Important Travel and Agenda Information for Delegates to the 40th IAM Grand Lodge Convention

Aug 2, 2022 | iMail

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

Saturday, October 1, 2022

Delegates arrive in Las Vegas

10 a.m. – 8 p.m.: Delegate Registration

Sunday, October 2, 2022

9 a.m. – 11 a.m.: Delegate Registration

12 p.m.: Convention Convenes

6 p.m. – 10 p.m.: Welcome Reception (Theme: “Las Vegas Glitz”)

Monday, October 3, 2022

8:30 a.m.: Convention Reconvenes

Tuesday, October 4, 2022

8:30 a.m.: Convention Reconvenes

Wednesday, October 5, 2022

8:30 a.m.: Convention Reconvenes

Thursday, October 6, 2022

8:30 a.m.: Convention Reconvenes

Friday, October 7, 2022

8:30 a.m.: Convention Reconvenes

6 p.m. – 10 p.m.: Closing Reception (Theme: “Beach Party”)

Saturday, October 8, 2022

Delegates depart Las Vegas

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.

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Midwest Territory’s 13th Annual ‘Rides for Guides’ Raises Over $17K for Guide Dogs of America

Aug 1, 2022 | iMail

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.

See photos of the IAM Midwest Territory’s 13th Annual “Rides for Guides.”

“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.”

Click here to see prize winners, poker hand winners, and sponsors.

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.

For more information on Guide Dogs of America, visit GuideDogsofAmerica.org.

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Machinists Union Members at Boeing St. Louis to Vote on Modified Contract Offer, Temporarily Averting Imminent Strike

Jul 30, 2022 | iMail

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.

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Wisconsin Local 873 Opens Critical Negotiations with John Deere Horicon Works

Jul 29, 2022 | iMail

IAMAW Local Lodge 873 has opened negotiations with John Deere Horicon Works in Horicon, WI. 

Representing nearly 750 members, the IAM members support, test and manufacture world-class lawn and garden equipment and utility vehicles.

“Our union members at John Deere Horicon Works have worked tirelessly over the last two and a half years to support the company’s production needs while the company has lacked in hiring appropriate staffing due to inadequate wages and benefits,” said IAM District 10 Directing Business Representative Alex Hoeksta. “The company must agree to place an emphasis on retirement benefits, take the necessary actions to make Horicon a premier employer in the area, and eliminate 3rd party insourcing.” 

“Our members at Local 873 have the full resources and support of the IAM at their disposal to get the contract they deserve,” said IAM Midwest Territory General Vice President Steve Galloway. “Our team has prepared for months for these negotiations. The continual focus on protecting and growing the workforce in Horicon is paramount.”

“Our negotiating team has prepared for over nine months for these negotiations,” said Joe Terlisner, IAM District 10 Assistant Directing Business Representative. “Approximately 60% of the membership has never participated in the process of negotiating and ratifying a new collective bargaining agreement. A key component of our strategic plan is to make sure our membership understands the process, what they are voting on, and the impacts their vote has on themselves and their families over the years to come.”

The current collective bargaining agreement is set to expire on October 1, 2022.

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Machinists Union Says Defending Workers’ Rights is the Top Priority in JetBlue-Spirit Tie-Up

Jul 28, 2022 | iMail

JetBlue Airways and Spirit Airlines this morning announced that the two airlines plan to merge to create the nation’s fifth largest carrier. Spirit Airlines shareholders yesterday rejected Frontier Airlines’ bid to merge and cleared the way for JetBlue’s $3.8 billion all-cash offer to combine the two carriers.

“As we know from the history of airline mergers and acquisitions, top executives will promise the world to gain regulatory approval. But, when the dust is settled and approval is granted, airline workers almost always get the short end of the stick,” said IAM Air Transport General Vice President Richard Johnsen. “The Machinists Union is the most powerful and experienced union when it comes to defending airline workers’ rights during mergers. We have done it before and we will do it again. IAM members at Spirit Airlines and future IAM members at JetBlue Airways will have their interests defended, just as every IAM member has during previous mergers.”

It’s expected that the proposed merger will face stiff regulatory approval from the Biden Administration. JetBlue already faces opposition from the Justice Department, which has sued to break up its commercial agreement with American Airlines Group Inc. The regulators allege that the partnership — which targets the New York and Boston markets — is anti-competitive.

“I want all IAM members at Spirit Airlines to know the Machinists Union will ensure your contract is enforced during this process and that your rights will be defended,” continued Johnsen. “I also want all the JetBlue Ground Operations Crewmembers to know that your campaign to gain IAM representation takes on even more importance now. It is urgent that you have a seat at the table, so you’re not on the menu.”

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TCU/IAM Joins Together in ‘Member Strong’ Convention

Jul 28, 2022 | iMail

Last week, Transportation Communications Union (TCU/IAM) officers, delegates, and guests gathered in Las Vegas for their 36th Regular Convention. Several TCU/IAM members comment on event highlights and the information-packed week.

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Machinists Union, Allies Win Washington State Supreme Court Case to Continue Sustainable Forest Management

Jul 28, 2022 | iMail

The IAM and the Washington State Council of Machinists, along with several allied organizations in defense of IAM woodworkers and others in the wood, pulp, and paper industry, have successfully beat back an attempt to take forest management away from the people of Washington state.

The Washington state Supreme Court recently unanimously ruled that the Washington Department of Natural Resources continues to have the fiduciary duty to manage working forests, known as state trust lands. 

READ: Machinists Join Fight to Protect Washington State Forestry Jobs

The case, Conservation Northwest v. Hilary Franz, upholds more than a century of precedent of public lands being used to both sustain the environment and protect good jobs, which help fund schools, local economies, and more.

“This is a victory for every IAM woodworker, their families, and the countless Washington state communities who rely on this critical industry,” said IAM Woodworkers Department Chief of Staff Mike Rose. “I’d like to thank every ally in this fight, especially the American Forest Resource Council and the IAM Legal Department, for standing up and winning in the face of this attack on our livelihoods.”

The IAM represents approximately 2,000 members in the wood, pulp, and paper industry in Washington state.

“The IAM will always stand for policies that both grow good jobs and sustain our environment,” said IAM Western Territory General Vice President Gary R. Allen. “IAM woodworkers and the communities who manage our treasured forests have rightfully won a huge victory for the future of sustainable forest management. Let this victory serve notice that the Fighting Machinists will fiercely defend our member’s interests anywhere anytime!”

Washington state’s foresting industry depends on the sustainable source of timber provided by the state trust lands to stay in business, support thousands of family-wage jobs, and produce climate-friendly wood products that help reduce Washington’s carbon emissions.

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NFFE-IAM Pens Letter to Agency Leaders on Fixing Forest Service Housing Crisis

Jul 28, 2022 | iMail

Last week, the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM) sent a letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, USFS Chief Randy Moore, and Undersecretary Homer Wilkes outlining recommendations to permanently fix the housing situation for Forest Service employees. NFFE-IAM gathered data on specific housing issues from its members working for the Forest Service, as well as solutions that employees recommended.

There are several changes that the Forest Service can implement immediately to improve living conditions in the short term that are identified in the letter, including expediting repairs for government housing, adding simple amenities and new furnishings, waiving rent payments for housing that is below living standards, establishing housing stipends, purchasing campers, and building new housing.

In the longer term, the letter suggests making permanent, adequate, and affordable government housing available for all Forest Service employees, including space for workers’ families. Further, the letter recommends standardizing housing requirements so that all housing has proper amenities, furniture, Wi-Fi, heating, and air conditioning, allowing for safety, privacy, and respect for workers.

“Fixing the housing problems in the Forest Service will require allocation of additional financial resources, however, this is necessary for the agency to attract and retain the workforce it needs to accomplish its critical mission,” continued President Erwin. “The current state of housing represents a certain degree of neglect via programmatic funding to maintain housing conditions and adjust for modern life, such as access to electronic communications, or in the interests of family responsibilities to prevent firefighters from choosing between a career or a family.”

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