IAM workers at Raytheon Aircraft in Wichita and Salina, Kansas are fighting for their future – for a fair and just contract. After Raytheon’s demands of substandard health care, no raises and no pension increases, the IAM negotiating committee and the workers held a rally.
Rainy skies broke a sweltering heat wave, but the Machinists braved the wet weather to send Raytheon a message: "Don’t treat working families like second-class citizens."
The 4,200 Machinists of local lodges 733 and 2328 at Raytheon vote Saturday on the contract in Wichita and Salina.
“The rally worked,” said District Lodge 70 Directing Business Representative Steve Rooney. “After the rally, Raytheon returned to the table with the beginnings of a good contract.” IAM negotiators reached a tentative agreement early Thursday morning after an all-night bargaining session.
The contract is a three-year agreement, with wage increases of three percent each year, and pension increases of three dollars over the life of the agreement.
“Now it’s up to the members,” said Aerospace Coordinator Ron Eldridge. “They’ll make the decision on their future.”
Southern Territory General Vice President Bob Martinez expressed support for the membership, saying “The Machinists want a fair and just contract, and they’ve proven their willingness to fight, if need be."
"They’ll have the full and complete support of the Southern Territory in their decision.”
Taken from GOIAM imail
Posted 5:00 AM
The IAM called on Maytag’s board of directors to withhold approval of any sale that would result in the widespread loss of jobs or the transfer of the company’s manufacturing facilities to low wage locations in the U.S. or overseas.
“The nightmare of ruined families and destroyed communities in the name of boosting shareholder value must end,” said IAM International President Tom Buffenbarger.
“We believe Maytag’s board can and should seek a commitment from any potential buyer to keep the company’s jobs and facilities in their present locations.”
Thousands of jobs were lost when Maytag closed its Galesburg, Illinois facility and moved production to Reynosa, Mexico. Analysts say thousands of additional jobs will be destroyed as the ripple effect of the closure continues to spread. The IAM represents nearly 4,000 workers at Maytag facilities in Iowa, Illinois and Ohio.
Taken from GOIAM imail
Posted 4:45 AM
After extensive road trips this Spring and a recent appearance with his mom, President Bush’s effort to dismantle Social Security is losing steam. His whistle-stop Social Security tour managed to decrease public support for private accounts and the reception in Congress isn’t much better.
GOP leaders in Congress are backing away from the President’s plan for private accounts. A new proposal, called the Growing Real Ownership for Workers Act of 2005 (H.R. 3304) was introduced by House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee Chairman Jim McCreary (R-LA). Republican Senator Jim DeMint from South Carolina introduced a similar proposal in the Senate.
The plans call for using the current surplus in the Social Security Trust Fund to pay for a smaller version of private accounts.
The proposals mask some serious economic flaws, according to an analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Both assume large transfers of general revenues from the federal budget, more than $600 billion in the House version.
Other creative accounting gimmicks, such as off the books Treasury bonds, make Social Security look solvent but actually make federal budget problems worse. “Their design, structure and costs make little sense from a policy standpoint,” the study concludes.
And “they achieve solvency on paper without making any improvements in the long-term fiscal situation.”
GOP lawmakers had planned to have overhaul legislation by this summer, but now concede little will be done until the Fall at the earliest.
Taken from GOIAM imail
Posted 4:40 Am
Back to school shopping has begun for most families, this year take the pledge to send Wal-Mart back to school.
Wal-Mart has a lot to learn. The conglomerate retailer has failed to provide for their employees and failed the communities they do business in.
When shopping for the children on your list, think of the $135,000 settlement Wal-Mart paid for child labor law violations. Consider Wal-Mart’s discrimination against women and the 1.6 million female employees that have been affected.
As families scrape by to provide new clothes and school supplies remember that Wal-Mart routinely forces communities to subsidize their employees’ health care and with their low wages, does little to help their own associates out of poverty.
Make a stand for the children you’re buying for, don’t shop at Wal-Mart for their back to school needs, sign the pledge and send Wal-Mart back to school.
Taken from GOIAM imail
Posted 4:30 AM
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CHIEFTAIN PHOTO/FILEThe memorial built in 1918 by the United Mine Workers union to the victims of Ludlow. |
On the morning of Monday, April 20, 1914, the Colorado National Guard attacked a colony of striking coal miners and their families directly outside of Ludlow in Southern Colorado. Later, the guardsmen burned the miners’ tents to the ground.
While there is no certainty about which side fired the first shot, or even the total number of casualties, it is certain that innocent women and children took the brunt of the siege. Thirteen innocents suffocated to death in a hole dug under their tent where they took shelter to avoid the firefight. This is why history remembers this incident as the "Ludlow Massacre."
In 1918, the United Mine Workers union built a memorial to the victims of Ludlow directly to the east of the pit where these victims died. That monument stood unmolested for approximately 85 years. In 2003, someone cut the head off a statue of a miner that stands in front of the memorial and did other damage as well. more.......
Taken from Ideas www.chieftain.com
Article submitted by Tony Cadena
Posted 8:06 PM
IAM members at United Airlines will vote on a five-year tentative agreement that resolves all outstanding issues for an amended collective bargaining agreement. Voting will be concluded by July 22, 2005.
“We believe this tentative agreement is fair to our members and contributes the cost savings United needs,” said IAM District 141 President Randy Canale. “The IAM Negotiating Committee unanimously recommends ratification of this tentative agreement as the best way to avoid contract termination, provide secure pension benefits and job security for our members.”
The tentative agreement establishes participation of IAM-represented employees in the multi-employer IAM National Pension Plan, a fully-funded defined benefit plan covering 65,000 beneficiaries at 1,700 U.S. companies. Details of the tentative agreement are posted on www.iam141.org.
“This Negotiating Committee did an outstanding job under appalling circumstances,” said Robert Roach, Jr., IAM General Vice President of Transportation.
“They deserve to be commended, as does the entire membership who stood tall in their fight for fairness and refused to be intimidated throughout this ordeal.”
“This agreement preserves the integrity of our contracts and bargaining rights at United,” said Canale. “A negative decision in court could have wiped out 50 years of collective bargaining achievements.”
Taken from the imail
Posted 8:23 PM
Five IAM-held seats on the Coalition of Labor Union Women’s National Executive Board (CLUW NEB) are in danger of being lost. “We need more membership involvement to guarantee our members’ positions on the board,” said Cheryl Eastburn Director of the IAM Women’s Department.
CLUW helps union women develop the skills to create positive change on the job, in their unions, and in their communities. All IAM members are encouraged to join CLUW, fill out and mail the application today.
The K-Ply “In Plant Organizing Team” shows thumbs-up in an anticipated victory before the election.
Taken from the imail
Posted 8:33 PM
A hard-fought battle for a contract and fairness in the work place ended in victory for 173 employees at the K-Ply plywood plant in Port Angeles, Washington after they won an election to join the IAM.
“This win was a true team effort that would not have been possible without the help of a lot of people in many different places in this union,” said GLR Tom Mason. “I especially want to thank Woodworkers Business Representatives Mike Rose and Dale Winery for all their hard work.”
The K-Ply workers got a helping hand from Woodworkers District W1 officers and staff, the Aberdeen Local W2 officers and members, the IAM Organizing Department and members from several different Locals including retired K-Ply employees who pitched in to organize the employees of their former workplace.
“We wish this crew well and welcome them into the I.A.M. family,” said Mason.
Taken from the imail
Posted 8:40 PM