Mar 10, 2026 | Politics & Legislative News
IAM Union members from across Washington state gathered at the State Capitol in Olympia to advocate for pro-worker legislation aimed at protecting working families. Under the strong leadership of Washington State Council President Steve Miller, who also serves as IAM District 160 Directing Business Representative, the voices of IAM members resonated loudly in the halls of power.
Delegates lobbied their state legislators, focusing their advocacy on two critical pieces of legislation:
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HB 2471: This bill aims to ensure that Washington’s private sector workers remain protected even if federal labor laws fail.
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HB 2264: This proposed legislation seeks to remove unnecessary barriers that prevent workers from accessing the unemployment insurance benefits they’ve earned.
“The IAM Union Washington State Council once again demonstrated what solidarity in action looks like. Our members showed up in Olympia with a clear message for lawmakers: working families must remain the top priority in Washington,” said IAM Union Western Territory General Vice President Robert “Bobby” Martinez. “From protecting good union jobs and advancing pro-worker legislation to bringing light to what working families are facing: access to affordable childcare, rising costs, and inefficiencies in unemployment benefits.”
The lobbying effort reflects the IAM Washington State Council’s commitment to engaging directly in the legislative process to defend and expand workers’ rights across the state.
“I am proud of the dedication and professionalism our delegates brought to every conversation in the Capitol. When we sit down with lawmakers, we bring the real-life experiences of Washington’s workforce: aerospace workers, healthcare professionals, public employees, and more,” said Washington State Council President Steve Miller. “We advocate for every working person in our state, as well as our members, and we will keep pushing for policies that put working families first and hold elected officials accountable to the people who power Washington’s economy.”
The meeting featured powerful insights from several key labor leaders, including:
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Hasan Solomon, IAM National Political and Legislative Director
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Brandon Hemming, IAM Western Territory International Representative
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Donny Donovan, IAM District 751 Legislative and Political Director
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Jonathan Battaglia, IAM Communications Director
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Joe Kendo, Washington State Labor Council Chief of Staff
The Washington State Council of Machinists continues to be a formidable force in advocating for the rights of workers.
See the live content:
IAM Union Facebook Post/Photo Gallery
IAM Union X (Twitter) Thread
Video on Facebook, X (Twitter) and Instagram
The post IAM Members Rally in Olympia: Advocating for Worker Protections at the State Capitol appeared first on IAM Union.
Mar 9, 2026 | Politics & Legislative News
The IAM Union recently joined Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Ranking Member Linda T. Sanchez (D-Calif.) and Labor Allies to introduce the Trade Adjustment Assistance Modernization Act, a bill to renew the Trade Adjustment Assistance program, which Congress allowed funding to lapse in 2022.
IAM Legislative Chief Counsel Laura Ewan spoke on behalf of the IAM.
TAA must be reauthorized, modernized, and properly funded to help assist and retrain workers who lose their jobs through no fault of their own,” said Ewan. “Their job losses are caused by greedy corporate decisions that rely on bad trade policy and trade loopholes to prioritize shareholder profits over people.”
WATCH: Video of the bill introduction press conference
Trade Adjustment Assistance provides displaced U.S. workers with critical support, including job training, income support, health care assistance and reemployment services. Workers who went through the program earned, on average, $50,000 more over a 10-year period than those who did not access the program.
Since the program expired, nearly 200,000 workers have filed petitions for assistance, but their cases remain pending due to the lapse in congressional authorization. And that number continues to grow.
“Every day Congress fails to act, American workers and their families are left to struggle,” said Ranking Member Sanchez. “They are not economic statistics. They are our friends and neighbors who unfairly lost their jobs to outsourcing. Trade Adjustment Assistance is a lifeline to them, helping them rebuild their careers, protect their families and hold on to hope. Congress cannot abandon them any longer.”
The TAA Modernization Act would:
- Reauthorize TAA for Workers, TAA for Firms and TAA for Farmers programs for seven years.
- Address shortcomings in the program by expanding eligibility, increasing funding and improving benefits (such as providing for childcare expenses).
- Establish a new TAA Communities program and reinject funding into the popular and successful TAA for Community Colleges program.
In addition to Sanchez, the bill is cosponsored by Representatives Richard Neal (D-Mass.), Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), Mike Thompson (D-Calif.), John Larson (D-Conn.), Danny Davis (D-Ill.), Terri Sewell (D-Ala.), Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.), Judy Chu (D-Calif.), Gwen Moore (D-Wis.), Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.), Don Beyer (D-Va.), Dwight Evans (D-Pa.), Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.), Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.), Steven Horsford (D-Nev.), Stacey Plaskett (D-V.I.), Thomas Suozzi (D-N.Y.) and Morgan McGarvey (D-Ky.).
Louisville is powered by unions, our workers deserve to be made whole if they lose their jobs due to trade changes,” said Rep. Morgan McGarvey (D-Ky.). “I’m proud to join Rep. Sanchez to introduce the Trade Adjustment Assistance Modernization Act, a bill that makes good on our promise to American workers.”
“The IAM knows firsthand how critical the TAA program is to workers who lost their jobs as a result of outsourcing and unfair trade practices,” said IAM International President Brian Bryant. “When Caterpillar shuttered its Joliet, Ill., facility in 2018 and 2019 and moved roughly 600 IAM jobs to Mexico, TAA was there. When Truck-Lite closed its Falconer, N.Y., plant in early 2020 and shipped more than 150 jobs to Mexico and China, TAA was there. Now, nearly 400 Whirlpool workers in Amana, Iowa, are losing their jobs to Mexico, with hundreds more cuts expected later this year. Without TAA reauthorization, these workers lose not just their paychecks, but the job training and financial support they need to rebuild their lives. That’s not just a blow to workers, it’s a blow to their families and their communities.”
The bill is endorsed by the AFL-CIO, Communication Workers of America (CWA); International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM); International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW); International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE); International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW); and United Steelworkers (USW).
The post IAM Union Joins Congresswoman Sanchez, Labor Allies to Introduce Bill to Renew Trade Adjustment Assistance, Help Displaced Workers appeared first on IAM Union.
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