My name is Richie Johnsen. I’m the General Vice President for the Air Transport Territory of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM). You may have heard by now that three unions are combining resources to unionize workers at Delta Air Lines.
The Machinists Union will take on the Ramp, with the Teamsters (IBT) organizing Tech Ops and the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA) organizing the Flight Attendants. I’m excited about this kind of unity and what it means for Ramp and Cargo workers at Delta. Having a union is a real possibility.
Delta workers come to work every day and do an industry-leading job only to face short staffing and injury. The quality of work life is becoming intolerable in many stations. The pace of work is crushing. Arbitrary discipline and favoritism only add to the problem.
In turn, this affects your quality of life away from work. They say they value your opinion, but it’s clear they don’t. They change conditions of employment at the drop of a hat.
It’s time for things to change. They can change with a union. With a union contract, Delta won’t be able to change vacation accrual schedules or anything else unilaterally because, with a union, you have a voice in determining your destiny. With a union comes a union safety committee that can fight for adequate staffing, proper and well-maintained equipment, and union representatives whom you elect and fight for you—not corporate shareholders.
With a union, you can have a secure retirement with a pension and a 401(k), just like tens of thousands of IAM members already have. A union contract can give you protection from mandatory overtime, easier access to paid personal time, and better vacation language. Delta employees provide top-of-the-line customer service, and it’s only right that you get industry-leading wages to match.
I’m excited to work shoulder-to-shoulder with you in the coming months. I hope to meet many of you as we bring a union to this property.
You will soon receive two cards in an envelope—one for you to return to the IAM and one to give to a co-worker. A better, more prosperous, and secure future is right around the corner.
In solidarity,
Richie Johnsen
Air Transport Territory General Vice President
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM
Twenty-five workers of Valiant Government Services employed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio voted overwhelmingly to join the IAM recently. The new members are HVAC Techs, electricians, carpenters, painters, pipefitters and boiler tenders, and are Service Contract Act (SCA) employees that maintain hospital facilities.
“We congratulate Valiant Government Services workers for choosing to join the Machinists Union,” said IAM Eastern Territory General Vice President David Sullivan. “This victory is a win for workers who are attempting to make their families’ lives better.”
“This victory means a lot for the workers and IAM District 34,” said IAM District 34 Directing Business Representative Scott Rich. “We look forward to getting a first contract that reflects the skill and dedication of the newest members of the IAM.”
The new unit has already started surveying the membership and electing a Negotiating Committee.
Guide Dogs of America – Tender Loving Canines (GDA/TLC) hosted its 2022 Las Vegas Charity Weekend with three fundraising events and an informational presentation leading up to its 41st Annual William W. Winpisinger Charity Banquet.
Over the year, the IAM raised over $2 million for GDA/TLC.
IAM territories, districts, and local lodges fundraise year-round with golf outings, clay shoots, motorcycle runs, and more to present large donations at the end-of-the-year Charity Banquet.
As part of GDA/TLC’s charity weekend, over 50 IAM members and other participants came together for a sporting clay shoot. The event was held at the Clark County Shooting Complex in Las Vegas, NV, and was open to anyone regardless of shooting experience. Awards were presented to the highest scoring teams.
GDA/TLC debuted its newest charity weekend event, Speed Vegas Exotics Racing, where participants could buy rides with professional drivers in exotic automobiles or pay to drive luxury sports cars. Raffle tickets were sold to raise money for the cause.
Charity weekend attendees also played in a golf tournament at Angel Park Golf Club. GDA graduates, meaning guide dog recipient and their dog, were stationed along the course to meet golfers and share their stories.
One GDA/TLC graduate team is prosecutor Chris McDonough and facility dog Fiji. Fiji works with McDonough at the Mobile County courthouse in Alabama to support and comfort crime victims and their families. Figi helps child victims, victims of violent crime, and witnesses cope with the anxiety and stress of coming to court and participating in that process.
“When I introduce Fiji to grand juries and tell them why he’ll be there with a victim, they’re always very impressed,” said McDonough. “I tell them to thank the Machinists Union. The IAM founded GDA and is GDA’s biggest financial contributor.”
During the 41st Annual William W. Winpisinger Charity Banquet, GDA/TLC presented its “Gift of Sight Award” to IAM Headquarters General Vice President Brian Bryant, IAM District 751 President and Directing Business Representative Jon Holden and Chris Babcock of BNY Mellon.
This annual award is given to recipients to honor their commitment and support on behalf of this charity that has changed the lives of many.
This past week, Guide Dogs of America and Tender Loving Canines (GDA/TLC) held its annual charity drive in Las Vegas.
Hundreds of Machinists Union members and GDA/TLC supporters from all over the United States and Canada attended a charity golf tournament, skeet shoot and exotic car run.
ATLANTA (November 21, 2022) — The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA), the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters today announced a coordinated campaign to support the people of Delta Air Lines who are working to organize their unions.
“Delta flight attendants are the heart of the airline and key to its industry-leading success. They deserve a union contract that leads the industry too,” said Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA. “Flight attendants have been organizing over the course of the turbulent pandemic and have begun officially collecting cards. We’re thrilled to support Delta fleet service workers organizing with the IAM and Delta mechanics organizing with the Teamsters. Together, workers will lock in what they love about their work at Delta and gain the respect that comes with a union contract. ”
Delta is the only U.S.-based mainline carrier where flight attendants, fleet service, and mechanics are not represented by a union – only 20 percent of Delta workers are unionized. Delta produced nearly double the profits of other U.S. airlines in pre-pandemic years, and the airline is on a path to record profitability again. Delta workers are ready to secure a union and a contract to keep their share of the profits they create in the communities where they live and work.
“Delta fleet service workers deliver for both customers and the carrier, and now the time has come to deliver an industry-leading contract for the people who truly make Delta Air Lines a world-class airline,” said Richie Johnsen, IAM Air Transport Territory General Vice President. “We’re so excited to join with AFA-CWA and the Teamsters to bring Delta workers a greater voice on the job. Together, we’re going to build on the success of a great airline for the benefit of its workers, the carrier and the flying public.”
Ed Bastian made nearly 26 percent more than the next highest-paid CEO in 2021 – but Delta employees don’t benefit the same way. Delta workers don’t just want industry standard – they want industry leading in every part of our jobs.
“Workers make Delta profitable, and by organizing wall-to-wall we will ensure workers share in the airline’s success. In Atlanta and at hubs across the country, Delta mechanics will have powerful union representation when they join the Teamsters,” said Sean M. O’Brien, Teamsters General President. “The Teamsters are proud to support flight attendants and fleet service workers joining AFA-CWA and IAM. We will win industry-leading standards for workers at Delta and we will do it together.”
Delta Air Lines, Inc. is a U.S. legacy airline headquartered in Atlanta. The airline operates over 5,000 flights daily and serves more than 300 destinations.
The Maine Lobstering Union released the following statement following a court ruling delaying a decision on lobstering restrictions:
“The Maine Lobstering Union is pleased that Judge Boasberg in the District of Columbia agreed with the union and its colleagues that all concerned need to better understand the available data before making decisions that could drastically alter or even end lobster fishing in federal waters.
“By delaying a decision on whether or not to vacate National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) existing biological opinion for at least the next two years, the court has given the industry and NMFS the time that they need to evaluate the science and come up with a workable solution that will allow both the lobster fishery and the right whale to thrive.
“While change is coming, and there is much work left to be done, this is a significant step towards finally finding that solution. The MLU is grateful that Maine fishermen and the families that depend on them finally have some good news.”
