Leadership Alert: 12/16/22
Brothers and Sisters,
Please find the most recent Leadership Alert.
CLICK HERE: Leadership Alert 12_16_22: CLICK HERE
In Solidarity,
Local S6 Leadership
District Delegate Election Results: 12/15/22
Brothers and Sisters,
Please find the results of the recent District Delegate Election.
CLICK HERE: District Delegate Results 2022: CLICK HERE
In Solidarity,
Local S6 Leadership
Machinists Union Members at Southwest Airlines Overwhelmingly Ratify Industry Leading Agreement with Historic Wage Increases, Overtime Protections
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), North America’s largest air transport union, has overwhelmingly ratified a strong five-year collective bargaining agreement with Southwest Airlines that gives its members a 13.1% wage increase from the current wage on the date of ratification and a 25.1% general wage increase over four years putting its members at the top of the airline industry’s pay scale.
The IAM represents approximately 8,300 Customer Service Employees, including Customer Representatives, Customer Service Agents, and Source of Support Representatives, at Southwest Airlines.
Highlights of the five-year agreement include:
- Higher general wage increases (13.1% wage increase on ratification; 25.1% total over four years)
- Better work/life balance
- “Me too” clauses for top-of-scale wage rate, signing bonus/retro pay, and paid parking.
- Higher bonuses
- Improved vacation language
- Part-time employee overtime wage rate improvements
- Stronger and improved mandatory overtime protections for all employees
Click here for full highlights of the ratified agreement.
“Congratulations to the Southwest Airlines General Chairpersons for negotiating an industry-leading contract,” said IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. “Your solidarity helped secure a contract that serves as a model for the rest of the airline industry and improves the work-life balance for our members. I applaud IAM Air Transport General Vice President Richie Johnsen, his leadership team, and IAM District 142 leadership for delivering for our members at Southwest Airlines.”
“IAM members at Southwest Airlines stood together in solidarity to get the best deal in the airline industry,” said IAM Air Transport Territory General Vice President Richie Johnsen. “We were focused on securing an agreement that would make our members at Southwest Airlines the highest-paid workers in the airline industry. Ratifying this historic deal was good for our members and the customers who trust and fly Southwest Airlines. I want to thank the membership, the Southwest Airlines General Chairpersons, and the District 142 leadership for securing this historic agreement.”
“Our members were crystal clear on what they wanted to see in this agreement from Southwest Airlines,” said IAM District 142 President and Directing General Chair John M. Coveny Jr. “Our members should be proud knowing that they ratified an industry-leading contract as a result of their dedication and solidarity throughout the process. We’re grateful to the IAM Air Transport leadership for their guidance and expertise in making this historic agreement possible.”
This five-year agreement provides industry-leading pay and job protections for our membership. It will also offer better mandatory overtime rules and improve our members’ quality of life.
“As a Southwest Airlines Customer Service Agent who came up through the ranks, I understand how this industry-leading agreement will impact the lives of thousands of my brothers, sisters, and siblings at Southwest Airlines,” said IAM Air Transport Territory Chief of Staff Edison Fraser. “I am extremely proud of our communication with the membership to get this deal done. I appreciate Southwest Airlines and our membership’s patience through this long and tedious process.”
“The goal of the IAM negotiating team and membership was to get a deal that would garner the dignity and respect our members at Southwest Airlines deserve,” said IAM Airline Coordinator Tom Regan. “This agreement puts our members at the top of the industry and creates a career path for the new members joining the IAM and Southwest Airlines.”
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44-Year IAM Member and Georgia AFL-CIO President Charlie Flemming Announces Retirement
Charlie Flemming, a 44-year IAM member, and current Georgia AFL-CIO President, recently announced his retirement from the Georgia AFL-CIO, effective January 1, 2023. Charlie was elected as Georgia AFL-CIO President in 2011 after serving as the Atlanta-North Georgia Labor Council president. He spent over 30 years working in the airline industry with Southern Airways, Republic Airlines, and Northwest Airlines. In his last 17 years, he worked as an aircraft mechanic in the Metal Finishing Department.
While working at Republic Airlines, he joined the IAM, where he served Local Lodge 2664 in various leadership positions, including three terms as President of the Local.
Charlie recently led the Georgia labor movement’s efforts in the historic election for U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock and helped contribute to the rise of former Gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams.
WATCH: Charlie Flemming Discussing the Airline Industry in Atlanta
He has always stood up and been the voice for workers throughout the state of Georgia and established connections to the Atlanta community. Charlie helped launch Georgia Stand-UP, a non-profit organization that promotes smart growth strategies and economic justice.
“I can always count on Charlie for anything we needed in Georgia, including his leadership during the 2013 IAM National Staff Conference and most recently with our organizing drive at Delta Airlines,” said IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. “He created a blueprint for IAM members to get involved with their local AFL-CIO central labor councils and state federations. Charlie helped increase the union membership in Georgia, especially in the transportation, construction, and film industries. I wish my friend a happy and prosperous retirement.”
Starting on January 1, 2023, Secretary-Treasurer Yvonne Brooks will step in to fulfill the unexpired term of the President.
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Florida District 166 Lodges Raise $25K to Make Christmas Magical for Children in Foster Care
IAM Local Lodge District Lodge 166 and Local Lodges 2061, 610, 773, 971 along with the Florida State Council of Machinists and Herndon Solutions Group fundraised over $28,000 throughout the year to buy Christmas gifts for children in foster care.
For more than fifteen years the District and Local Lodges have donated to Brevard Family Partnership for Christmas. The project started with Local Lodge 2061 and grew to be so big that the district now oversees it.
These IAM lodges are the biggest contributor to many Brevard County charities, including the Brevard Family Partnership Christmas Toy Drive.
Over the year, the lodge host raffles and collect donations to buy toys are the end of the year. One of the raffles is for quilts handmade by IAM members’ wives.
“I’m so impressed with the district staff, the presidents, all of the locals, the stewards, and most of all the membership who make this happen every year,” said District Lodge 166 Directing Business Representative Kevin DiMeco.
More than fifty volunteers went shopping for the children’s’ ‘wish list’ items provided by Brevard Family Partnership.
“We got a lot of attention while shopping, people noticed what we were doing and donated on-the-spot. Anyone who asked, I told them that who we are, that we’re a labor union donating to the community,” said DiMeco. “Children four and five years old volunteered with us and helped us pick out the toys. They knew right where they were! It was an awesome thing to watch.”
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IAM Victory Lodge 1725 Members Give the Children at the Renaissance West STEAM Academy a Christmas to Remember
Recently, IAM Victory Lodge 1725 members donated their time and money to provide a special Christmas for 49 children attending the Renaissance West STEAM Academy (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math). The children, who are either staying in shelters or homeless, hung their wish lists on Christmas trees, and Victory Lodge 1725 members picked a name and delivered one or all of the items on the list to the kids.
“The principal and counselor were all really excited about what we were able to do for the families,” said IAM Victory Lodge 1725 President Helena Thornton. “Since adopting the school in 2017, we have done different things for them, from feeding the teachers on Teacher Workshop Days, bringing food to the school for the families in need of it over the weekends, providing school supplies, and even giving a Christmas Party to all 600 children in 2019.”
“IAM Victory Lodge 1725 has a long, storied history of giving back to their community,” said IAM Air Transport General Vice President Richie Johnsen. “Our members have always placed great importance in servicing their communities and this is another great example of the work IAM members do year-round to make a difference in people’s lives. My gratitude goes out to all Victory Lodge 1725 volunteers who took part in this event.”
The Renaissance West STEAM Academy (RWSA) is a CMS Pre-K to 8th-grade neighborhood school located in the Renaissance neighborhood. The STEAM Academy has a strong literacy focus at every grade. The school serves as a community hub for the Renaissance and has an integrated focus on academics, health and family services, youth programs, and community engagement. This integrated approach contributes to academic achievement, strong families, and healthier communities. The STEAM Academy is a centerpiece of the community.
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Three Unions Organize together for Delta Workers
In a showing of solidarity and support, the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA), the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters recently conducted a visibility event in Atlanta, GA. The three unions are supporting the people of Delta Air Lines, who are working to organize their unions.
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IAM Local 4 Healthcare Members Secure Strong New Agreement With HMR
IAM Local 4 (District 4) members at Charlotte Hall Veterans Home in Maryland recently won a new, improved three-year successor contract with HMR of Maryland. The contract covers nearly 200 IAM members in a broad range of classifications, from healthcare staff, like Certified Nursing Assistants and Medicine Aids, to skilled trades and technical workers, like Electricians, Carpenters, and Medical Equipment Technicians.
The top-of-the-industry healthcare agreement contains many highlights, including pay increases of approximately 10.5% over the life of the contract, no change to group insurance coverage or premium costs while securing improvements in time-off language that will allow employees after one full year of service, at any time, to request a cash payment instead of taking time off. Another gain achieved is two additional floating holidays for employees with 20 years or more of regular full-time seniority.
“Our members and negotiating team displayed solidarity throughout negotiations, which resulted in a strong agreement,” said Mark Duval, District 4 Assistant Directing Business Representative.“This contract affords our members with improvements that will help secure the futures of our members and their families. I want to thank GVP Sullivan and his staff for their support during negotiations.”
“We honor our veterans when we invest in the dedicated staff who care for them,” said IAM Eastern Territory General Vice President David Sullivan. “This victory is an example of IAM’s growing power in the healthcare industry, where we represent thousands of workers in veteran’s facilities, nursing homes, and hospitals. Healthcare workers are organizing with IAM because they know a strong union contract makes the highest quality of patient care possible.”
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Organizing Department Heats Up Internal Organizing Effort at NFFE-IAM Locals in Louisiana and Oklahoma
An internal organizing effort conducted by the Organizing Department at National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM Federal District 1) Locals in Louisiana and Oklahoma has grown the IAM by more than 150 members.
The newest members include healthcare professional employees at NFFE-IAM Local 1956 in Shreveport, LA and U.S. Army federal civilian employees at NFFE-IAM Local 273 in Fort Sill, OK.
Internal organizing, which focuses on engaging workers who are represented by the union but haven’t signed up to be members, is critical to growing bargaining power.
“Our organizing team is laser focused on growing our union in both numbers and strength,” said IAM Organizing Director Vinny Addeo. “We look forward to continuing these efforts and bringing stronger collective bargaining power to members across many different sectors.”
The effort was led by IAM Organizing Department Grand Lodge Representative Juan Eldridge, with assistance from Organizing Department Special Representative Chris Casteel and Grand Lodge Representative Sonny Martinez. NFFE-IAM Business Representative Jerry McCarty and NFFE-IAM Local 1956 President Cassandra Buckhanan assisted in the campaign.
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41st IAM Grand Lodge Convention to be Held in New York City in September 2024
The IAM Executive Council has met and unanimously voted to hold the 2024 IAM Grand Lodge Convention at New York Hilton Midtown from September 1-6, 2024. A call letter will soon be sent to District and Local Lodges with further information.
An essential part of the Convention will be the 2024 IAM Commemorative Convention Book, and a popular feature of the book will be ads from our own Local and District Lodges. Proceeds from the ads will help offset the cost of the Convention. We will send out information early next year on how your Local or District can support the 41st Grand Lodge Convention.
“The IAM Executive Council is excited to hold the 2024 Grand Lodge Convention in New York City, a city with one of the highest union densities in North America,” said IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. “I have full confidence that the Eastern Territory and the Host Committee will host a spectacular Convention that represents all sectors of our great union.”
“The Eastern Territory is ready to put on a Convention that will honor our past and future,” said IAM Eastern Territory General Vice President David Sullivan. “New York offers a venue that will allow our delegates to conduct the business of our union. The Host Committee is hard at work to ensure the 41st Grand Lodge Convention will be an experience that our members from all across North America will remember for a lifetime.”
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