This article was featured in the Summer 2025 IAM Journal and was written by IAM Communications Representative Bill Harkum.
The gavels used at the 2024 International Convention in New York City symbolize the diverse crafts and skills of our membership. Four unique gavels were produced by four proud lodges within the Eastern Territory.
The IAM Ritual used at union meetings tells us that by tradition, two raps of the gavel are a call to order for the gathered members. Three raps of the gavel require the members to stand and be silent. One rap of the gavel means members take their seats and maintain order.
THREE RAPS OF THE FIRST GAVEL
One gavel was made by Local S6 members in Maine, home to Bath Tron Works and members who build ships for the U.S. Navy. Derek Bozeman of IAM Local S6 collaborated with Jeremy Tripp, a member of Bath Maine Draftsmen Association Local 3999, collaborated to produce a gavel out scrap ship material and stainless steel. The result is an impressively balanced and weigh ted gavel that looks like materials representing the yard of this ship building facility.
Tripp said “we were able to incorporate a lot of the identity of the yard, the shipyard, into it.”
The shine of the stainless steel against an inlaid TAM brass coin and a brass outline of a Navy ship as a crown piece above the hammerhead shows the skill and creativity to turn a simple tool into a showpiece.
“The pride, execution and talent that went into this gavel speaks for itself when you see it,” said IAM District 4 Business Representative Chris Wiers.
THREE RAPS OF THE NEXT GAVEL
The next gavel is from Local 175 in York, a home of Harley-Davidson motorcycles manufacturing. Using scrap steel, three members of the lodge fashioned a Harley handlebar and throttle into a gavel, and a Harley gas tank into a strike plate.
“The theme was, ‘We make the eagle fly,”‘ said Sam Santiago, one of the Local 175 craftsmen to do the intricate work by hand.
William Anthony IV is the member who artistically trimmed, bent, and hand painted the steel to look like bird feathers. Scott Karaschak produced the handle bar and motorcycle throttle body used in the gavel itself.
“I am in total awe of what our members did at local 175, from the beginning to the finished product,” said TAM District 98 Assistant Directing Business Representative Kermit Forbes Jr.
THREE RAPS OF THE NEXT GAVEL
The next gavel is made by a member of Local 1943 at Cleveland-Cliffs in Middletown, Ohio. This factory is the largest producer of flat-rolled steel in North America, much of which is used in automobile production.
Michael Wilhelm is a maintenance technician, responsible for attending to and fixing the machinery within this steel mill, for over a decade. He’s known for always staying busy, and finding projects to work on, regardless of the rest cycles in the plan. Wilhelm made all the parts and components of this gavel by band.
The gavel is made from flat stainless steel and some brass. It features a rotating center coil, driven by a step down motor that Wilhelm had to specially tweak to appear to be levitating inside the hammer head. It has a micro furnace with burner boxes at the corners, and a blower motor to move the air from the furnace.
“Mike is a real go-getter. No idle time, always working,” said Local 1943 President and Directing Business Representative Shawn Coffey. “I knew it would be a success and he would knock it out of the park.”
THREE RAPS OF THE NEXT GAVEL
The final gavel was made by IAM Local 4 member John Wible at the Winpisinger Center in Hollywood, Md. It is the only gavel for this convention made from wood, and the craftsmanship is just as intricate as its steel siblings used at the International Convention.
Wible is a full time maintenance technician at the Winpisinger Center. When not at work he is a life member and volunteer firefighter at this local fire department. “We are so proud of every gavel that’s being made. It showcases the talent our members have, the creativity that our members have,” said IAM Eastern Territory General Vice President David Sullivan. ‘The gavel is very, very important to our process, and anybody who has the honor to swing that gavel, needs to respect that gavel, and respect our members, and always do what’s right for our members.”
All four gavels are now on dis play at IAM Headquarters.
One rap of the gavel so that all can be seated.
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