Jan 25, 2022 | Air Transport, Politics & Legislative News
At a moment’s notice, a flight attendant may have to address a hazardous safety or security situation in the air. They are the first responders inside the aircraft cabin. Implementing a mandatory 10-hour rest period between shifts for this group of workers is something the Machinists Union has been fighting for decades.
Today, the IAM stands in solidarity with some of the largest airline unions in the world in a letter urging the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) to make this a reality, as soon as possible. Although the regulation was initially passed in 2018 as part of the FAA Reauthorization Act, delayed adoption of the law’s requirements have created loopholes that some airline companies are taking advantage of, and therefore putting flight attendants in unsafe or even perilous situations having to work without the proper rest.
Read the full letter here.
In a joint letter submitted to the FAA and the DOT by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Airline Division (IBT), Transport Workers Union of America (TWU), and the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), the group stresses the importance of adopting this law as quickly as possible.
“In a time of chronic understaffing, economic cutbacks, and egregious customer behavior in many cases, it is now more important than ever that our first responders in the air get the rest they need and deserve,” said Richard Johnsen, Chief of Staff to the International President. “This is an issue that has been in the halls of Congress for decades. It’s time for our federal government to act now and ensure the highest level of safety for the airline workers of the skies and the passengers they serve and protect.”
Right now, because there is no regulation that requires it, various airline companies have found ways around the rule, especially during labor contract negotiations or during peak operations times. Passage of this act would make the 10-hour rest period mandatory, taking away the ability for any group or company to reduce the amount of rest time. Ultimately, this will keep workers, and the flying public safeguarded from unnecessary risks.
The post Machinists Union Stands By 10-Hour Rest Rule for Flight Attendants appeared first on IAMAW.
Jan 20, 2022 | Politics & Legislative News
IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. wrote a letter to U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Marty Walsh seeking his immediate assistance to obtain actual enforcement on the use of Canadian loggers under the I-l2A immigration system.
The letter details how the IAM has been working with Maine’s hard-working and highly-skilled loggers for years to help them bargain collectively and stop depressing wages in the industry. The situation is so dire that it has forced U.S. workers to give up altogether and leave the logging industry in the region.
“When we started this campaign three years ago, we were faced with a large group of workers that had been turned into independent contractors while still being completely directed at every step of the day by landowners,” wrote Martinez. “Since that time, we have moved on to another concern; one that I thought would be very easy to accomplish but has proven to be a much more difficult task: the illegal use of H2A drivers in the logging industry. As you know, H2A workers are only supposed to be utilized if they do not affect the wages or working conditions of U.S. workers. Our national union representatives and Maine Senate President Troy Jackson have met with hundreds of workers and have been out in the harvesting areas of northern Maine to witness firsthand the abuse of these workers. All of this is the result of violations of federal cabotage laws or point-to-point hauling in the United States.”
“The IAM urges the Department of Labor to enforce the law and protect the U.S. workers in Maine’s logging industry,” said IAM Eastern Territory General Vice President Brian Bryant. “The IAM Eastern Territory remains committed to providing every resource possible to protect Maine loggers. We hope this matter is reviewed swiftly and puts the proper enforcement in place. The IAM will fight to ensure justice is served.”
Read the full letter here.
The post IAM Urges U.S. Labor Department to Protect Maine Loggers appeared first on IAMAW.
Jan 18, 2022 | Politics & Legislative News
IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. submitted testimony in support of funding from Washington state for an aluminum smelter restart project. The project will restore aluminum manufacturing jobs in Whatcom County, reduce emissions of greenhouse gasses and increase energy efficiency.
Nearly two years ago, 700 union members at IAM Local 2379 (District 160) were laid off at the Alcoa Intalco Works aluminum smelter production plant in Ferndale, WA.
“The Western Territory never gave up hope to bring back good union jobs to Whatcom County,” said IAM Western Territory General Vice President Gary R. Allen. “The IAM, along with our partners and stakeholders, are staying focused on the mission and to bring relief to our highly skilled members who previously worked in this aluminum manufacturing plant. We will continue to ensure that this project makes it over the finish line.”
READ: IAM, Allies Secure Help for Laid-Off Members at Alcoa Intalco Works
From the moment to facility was shuttered, the Machinists Union has been working with all willing partners and stakeholders in an effort to reopen the smelter and restore these high-quality union jobs.
“The Machinists Union and our partners are making substantial progress in our efforts to restart operations at the Intalco facility, restore more than 700 direct Union jobs and return sustainable manufacturing to Washington State,” testified Martinez. “However, the funding included in the FY22 Washington State Capitol Budget to modernize the point feed system is critical to the successful reopening of the smelter. For all of these reasons, I strongly support this budget provision and respectfully urge you to retain this vitally important funding in the final budget. I want to thank IAM Local Lodge 2379 Secretary Brian Urban, IAM member and WA State AFL-CIO President Larry Brown for their testimony.”
Read the complete testimony here.
The post IAM Asks For Washington State Funding to Restore Aluminum Smelter Jobs appeared first on IAMAW.
Jan 18, 2022 | Politics & Legislative News
The Senate may vote as soon as TODAY on voting rights. People have died for democracy and the right to vote. So, it’s our duty to tell Senators to sideline the filibuster and pass the Freedom to Vote Act and the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.
The right to vote for who we want to represent us is the foundational cornerstone of our democracy. Our ability to cast our ballot each Election Day is fundamental to our system of government. Yet, in 2021, at least 19 states passed 34 laws restricting access to voting. American democracy is under attack.
Congress has stopped bad election laws before, and they can do it again, if they can get out of their own way.
TAKE ACTION: Tell Your U.S. Senators to Sideline the Filibuster and Protect Our Voting Rights.
Tell them who you are, where you are from, and urge them to end the filibuster and support the Freedom to Vote Act and the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.
The U.S. Senate is considering the Freedom to Vote Act and the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would:
- Require early voting in all fifty states
- Create a national standard for mail voting
- Give Americans a public holiday to vote
- Establish clear federal redistricting standards to stop gerrymandered districts
- Create automatic voter registrations
“The right to vote is a sacred pillar in our nation’s democracy and is so critically important to the very fabric of what defines the United States of America,” said IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. in a letter to U.S. Senators. “Unfortunately, a steady stream of state lawmakers are threatening our nation’s democracy by enacting measures with the goal of thwarting millions from reaching the ballot box. That’s why the U.S. Congress must act with urgency. Passing the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and Freedom to Vote Act will restore the voting rights to protect the democracy of this great nation.”
Each member of the AFL-CIO Executive Council signed a letter calling on the Senate to reform the filibuster and pass critical voting rights legislation.
The post The Time is Now: Tell Your U.S. Senators to Protect Our Voting Rights appeared first on IAMAW.
Jan 13, 2022 | Politics & Legislative News
The right to vote for who we want to represent us is the foundational cornerstone of our democracy. Our ability to cast our ballot each Election Day is fundamental to our system of government. Yet, in 2021, at least 19 states passed 34 laws restricting access to voting. American democracy is under threat.
Congress has stopped bad election laws before, and they can do it again, if they can get out of their own way.
TAKE ACTION: Tell Your U.S. Senators to Sideline the Filibuster and Protect Our Voting Rights.
- Send a messageto your Senators asking them to end the filibuster procedure and support the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.
- Call your Senators at 1-877-607-0785.
Tell them who you are, where you are from, and urge them to end the filibuster and support the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.
The U.S. Senate is considering the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would:
- Require early voting in all fifty states
- Create a national standard for mail voting
- Give Americans a public holiday to vote
- Establish clear federal redistricting standards to stop gerrymandered districts
- Create automatic voter registrations
“The right to vote is a sacred pillar in our nation’s democracy and is so critically important to the very fabric of what defines the United States of America,” said IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. in a letter to U.S. Senators. “Unfortunately, a steady stream of state lawmakers are threatening our nation’s democracy by enacting measures with the goal of thwarting millions from reaching the ballot box. That’s why the U.S. Congress must act with urgency. Passing the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and Freedom to Vote Act will restore the voting rights to protect the democracy of this great nation.”
Each member of the AFL-CIO Executive Council signed a letter calling on the Senate to reform the filibuster and pass critical voting rights legislation.
The post Tell Your U.S. Senators to Sideline the Filibuster and Protect Our Voting Rights appeared first on IAMAW.
Jan 12, 2022 | Politics & Legislative News
After a legal fight that lasted more than two years, the Machinists Union is proud that a group of former employees from Strategic Technology Institute (STI) will receive full back pay with interest and benefits after being unjustly fired for trying to join the IAM.
The decision comes from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
Something didn’t make sense in 2019 when 17 aircraft maintenance employees working for STI at the Little Rock Arkansas Air Force Base were fired over a span of just a few weeks. This group of Service Contract Act (SCA) workers were hired as part of a government contract and maintained the Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules for the U.S. Air Force. All were discharged for poor performance according to the company, even though there was no record of that being the case.
The workers and the IAM felt the real reason for the mass firing was because the group was trying to join the Machinists Union. So the IAM filed charges with the NLRB on behalf of the group.
Two years later, a judge agreed that the workers were unjustly fired for trying to form a union and they deserved compensation for being discriminated against.
Finally, justice prevailed. The decision requires that each employee should receive full back pay with interest and benefits, but more importantly to these workers, the ruling clears their names and gives them back their dignity.
“After serving in the U.S. Military, it makes sense that many of our veterans find SCA jobs as a way to further to serve this country as a civilian,” said IAM Southern Territory Grand Lodge Representative Ramon Garcia. “As a veteran myself, I know the pride that comes with working in the SCA world. This employer thought they could bully these patriots, but they stood strong and proud. And even though this group was never able to become full-fledged Machinists Union members because they were fired during the organizing drive, they told me they couldn’t believe the fight the IAM put up for them.”
Minus the cost of taxes, these workers will receive full compensation and benefits, as well as any search-for-work or interim employment expenses they acquired while looking for a new job.
But this win is bittersweet. Good for the STI employees who will be made whole again, but bad because it highlights our labor law system that isn’t working for American workers. Two years is too long for justice to be served.
“This is a huge win for these workers, but it also stands as a startling example of why the current labor laws are ineffective and outdated,” said IAM Southern Territory General Vice President Rickey Wallace. “Justice delayed for this long is not justice served. And it happens all the time with companies using the judicial system to delay proceedings for as long as possible. It’s especially harmful when this happens during an organizing campaign because often the employee is unable to return to the job after so long, for a variety of reasons.”
But while the Machinists Union continues to work to change labor laws that hurt workers, our union family is taking a moment to celebrate this win for the STI employees who were unjustly fired. Their determination and solidarity to see this to the end remind us all that when one worker wins, we all win.
The post IAM Wins Backpay and Dignity for Employees of Strategic Technology Institute (STI) appeared first on IAMAW.
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