Feb 2, 2023 | iMail
Recently, mental health awareness has taken a front seat in society’s mainstream and here at the Machinists Union. In 2019, IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. created the IAM Addiction Services Program to help IAM members and their families struggling with alcohol and drug dependency.
“Calls to our mental health hotline have more than doubled since we first started this program. “We are currently putting 15 to 20 members a month in treatment,” said Vincent Ceraso, Director of the IAM Addiction Services Department. “The help is out there and the people that need the help are out there too.”
Since the pandemic, the world has seen an uptick in mental health cases. In July 2022, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) was changed to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
Like 911, the 988 number is shorter and much easier to remember. The hotline connects callers to mental health professionals who are trained to handle anyone experiencing a mental health or substance abuse crisis. You can also call if you are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support.
As part of the new launch, a text and chat option was added and has proven to be one of the most popular ways of accessing help, especially for the younger generation. Later this year video chatting will be offered as an option.
Also added was a specified Veterans Crisis Line, which can be accessed by dialing 988 and pressing 1 or texting 838255.
By far the system has made improvements, but no rollout is perfect. For this service to be effective states have to have adequate funding and resources, and right now they don’t. “The 988 number only had $24 million dollars in funding in each of the first two years, but this year Congress has funded it with $442 million,” said Ceraso.
Aside from the 911 and 988 services, IAM members have an added resource at their fingertips. However, they don’t take the place of 988 or 911.
“Call 988 for crisis intervention, substance abuse, or mental health issues, and 911 if you’re going to hurt yourself, or someone else or end your own life,” said Ceraso. “Call the IAM’s mental health hotline if you are experiencing non-emergent physiological issues such as depression or anxiety. You will be connected to a doctor. When you call the addiction services hotline, you will get me. I will treat it like an emergency, but not 911 worthy, and get you into treatment within a day or two,” he added.
While the world has opened back up and returned somewhat back to normal, unfortunately, our mental health won’t bounce back as easily. The IAM remains dedicated to providing help and support to our members and their families.
The IAM Metal Health Hotline is 301-335-0735 and the IAM Addiction Services hotline is 1-800-240-4IAM or (4426).
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Feb 2, 2023 | iMail
IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. has appointed Billy Barnwell, a longtime IAM activist, and officer in Georgia, as a Special Representative in the IAM Woodworkers Department. The appointment is effective February 1, 2023.
Barnwell, a 20-year IAM member, has served as President and Directing Business Representative of IAM District 131 since 2017. During his tenure, Barnwell has led negotiating committees in contract talks for members in a variety of industries, including wood, pulp, and paper.
He has also presided over several successful organizing campaigns for members across Georgia. The district’s shop steward training program, instituted by Barnwell, has brought up numerous new IAM leaders.
“Brother Barnwell knows what it takes to build union power and stand up for our membership,” said Martinez. “His knowledge and passion for our union are going to help us grow and strengthen the IAM in this critical sector.”
Since 2017, Barnwell has also served as President of the IAM Wood, Pulp, and Paper Council, helping to bring together IAM members in the sector from coast to coast. He is passionate about the cause of Guide Dogs of America/Tender Loving Canines, helping to institute a new annual BBQ fundraiser for the IAM’s favorite charity.
Barnwell was initiated into IAM Local 1034 in Macon in 2002 after being hired as a maintenance mechanic for Graphic Packaging. He has served as a Shop Steward, Local Lodge Trustee, District Delegate, Chief Steward, District Trustee, and District Organizer before leading District 131.
Barnwell holds a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in literature from Southern New Hampshire University.
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Feb 2, 2023 | iMail
IAM C.R.E.S.T. wants to identify smaller employers who would benefit from receiving free training on how to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
What you will learn:
– What can cause diseases
– Modes of disease transmission
– Standard Precautions to protect yourself
Click here for a flyer about the trainings.
Zoom Sessions:
Wednesday, February 22 | 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET | Zoom link
Wednesday, February 22 | 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET | Zoom link
Thursday, March 2 | 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. ET | Zoom link
Advanced registration is required. Please email sandh@iamaw.org or call 301-967-4707 to register and for more information.
This training is presented under grant number SH-36972-HA1 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. It does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
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Feb 2, 2023 | iMail
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) and its allies testified this week on House Bill 65/Senate Bill 0352 in front of the House Appropriations Committee chaired by Maryland State Del. Ben Barnes. This legislation, introduced by Maryland State Del. Steve Johnson and cross-filed in the Senate by State Sen. Nancy King, continues the Machinists Union’s campaign to organize state library workers, as it successfully did with Baltimore County public library workers.
TAKE ACTION: Help Maryland Library Workers Exercise Their Right to Unionize: Tell MD Legislator to Pass HB 65/SB 0352
The bipartisan legislation would provide a consistent process for employees of unorganized public library systems in Maryland to form a union and collectively bargain.
HB65/SB0352 does not guarantee union organizing or require library system employees to form a union. HB65/SB0352 enables Maryland library workers to organize for union representation, should they wish to do so.
“This is a statewide bill for all Maryland library employees,” said Del. Johnson. “The legislation is not a union bill; this bill is a constitutional rights bill. It’s our job as legislators to ensure that every citizen in Maryland can exercise their constitutional rights. It creates a legal pathway for library workers to join a union.”
WATCH: IAM Champions Bill to Give Maryland Library Workers Right to Unionize
“HB65/SB0352 creates a delegation of authority from the state to the country library, systems created by the state even to be able to enter into a collective bargaining agreement,” said IAM Associate General Counsel Laura Ewan. “Doing it on a county-by-county basis is ineffective, inefficient, and asks for inconsistencies for how library employees can gain union representation. “It’s a common sense approach that would allow these employees to access that constitutionally protected right to do it statewide.”
In 2022, the IAM ratified its first collective bargaining agreement covering 460 Baltimore County Public Library (BCPL) employees. The one-year collective bargaining agreement, which BCPL employees overwhelmingly ratified in May, includes pay increases and paid leave, among other significant improvements.
“HB65/SB0352 will provide a constant and consistent process for my colleagues in other county library systems to organize for collective bargaining rights,” said Anita Bass, IAM BCPL United Local Lodge President and BCPL Circulation Assistant III at the Essex branch. “In our first contract, we negotiated wage increases, improved benefits for our part-time staff, and created the labor-management committee. Having a union isn’t a promise of perfection, but it is an avenue for staff to have a voice and participate in the process.”
The plight of BCPL workers seeking a pathway to organize also gained the attention of President Biden, who invited a BCPL member to speak before the White House Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment.
“Non-management library staff makes up the majority of the library’s workforce, yet we currently have no power when it comes to making decisions that directly affect us,” said Megan Baker, not yet a union member, 18-year library employee, and Marketing & Communications Specialist at Harford County Public Library. “Instead, we are expected to trust our library leadership with no questions asked. I believe that even the possibility of having a union will change that, and personally, I would rather try to fix the parts of my workplace that are broken rather than leave a job that I love.”
Supporters of HB65/SB0352 will also testify before the Maryland Senate Finance committee on Thursday, February 16.
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Feb 2, 2023 | iMail
Black History Month is a time to celebrate the fullness of African American history and culture while honoring the triumphs and struggles of African-Americans throughout U.S. history.
Black History Month has been celebrated since 1926 when Carter Woodson proclaimed a week in February “Negro History Week.” Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the entire month of February as Black History Month. Other countries around the world, including Canada, also devote February to celebrating Black history in their respective countries.
The fight for equal rights still continues today. The IAM shares in that same fight, and has fought for Civil Rights even before the historic passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
IAM leaders knew racial equality could not be achieved without participation in every part of our union. IAM Shop Steward training played a critical role, and IAM leadership ensured a focus on recruiting and training African American men to become shop stewards going back to at least the 1950s.
In January of 1963, Local 1781 in San Mateo, CA announced that a multiracial group of members successfully passed the Stewards Training Course. That same year, Local 1666 in Stamford, CT, had a basketball team comprised of eight players, six Black, and two white members. Teams like these continued throughout many lodges through the 1960s.
One act for justice can cause ripple effects that change the world. So don’t hesitate to get involved and support the labor movement’s push for equality. You can become a member of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) or the A. Philip Randolph Institute, constituency groups that work with unions to ensure the rights of our African-American brothers and sisters are protected.
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