Each year, April 28 is recognized as Workers’ Memorial Day, a day for us to commemorate the thousands of workers killed, injured, or sickened on the job. Your local can memorialize a fallen member with a personalized brick placed at the IAM Workers Memorial at the William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center in Hollywood, MD.
The deadline to submit personalized bricks is Wednesday, March 1, 2023.
The brick can have two lines of lettering with up to 20 characters per line (including spaces on each line) without the logo for $100. There’s also the option to purchase a brick with three lines of lettering with up to 15 characters per line, along with the IAM logo for $125.
There’s also the option to purchase a larger brick: an 8×8 can be purchased for $200. This option comes with four lines of lettering with up to 20 characters per line without a logo, or with two lines of lettering with up to 15 characters per line, along with your own preferred logo or the IAM logo.
If your local has a member who died on the job or because of the job, a complimentary brick will be placed at no cost. Please fill out and submit the complimentary brick order form.
The IAM Workers’ Memorial was completed in 2001. It was dedicated to remembering those who lost their lives while on the job. The bricks surrounding the Memorial bear the names of fallen members along with bricks donated from lodges and proud members of the IAMAW.
On or around April 28 each year, a ceremony is conducted at the memorial to remember those who lost their lives and rededicate ourselves to prevent on-the-job injury and death to workers.
The deadline to submit personalized bricks is Friday, March 1, 2023.
Attention all IAM members who enjoy taking photos. The 2023 IAM Photography contest is now open, so get out your cameras or smartphones and start snapping some pics of your Union sisters and brothers.
Submit your pictures of IAM members in their workplace, union function, or performing community service for a chance to win a cash prize and have your photo featured in the 2024 IAM Calendar. The entry deadline is May 26, 2023.
IAM District 34 recently successfully negotiated a first contract with Valiant Government Services for 25 new IAM members working at Wright Patterson Air Force Base under the Service Contract Act (SCA).
Highlights of the three-year agreement include:
Wage increase averaging 25% in year one
Doubling of health and welfare contributions from the employer
“This was a well-deserved, solid first contract for these new members, some of whom had not received a wage increase in over five years due to the area wage determination,” said District 34 Directing Business Representative D. Scott Rich.
The IAM represents approximately 36,230 members across 657 different SCA contracts that cover 941 sites across every state in the country.
Without a union, these workers’ wages would otherwise be set by the SCA’s area wage determination, which might not increase for up to a decade. The only way for workers to increase their pay under the SCA is to organize in a union and negotiate higher wages in a contract.
All the elements in securing a first-class agreement were present and utilized in this unit’s bargaining debut.
“We met weekly at the bowling alley on base, prioritizing our goals, and electing a selfless negotiating committee that had the full support of the rank and file,” said Rich. “The IAM’s Strategic Resources Department provided us with well-drafted surveys, timely comparative data, and IAM contracts with Valiant from around the country.”
IAM District 34 represents five different units at Wright Patterson Air Force Base and hopes to help workers in other positions on the base increase their wages and benefits by organizing.
“I want to welcome the Eastern Territory’s newest members and congratulate them on a strong first contract,” said IAM Eastern Territory General Vice President David Sullivan. “We were excited to see workers on that base reach out to improve their wages, benefits, and working conditions, with a union that is very familiar with negotiating under the Service Contract Act.”
“I can’t thank the Eastern Territory enough for the guidance and support throughout the organizing campaign and negotiations on the first agreement,” said Rich. “Our union has no equal in the SCA arena and we are fortunate to have experienced Grand Lodge staff so willing to help from the Eastern Territory. We look forward to continuing to grow our union at Wright Patterson Air Force Base.”
WASHINGTON, Feb. 7, 2023 – Robert Martinez Jr., International President of the 600,000-member International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), released the following statement regarding President Biden’s State of the Union address:
“As one of the largest and most diverse labor unions in the United States, the Machinists Union cares first and foremost about providing good, family-sustaining jobs for our members. And we believe that creating good union jobs here at home is the best way to revitalize our manufacturing sector, grow the middle class, stabilize our national security, and so much more.
“In his State of the Union address and through his actions leading our nation, it’s clear that President Biden shares our vision for helping working Americans build back better. For starters, it’s incredibly refreshing to hear a president consistently say that unions are good for working people, the economy and our country. We couldn’t agree more.
“Amidst great challenges—a pandemic, inflation, a foreign war that has strained our supply chains, and more—the Biden-Harris administration has remained laser focused on delivering for working people.
“Since President Biden took office, the economy has created more than 12 million jobs, including more than 800,000 manufacturing jobs. The unemployment rate is at a 54-year low. Inflation has begun to ease and wages are catching up with higher prices.
“Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, the American Rescue Plan and more, this administration and its allies in Congress have truly put working people first. By listening to and acting on behalf of working people, instead of large corporations, the Biden-Harris administration has rewritten the rulebook for economic recoveries that benefit Main Street.
“And as we make record investments in our nation’s infrastructure, this administration is keeping its promise to strengthen Buy American and ensure the products of tomorrow are built here at home by union workers. The IAM is especially glad to hear that President Biden announced new guidance to ensure that critical materials, including aluminum, are made in America.
“We have a long way to go. It’s still too hard for American families to get ahead. Good jobs with strong benefits and secure retirements are still unattainable for far too many working Americans. As public support for unions is at a record-high, we join the president in urging our elected officials in Washington to put politics aside and finally take down the draconian barriers to joining and forming a union. We can start by passing the Protecting the Right to Organize Act.
“We know that President Biden, Vice President Harris and those fighting for working families in Washington can’t do it alone. The IAM will continue to advocate for the interests of our members and for workers across North America. Our agenda is America’s agenda—and we look forward to building on the progress of the Biden-Harris administration and protecting our democracy for the generations to come.”
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) is one of North America’s largest and most diverse industrial trade unions, representing approximately 600,000 active and retired members in the aerospace, defense, airlines, railroad, transit, healthcare, automotive, and other industries.
The IAM and the Transportation Communications Union (TCU/IAM) were important parts of two recent presidential visits announcing funding for projects from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
President Biden appeared next to an IAM-made Amtrak Acela locomotive in Baltimore, with the IAM logo proudly displayed. He announced that funds from the new law would replace the 150-year-old Baltimore and Potomac Tunnel.
The White House says the project will address the largest rail bottleneck on the Northeast Corridor, create good-paying union jobs, improve reliability, and lower commute times. A project labor agreement will ensure the tunnel is constructed with union labor.
“The infrastructure funding is pushing the rail industry into the future with the enhanced improvements on some of our busiest corridors,” said Josh Hartford, IAM Special Assistant to the International President for the Rail Division. “The IAM was a strong proponent of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The Biden-Harris administration has kept their word with funding these vital projects, and now our nation will benefit for generations to come.”
“When we tell our members that elections matter, we can point directly to these types of investments in our rail infrastructure,” said TCU/IAM National President Artie Maratea. “This legislation is a perfect example of what happens when both parties work together in the best interest of the American people. I applaud President Biden for highlighting the projects where so many of our members play an important role in maintaining these projects.”
The next day in a rail yard on the west side of Manhattan, IAM, and TCU/IAM members were by President Biden’s side, including IAM District 19 Assistant President and Directing General Chairman Andrew Sandberg and TCU/IAM National Representative Nick Peluso, when the president announced funding from the law to build a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River.
“Today is a great day for our Union brothers and sisters, as well as commuters that ride the Northeast Corridor,” said TCU/IAM National Representative Nick Peluso. “Our members will directly benefit by having a shorter commute, but also increased ridership that will support and expand their jobs for decades to come.”
The Gateway Hudson Tunnel Project will replace a century-old tunnel that is a critical link for the Northeast Corridor, moving countless people and goods between New Jersey and New York.
“I was proud to be in the audience to witness the solution to eliminating the bottleneck on the Northeast Corridor,” said IAM District 19 Assistant President and Directing General Chair Andrew Sandberg. “Our members work hard every day to ensure the customers in the rail industry have an experience that exceeds expectations, whether the supplier or the rail passenger. We will continue to celebrate as more projects like this are completed using this worthwhile investment in the nation’s infrastructure.”
200,000 Americans take Amtrak or NJ Transit under the Hudson River every single day. They know what I do: it needs fixing.
