Cherry Point, N.C., June 16, 2022 — 82 aircraft technicians and related workers at Vertex Aerospace in Cherry Point, NC., overwhelmingly voted on Wednesday, June 15, to join the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM).
Vertex Aerospace workers at the facility help with thermal engineering analysis, design, and test support for industry and government throughout the US.
“The IAM is a leader in the aerospace and defense industries, and our success was due to the teamwork of the IAM Organizing Department and Southern Territory,” said IAM Organizing Director Vinny Addeo. “ We are one union and one organizing team in the IAM. This campaign featured many brave individuals in the 82-person unit who sacrificed their time to ensure we were on the winning side of this election. I want to thank IAM Special Representative Andy Powell for his dedication and hard work. I also want to thank IAM District 2020 Business Representative Wilbert Woods and Grand Lodge Representative Joe Cicala for their tireless efforts to educate and maintain solidarity among the group. This victory is the first step to getting them a fair contract that reflects the group’s will. The IAM is committed to ensuring the group gets a voice in their workplace.”
“We congratulate the Vertex Aerospace workers for choosing to join the Machinists Union,” said IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. “This victory is a win for workers in the South and serves as a beacon of hope for others who are attempting to make their lives better. I want to thank IAM Organizing Director Vinny Addeo and his amazing organizing team for giving Vertex Aerospace workers the opportunity for respect and dignity in the workplace.”
“This victory means a lot for the Vertex workers and IAM District 2020,” said IAM Southern Territory General Vice President Rickey Wallace. “I congratulate our Organizing Department for leading this effort and District 2020 Business Representative Woods for representing the Southern Territory. We look forward to getting a first contract that reflects the will of the newest members of the IAM.”
“In all my years of organizing, this group has been the most proactive internal organizing team I have seen over the past decade,” said IAM Special Representative Andy Powell. “I commend them for their solidarity and support throughout the campaign. We look forward to adding an additional 30 subcontractors that currently work with Vertex.”
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) is among the largest industrial trade unions in North America and represents nearly 600,000 active and retired members in the manufacturing, aerospace, defense, airline, railroad, transportation, shipbuilding, woodworking, health care, and other industries.
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