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
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Apr 28, 2022 | Politics & Legislative News
WASHINGTON, DC., April 28, 2022 – The International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers (IAM), one of the largest unions to represent woodworkers in the U.S., today called on President Joe Biden to implement an executive order that would halt imports of all Russian and Belarusian soft- and hardwoods, as action intended to halt the funding of the violent invasion of Ukraine, and help spur more U.S. wood production.
“Our 600,000-member union stands in support of rejecting Russia’s violent military aggression towards Ukraine. That said, our union believes your administration’s ongoing series of sanctions against Russia and Belarus should also include banning all its wood products, which are often used for items such as furniture manufacturing,” IAM International President Robert Martinez, Jr., said in the letter to President Biden. “Halting imports of Russian and Belarusian wood, because it is conflict timber and import is therefore illegal, would also cut off the financial gains used for furthering this unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.”
It has been reported that in 2021, Russia was the third-largest source of U.S. hardwood plywood imports at about $334 million. Lumber is a large economic engine for Russia, which exported about $12 billion in wood products across the globe last year, according to publications that cited data from Wood Resource Quarterly.
The IAM represents 20,000 workers in the nation’s wood, pulp and paper industries.
Banning Russian and Belarusian imports to the U.S., would also help create good-paying domestic jobs in the woodworkers industry if employers follow suggested guidelines, including worker’s rights, Martinez wrote.
“These guidelines would promote more good-paying and decent jobs for woodworkers and forestry workers throughout the U.S.,” Martinez wrote.
Read the complete letter here.
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) 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, manufacturing, transit, healthcare, automotive and other industries.
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Apr 28, 2022 | Air Transport, Politics & Legislative News
WASHINGTON, D.C., April 28, 2022 – The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), the nation’s largest airline union, supports the recent introduction of the bipartisan bill Protection from Abusive Passengers Act (H.R. 7433, S. 4019), which would help thwart passenger assault on airline workers.
The legislation, introduced in the Senate by Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), and in the U.S. House of Representatives by Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), would direct the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to create and manage a program that bars passengers who are fined or convicted of serious physical violence against airline personnel from flying.
“We greatly appreciate congressional lawmakers for taking the rising tide of passenger assault on airline workers very seriously,” said Richard Johnsen, IAM Chief of Staff to the International President. “These hard-working men and women are tasked with getting people to their destination safely, so we should always repay them by ensuring that airport and airline workers have a place that is safe for them too. I urge Congress to move swiftly to pass this legislation and give airline workers the safety and protections they deserve.”
The legislation would also permanently ban abusive passengers from participating in the TSA PreCheck or Customs’ Global Entry programs.
This marks the latest effort by IAM transportation leadership urging lawmakers and federal agency officials to take actions to halt passenger assaults on airport and airline workers.
For example, earlier this year, the IAM joined a letter with other transportation unions, urging President Biden, U.S. Homeland Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, and U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to help find solutions to thwart the rising passenger assaults.
The FAA has reported a total of 5,981 passenger incidents in 2021, which is up sharply from previous years.
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) 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, manufacturing, transit, healthcare, automotive and other industries.
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Apr 7, 2022 | Politics & Legislative News
April 7, 2022, WASHINGTON – IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. issued this statement following the confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court:
“The IAM welcomes the historic confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. Her qualifications were on full display during the confirmation hearings on Capitol Hill. Judge Jackson proved to the nation that she deserves a seat on our nation’s highest court. Her lifetime of achievements serves as a beacon of light for so many of our IAM members and other working families in our great nation. Judge Jackson proved that she will fight to protect the rights of working men and women, allowing their voices to be heard.
“The Biden-Harris Administration continues to bring balance to our nation’s courts. We also want to thank the U.S. Senators who voted to confirm Judge Jackson.”
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) 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
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Mar 31, 2022 | Politics & Legislative News
IAM officers and activists from Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana gathered in Gulfport, MS recently to build power and learn new strategies to grow and strengthen the IAM.
Across District W2021, the IAM has a strong presence in the aerospace, manufacturing, federal sector, shipbuilding, and wood, pulp and paper industries.
“Our district is laser focused on growing our membership both in numbers and strength,” said IAM District W2021 President and Directing Business Representative Chuck Bennett. “Delegates to our district meeting and state councils heard first hand that the IAM is mobilized at every level to help us negotiate even stronger contracts, build power legislatively and politically, communicate effectively with members and future members, and grow our union.”
Delegates heard from IAM National Political and Legislative Director Hasan Solomon, Associate General Counsel Laura Ewan, Communications Director Jonathan Battaglia and Southern Territory Grand Lodge Representative Valerie Rodriguez. All presentations and discussions were centered on delegates knowing the resources available to them as leaders in the IAM.
“I’m extremely grateful to Brother Bennett, the leadership of District W2021, and the Mississippi and Louisiana State Councils,” said IAM Southern Territory General Vice President Rickey Wallace. “Our members are engaged and eager to take our strength to a new level across the South.”
IAM State Councils are the grassroots political and legislative bodies of the IAM. Want to get more engaged? Subscribe the IAM’s political and legislative email newsletter, Machinists on the Hill, and become a member of the Machinists Non-Partisan Political League.
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Mar 31, 2022 | Politics & Legislative News
The 600,000-member International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) supports the Safe Aircraft Maintenance Standards Act, which would strengthen Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) oversight of commercial airline repair facilities outside the United States.
The IAM is the largest airline union in North America, representing over 100,000 airline workers.
The federal legislation, introduced by U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-OR), would include measures such as unannounced FAA inspections of foreign repair stations, set minimum qualifications for mechanics and other workers, including drug testing and background checks, and require air carriers to submit detailed maintenance reports to the FAA.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 900 aircraft maintenance and repair stations have been certified by the FAA outside the U.S., which includes countries such as China, Singapore and Brazil.
“Our hard-working members proudly maintain commercial airplanes in North America for carriers such as American Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and British Airways to name a few, and safety and quality is always a top priority,” said IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. “It’s long overdue that carrier facilities outside the U.S., abide by the high-quality standards that help ensure smooth and safe travel for passengers and the airline workers. The current lack of uniform regulatory standards and oversight sets an unlevel field with carriers increasingly enticed by the financial incentives to push this work overseas. This results in job losses in the U.S. and risks passenger safety.”
“Congress should move swiftly to pass this very important legislation that would set a series of safety and security requirements for overseas facilities,” said Richard Johnsen, IAM Chief of Staff to the International President. “There should be a uniform level of maintenance requirements whether in the U.S., or overseas. Our IAM members are tasked with this critical job of maintenance here in North America and it’s simply unfair that they are forced to compete with the lower standards of work done at foreign facilities.”
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
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