May 24, 2022 | Politics & Legislative News
Regardless of your personal political beliefs, the facts illustrate how the Trump Administration’s actions weakened union members’ rights, while the Biden Administration has taken steps to empower unions.
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is a critical independent government agency that is charged with enforcing U.S. labor law. NLRB members and its general counsel are appointed by the president, and make many decisions that affect the lives of working people.
The Trump NLRB made a slew of rulings that weakened our rights, including:
- Stripped flight line workers who voted for IAM representation of a union
- Prevented union organizers from accessing cafeterias/public areas
- Made it harder for unions to prove they have majority support
- Gave employers more time to urge employees to not join a union without following standard procedure
- And much more
The Trump Administration also took away workers’ rights to retain their jobs when a new service contractor was brought in, affecting thousands of IAM Service Contract Act workers who work on military bases.
The Trump Administration removed union access for federal sector employees and made bargaining in the federal workforce more difficult.
The Biden administration, on the other hand, showed its pro-union stance when the first step Biden took as president was to fire former NLRB General Counsel Peter Robb, who had pushed anti-worker cases and decisions at the agency. The Biden Administration has also created a first-of-its-kind Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment that expands union access for both federal workers and private sector workers who work on military bases and other federal property
The Biden NLRB has taken a historically pro-union, pro-worker stance and invited briefs on:
- Allowing unions to organize appropriate bargaining units, instead of only “wall-to-wall”
- Expanding traditional make-whole remedies for unfair labor practice to include consequential damages
- More rights for workers to engage in concerted activity
- Expanding the definition of independent contractors to bring greater protections to workers
- And much more
Click here to access the IAM Fact Sheet on the “Presidential Impact on Labor
The post A Tale of Two Administrations: A Stark Contrast for Working People and Unions at the NLRB and Beyond appeared first on IAMAW.
May 17, 2022 | Politics & Legislative News
The IAM and over 65 diverse organizations recently sent a letter to the tri-agencies (Departments of Health and Human Services, Treasury and Labor), marking 100 days of enactment of the No Surprises Act (NSA). In the wake of attacks against the act, the letter urges the tri-agencies to stand firm and enforce its provisions, which protect patients from surprise medical bills that arise when insured consumers inadvertently receive care from out-of-network hospitals, doctors, or other providers they did not choose.
“We strongly encourage you to defend and implement the No Surprises Act in a way that protects patients from exploitation, reduces health care costs, and adheres to the intent of the law as it was written,” reads the letter. “The principles and overall approach taken by the Departments throughout the two interim final rules should continue to guide the rulemaking process toward a prudent solution that addresses the underlying market failure and prioritizes consumers over private equity. To that end, the QPA remains the central part of the law and should remain a central part of the IDR regulations and guidance.”
The new law took effect for health plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2022, and it applies to nearly all private health plans offered by employers (including grandfathered group health plans and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program), as well as non-group health insurance policies offered through and outside of the marketplace. The law also contains other related provisions, including a requirement for health plans to keep network provider directories up-to-date.
“The proper administration and implementation of the No Surprises Act will reduce healthcare costs and protect patients from exploitation from providers,” said IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. “These are tough financial times, and patients need to be protected from unwarranted bills.”
The post Machinists and Allied Organization Continue to Fight Surprise Medical Billing appeared first on IAMAW.
May 13, 2022 | Politics & Legislative News
The New York State Council of Machinists recently came together in Niagara Falls, NY, to map out the political action plan for locals and districts throughout the state. New York Machinists State Council president Dominic Taibbi kicked off the meeting with a powerful lineup of speakers that included IAM Eastern Territory General Vice President David Sullivan, IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr., IAM Aerospace General Vice President Mark Blondin, IAM Air Transport General Vice President Richard Johnsen, IAM Grand Lodge staff, and local and New York state elected officials.
The New York State Council unanimously endorsed Kathy Hochul for Governor. Governor Hochul has always been a fierce supporter of rights for working men and women in New York. The delegates also focused on maintaining control of hard-fought seats won in the last election.
“I am glad that we can gather as council again to celebrate members who go above and beyond, our elected champions, and map our future political plans,” said New York Machinists State Council President Dominic Taibbi. “I hope everyone leaves this meeting energized and ready to elect worker-friendly candidates up and down the ballot.”
“The Eastern Territory appreciates the hard work by the New York State Council of Machinists to ensure our members have a voice in the New York statehouse and local counties and cities throughout the state,” said IAM Eastern Territory General Vice President David Sullivan. “I want to thank President Taibbi and the rest of the state council team for preparing our membership for political battle.”
The post New York State Council Comes Together for Political Action appeared first on IAMAW.
May 10, 2022 | Politics & Legislative News
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) urged Members of Congress to support a letter to the House Appropriations Committee, calling for increased funding for National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The bipartisan effort is respectfully requesting $368 million, at a minimum. The increased funding would also address the NLRB’s regional office staffing crisis and remove the barrier prohibiting the board from implementing an electronic voting system to conduct union representation elections. The IAM fully supports the call for increased funding.
“The IAM greatly supports efforts to ensure workers have the workplace rights they greatly deserve, and that includes an NLRB with the funding and resources the agency needs,” IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr., wrote.
The requested increase in funding would provide long-overdue resources to allow the NLRB to accomplish its primary mission. Since FY2010, the NLRB’s budget remained stagnant and has decreased 25 percent in real dollars adjusted for inflation.
“Overall staffing levels have dropped by 39 percent over the past two decades and field staffing has been cut in half. These cuts come while there has been a dramatic increase in labor activity which has caused a higher caseload for NLRB staff,” according to the letter congressional members sent to appropriators.
The NLRB is an independent agency created by Congress in 1935 to administer and enforce the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The NLRA is the primary and largely exclusive federal statute governing labor relations in the private sector. It serves the public interest by effectively and efficiently reducing disruptions to commerce caused by labor disputes.
The post IAM Urges Members of Congress to Advocate For Increased Funding for NLRB appeared first on IAMAW.
May 10, 2022 | Politics & Legislative News
While waiting for a response to our recent request to the National Mediation Board that a proffer of arbitration be issued by the Board to move our contract dispute to the next level, CBC unions participated in two additional days of mediated bargaining sessions with NCCC this week.
Once again, the nation’s class 1 rail carriers showed just how far removed they are from the realities that their employees and shippers are experiencing. Without regard for the beating that these rail carriers took in front of the surface Transportation Board a week ago, and ignoring their continued record profit reports, the rail carriers continue to advance proposals at the bargaining table that they have previously been told are unacceptable to the CBC Unions and our members.
Due to the NCCC’s refusal to negotiate a fair agreement in good faith, all CBC Unions again request that the NMBproffer arbitration to the parties to stop the endless delays by the rail carriers.
As we advised in January and April, we had hoped that the involvement of the NMB would cause the industry to refocus on addressing the legitimate needs of the men and women whose labor generates their positive financial returns. That has not happened, and there is no indication that it will without allowing the remaining steps of the Railway Labor Act to play out to compel a favorable settlement.
###
The unions comprising the Coordinated Bargaining Coalition are: the American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA); the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen / Teamsters Rail Conference (BLET); the brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS); the International Association of Machinists (IAM); the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers (IBB); the National Conference of Firemen & Oilers/SEIU (NCFO); the InternationalBrotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW); the Transport Workers Union of America (TWU); the Transportation Communications Union / IAM (TCU), including TCU’s Brotherhood Railway Carmen Division (BRC); and the transportation Division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers (SMART–TD).
The post The Coordinated Bargaining Coalition Again Calls on NMB to Proffer Arbitration appeared first on IAMAW.
May 3, 2022 | Politics & Legislative News
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), the largest aerospace and defense union in the United States, continues its advocacy for robust funding of the F-35 Lightning II program in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 defense budget.
Partnering with Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT) and the U.S. House of Representatives Joint Strike Fighter Caucus, the IAM continues to build congressional support for the F-35 Program. Most recently, the IAM and its partners supported a Congressional letter to the chairs and ranking members of the House Armed Services Committee and House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee in advocating for continued support of the F-35 program. The letter, which was signed by 154 members of Congress, expressed the critical need for Congress to provide the necessary program funding to support an increase in the production ramp rate towards full-rate production and continued investment in modernization and sustainment in the upcoming defense authorization and appropriations bills for the Fiscal Year 2023.
The F-35 Lightning II program provides for tens of thousands of Machinists Union jobs at Lockheed Martin and across the F-35 supply chain, supports nearly 300,000 total jobs nationwide, and accounts for more than $65 in annual economic activity. In addition to its vitally important job creation and economic impact, the F-35 program is essential to ensuring U.S. national security and ensures that our men and women in uniform are supported by the most capable fighter jet known to man.
“The F-35 is an engineering marvel that continues to set the bar in the defense and security of this Nation,” said IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. “The Machinists Union will always do whatever it can to advocate for this program. Thousands of our highly-skilled members working at Lockheed Martin facilities across the country are honored to be a part of the defense of our country and proud that their strong, union job allows them to take care of their own at home. The F-35 is much more than a job for Machinists Union members; it’s a shining example of American and union pride.”
For the IAM, supporting the F-35 Lightning II Program is key to taking care of our proud members across the country who build this peerless aircraft.
“The F-35 is the most advanced fighter aircraft in the world, setting the trajectory for our country’s future defense and security,” said Martinez. “For our members on shop floors across the U.S.A., the F-35 Lightning II Program represents much more than that. It symbolizes what it means to be union, providing thousands of highly-skilled, union jobs that allow our proud members to take care of their families, their communities, and this great country.”
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.
goIAM.org | @MachinistsUnion
The post Machinists Union Proudly Supports Robust Funding of the F-35 Lightning II Program appeared first on IAMAW.
Recent Comments