IAM Aerospace General Vice President Mark Blondin, a 44-year member who has led IAM aerospace workers at the international and district levels, as well as the IAM’s Southern Territory, will retire from the IAM, effective January 1, 2023.
Blondin built a legacy as an expert aerospace negotiator, leading the IAM in numerous high-profile negotiations with Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and other aerospace and defense multinationals. Blondin, the son of an IAM member, has served on the IAM’s Grand Lodge staff since 2007 and on the Executive Council since 2012.
“It’s been the honor of my lifetime to serve the IAM and the members who have become like family to me,” said Blondin. “From District 751 to the Aerospace Department and the Southern Territory, it has been my life’s work to fight for dignity and justice on the job for our members. I know that the IAM has a bright future ahead of it.”
After initiating into IAM Local 289 at a Seattle machine shop in 1978, Blondin was then hired as a toolmaker at Boeing Co.’s Renton, WA plant and became a member of IAM Local 751C. He held numerous local lodge positions, finding a passion for workplace health and safety and serving on the Renton Site Safety Committee.
In 1996, Blondin was elected Business Representative for IAM District 751, and in 2000 was elected District 751 President and Directing Business Representative. Blondin also served as Secretary-Treasurer of the Washington State Machinists Council and was elected to the IAM Law Committee for the 2004 Grand Lodge Convention.
“Mark’s legacy will be one of preserving and growing the IAM’s unprecedented strength for aerospace and defense workers,” said IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. “He’s been a personal friend and ally to myself and so many others. We wish him the absolute best in his retirement.”
Blondin was assigned as an IAM Aerospace Coordinator in 2007, with the primary responsibility of negotiating all agreements between the IAM and Boeing throughout the United States and Canada. He served as chief IAM negotiator for all IAM/Boeing contracts from 2002 to 2011 until he joined the Executive Council in January 2012 as Aerospace General Vice President.
In July 2013, Blondin was assigned to lead the Southern Territory, covering 14 states, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico with collective bargaining agreements covering nearly 100,000 workers. Blondin served as Southern Territory General Vice President from 2013 until September 2018.
In October 2018, Blondin was reassigned to serve as Aerospace General Vice President. Leading a team of IAM Aerospace Coordinators, Blondin has presided over numerous historic contracts at major aerospace and defense companies, including the development of a blueprint for the future of the U.S. aerospace industry.
Blondin has also assisted the community as a board member and fundraiser for Guide Dogs of America/Tender Loving Canines, and as a volunteer for Victims Support Services, a non-profit advocacy group for victims of violent crimes.
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