News

SAAB Organizing Win in Indiana

On Sept. 15, 2024 the IAM Organizing Department helped the workers of SAAB Aerospace claim victory in their union election. Organizing Department Grand Lodge Representative Billy Anderson spearheaded the campaign. The SAAB Aerospace campaign in West Lafayette, Ind., concluded with 102 Hoosiers voting in overwhelming support of the IAM. “I couldn’t be prouder and more The post SAAB Organizing Win in Indiana appeared first on IAMAW.Continue reading

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Temple Faculty, Administration Reach Tentative Agreement

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Temple Faculty, Administration Reach Tentative Agreement 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. The Temple Association of University Professionals (TAUP)—an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT)—has secured a tentative agreement (TA) on a five-year contract with the administration of Temple University.This deal follows more than a year of negotiations and is subject to approval by both membership and Temple’s board of trustees. The TA features a $10,000 across-the-board raise for full-time employees upon ratification—amounting to a 10% raise for at least half the bargaining unit, which includes more than 2,300 faculty, librarians and other academic professionals. Over the life of the contract, a tenured professor on average will receive an 18% increase, while those who are nontenured will get about 23%. Other wins include expanded bereavement leave, improved parental leave, more protections for academic freedom, no increased health care costs and more.“This is the most complex and transformative agreement for our union since our 1990 strike, and contained in this agreement are historic wins on pay equity, job security, and numerous working conditions, benefits, and union power,” the union said in a statement posted to social media. Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 09/20/2024 - 09:54Continue reading

Hispanic Heritage Month Profiles: Alicia Castro Chicol

Hispanic Heritage Month Profiles: Alicia Castro Chicol Throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, the AFL-CIO will be profiling leaders and activists to spotlight the diverse contributions Hispanics and Latinos have made to the labor movement. Today's profile features Alicia Castro Chicol of the Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE). Since becoming a member of IATSE Local 480 in 2011, Alicia Castro Chicol has actively served as a volunteer and board member of Chainbreaker Collective, a membership-based economic and environmental justice organization that helps expand access to affordable transportation and sustainable communities for working people in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and surrounding areas. Having strong roots in both El Salvador and Guatemala, Chicol helps with community organizing through different grassroots and political entities within these countries.  Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 09/20/2024 - 09:53Continue reading

Unions Rally for Social Security Fairness on Capitol Hill

September 19, 2024With just over a week before members of Congress leave Washington, D.C. until after the November elections, the time is now to pass the bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act (SSFA) (H.R. 82, S. 597)! https://d1ocufyfjsc14h.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/dimondstein_ssfa.jpgSocial SecurityCongressLegislative and Political (Update: As of 5 p.m. on September 19, the discharge petition has successfully moved the Social Security Fairness Act to the House floor for a vote. With the finish line in sight, we must now switch our focus from the discharge petition to passage of H.R. 82 on the House floor later this month!  With just over a week before members of Congress leave Washington, D.C. until after the November elections, the time is now to pass the bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act (SSFA) (H.R. 82, S. 597)! Joined by a number of public-sector union leaders, including APWU President Mark Dimondstein, the leaders of this bill, Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA-06) and Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07), held a press conference on Thursday morning in support of the SSFA. If passed, this bill would repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO), which are parts of Social Security law that unfairly reduce, or sometimes eliminate, Social Security benefits for almost three million civil servants, including postal workers, many state employees, and federal annuitants, as well as their survivors. The GPO and WEP penalize postal and federal Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) retirees that meet the requirements for Social Security benefits and have paid their fair share into the program. Although the bill has bipartisan support in both the House and Senate, it has not been able to move out of committee to the House floor for a vote. That’s why Rep. Graves and Rep. Spanberger now support a discharge petition, H. Res. 1410. A discharge petition is a process to bring any bill sitting in committee to the House floor for a vote as long as at least 218 members of Congress sign the petition. “We are really proud and pleased that we are at the cusp of finally righting this wrong and getting some real justice moving forward - stopping the theft, stopping the raid on our pensions, and letting those civil service retirees live their retirement [with] the dignity and the financial security that [they] earn,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein. “We urge all the Congress folks who have not yet signed the discharge petition to do so. Let’s bring this to a vote…let the needs and the voices of the people be heard…and we’ll finally get the justice our retirees have earned today and into the future,” he concluded. Thanks to the hard work of our members and allies from all 50 states who made phone calls to their representatives during our “Call Congress Day of Action” last week, we are now only 13 signatures away from a successful discharge petition! “Today I witnessed what we can accomplish when we work together,” said APWU Legislative and Political Director Judy Beard. “We thank Rep. Graves and Rep. Spanberger for their support in this fight for justice. Regardless of party, each speaker at today’s press conference said the same thing – GPO and WEP are wrong, and they must be repealed now! Due to the hard work of our members, along with other unions and affected organizations, we have built a strong movement that will get this bill to the House floor!”       Unions Rally for Social Security Fairness on Capitol Hill0Continue reading

Hispanic Heritage Month Profiles

Hispanic Heritage Month Profiles Throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, the AFL-CIO will be profiling leaders and activists to spotlight the diverse contributions Hispanics and Latinos have made to the labor movement. Here's who we've featured so far:Omayra Sánchez, Office and Professional Employees (OPEIU)Amanda Filpo, International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART)Roy Zuniga, National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC)Elizabeth Mercado, Communications Workers of America (CWA) Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 09/19/2024 - 13:41Continue reading

APWU Pleased USPS Will Reverse Some Consolidation Efforts and More Facilities Will ‘Keep Local Mail Local ‘

September 19, 2024The APWU and the 200,000 dedicated postal workers we represent stand with the people of the country for improved postal services. There is too much delayed mail resulting from too much short staffing and a chaotic implementation of changes to the postal network. Plant Consolidationnetwork modernization The APWU and the 200,000 dedicated postal workers we represent stand with the people of the country for improved postal services. There is too much delayed mail resulting from too much short staffing and a chaotic implementation of changes to the postal network. The union has consistently opposed local mail being consolidated and sorted hundreds of miles away only to then return to the local area.  Such a process can only further delay mail.  As such, the union has consistently advocated that mail generated in a local area, for delivery in the local area, should stay and be processed and sorted in the local area. Recently management has announced a reversal of some previous consolidation efforts and now plan to keep processing of “local mail local” in a number of locations previously expected to have that work moved long distances as part of management’s network modernization plans. “While the union is still assessing these newly announced changes and seeking more clarification and details, we welcome what appears to be some positive steps in the right direction,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein. “Postal workers, elected representatives and communities across the country have made their voices heard to keep local mail local and to avoid any further slow-down in the mail.” However, along with some positive developments are negative ones.  Postal management and the Postal Board of Governors are also filing a case with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) that we believe will further slowdown mail service for many areas of the country, particularly in rural America. “The APWU believes that USPS must modernize its network in a way that speeds up and improves service” said Dimondstein. “While we are pleased that more facilities will keep their local mail local, we have serious concerns about the latest service standard proposal. We are prepared to engage in the PRC review and to organize in our communities to defend the quality mail service we all deserve.”     The APWU and the 200,000 dedicated postal workers we represent stand with the people of the country for improved postal services. There is too much delayed mail resulting from too much short staffing and a chaotic implementation of changes to the postal network.0Continue reading

APWU Welcomes Reversal of Partial USPS Consolidation Efforts, Keeping Mail Processing Local at More Facilities

September 19, 2024The APWU and the 200,000 dedicated postal workers we represent stand with the people of the country for improved postal services. There is too much delayed mail resulting from too much short staffing and a chaotic implementation of changes to the postal network. Plant Consolidationnetwork modernization The APWU and the 200,000 dedicated postal workers we represent stand with the people of the country for improved postal services. There is too much delayed mail resulting from too much short staffing and a chaotic implementation of changes to the postal network. The union has consistently opposed local mail being consolidated and sorted hundreds of miles away only to then return to the local area.  Such a process can only further delay mail.  As such, the union has consistently advocated that mail generated in a local area, for delivery in the local area, should stay and be processed and sorted in the local area. Recently management has announced a reversal of some previous consolidation efforts and now plan to keep processing of “local mail local” in a number of locations previously expected to have that work moved long distances as part of management’s network modernization plans. “While the union is still assessing these newly announced changes and seeking more clarification and details, we welcome what appears to be some positive steps in the right direction,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein. “Postal workers, elected representatives and communities across the country have made their voices heard to keep local mail local and to avoid any further slow-down in the mail.” However, along with some positive developments are negative ones.  Postal management and the Postal Board of Governors are also filing a case with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) that we believe will further slowdown mail service for many areas of the country, particularly in rural America. “The APWU believes that USPS must modernize its network in a way that speeds up and improves service” said Dimondstein. “While we are pleased that more facilities will keep their local mail local, we have serious concerns about the latest service standard proposal. We are prepared to engage in the PRC review and to organize in our communities to defend the quality mail service we all deserve.”     The APWU and the 200,000 dedicated postal workers we represent stand with the people of the country for improved postal services. There is too much delayed mail resulting from too much short staffing and a chaotic implementation of changes to the postal network.0Continue reading

15 F-35 Instructor Pilots and Simulator Technicians Vote Unanimously to Join IAM

FAIRBANKS, Alaska — The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) is thrilled to announce that on Sept. 11, 2024 a distinguished group of 15 F-35 Instructor Pilots and Simulator Technicians unanimously voted to join our union. This landmark decision reflects the trust and confidence these skilled professionals have placed in the IAM to represent The post 15 F-35 Instructor Pilots and Simulator Technicians Vote Unanimously to Join IAM appeared first on IAMAW.Continue reading

IAM Union-Built Naval Ship Commissioned for Duty

San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship Richard M. McCool, Jr. (LPD 29) departed from Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Miss., recently en route to its commissioning site at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla. Approximately 220 members of IAM Local 1133 (District W2021), are part of 13 different unions building the ship. IAM Local 1133 members are The post IAM Union-Built Naval Ship Commissioned for Duty appeared first on IAMAW.Continue reading

Hispanic Heritage Month Profiles: Elizabeth Mercado

Hispanic Heritage Month Profiles: Elizabeth Mercado Throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, the AFL-CIO will be profiling leaders and activists to spotlight the diverse contributions Hispanics and Latinos have made to the labor movement. Today's profile features Elizabeth Mercado of the Communications Workers of America (CWA). Elizabeth Mercado has been a CWA union activist and leader for more than 23 years. She has held many positions in both her union and her community—from serving on her local school board as the first Puerto Rican woman (and, eventually, president), to chairing the CWA National Women’s Committee from 2021 to 2023, working as a Labor Council for Latin American Advancement Trabajadoras Fellow and beyond, Mercado continuously demonstrates her commitment to the community, workers’ rights and human rights. Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 09/19/2024 - 10:23Continue reading

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Volkswagen Workers in Chattanooga Rally to Win Strong First Contract

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Volkswagen Workers in Chattanooga Rally to Win Strong First 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. After a historic union election victory earlier this year, UAW members who work for Volkswagen in Chattanooga, Tennessee, are gearing up to begin negotiating a powerful first contract with the automotive giant later this week.More than 400 newly minted UAW members, their family members and community supporters rallied on Sunday to channel momentum from the vote to securing a contract that raises workplace standards, increases wages, improves benefits and codifies protections similar to those secured by autoworkers in other unionized plants. Other demands from Volkswagen workers include corporate accountability, workplace respect, retirement security and better paid time off. With representation across every department and shift at the facility, the 20-person elected bargaining committee has been meeting for weeks already to analyze survey data about members’ goals for the first agreement.“Our victory in April was just the beginning,” said Samuel Gallardo, an assembly line worker at Volkswagen. “Now we are focused on winning a contract that reflects the hard work and dedication of every worker here. We’ve shown that when we stand together, we win—first our union, and soon a contract that guarantees higher wages, better benefits, and a brighter future for all.” Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 09/19/2024 - 10:03Continue reading

IAM Members Recognized for 50 Golden Years of Membership at Convention

Seventeen IAM members were honored during the final day of the 41st IAM Grand Lodge Convention in New York City. Each had passed the threshold of over 50 years of service to our organization. 50 years of service earns a gold membership card for the honoree. It is a treasured recognition within the IAM. “As The post IAM Members Recognized for 50 Golden Years of Membership at Convention appeared first on IAMAW.Continue reading

UAW Serves Strike Notice at Ford’s River Rouge – Tool & Die Unit Over Local Agreement Issues Including Job Security, Wage Parity and Work Rules

The Tool & Die Unit at Ford’s River Rouge Complex will strike on Thursday, September 26 if local contract issues are not resolved. The post UAW Serves Strike Notice at Ford’s River Rouge – Tool & Die Unit Over Local Agreement Issues Including Job Security, Wage Parity and Work Rules appeared first on UAW | United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America.Continue reading