Feb 13, 2024 | Air Transport, Politics & Legislative News
WASHINGTON, Feb. 13, 2024 – 146 members of Congress signed a letter confronting Delta Air Lines over its anti-union practices. They strongly urged the airline to adopt a neutrality agreement to ensure a fair and unbiased union organizing campaign.
This letter comes after the Congressional Labor Caucus recently heard from Delta workers during the IAM’s visit to Capitol Hill.
Delta Air Lines is the only U.S.-based mainline carrier where a union does not represent flight attendants, fleet service, and mechanics – only 20 percent of Delta workers are unionized. Unionized Delta pilots recently endorsed the joint IAM, AFA-CWA and Teamsters campaign to organize Delta workers.
Delta Air Lines management has threatened employees with termination for union activities. It hosts an anti-union website and distributes literature threatening workers seeking to organize. Delta also spent approximately $38 million to oppose a flight attendant union campaign in 2010. Its anti-union activities have caused brand damage, including broad media coverage of a 2019 anti-union flier that told employees to spend money on video games instead of union dues.
“A neutrality agreement would simply free Delta workers from intimidation and allow them a pathway to join a union and collectively bargain if they wish,” said IAM International President Brian Bryant. “It would ensure that employees decide to unionize without undue pressure or interference from Delta management.”
Since November 2022, Delta employees, including flight attendants, fleet service workers, and technicians, have been actively working to form a union. The company’s resistance to unionization efforts has sparked concerns about workers’ rights and fair labor practices.
A neutrality agreement would require Delta to refrain from engaging in any activities that could influence the outcome of unionization efforts. By committing to neutrality, Delta would demonstrate a commitment to respecting the voices and rights of its employees. Neutrality agreements are a common practice in industries where unionization efforts are underway.
“A neutrality agreement consists of an employer agreeing not to engage in pre-election activities that influence workers’ freedom to form a union,” reads the letter from members of Congress. “Your commitment to neutrality would ensure that management does not pressure workers into voting against unionization or delaying the election process. We believe a neutrality agreement is the bare minimum standard that Delta should meet in respecting workers’ rights and comply with the Railway Labor Act’s directive to not “interfere… influence or coerce” its employees in their choice of representative.”
“The IAM applauds members of Congress for taking a stand against anti-union tactics and for providing support in amplifying the voices of workers in Delta Air Lines,” said IAM Air Transport General Vice President Richie Johnsen. “We are asking other elected officials to add their voice to the call for justice and join the movement demanding Delta Air Lines respect the rights of its employees.”
Congress’s call for Delta to embrace neutrality is critical in this stage of the organizing campaign. As the debate over workers’ rights and fair labor practices continues across the country, Delta Air Lines has the opportunity to allow its workforce the freedom to organize.
Read the complete letter.
The letter was signed by 146 bipartisan Members of Congress, including: Reps. Alma Adams, Colin Allred, Gabe Amo, Nanette Barragán Joyce Beatty, Donald Beyer, Jamaal Bowman, Brendan Boyle, Shontel Brown, Nikki Budzinski, Cori Bush, Tony Cárdenas, André Carson, Troy Carter, Greg Casar, Sean Casten, Joaquin Castro, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Judy Chu, Yvette Clarke, Emanuel Cleaver, Steve Cohen, Gerald Connolly, J. Correa, Joe Courtney, Jason Crow, Danny Davis, Donald Davis, Rosa DeLauro, Suzan DelBene, Christopher Deluzio, Mark DeSaulnier, Debbie Dingell, Lloyd Doggett, Anna Eshoo, Adriano Espaillat, Dwight Evans, Brian Fitzpatrick, Bill Foster, Valerie Foushee, Maxwell Frost, John Garamendi, Jesús Garcia, Robert Garcia, Sylvia Garcia, Daniel Goldman, Jimmy Gomez, Josh Gottheimer, Al Green, Raúl Grijalva, Jim Himes, Steven Horsford, Val Hoyle, Jared Huffman, Glenn Ivey, Jonathan Jackson, Sheila Jackson Lee, Sara Jacobs, Pramila Jayapal, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Marcy Kaptur, William Keating, Robin Kelly, Ro Khanna, Daniel Kildee, Derek Kilmer, Andy Kim, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Ann Kuster, Greg Landsman, John Larson, Barbara Lee, Summer Lee, Ted Lieu, Zoe Lofgren, Stephen Lynch, Seth Magaziner, Jennifer McClellan, Gwen Moore, Jared Moskowitz, Seth Moulton, Betty McCollum, Morgan McGarvey, James McGovern, Robert Menendez, Kweisi Mfume, Frank Mrvan, Kevin Mullin, Jerrold Nadler, Grace Napolitano, Joe Neguse, Wiley Nickel, Donald Norcross, Eleanor Norton, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Frank Pallone, Chris Pappas Bill Pascrell, Donald Payne, Scott Peters, Chellie Pingree, Mark Pocan, Katie Porter, Ayanna Pressley, Delia Ramirez, Jamie Raskin, Deborah Ross, Dutch Ruppersberger, Patrick Ryan, Andrea Salinas, Linda Sánchez, John Sarbanes, Mary Scanlon, Janice Schakowsky, Adam Schiff, Bradley Schneider, Brad, Sherman, Mikie Sherrill, Elissa Slotkin, Adam Smith, Eric Sorensen, Darren Soto, Abigail Spanberger, Melanie Stansbury, Haley Stevens, Marilyn Strickland, Eric Swalwell, Emilia Sykes, Mark Takano, Shri Thanedar, Bennie Thompson, Dina Titus, Rashida Tlaib, Jill Tokuda, Ritchie Torres, Norma Torres, David Trone, Lauren Underwood, Nydia Velázquez, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Maxine Waters, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Jennifer Wexton, Susan Wild, and Frederica Wilson.
The Congressional Labor Caucus is composed of more than 100 Members of Congress working to protect and advance workers’ rights.
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, airlines, transportation, shipbuilding, woodworking, health care, and other industries.
goIAM.org | @MachinistsUnion
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Feb 6, 2024 | Politics & Legislative News
IAM Maryland public library workers recently joined a coalition led by the Maryland State and DC AFL-CIO affiliates/labor unions, state legislators, and workers statewide.
The coalition is rallying behind a trio of bills designed to expand collective bargaining rights for workers that could reshape the landscape of collective bargaining in Maryland:
- HB 609/SB 591(Library Workers Empowerment Act) would allow employees of Maryland’s public libraries to form and join unions and participate in collective bargaining.
- HB 260/SB 192(State Personnel – Collective Bargaining – Supervisory Employees) would allow over 4,000 supervisors employed by the State to collectively bargain.
- HB 493/SB #TBD(State Personnel – Collective Bargaining – Faculty, Part-Time Faculty, Postdoctoral Associates, and Graduate Assistants) would grant collective bargaining rights to faculty, part-time faculty, and graduate assistants at institutions within the University System of Maryland, Morgan State University, and St. Mary’s College of Maryland.
Anita Bass, IAM Baltimore County Public Library (BCPL) Local 4538 President and a Library Service Assistant, spoke on why H.B. 609/S.B. 591 (Library Workers Empowerment Act) must pass this legislative session.
“The Library Workers Empowerment Act is not just about the present; it’s about securing the future for every library worker,” said Bass. “By supporting and voting yes for the Library Workers Empowerment Act, the Maryland General Assembly can ensure that each library worker stands tall, knowing they have the support and protection from a collective bargaining agreement. The Library Workers Empowerment Act will make a difference by paving the way for a stronger, more empowered library community. This bill, in conjunction with other collective bargaining legislation, underscores the solidarity among unions.”
Lawmakers and union leaders seek to extend labor rights to more librarians, state workers The Baltimore Sun
Public library workers across Maryland can only exercise their Constitutional right to form a union and collectively bargain if the Maryland General Assembly passes enabling legislation. The Library Workers Empowerment Act would allow employees of Maryland’s public libraries to join unions and participate in collective bargaining.
This bipartisan legislation is being sponsored by Del. Jared Solomon (D) as H.B. 609 and being cross-filed by Sen. Clarence Lam (D) in the Senate as S.B. 591. The next step is to hear the legislation in the House Appropriations hearing.
The coalition, which includes unions such as AFSCME Maryland Council 3, AFT Maryland, MCGEO (UFCW Local 1994), SEIU Local 500, and UAW, represents a diverse and powerful force advocating for the rights of Maryland workers.
“The Library Workers Empowerment Act and other collective bargaining bills symbolize a step toward a stronger, more empowered Maryland labor movement and library worker community,” said IAM Eastern Territory General Vice President David Sullivan. “I am proud of Anita for speaking on behalf of our union. The fight for collective bargaining rights is fundamental to creating a fair and just workplace. The IAM Eastern Territory stands with public library workers across Maryland in their pursuit of the Library Workers Empowerment Act.”
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Jan 30, 2024 | Politics & Legislative News
IAM members, including IAM International President Brian Bryant, attended this year’s AFL-CIO Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Civil and Human Rights Conference held in Montgomery, Ala., the birthplace of the civil rights movement.
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Jan 26, 2024 | Politics & Legislative News
A bipartisan coalition of New York Congressional Representatives is joining the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) in opposing an effort to purchase two foreign train sets for the Brightline West high-speed rail project.
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) submitted public comments opposing a Buy America waiver request by the Nevada Department of Transportation to purchase the foreign train sets. Six members of Congress from New York, Reps. Elise Stefanik (R), Joe Morelle (D), Dan Meuser (R), Marcus Molinaro (R), Anthony D’Esposito (R) and Nicole Malliotakis (R), have also written a joint letter to the Federal Railroad Administration affirming support for strong Buy America requirement for the emerging domestic high-speed rail industry.
In a letter to the FRA, the IAM expresses concerns about using U.S. taxpayer funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to purchase foreign-made trains.
“Domestic content policies, such as Buy America requirements in transportation and infrastructure projects, serve the public good by targeting taxpayer dollars for the purchase of American made products and components, thereby employing U.S. workers and putting our federal tax receipts to work here at home,” said IAM International President Brian Bryant. “Buy America requirements help ensure that our tax dollars are used to support the U.S. workforce and the firms who employ them.”
The IAM and the New York congressional delegation are advocating for the train sets to be built by U.S. workers at Alstom in Hornell, N.Y. IAM Local 2741 (District 19) members at the facility currently produce the high-speed trains that will replace the current fleet of Amtrak’s Acela service.
“To ensure the United States can meet its own transportation needs, high-speed trains acquired for the Brightline West project must align with Buy America policy,” writes the New York congressional delegation in its letter to FRA. “Granting any waiver to exempt high-speed train sets and high-speed rail infrastructure from these regulations would disproportionately favor foreign suppliers, undermining the growth of our domestic manufacturing sector.
“The IAM firmly believes existing U.S. industry has the capacity to produce high-speed trains domestically while simultaneously growing this industry and the American workforce,” said Bryant. “The IAM greatly appreciates the Biden-Harris Administration for its commitment to a future of extending U.S. high-speed rail transportation. We encourage this growth of high-speed rail with making good on the administration’s promise to stand with American workers.”
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Jan 25, 2024 | Politics & Legislative News
WASHINGTON, Dec. 14, 2023 – Robert Martinez Jr., International President of the 600,000-member International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), released the following statement applauding the increase in Buy American domestic content requirements for major defense programs in the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA):
“The Buy American requirement in the NDAA is a significant and commendable step towards securing the future of our nation’s defense capabilities and the prosperity of American workers and our close allies like Canada. The Buy American requirement will support high-quality U.S. jobs, national defense, and the domestic defense industrial base.
“This crucial provision will not only strengthen the domestic content requirement for major defense acquisition programs but also create and support hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs in the U.S. This, in turn, ensures that our men and women in uniform have consistent access to the tools they need to safely complete their mission while bolstering our industrial base and domestic supply chain.
“The IAM commends Representative Donald Norcross (D-N.J.) for his unwavering commitment to championing this critical language. His dedication to supporting Buy American policies demonstrates a clear understanding of prioritizing U.S. labor, environmental, and health and safety standards in government procurement.
“President Biden’s enforcement of Buy American provisions in manufacturing continues to build and grow an economy that works in the best interest of working families.
“Buy American policies align with the labor movement’s values, ensuring that government procurement supports U.S. labor, environmental, and health and safety standards. By reinvesting taxpayer dollars in domestic products, these policies lead to family- and community-sustaining jobs in cleaner and safer American factories.”
READ: ‘Buy American’ policies strengthen nation’s defense, workforce Defense News
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) is one of North America’s largest and most diverse industrial trade unions, representing approximately 600,000 active and retired members in the aerospace, defense, airlines, railroad, transit, healthcare, automotive, and other industries.
goIAM.org | @MachinistsUnion
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Jan 25, 2024 | Politics & Legislative News
By Michael Keroulle, President and CEO, Alstom Americas
Robert Martinez, Jr., International President of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers(IAM)
The outlook on American manufacturing and production has never been better as we experience the strongest manufacturing job recovery since the 1950s. Bipartisan support is increasing for new policies aimed at onshoring American jobs and manufacturing facilities, and our work at Alstom should serve as a proof point: Buy America works, and it works for all of us.
In Hornell, New York – home of the largest passenger transit manufacturing plant in North America -our efforts directly support American industry. From the rail products assembled on American factory floors to the union labor working right now to produce America’s first 28 next-generation high-speed trains, Alstom has fostered a system borne out of Buy America policies that deliver for American businesses, workers, and communities.
Our decision to invest over $66 million in Hornell was driven by our commitment to create hundreds of highly skilled, long-term jobs., right here in America.. This investment has leveraged more, with $80 million in public and private funds flowing into Hornell’s community of 8,000+ residents spurring the local economy and revitalizing the area’s manufacturing industry.
Buy America is helping build a great local workforce and our partnership with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), a member of the AFL-CIO, has been a critical success factor. Our investments in Hornell have created 400 new, well-paying, union jobs in a small industrial town. Without Buy America, those jobs would not exist and the future of Hornell, and towns like it, would be more uncertain.
Why would we send our money someplace else when we have hardworking, skilled labor right here at home?
Alstom has worked with our network of foreign suppliers to onshore rail supply chains into the U.S. that did not exist before, differentiating rail from most of the transportation industry as they face issues sourcing overseas parts.
While some argue that high-speed rail technology only comes from Asia or Europe, our work proves this is false. Alstom’s trains are made from 95% domestic content and Buy America policies have driven our suppliers to set up shop right here in America, creating long-term local manufacturing jobs and the foundational supply chains needed for tomorrow’s rail innovations.
There’s a long list of European suppliers we’ve brought to America to work with us: Eaton/Danfoss for tilting, Hoppecke for battery systems, ABB Hitachi and ABB Inc. for transformers and battery chargers, Hutchinson for suspension systems.
Beyond Hornell, our decision to invest $590 million in American suppliers has spurred economic development in communities across the country. In New York alone, Alstom has spent $160 million with local suppliers in support of the delivery of the future of high-speed rail for American commuters. We invested $80 million in Illinois, $42 million in Pennsylvania, $22 million in Kentucky, as well as hundreds of millions across 23 other states.
Over half of this went to small and disadvantaged businesses, including 20 minority and women-owned businesses and 63 small business enterprises. And the suppliers we on shored made their own investments in this vein, creating a virtuous cycle and widening the benefits.
Building a strong American supply chain not only helps deliver new transit infrastructure. It also ensures that rail and transit agencies will have the parts they need to maintain this infrastructure over the long-term, with the reliability and quality that American passengers deserve.
Buy America is about using the soul of the nation to invest in itself. Over 60% of the value of a highspeed train flows to suppliers and, here, at Alstom, we plan to keep working with every American supplier we can find.
Senator Schumer and DOT Undersecretary Monje visited Alstom in Hornell this spring, where we are building the latest generation of high-speed rail. Speaking with employees on our local factory floor, they witnessed that Buy America is fulfilling its goals – driving industrial development across the country, building a highly-skilled workforce, and strengthening the country’s supply chain – three vital elements for the future of rail and transit in America.
We appreciate the Senator’s strong leadership championing a smart Buy America policy that ensures Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) funding creates U.S. jobs and strengthens local communities.
In his State of the Union address, President Biden told the nation that “American roads, American bridges, and American highways will be made with American products.” The future is here as we make our trains with American products and accelerate towards the future of American transportation. High-speed rail is happening now and, to put it simply, is only possible through the enforcement of policies like Buy America.
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