UAW Applauds MI House Dems for “Putting Workers First” Bills, Urges Full Legislature to Pick a Side
The UAW today applauded Michigan House Democrats for introducing a bold workers’ rights ‘May Day’ legislative package, honoring International Workers’ Day and re-committing to fight for working-class Michiganders.
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Honoring Workers’ Memorial Day: IAM Union Remembers Fallen Members
On Workers’ Memorial Day, observed annually on April 28, the IAM gathered at the William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center in Hollywood, Maryland, to remember workers killed or injured on the job. This solemn day serves as both a tribute and a call to action. At the heart of the ceremony was the recognition
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Congress Moves to Gut Postal and Federal Pensions — APWU Calls for Immediate Action!
May 1, 2025On April 30, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform approved a number of significant cuts to the retirement benefits of postal and federal workers. Passed by a slim margin of 22-21, this measure will now be included in the full reconciliation package which Republican leadership is aiming to hold a full House vote on sometime this month. The retirement cuts would have devastating implications for APWU members, including:
On April 30, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform approved a number of significant cuts to the retirement benefits of postal and federal workers. Passed by a slim margin of 22-21, this measure will now be included in the full reconciliation package which Republican leadership is aiming to hold a full House vote on sometime this month. The retirement cuts would have devastating implications for APWU members, including:
Eliminating the FERS annuity Social Security supplement, which allows workers who have earned their retirement the ability to retire before their Social Security benefits begin;
Increasing the FERS annuity contribution rates for all active employees to 4.4%;
Replacing the High-3 FERS annuity calculation with a High-5 calculation, resulting in a reduction in annuity payments.
Also included in the passed were egregious attacks on federal employees, such as:
Charging a filing fee for Merit Systems Protection Board Claims and Appeals, and
Forcing new hires in the federal workforce to choose between at-will employment or paying an increased FERS contribution rate of 9.4%. While this specific proposal does not currently apply to postal workers, it is a dangerous change to eliminate job security and protections from government service.
“Make no mistake, Congress’ outrageous proposal intends to finance tax-cuts for the oligarchy with money from postal and federal workers’ paychecks,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein. “We must act quickly and with the full force of the labor movement and our union membership to protect our pensions.”
With a slim majority in the House of Representatives, and united Democratic opposition, we need only a handful of pro-labor Republicans to stand up and fight back against these attacks on the pensions of postal and federal workers. We were greatly encouraged by Representative Mike Turner (R-OH-03) who voted against this package because “making changes to pension retirement benefits in the middle of someone’s employment is wrong.” APWU looks forward to working with Representative Turner, and other labor allies on both sides of the aisle, to defeat these attacks.
“The time to act is now to save our pensions,” said APWU Legislative and Political Director Judy Beard. “We are actively engaging with lawmakers on this fight, but need each and every APWU member to pick up the phone and call your member of Congress. Tell them to keep their hands off our pensions!”
On April 30, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform approved a number of significant cuts to the retirement benefits of postal and federal workers. Passed by a slim margin of 22-21, this measure will now be included in the full reconciliation package which Republican leadership is aiming to hold a full House vote on sometime this month. The retirement cuts would have devastating implications for APWU members, including:0
Read More....Worker Wins: A Pivotal Opportunity
Worker Wins: A Pivotal Opportunity
Our latest roundup of worker wins includes numerous examples of working people organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life.
RWJBarnabas Clinicians Vote to Join AAUP: On Tuesday, 150 clinicians from RWJBarnabas Health voted to join the American Association of University Professors—Biomedical Health Sciences of New Jersey (AAUP-BHSNJ). RWJBarnabas is a network of independent health care providers in New Jersey, and after a 2018 agreement forged with Rutgers University, it became the largest academic health system in the state. Clinically Focused University Practitioners (CFUPs) are physician faculty members with 10% employment at Rutgers and 90% employment at RWJBarnabas. This role was created during the COVID-19 pandemic, depriving academic physicians of the union-negotiated benefits and protections that their 100% Rutgers-employed colleagues in the exact same departments and clinics enjoyed. They were previously excluded from union representation, a move that the union decried as illegal. CFUPs faced intimidation as management attempted to suppress union support, but ultimately they emerged victorious in their fight for equal benefits and protections. “We do not tolerate union busting or creating new inequities in the workforce,” said Todd Wolfson, national president of the AAUP and local president of the Rutgers AAUP. “The corporatization of academic medicine has worsened physician working conditions, patient care, and the training of medical students and residents. The AAUP and our physician faculty members are going to change that. We are already hearing from other RWJBH physicians about wanting to join our union, and we welcome them with open arms.Public Sector Union Referendum Clears Thresholds for Ballot Vote in Utah: The Utah lieutenant governor confirmed this week that a coalition of unions have gathered enough signatures for a referendum to overturn state legislation restricting collective bargaining rights for public sector workers. Labor unions across the state banded together to fight H.B. 267, which was authored by out-of-state anti-worker think tanks. This bill was passed by the state legislature in February and severely weakens the rights of public sector workers to bargain for fair wages and safe working conditions. Organizers submitted 320,000 signatures from voters calling for a vote to repeal the legislation. Unless opponents to the referendum remove enough signatures to disqualify it, voters will consider the measure either this fall or next.Showbox and Showbox SoDo Stage Crew Join IATSE and Ratify Contract: Workers at historic Seattle music venues, The Showbox and Showbox SoDo, are celebrating the ratification of their first union contract as Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 15 members. This victory, which has been more than two years in the making, is historic because it marks the first nightclub to have a union-represented stage crew in the Seattle area. Technicians and stagehands successfully secured meaningful wins like substantial wage increases, vacation pay, retirement contributions and more. “This moment—it’s exciting, it’s historic, and it’s a pivotal opportunity for the union to build relationships and worker power with a previously un-represented subsector of the live event industry,” said Tiffany Youngblood, Showbox house steward and stagehand. “We organized because we wanted to improve conditions, increase transparency, and introduce industry-standard practices and benefits.”Judge Blocks Trump Executive Order Gutting Federal Unions: A federal judge issued an injunction Friday afternoon that temporarily blocked the Trump administration from ripping away collective bargaining rights from hundreds of thousands of federal workers. Judge Paul L. Friedman, of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, said the directive that aimed to invalidate union contracts covering federal workers at dozens of agencies was “unlawful.” The executive order was issued last month under the guise of protecting national security, but many impacted members don’t perform jobs related to counterintelligence or domestic defense. The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) filed the initial complaint, and this ruling should prevent agencies from implementing the policy for now. “We commend the court for recognizing the Trump administration’s executive order stripping collective bargaining rights for what it was: illegal, retaliatory union-busting,” said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler in a press statement. “This was the most significant attack on workers’ rights in history, and if Trump was allowed to do it to federal workers, he would be able to do it to every worker in America, in every workplace and every industry. So this ruling to restore federal workers’ collective bargaining rights and reinstate their existing contracts—even if temporarily while the case continues in court—is an important first step.”Road Crew for ‘Chicago: The Musical’ Win Voluntary Recognition: Ten stage and wardrobe professionals, members of the Theatrical Stage Employees’ (IATSE) Associated Crafts and Technicians (ACT) Local, who work on Chicago Razzle Dazzle II LLC’s production of “Chicago: The Musical,” won voluntary recognition of their union. The voluntary recognition is part of a growing trend within North America’s live‑events sector. In recent years, the owners of concert tours, festivals and theatrical productions have recognized the tangible benefits of a unionized workforce. “We are elated to be joining the IATSE after longing for representation and a voice on the job,” the crew members said in a statement. “We are proud to finally be a part of this organization that stands for fair labor practices [and] worker representation and provides community in an ever-growing profession. We hope to be an example of the strength that comes from a united front in the fight for workers’ rights and are excited to return to the ‘Chicago’ tour with a union contract.” “Chicago: The Musical” debuted on Broadway in 1975 and remains one of the longest-running musicals in history, and these IATSE ACT members are part of the revival that first opened in 1996. “It’s an honor to welcome these workers into the IATSE family and provide a path for collective representation,” said IATSE Assistant Director of Stagecraft Stasia Savage. “While the workers on this production are overall quite happy, we standby to provide training, advocacy and protections.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Thu, 05/01/2025 – 11:50
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Organizing
2025 IAM Scholarship Winners
The IAM is pleased to announce the 2025 Scholarship winners. An impartial committee of educators selected 16 recipients for this year’s awards. We congratulate the winners and thank all those who participated in the competition.
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UAW Members Strike at Lockheed Martin, as Company Announces $1.7 Billion in First Quarter Profits
After months of negotiations, over 900 UAW members in Orlando, FL (Local 788) and Denver, CO (Local 766) have walked out on strike at Lockheed Martin, after the company committed multiple unfair labor practices and refused to present a fair economic proposal that meets the membership’s needs.
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Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Wichita Symphony Orchestra Musicians Agree on New Contract
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Wichita Symphony Orchestra Musicians Agree on New Contract
Working people across the United States regularly step up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
A total of 45 members of the Wichita Musicians’ Association, Local 297 of the American Federation of Musicians (AFM), voted unanimously to approve a new contract, which will run through June 2028. In total, the contract covers some 80 orchestra musicians.The contract stipulates structured wage increases over three years, improved rehearsal pay policies, musician protections and refined language around artistic evaluations, a change in the hourly pay to a flat service rate for all musicians participating in rehearsals, among other improvements.“We are incredibly pleased with this outcome, which will further enhance our orchestra’s artistic quality and provide important stability for the years ahead,” the orchestra’s executive director, Tim Storhoff, said.
Kenneth Quinnell
Thu, 05/01/2025 – 10:01
Federal Workers Celebrated at Huge IAM Union Rally Featuring Senator Chris Van Hollen and Representatives Hoyer, Raskin, Kamlager-Dove and Ivey
WASHINGTON, April 30, 2025 – Hundreds gathered outside Union Station on Tuesday, April 29, to honor and thank federal employees at an energizing celebration hosted by the IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) and the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM). FEDERAL RALLY PHOTOS The event, held during the IAM Union Legislative Conference
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Tina Tauese Appointed International Auditor
IAM General Secretary-Treasurer Dora Cervantes has appointed longtime Local 2202 leader Tinae Tauese as an International Auditor, effective June 1, 2025. Tauese will help ensure the financial stewardship of IAM locals and districts in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Northern California. Currently employed by Alaska Airlines, Tauese serves as a Resource Planning Lead Customer Service Agent
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Tinae Tauese Appointed International Auditor
IAM General Secretary-Treasurer Dora Cervantes has appointed longtime Local 2202 leader Tinae Tauese as an International Auditor, effective June 1, 2025. Tauese will help ensure the financial stewardship of IAM locals and districts in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Northern California. Currently employed by Alaska Airlines, Tauese serves as a Resource Planning Lead Customer Service Agent
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