WASHINGTON, Aug. 4, 2022 – Robert Martinez Jr., International President of the 600,000-member International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), released the following statement:
“The Machinists Unions applauds the authors of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 for drafting this vitally important legislation which will help fight inflation, lower costs for America’s working families, create millions of good-paying manufacturing and construction jobs in the clean energy sector, paving the way for a clean energy future, and add fairness to our tax code by ensuring that the extremely wealthy and large corporations pay their fair share of taxes.
“The Inflation Reduction Act will make historic investments in clean energy manufacturing, production, and deployment. The tax credits proposed in the bill include labor protections that strengthen and enforce prevailing wage requirements, apprenticeship programs and Buy American domestic content standards, ensuring these investments will create high-quality jobs here at home. The healthcare provisions included in this legislation will reduce costs for working families and retirees.
“Today, on behalf of our 600,000 members, the Machinists Union sent an urgent letter to all U.S. Senators urging them to vote ‘yes’ to pass the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. We must pass the Inflation Reduction Act to create high-quality jobs and boost domestic manufacturing.”
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.
Members of IAM District 6 and Local 1526 recently completed a community project as a part of the IAM Midwest Territory’s “IAM H.E.L.P.S. in the Community” program. H.E.L.P.S. stands for Honoring, Engaging, Lifting, Providing, and Servicing.
More than 21 volunteers from four Locals 1526, 1010, 388, and 831 pitched in to complete the project of laying blocks for landscaping and overall cleanup at the Catherine McAuley Center in Cedar Rapids, IA. The center is a nonprofit that helps refugees, immigrants, and low-income families with various services like legal assistance, housing, and job placement just to name a few.
“I am very proud of these members,” said IAM Midwest Territory General Vice President Steve Galloway. “My thanks go out to all District 6 volunteers for making a difference in this community.”
“I’d like to thank Local 1526 Community Service Chairperson Harvey Williams and Katie Splean with the Catherine McAuley Center for spearheading this event,” said District 6 Directing Business Representative John Herrig. “It was a huge success to bring awareness to the community that the IAM cares and wants to make a difference.”
The IAM Midwest Territory, along with its Districts and Locals, has hosted more than 25 “IAM H.E.L.P.S. in the Community” events, with nearly 500 volunteers across the Territory, to date. Each District and Unaffiliated Local is tasked with hosting at least one event per year.
For more information on the IAM Midwest Territory’s “IAM H.E.L.P.S. in the Community” program, click here.
The William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center is pleased to announce the reboot of IAM Educator, an indispensable resource for union stewards.
The Winpisinger Center has partnered with UnionBase, an educational content provider for unions, to publish timely, relevant articles on representing the membership, dealing with bosses, and best practices in the workplace. Like its previous iteration, the new IAM Educator will be published six times a year and is available in English (U.S and Canadian versions), French and Spanish.
Originally developed for shop stewards, digital access will make IAM Educator readily available to every member of the union. The new IAM Educator will be digitally published on an easy-to-read platform that can be accessed on smartphones and tablets in addition to desktop and laptop computers. It will be distributed via Issuu, a digital publishing site that allows users to read publications at no cost. The Issuu app, which is available for iPhone and Android, is free. Users can follow the Winpisinger Center account via Issuu to be notified when new issues of IAM Educator are available.
We hope the membership finds IAM Educator useful and relevant to concerns in today’s ever-changing workplaces. Please direct any feedback about the IAM Educator to the IAM Educator is Back!.
Delegates to the 2022 IAM Grand Lodge Convention have been sent travel information for the 40th IAM Grand Lodge Convention, to be held Sunday, October 2 through Friday, October 7, 2022 at the Las Vegas Hilton at Resorts World.
Travel and Hotel Accommodations As outlined in the circular, all delegates are required to book travel (air, rail, etc.) and hotel accommodations through Metropolitan Travel Services. Travel days for delegates are Saturday, October 1 and Saturday, October 8.
Convention Agenda *Delegates will receive a more detailed agenda upon on-site registration
Further Communications
Each delegate will soon be sent a USB drive with the 2022 IAM Officers’ Report. Each Local Lodge will also receive a USB drive with proposed amendments and resolutions before the convention. Delegate Kindle devices, to be received at registration, will have the Officers’ Report, proposed amendments and resolutions, and the convention app.
Questions? Please contact the IAM General Secretary-Treasurer’s Office at 301-967-4700. The official 40th IAM Grand Lodge Convention website, convention.goIAM.org, will continue to be updated with convention information.
The IAM Midwest Territory hosted its 13th annual “Rides for Guides” Motorcycle Charity Ride on July 16 in Deadwood, SD. The event raised $17,656 for Guide Dogs of America – Tender Loving Canines (GDA), which provides guide dogs at no cost to people who are visually impaired, veterans suffering from PTSD, and children with autism.
This year’s ride toured 182 miles through Sturgis, Vanocker Canyon Road, the Pactola Reservoir, Hill City, and Custer State Park. This ride saw the highest participation in 13 years of the event with 53 drivers and 38 passengers.
“My thanks to all the participants, District Lodges, Local Lodges, businesses and sponsors for always generously supporting the Midwest’s ‘Rides for Guides’ Motorcycle Charity Ride,” said IAM Midwest Territory General Vice President Steve Galloway. “A special thank you to Midwest Territory staff for their hard work running a safe, fun, and successful event. It was great to see more people than ever before and we’re already looking forward to next year.”
The 2022 ‘Rides for Guides’ was directly followed by the IAM’s Kourpias K-9 Classic, which was also hosted by the Midwest Territory and benefits Guide Dogs of America – Tender Loving Canines. The Kourpias ride is hosted by a different IAM territory every year.
For more information about these and other IAM Midwest Territory events that benefit Guide Dogs of America, visit the Spirit of the Midwest website at SpiritoftheMidwest.org.
ST. LOUIS, July 30, 2022 – The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers’ (IAM) overnight bargaining session with the Boeing Co., has resulted in a modified contract offer from the company.
Nearly 2,500 IAM District 837 members working at three separate Boeing defense locations in the St. Louis area will vote on Wednesday, Aug. 3 on whether to accept the company’s modified offer. The current contract has been extended until after Wednesday’s vote and will expire one second past midnight on Thursday, Aug. 4, temporarily averting the strike that had been planned for Monday, Aug. 1. Members will receive information on the modified offer soon.
IAM members are spread throughout Boeing facilities in St. Charles, Mo., St. Louis, and Mascoutah, Ill. IAM District 837 members build and produce the world’s best weapons and military aircraft, including the F-15, F-18, T-7A trainer, and the MQ-25 unmanned refueler.
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.
