampliada por el presidente Ronald Reagan en 1988 para cubrir un período de 30 días.
La IAM honra el poder histórico de los líderes latinos del pasado y el presente quienes han sido fundamentales para el avance del movimiento laboral, dentro y fuera de nuestra unión.
Mientras celebramos el Mes de la Herencia Hispana, la IAM vuelve a comprometerse a seguir luchando por una fuerza laboral más equitativa y justa y se enorgullece de tener uno de los Consejos Ejecutivos más diversos con representación latina en el movimiento laboral.
El presidente internacional, Robert Martinez Jr., hizo historia como el primer hispano elegido para el Consejo Ejecutivo de la IAM y el primer latino en el movimiento laboral en encabezar una de las uniones internacionales más grandes de América del Norte. La Secretaria-Tesorera General Dora Cervantes también rompió barreras al convertirse en la primera hispana en desempeñarse como Secretaria General-Tesorera en la historia de la IAM.
Con el fin de guiar y formar la próxima generación de líderes latinos en la unión, la IAM creó el Programa de Liderazgo en Español en el Centro de Educación y Tecnología William W. Winpisinger. El programa brinda a los miembros de la IAM las habilidades y herramientas necesarias para representar y luchar de manera efectiva por los derechos de los trabajadores.
La IAM también colabora con muchas organizaciones que ayudan a la comunidad latina para abordar y educar sobre los problemas que afectan a las familias trabajadoras. Una de estas organizaciones es el Consejo Laboral para el Avance del Trabajador Latino Americano (LCLAA, por sus siglas en inglés), un grupo afiliado a la AFL-CIO que está comprometido con mejorar los derechos y las condiciones de los trabajadores latinos.
Forty Instructional Systems Specialists at the Directorate of Training and Doctrine (DOTD) for the Department of the Army at Fort Sill in Lawton, OK, voted to join the IAM. The workers voted to join the IAM to improve their working conditions and to have a voice in the workplace.
“We congratulate and welcome our newest members from Fort Sill who are aware of the benefits that come with a union contract,” said IAM Organizing Director Vinny Addeo. “They have taken the first step toward a better future and we look forward to working hard on their behalf.”
These organizing efforts were led by Organizing Department Grand Lodge Representative Juan Eldridge, IAM Special Representative Chris Casteel and the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM) Local 273 leadership.
“I am pleased to be able to assist these critical federal civilian employees who were seeking to work under the protection of a collective bargaining agreement,” said Eldridge.
“That’s evidence that they are not focused on profitability. They are just focused on flying the airplane somewhere and having the government subsidize it.” -United CEO Scott Kirby
“Those airlines aren’t airlines. They’re international branding vehicles for their countries.” -Former United CEO Oscar Munoz
After years of highlighting the unfair business practices of state-owned enterprises (SOE) such as Emirates
Airlines and other Middle East carriers, United’s announcement of a new codeshare agreement demands scrutiny.
To protect the jobs of U.S. airline workers, there must be continued financial transparency and improved labor standards that ensure fairness is maintained in all Open Skies and codeshare agreements.
Since the beginning of their existence, Emirates Airlines has been sustained by massive government subsidies, unrelated to the global pandemic, used to expand far beyond what market forces could ever support. Their growth, including the Dubai-Athens-Newark service and Milan service, was only possible because of the enormous Emirati funding the airline received. These subsidies put U.S. airlines at a tremendous economic disadvantage and threaten U.S. airline workers’ jobs. American workers can compete with any foreign airline when on a level playing field. We cannot compete against entire countries.
Although the United States and United Arab Emirates signed an agreement in 2018 regarding these issues, the fact remains that there are currently no independent labor unions in the United Arab Emirates. This has led to a systemic, unacceptable assault on airline workers’ rights, with alarming accounts of unfair labor practices and intimidation by employers.
United Airlines employees and union leadership will be watching closely to ensure our scope provisions are rigorously followed and demand the highest labor standards are adhered to across all partnerships. We will act swiftly if needed to protect our long-term career security.
WASHINGTON, D.C., Sept. 14, 2022 – Robert Martinez, Jr., International President of the 600,000-member International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), released the following statement following today’s House Education and Labor Committee hearing titled “In Solidarity: Removing Barriers to Organizing.”
“I want to thank Education and Labor Chairman Bobby Scott for holding this very important hearing, which highlights the many hurdles that workers in the U.S., must endure just to exercise their constitutional right to join a labor union,” said Martinez. “Our nation is long overdue for federal labor law reform that finally tilts the pendulum away from favoring corporations that work overtime with efforts to keep employees from collectively bargaining. Barriers such as the so-called right-to-work laws suppress wages and that is simply unfair. Today’s committee hearing also once again illustrates examples of why Congress should pass the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, which would help break down the barriers for working people to join unions. The PRO Act has already passed the House, and it’s time for the Senate to do the same.
“Today’s hearing also shows the need to increase funding for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), to keep pace with the uptick in union representation elections and unfair labor practice complaints. The IAM firmly supports making sure the NLRB has the personnel and other resources needed to adequately ensure workers can exercise their right to join a labor union.”
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) is among North America’s largest industrial trade unions and represents nearly 600,000 active and retired members in the manufacturing, aerospace, defense, airline, railroad, transportation, and shipbuilding, woodworking, health care, and other industries.
