Oct 26, 2021 | Politics & Legislative News
The IAM is joining with Rep. Marc Veasey (TX-33) and other lawmakers urging the Biden-Harris Administration to fully invest in the F-35 Lightning II program in the Fiscal Year 2023.
Rep.Veasey led a bipartisan group of 89 members on a letter urging the Biden-Harris Administration to fully invest in a robust F-35 Lightning II program in its Fiscal Year 2023 Department of Defense (DoD) budget request and the Future Years Defense Plan (FYDP). The letter urges strong support to this vital program so that long-term procurement and sustainment costs continue to go down.
“Not only is the F-35 critical for the national security of the U.S. as well as our allies and partners, but it is also vital to the U.S. manufacturing base,” wrote the lawmakers. “Across our country, more than 1,800 suppliers contribute to the F-35, with one in every two of those companies being a small and/or disadvantaged business. The F-35 supports more than 254,000 high-tech, high-paying American jobs annually with thousands of those workers who are skilled union members. Further, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, this workforce has remained committed and resilient; they are a true national security asset. At a time when our economy has suffered the devastating effects of COVID-19, this program has continued to create jobs, foster workforce development, and spur economic opportunity.”
“I commend Rep. Veasey and other lawmakers for standing up for our members who are a vital part of the F-35 program,” said IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. “The IAM will work with our allies in Congress to highlight the national security and economic benefits of the F-35 program. We must fight to grow the F-35 program and the thousands of jobs this economic engine supports for our nation.”
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Oct 21, 2021 | Politics & Legislative News
WASHINGTON, Oct. 21, 2021 – The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) and the Georgia Democratic congressional delegation, led by U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams (D-Ga.), are working to help firefighters and facility safety technicians at Lockheed Martin in Marietta, GA, fight to save their jobs.
Lockheed Martin recently announced that it plans to outsource fire protection at the Marietta facility. The 41 firefighters and three safety technicians are members of the IAM Local 709. The majority are U.S. military veterans and have provided fire protection for the facility since 1961.
During the pandemic, one of the first responders lost their life due to COVID-19, and another member was hospitalized for months. During the pandemic, the group worked nonstop and was considered essential personnel.
“The firefighters and safety technicians in the Lockheed Martin Fire Department are essential workers and we hope to save the jobs of these faithful first responders,” said IAM Southern General Vice President Rickey Wallace. “They risk their lives every day to keep the facility and the personnel inside safe from harm. The thousands of IAM members inside the facility will stand in solidarity with our impacted members. Outsourcing should be the last thing on Lockheed Martin’s agenda. The company should focus on putting out great products that help keep our nation safe and relying on experienced personnel to keep the workers safe. We will commit our full resources to fight back this outrageous outsourcing scheme. I applaud Congresswoman Williams and other members of the Georgia congressional delegation for sticking by our members during this difficult fight.”
Rep. Williams is leading the Georgia Democratic congressional delegation in an effort to protect union workers at the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics facility in Marietta.
“The Lockheed Martin Marietta facility employs over 5,000 Georgians working across a 900-acre campus with myriad buildings, entryways, and corridors,” the letter reads. “As firefighters, first responders, and EMTs, the Marietta Fire Safety Department has decades of training and experience protecting the safety and health of the workforce, as well as the government funded assets, located on this large and complex campus. These workers have the institutional knowledge of this campus that is necessary to best protect their colleagues. We are concerned by the risks that could come with replacing this highly trained and experienced safety team with outside contractors with little knowledge of the facility.”
Click here to read the full text of the letter.
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, airline, railroad, transportation, shipbuilding, woodworking, health care, and other industries.
IAM Local 709 members build C-130 and C-130J military transport planes, along with center wing assemblies for F-35 fighters.
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Oct 18, 2021 | Politics & Legislative News
WASHINGTON, Aug. 25, 2021 – Robert Martinez Jr., International President of the 600,000-member International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), the largest aerospace, defense, and transportation union in North America, released the following statement applauding the passage of H.R. 4, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021 (VRAA).
“The IAM strongly believes that voting is a sacred pillar in our country’s democracy. The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act would help eliminate racial discrimination in our elections. The same groups fighting to suppress voting rights are also pushing some of the most anti-worker laws in our nation. We must stand in solidarity to fight back against any voter suppression attempts in our great country.
“Our union will continue to help ensure that all our members have full access to the ballot box. Everyone deserves the opportunity to participate in a process that legendary and late civil rights leader and Congressman John Lewis championed in the halls of Congress.
“In 2013, Congressman Lewis personally participated in the IAM’s 125th birthday commemoration in Atlanta. Speaking to IAM members there, Lewis encouraged us to fight against voter suppression. ‘We must not step backward to another dark period in our history. The vote is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have in a democratic society,’ Lewis said.’
“The IAM will work to carry on his legacy and fulfill the democratic promise of America.”
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, airline, railroad, transportation, shipbuilding, woodworking, health care, and other industries.
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Oct 18, 2021 | Politics & Legislative News
WASHINGTON, Aug. 24, 2021 – Robert Martinez Jr., International President of the 600,000-member International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), the largest aerospace, defense, and transportation union in North America, released the following statement in full support of the Build Back Better Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill:
“We applaud Speaker Pelosi and the House Democrats for helping move a historic pro-worker, pro-democracy agenda forward. Their courage will help uplift millions of working families through good union jobs that offer fair wages and benefits.
“We have an opportunity to strengthen our U.S. manufacturing sector and increase the amount of good-paying union jobs. Now we must roll up our sleeves and rebuild America’s infrastructure and workforce across all industries.
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, airline, railroad, transportation, shipbuilding, woodworking, health care, and other industries.
goIAM.org | @MachinistsUnion
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Oct 18, 2021 | Politics & Legislative News
An amendment championed by the IAM and U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross (D-NJ) that would dramatically increase domestically made procurement requirements in major defense programs has cleared a critical hurdle in Congress.
The IAM, North America’s largest aerospace defense union, has been pushing the increase for years in order to strengthen the defense industrial base and domestic supply chain while helping prevent vulnerabilities created by military products being made in China and other countries.
“Buy American policies serve the public good by targeting our tax dollars for the purchase of American-made products and services,” said IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. “We must understand that the foundation of our industrial base lies with the skills and abilities of the American worker. Congressman Norcross’s amendment would help ensure that our tax dollars are used to support the U.S. workforce and the firms who employ them.”
READ: Machinists Union letter supporting Rep. Norcross’s “Buy American” NDAA amendment
The amendment passed on a bipartisan vote during a House Armed Service Committee mark-up of the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The legislation would increase “Buy American” requirements for major defense programs from 55 percent to 60 percent upon the bill’s enactment. Requirements would further rise to 65 percent by 2024 and to 75 percent by 2029.
“I am proud to have fought for provisions that make America safer by investing in the American worker,” said Norcross. “This bill will put us on a path to build back better by increasing our domestic supply chain capabilities, strengthening our workforce, and giving our service members the tools they need to win the future fight.”
The number of Chinese suppliers in the U.S. defense industrial base has risen 420 percent since 2010, according to a report from the data analytics firm Govini.
Under Buy American defense procurement policy, Canadian produced military components are considered domestically made. The Norcross Buy American amendment retains a preference for Canadian-made military products.
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Oct 18, 2021 | Politics & Legislative News
President Biden delivered a historic speech from the White House recognizing unions and essential workers for their sacrifices and courage in keeping America moving during the COVID-19 pandemic. The president honored the legacy of the late AFL-CIO President Rich Trumka and took a moment of silence to remember working people who have passed away from the virus.
The president called for the passage of the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, legislation that would repeal anti-worker “right-to-work” laws and encourage the formation of unions while expanding collective bargaining rights to more sectors of the economy. Biden also pushed for stronger “Buy American” rules, expanding elder and child care, and passing infrastructure investments and middle-class tax cuts through Congress.
Biden specifically mentioned Machinists Union members and other union members who have worked on the frontlines during the pandemic.
WATCH: President Biden honors labor unions at White House
“President Biden has promised to be the most union-friendly president in our lifetime and he has kept his word,” said IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. “The Biden-Harris administration continues to move a historic pro-worker, pro-democracy agenda that supports and grows the labor movement. Our members will continue fighting to help build back better for our nation’s aerospace, manufacturing, transportation, and all workers.”
“In my White House, labor will always be welcome,” said Biden. “When unions win, workers across the board win. Families win, communities win and America wins. And despite this, workers have been getting cut out of the deal for too long a time.”
Biden’s pro-union address, which was preceded by speeches from U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh and AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler, came after celebrating Labor Day with union workers in his home state of Delaware.
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