Dear IAM Family,

One of the core tenants of our union is to fight for a dignified retirement for every member. We also believe in the great importance of mentoring the next generation of leaders – and passing the torch to the right person at the right time.

That’s why after 43 years of membership, two decades on the IAM Executive Council, and eight years leading our union as International President, I have announced that I will retire on Jan. 1, 2024.

Since initiating into IAM Local Lodge 776A as an aircraft mechanic in my hometown of Fort Worth, Texas, fresh out of the U.S. Navy, it’s been the honor of a lifetime to serve this great union. And as the first Latino international president of a major international union in the history of the American labor movement, the first Latino elected to the IAM Executive Council, and the first international president of color in the history of the IAM, I’ll always be proud of the work we’ve accomplished together.

We are now putting unprecedented resources into growing our union, winning campaigns in new and emerging industries, like healthcare and the gig and green economies, while strengthening our presence in our core sectors, too. We navigated the COVID-19 pandemic, doing everything we could to keep our members safe while saving the jobs of hundreds of thousands of members in the airline, defense, aerospace, and other industries. We launched many first-of-their-kind programs to help IAM women lead, assist our military veterans, place members with drug and alcohol addiction in treatment, and more. We continued our bold calls to keep our jobs here at home and won critical Buy American expansions.

We also strengthened our tradition of union democracy. At the two Grand Lodge Conventions I chaired, delegates passed the Membership Bill of Rights, expanded strike benefits, officially recognized women’s committees, launched the Committee on the Future, and more. We are better positioned for the challenges to come more than ever before, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for North America’s best and strongest union.

Together with your Executive Council, we have unanimously selected Resident General Vice President Brian Bryant to become the IAM’s 15th international president upon my retirement. Brian’s 34-year IAM career includes seven years on the Executive Council after rising through the ranks of Local Lodge S6 in Maine, District Lodge 4 and the Eastern Territory. A Navy ship pipefitter by trade, Brian brings his shop floor experience into every decision he makes and connects with our members on a personal level while having a strong vision for our union’s future.

As I enter this next chapter, I want to again thank the best membership, staff, and Executive Council in the labor movement. Under your guidance, I know that the IAM will continue its 135-year legacy of adapting to a changing world.

Together, united, we will make life better and create a world with security, dignity, and opportunity for all.

In solidarity always,

Robert Martinez Jr.
International President

The post IAM Journal – Winter 2023-2024 appeared first on IAMAW.

Winter 2023-2024 IAM Journal

An exciting moment in history occurred in July 2023 in Lexington, Ky., where the approximately 150 hardworking members of IAM Local 219 (District 1888) achieved a remarkable feat by ratifying a brand new contract with Tunista Logistics Solutions, LLC.

It’s worth noting that Kentucky is a “right-to-work” state, which makes this triumph by the IAM even more significant. The negotiations for the contract were concluded in under three days, and it not only included all of the workers’ demands, but also exceeded their expectations.

In late 2022, Tunista Logistics Solutions, an Alaska Native Corporation, took over as the Blue Grass contractor, replacing Solution One Industries (SOI). The collaborative and promising nature of the negotiations with the company was highly commendable.

The members of Local 219 stationed at Bluegrass Station are an integral part of ensuring the seamless functioning of base operations, with a focus on providing essential supplies for U.S. Army Special Forces units.

Their diverse array of occupations, ranging from adept supply technicians to agile warehouse specialists, skilled carpenters to seasoned medium truck drivers, plays a
vital role in shaping the overall outcome of the company’s operations. Their unwavering dedication and expertise are a testament to their invaluable contributions.

Fast and Furious: Setting Industry Standards

The Service Contract Act members negotiated a three-year agreement that included improved benefits:

• 15% pay increase
• Increased company pension contributions
• Better health and welfare plans
• Removal of a two-tier pay structure
• Improved vacation accrual
• Addition of Juneteenth as a holiday.

When the negotiations began, Local 219 members were optimistic about the potential outcomes. However, they proceeded with a sense of caution to ensure that their interests were properly protected throughout the process.

“We had a very turbulent relationship with our previous company before Tunista came in. At times, it was almost downright antagonistic, they were always fighting us,
and we had a lot of issues and grievances,” said IAM Local 219 President Nathan Svec. “When we came to negotiate the new contract, it was clear that we were dealing with a company that was far more professional and a company that was very intentionally trying to put its best feet forward and make a good impression.”

“We have had a rough time with our previous company, SOI, but we can confidently say that Tunista did not have any negative feedback,” said IAM Local 219 member Bobby Goodpaster.

The meticulous negotiations were conducted with exceptional care and precision, culminating in a groundbreaking deal that was successfully reached in mere two-and-a-half days.

“We came out with probably the best contract we have had since we have been in the union,” said IAM Local 219 member Bryan Martin. “I would’ve never dreamed that you could negotiate a full contract in two and a half days. I wouldn’t have never thought we would be able to be in that spot to do that.”

Local 219 members faced a number of challenges with their former subcontractor that repeatedly violated the terms of their contract. As a result, legal proceedings were initiated with the labor board to ensure that the workers received fair and respectful treatment. However, the situation changed significantly with the arrival of Tunista Logistics Solutions, which adopted a completely different approach that proved to be effective for all parties involved.

“You can really tell the difference of who we’re working with now compared to before,” said Martin. “Their expectations are our expectations. We were all there to get the job done, perform the job, and negotiate.”

The entire process was executed with the utmost professionalism and seamless coordination, surpassing any prior negotiation experiences and setting a new standard for future negotiations.

“The negotiation was a pleasant and mutually respectful experience for both parties, which was a welcoming sight for me,” said Goodpaster.

The workers at Tulista believe that their employer places great emphasis on the well-being of their workforce and that it respects its employees’ decision to collectively bargain as it’s vital for the long-term viability of the company.

“They have shareholders, responsibilities and commitments, and things of that nature,” said IAM Local 219 member Julie Christopher. “I believe they have a strong understanding of the idea that if you take care of your employees, they will take care of you. I think that philosophy is pretty prevalent within their company.”

The company approached negotiations with a positive attitude, seeking to create a win-win outcome that would benefit everyone involved, not only to prevent a potential strike but to secure their own success.

“This is how the system should work,” said IAM Southern Territory General Vice President Rickey Wallace.

The negotiating team from the company came into the discussions with a constructive and optimistic mindset. Their primary objective was to achieve a win-win outcome. They understood the importance of avoiding a potential strike, but their ultimate goal was to ensure the long-term success of the company.

“Anytime that workers can get a raise, that’s not just a good thing for themselves and their loved ones, but also a good thing for the local economy,” said Svec. “People having a little bit more allows them to make different financial choices about their future that they couldn’t do otherwise. Maybe this raise will enable them to purchase a house they could not have afforded previously.”

“If we’re successful, then they’re successful, and if they’re successful, we’re successful,” said Christopher.

“Our strong agreements in the service contract sector speak for themselves,” said Wallace. “The negotiating committee was able to secure an outstanding contract that sets the bar for other bargaining units across the country.”

Reflecting on the Past: Workers Coming Together

IAM Local 219 members showed incredible perseverance during their second contract negotiations with the previous defense contractor, Allsource Global Management (AGM).

In October 2014, negotiations between the parties failed to reach a compromise, leading to a prolonged strike that lasted for five months. Despite the unforgiving weather conditions, Local 219 members stood their ground in an effort to uphold their current contractual agreement. Their commitment and dedication to their cause were evident throughout the duration of the strike.

Members rejected proposed pay cuts of over 30%, changes to grievance and arbitration, elimination of seniority protections, and due process provisions, as well as attempts to silence their voice in the workplace.

“These members were on strike before and they barely won their organizing back in the 2000s by one vote,” said IAM District 1888 Business Representative and Organizer Ryan McCarthy. “That shows that if you continue to fight, you’re going to get the contract you deserve.”

The support of the IAM was crucial in achieving success in the local labor board’s filing of charges against AGM, culminating in a strong outcome despite the challenges. The tireless efforts of our diligent members culminated in the ratification of a fresh agreement that successfully reinstated nearly all of the proposed cutbacks.

“We were able to keep our numbers together, and we were able to fight and come back,” said IAM Local 219 member Bryan Martin. “We were able to maintain our pay and improve our contract thanks to the union.”

The previous three rounds of contract negotiations have proven that the members of Local 219 possess significant bargaining power and are willing to stand in solidarity to protect their jobs and futures, even if it requires taking strike action.

The strong track record of Local 219’s collective efforts towards achieving shared objectives and a fair contract sends a clear message to any company that enters negotiations: the goal is to work collaboratively towards a mutually beneficial agreement, rather than engaging in tactics of coercion or capitulation.

“We would definitely stand our ground, although we were not necessarily anticipating this outcome,” said Goodpaster. “I think that the last strike we had is now paying the dividends as far as paving the road ahead for future negotiations.”

Bargaining + Organizing = ‘Bargainizing’ for a Better Future

“We still work in a right-to-work state and are continuously looking to expand our membership. We are actively seeking a younger crew to join our team and fill open positions,” said Goodpaster. “The new contract is a great way to promote our union and the ways in which it can benefit you.”

Local 219 is in the middle of organizing another Lockheed Martin’s subcontractor at Kentucky’s Blue Grass Station. Workers were getting pumped up when hearing about the outcome of the new contract.

Employees at Lockheed Martin who are employed under a service contract have come to recognize the positive impact of unionizing and establishing a robust membership. They have taken a proactive approach to getting involved and participating, having witnessed firsthand the substantial benefits that can be achieved through collective bargaining.

“People are actually wanting to educate themselves a little bit more,” said Goodpaster.

IAM Local 219 members are forward-thinking and eager to start planning for their next contract. They understand that building stronger contracts takes time and effort, and they are committed to the process of negotiation. They know that each contract builds upon the last, and they are dedicated to achieving the best possible outcomes for themselves and their community.

“We can now focus on revitalizing our local, stepping up membership involvement, which that’s always my goal,” said Svec. “Our strength as a local comes from our membership being active and participating. One of our goals is to ensure individuals have a positive outlook on the union.”

“That contract didn’t happen overnight. We fight for a little bit more each time,” said Cristopher. “That’s the goal that each time it just gets a little bit better until your contract is a contract that people look at and go like, ‘Oh my gosh, look at that contract – That’s an amazing contract!’”

The post Unlocking the Power of Industry Standards: Kentucky Workers Win Landmark Contract appeared first on IAMAW.

Winter 2023-2024 IAM Journal

The new Local 701 apprenticeship facility in Aurora, Il., opened its doors to its first cohort of 94 automotive and diesel mechanic apprentices on July 23 of this year.

The build-out for the new Aurora facility is mostly funded by employer contributions and government grants. It isn’t quite finished, but the students have started training while the automotive and welding sections of the facility are still being built. In the interim, automotive and welding classes are still being taught at their previous location.

IAM Local 701 apprentices train for one day a week and work a 40-hour week with one of the employers where the IAM has a contract, so they’re able to make money while learning their trade. They also get health insurance and a pension while working at an IAM-represented shop.

“This program is a win-win for everybody,” said Directing Business Representative and Chairman of the Local 701 Training Fund Mark Grasseschi. “It changes the lives of some of our students who may not have the opportunity to attend a for-profit school. They learn a valuable trade, make good wages while attending school, and graduate with no debt and a union job at one of our shops. We are supplying the employers with the highly-qualified technicians that are in high demand.”

Grasseschi and his Local 701 team also work with federal, state, and local legislators for grant opportunities to fund students’ education. Students apply for a state grant through their counties to fund their schooling, and the grant money also goes towards providing each student with a basic tool set, work boots, and PPE.

Recently, Grasseschi with his Local 701 team secured one million dollars in funding from the state of Illinois through state Senator Karina Villa.

“This money allows us to expand and upgrade the facility, bringing the program to the next level of training for students,” said Grasseschi.

In conjunction with the Training Director, Grasseschi works directly with equipment suppliers like Fluke, Hunter, and Milwaukee Tool. The suppliers donate or lend their products, like diagnostic tools and alignment machines, for technicians to learn on. The equipment suppliers understand that when the student learns on a piece of equipment, they are more likely to purchase that same equipment in the field and will request for their employers to purchase shop equipment that they’re already familiar with.

The program recently received a donation of two tractors from UPS for apprentices to work on, and is currently working with Penske and Ryder on making a similar donation soon.

Left: IAM Local 701 Apprenticeship students in an automotive class. Top center: IAM Local 701 Training Director and Automo-tive Instructor Jerry Eckert, IAM Midwest Territory Special Assistant Sam Cicinelli, IAM Local 701 Directing Business Representative and Chairman of the Local 701 Training Fund Mark Grasseschi, IAM Local 701 Diesel Truck Instructor Frank Turi. Top right: Apprentices in class with Instructor Frank Turi. Bottom center: Students working the diesel truck class. Bottom right: Automotive class apprentices work on an engine.

The Local 701 apprenticeship program has long been in development. The program began in 2012, but the idea for it came about in the ‘90s when its founder, Sam Cicinelli, now IAM Midwest Territory Special Assistant to General Vice President Steve Galloway, started work on trying to get buy-in from auto dealers the IAM has contracts with.

“I’ve always felt training was a necessity with the constant technological changes our members contend with in our industry,” said Cicinelli.

At the time, Cicinelli was on the negotiating committee for the Standard Automotive Agreement.

“We fought hard in each contract cycle to get forced training,” said Cicinelli. “I then attempted to get a monetary contribution from employers to create a training fund which will in turn be used to build a facility in every contract I sat in since 1989, but that was met with resistance from the employer association. They were reluctant to contribute without seeing something tangible immediately.”

Local 701 has contracts with approximately 496 shops, including 200 auto dealerships, where the IAM represents technicians who work in the automotive, trucking, forklift, auto/body repair, trailer, marine, heavy equipment, and public transit subsectors.

“It just made me work that much harder to prove the necessity for our existence moving forward and giving the opportunity for less-advantaged individuals out there to learn a trade and provide for their families,” said Cicinelli.

When the dealers wouldn’t budge, Cicinelli turned to Local 701 members to lead the way. They changed Local 701’s bylaws so that a small portion of dues went towards a training program fund.

“The plan was to build the fund, and from the fund build the program. Thereafter, we shamed them into the program,” said Cicinelli.

From there, the apprenticeship program quickly snowballed from training the current membership to finding apprentices in high schools and by word-of-mouth. The program was outgrowing the Carol Stream facility and then started using Olive Harvey College’s grant-funded diesel training center to train diesel mechanics while the new all-inclusive training facility in Aurora was being built.

“I can’t underscore enough the importance of training and providing this opportunity at an extremely low cost. There are the for-profit training programs that teach the basics,” says Cicinelli. “We teach our apprentices tried-and-true techniques based on actual experiences working in the trade. It’s affordable and gives everybody the opportunity to learn a highly skilled profession.”

Travis Thill, 18, said that the apprenticeship has given him much-needed direction in life.

“I knew I didn’t want to go to college, and I didn’t really have any direction for a career path that I wanted,” said Thill. “When the IAM Local 701 Training Director spoke to me about the program, I applied for the grant that day.”

“I’ll be walking out with more money than I came in with,” said Thill. “I just got promoted to semi-skilled. It’s my first dealer job and my first job in the union.”

Lydia Flores, 19, said she was lost about what to do coming out of high school. She didn’t have the funds to go to college and was considering joining the military before being introduced to 701’s training program.

Flores had always been interested in the trade and worked on cars with her dad all of her life, but she didn’t know how to break into the industry until Local 701 presented her with their no-cost training opportunity.

“Coming into this industry as a woman, it can feel like you need to prove something,” said Flores. “But in this program, it’s just always been support. I want the program to become more known to girls like me who don’t have the luxury of being able to afford going to college and want to go to school for something that they love. I hope that more people learn about our program and that it grows.”

Semi-skilled technician Christian Liang is also happy with his choice to follow a career in automotive through Local 701.

“I definitely feel blessed. I’ve been learning so much,” said Liang. “Yesterday, I just put in an engine for the second time and it started right up, whereas the first time I did it I got a couple of codes. I’m progressively learning a lot more a lot quicker.”

Liang raved about how 701’s training instructors take time to teach students, helping them work through diagnosing problems and trying different solutions. Something he says doesn’t happen when trying to learn on the job.

“I’m very thankful to be working at a dealership now, instead of just a random independent shop,” said Liang. “Being trained by some of the best people ever is really nice, and I wish more people would join. The field is in need of people, and the pay is better than it’s ever been before. We need to spread the word even more than we do now.”

The program isn’t just for new hires, though. Classes are available to the current membership’s technicians who want additional training, need to learn new technology used in the shop, or are pursuing a new certification.

Frank Turi (diesel) and Jerry Eckert (automotive) are the current instructors, but the program is growing so quickly that Training Director Jerry Eckert plans on hiring more instructors soon.

Turi was a member in a Local 701 shop before he was hired to be an instructor for the apprenticeship program. Eckert previously taught at UTI (a for-profit school) and the General Motors Training Facility, which he believes do not set up students for the same kind of success that Local 701’s training does.

“We all care about these students and their success, and we’re able to give them a lot more individual attention than the for-profit schools,” said Eckert. “The union representatives in 701 and the instructors are passionate about making sure that we’re investing in our technicians’ futures and their families’ futures, because that is the union’s future.”

The apprenticeship also incorporates union training modules and requires attendance to union meetings. Having apprentices at meetings shows the current membership, who are forgoing part of their dues to fund the program, what their money is going towards: securing a future. The new apprentices will become the next generation of IAM Local 701; they’ll be the ones funding the current members’ pensions after they retire.

“While we have their ear, we want to take advantage of teaching them the importance of working in a union shop and what that means,” says Cicinelli. “We are hopefully planting the seeds to make many of them union organizers and life-long members.”

Cicinelli also says that journeymen who come out of the program become involved in the union and answer the call to IAM initiatives, like moving legislation.

“When you need them to pick up the phone to lobby legislators on their own behalf or the industry’s behalf, they do it, because we’ve invested in them and taught them,” said Cicinelli.

Craig Hughes, a diesel mechanic himself, was appointed as IAM Automotive Coordinator in a revival of the department. Hughes says that Local 701 is known by employers in Chicago for producing top-tier technicians.

“It’s more than a trade, it’s more than a craft. Being a master tech is like the working person’s version of a doctorate,” said Hughes. “The level of expertise and excellence, the level of pride in a specialty that is encompassed by achieving that skill set is impressive and it’s never been in more demand.”

“It’s the size of the vision for the Local 701 facility that is so impressive,” Hughes continued.

Everyone who is a part of Local 701’s training program is excited to see how it continues to grow and provide bright futures for upcoming mechanics who will continue the reputation Local 701 has built.

“I have so much pride in the Local 701 training program for our territory and how it’s building our union in the automotive sector,” said IAM Midwest Territory General Vice President Steve Galloway. “We are creating highly-skilled mechanics and filling high-demand jobs with union activists in an industry that will only continue to grow. This program is a major accomplishment for our union and the communities in Chicago.”

The post Building IAM Futures in Diesel and Automotive appeared first on IAMAW.

Winter 2023-2024 IAM Journal

Nonprofit organizations strive for community service and the common good. Nonprofit workers have realized that resolving workplace problems can create a better environment for skilled and passionate employees, resulting in more effective organizations, and joining a union is seen as the best solution.

The IAM Western Territory has been working hard to address the challenge of organizing in sectors where the machinist label may not always be known. This crucial task cannot be emphasized enough, as it provides a chance to expand the IAM’s reach and empower workers.

At the IAM, we are passionate about promoting fairness and equity in the workplace and giving back to the community through our guiding principle of “Justice on the job, Service to the community.” Given these shared values, it is only natural for the IAM to strive towards organizing workers who align with our mission.

“The Machinists Union’s motto clearly represents our values, and it only seems logical for us to seek to organize and represent workers who share those same principles,” said IAM Western Territory General Vice President Gary R. Allen.

Justice on the Job: Nonprofits Need Unions, Too

Working at a mission-based organization may provide a sense of fulfillment, but it’s not without its hurdles. Nonprofit workers are frequently plagued by burnout caused by low salaries and emotional investment. Joining a union can be a daunting decision for nonprofit workers as they balance their commitment to the organization’s reputation with their own labor rights. Nonetheless, they face significant challenges, including understaffing, increased workloads, and decreased benefits.

Nonprofits that are unionized can significantly benefit from reduced employee turnover rates and improved staff retention. Workers can secure a broad range of employee benefits with a union contract, such as generous vacation time, parental leave, retirement contributions, professional development opportunities, and other incentives. These benefits help employees feel appreciated and supported throughout their careers, leading to a more engaged and satisfied workforce.

Nonprofit workers are still workers and deserve justice and a voice in their workplace. The IAM Western Territory is no stranger to advocating for important causes and promoting solidarity among workers.

Solidarity and respect should be at the core of the progressive movement’s efforts to establish equitable workplaces and fair society, not exploitation. Nonprofit workers have a chance to unite and enhance their workplaces while fortifying the causes they champion through a union contract.

Bargaining to Serve Our Communities Better

IAM District 947 currently has approximately 250 members working at 10 nonprofit organizations in California.

CARECEN, which stands for Central American Resource Center, was among the pioneering nonprofit organizations organized by the IAM. The organization offers affordable immigration services in the Los Angeles region. Despite its noble mission, there was rampant discrimination and unequal treatment of workers. Recognizing the urgent need for change, workers joined the IAM to fight for their rights and have a voice in the workplace.

When CARECEN workers overwhelmingly voted to join the IAM, news quickly spread throughout the region that there was now a union that understood the principles of nonprofit work and the needs of its employees.

The IAM recognizes the importance of a supportive framework that enables workers to unite and increase their collective strength. From the outset, this realization was evident to IAM District 947 President and Directing Business Representative Sal Vasquez. In the initial campaigns to organize nonprofit organizations, including CARECEN, he identified the leadership qualities of Marin Esquivel and saw an opportunity to empower workers and build strength.

Esquivel was CARECEN’s event coordinator who led their organizing efforts, but her commitment to helping others didn’t stop there. Her extensive expertise and experience, coupled with the undying encouragement of her machinist colleagues and the leadership of the IAM Western Territory, resulted in the emergence of District 947 as a powerful force in organizing passionate and dedicated workers within the nonprofit sector.

“Marin’s tireless efforts have yielded impressive organizing campaigns and have helped to advance the important causes that these organizations champion,” said Vasquez.
District 947 is now working with 10 separate nonprofits, seven of which have already negotiated their first contract. These nonprofits operate in various issue-areas, including wage equality, prison reform, refugees, and community resource centers.

“One of the pillars of the machinists is service to the community, and how beautiful is it to represent organizations that do just that, to advocate for those
that advocate for others,” said IAM District 947 Business Representative/Organizer Jennifer Marin.

An example of how IAM assisted nonprofit workers is seen in the case of East LA Community Corporation (ELACC). Due to financial constraints, ELACC had to lay off its employees. The IAM intervened and helped the affected staff receive severance from the organization. Furthermore, the union ensured that the employees were placed on a recall list so those wishing to return to work could be recalled and receive a salary.

“People have started to see what the union is, and I think each of them has their own story,” said Esquivel. “We have one of the best relationships with management, and that’s not how it was at the beginning.”

District 947 faced complicated negotiations with Kids In Need of Defense LA (KIND), an organization dedicated
to providing legal support to unaccompanied minors. Although their mission is admirable, workers were taken aback by their opposition to unionization. This incident made for a challenging negotiation, especially as they enlisted legal counsel from Paul Hastings, LLC, known for its anti-union stance.

Despite having to confront anti-union rhetoric and tactics, the workers of KIND persevered with their organizing efforts. Their commitment to supporting their local communities and fighting for their own rights as workers ultimately led to their success in achieving union recognition and securing a robust collective bargaining agreement.

“Our members understand the strength that comes from working together,” said Vasquez.

IAM Western Territory Leading the Way for Cause-Driven and Worker-Driven Organizing

By helping nonprofit organizations organize and secure bold contracts, the IAM can create new growth opportunities and improve workers’ lives in various industries.

“A worthwhile mission doesn’t pay the bills or bring food to the table,” said Allen. “Let’s stop expecting nonprofit workers to sacrifice their livelihoods for the greater good. We should prioritize union contracts that provide fair wages, work-life balance, and adequate benefits to attract and retain passionate professionals in this important sector.”

The IAM Western Territory is setting the standard for cause-driven and worker-driven organizing. Their victories in the nonprofit sector are genuinely making a difference and paving the way for workers to follow.

“Through the power of a union, workers can confidently ensure that their employer stays true to their stated mission and values,” said Vasquez.

The post Unions Are For Nonprofits appeared first on IAMAW.

Winter 2023-2024 IAM Journal

The IAM Air Transport Territory has been working toward building momentum with new and young members entering the airline industry.

With an influx of new and young members over the last couple of years and in the coming few years, leaders in Air Transport locals are looking to teach their replacements and create new activists.

Making a First Impression

IAM Air Transport Territory General Vice President Richie Johnsen’s dream of a base new hire training came to fruition in 2022, just in time for a rush of hiring in the airline industry as it recovered from the global COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2020, the world was struck by pandemic. Airline carriers offered buy-outs for retirement and the Air Transport Territory lost thousands of members.

“The timing was a driving factor because the writing was on the wall,” said Johnsen. “We already knew, having met with the different companies, that they would be hiring in mass. The projections were anywhere from 25,000 to 30,000 people hired in the industries that we represent in the next five years.”

This was the time to build a new hire orientation that would educate a flood of new members about the IAM, the contracts that had been hard-fought, and the importance of being an active member.

Johnsen met with the CEOs of all the major carriers the IAM represents and convinced them to give the union two hours during their new hire training.

Then, Air Transport Territory members were called on to help create the curriculum.

“The initial program was created and through revisions from our office and the Communications Department, we were able to develop a presentation that includes videos from leadership introducing themselves to the new hires,” said Fraser.

The most important part of the presentation is that it was made to be adaptable, in more than one way.

There are specific parts where locals are able to insert their own history with the carrier they represent and how the union has helped the industry.

“There’s a story at every one of those properties and we have to tell it,” said Johnsen. “This is our first season that we can plant seeds with these people, and if we don’t take this opportunity, we miss it, and somebody else plants the seeds.”

The presentation also has the ability to be tailored to any industry, so almost all the other IAM territories are using some version of it now.

Empowering Young Members

When Johnsen and Fraser took leadership of the territory, part of their initiative was to visit work locations.

“We have been to many locations, from as far east as San Juan, Puerto Rico to out west in Guam,” said Fraser. “One of the things we talk about during those visits is empowering our young workers and carrying on the vision of the IAM, because our young workers are our leaders for tomorrow.”

As a result of embracing youth and continuing to send that message throughout the territory, more and more young people are starting to step up in places like Charlotte, Philadelphia and San Francisco.

Local 1725 in Charlotte is one of the locals building their young workers committee and enticing young workers to participate in the union.

Nolan Arnold, 28, is the local’s Young Workers Committee Chair, and Mark Caines, 39, is the Human Rights Committee Chair and Young Workers Committee Co-Chair. Both Arnold and Caines are ramp agents at American Airlines and shop stewards.

“We did a bowling event that made our young workers really feel like they could come to something that’s for them,” said Caines. “We promoted it through social media, with flyers, and by word-of-mouth. We have some people involved who others trust and look to for guidance, so if they say they’re coming to an event, others want to go too.”

Arnold had first put together a survey to assess what the members would want in a membership day.

“I realized that it’s very hard to get people to even want to learn about the local before they feel welcomed,” said Arnold. “We got a committee together for the young workers, and everybody had a hand in making that event happen, whether it was finding a bowling alley and pricing things out or promoting it to the members, everybody felt that they were a part of it.”

Arnold says there are about six committee members and they work as a true committee, without just one person making all the major decisions.

“You wouldn’t be able to tell who our chair is if you came to Charlotte, because there’s so many hands on it,” said Arnold.

“We’re trying to make sure that everybody has a hand in it, so they don’t feel like the union is a service,” said Arnold. “It’s a team, not a service. Everybody needs to try their hardest. You can’t expect the top few representatives to do all the work for everybody.”

Since the bowling party, more people have been showing up to local business meetings and showing more interest in the union in general.

“They don’t realize they’re young workers because they have six or seven years working, but if you don’t come to union meetings and don’t know the IAM, you’re a young Machinist,” said Caines. “It’s our job to help you grow into being a regular union member.”

Local 1725 also has a station agreement where new hires get three weeks of training from the company and three weeks of training with the union separately. They call this the
“Trailblazer Program.”

“In those three weeks, we train them how to do the job and give them three weeks of unionism,” said Caines. “After those three weeks of hearing about the union, some of them really want to be a part of what we keep talking about.”

President of Local Lodge 1725 Helena Thornton says their hard work isn’t going unnoticed.

“I am extremely proud of what they bring to the next generation of ‘Fighting Machinists’,” said Thornton. “I’m excited to see what they have coming up next and grateful to have them as part of our local. Our executive board will continue to support them in every way we can.”

Philadelphia Local 1776 has made new and young member engagement a priority. They have their own shadowing program to teach new members how the union works with the company and the members, all in the hopes of creating union stewards.

“A lot of our members have never been in a union before. Some of them haven’t even heard of a union,” said Local 1776 President Larry Reeves.

“We teach them what a union is about, what a union stands for, and what a union can do for you,” said Reeves. “We teach them how it’s not just about fighting to get out of trouble if you need us, but what a union offers you and your family.”

They encourage members to grab a friend and bring them to the union meeting, where Reeves provides refreshments and hands out IAM T-shirts and gear.

Reeves and other members also host softball, football and basketball games and try to get everyone involved. Often, people will be talking about games and building community with each other after the business of meetings is finished.

“We’ll put the ramp department against the maintenance department,” says Reeves. “It’s a big fun thing. We get jerseys with ‘Local Lodge 1776’ on them and the winner gets a trophy. We do things like this year-round to keep everyone engaged and people can bring family. We do cookouts in the summer and a Thanksgiving Day morning football game.”

Reeves said that he became passionate about mentorship within the union because he was mentored himself.

“That’s how I got involved, I was mentored,” says Reeves.

“I was given the chance and the opportunity, and it was something I fell in love with. I want everyone to experience that. I want everyone to know what the union can do for them.”

Houston Local 2198’s Tony Colina says that having those two hours of orientation to explain the union’s work has had an enormous impact.

“We go over their benefits, of course. One of the things that they can’t believe is that our union offers stuff like free college and disaster recovery,” said Colina. “The biggest thing is the contract, though. Once these young people see what a union shop is, how we bargain for our contract covers my back here. There is somebody who has been working for me.’”

San Francisco Local 1781 got a new communicator from their recent orientation—a young member who is new to the union was inspired to get involved immediately and took the position as soon as his probation was over.

“It’s a reflection of our union embracing the next generation,” said Johnsen. “If we want a future, even for us who are leaving someday, we have to make sure we’re empowering the people behind us to step up and take over.”

On the Horizon: A Mentorship Program

The new hire orientation and rising young worker activism are the first two pieces of an investment plan for the next generation. The final piece is building a structured mentorship program.

“We want to get young people involved at any level of the union, whether it’s young worker committees, women’s committees, human rights, or legislative,” said Johnsen.
“We need to be going out and not just promoting, but recruiting.”

The territory expects to develop it similarly to how they created the new hire orientation, and they want it to go beyond just the Air Transport Territory.

“We’re looking to build something that can expand to the entire organization,” said Johnsen. “We’re just going to keep leading the way.”

The post IAM Air Transport Territory New Hire Orientation and Young Worker Groups Soar appeared first on IAMAW.

Winter 2023-2024 IAM Journal

This spring, the Transportation Communications Union (TCU/IAM) won a historic labor victory at the largest theme park in the nation, Walt Disney World in Florida. The victory boosted pay and quality of life for thousands of union families there, many of whom are members of TCU/IAM Local 1908 in Orlando.

“I am extremely proud for our members. They deserved a good contract, and they got it,” said TCU/IAM National President Artie Maratea. “Our work is never done though. There are always new challenges and changing times. So, we must continue the hard work every day to improve our members’ lives in any way possible. That’s what our members expect and that’s what they deserve.”

Walt Disney World, home to Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Cinderella, is the largest single-site employer in Florida, with an estimated 75,000 workers. The massive family-friendly theme park sits 15 miles south-west of Orlando and engulfs 43 square miles. It draws 58 million tourists annually and adds an estimated $18.2 billion a year to
the economy. TCU/IAM represents approximately 5,000 workers, generically referred to as cast members, who are employed in various positions at Walt Disney World. Union-represented jobs there include transporting tourists around the resort by rail and water, providing technical support and working in the food service industry.

“The major economic engine in central Florida is the huge tourism industry. Walt Disney World is the center of that entire industry,” said Maratea. “The direct impact that Disney has on the region reaches well beyond the Disney Parks themselves. Every other theme park and attraction exist because of Disney.”

When Walt Disney World’s contract with TCU/IAM expired in the fall of 2022, union members there faced uncertainty. Like many businesses, the theme park industry struggled with a recent downturn in tourism due to COVID-19. In addition, the region’s rising inflation and increase in cost-of-living highlighted the need for a new union agreement that provided strong economic gains.

TCU/IAM Local 1908 is part of a joint council with other unions at Walt Disney World, known as the Service Trades Council Union (STCU). The STCU includes locals from Unite Here, United Food and Commercial Workers, International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. TCU/IAM National Vice President Matt Hollis is the President of the STCU. Hollis knew that solidarity would be the key to winning a good contract in this round of bargaining. He quickly met with STCU affiliates and began working to develop a plan that would deliver a strong contract for our members.

“We knew the company’s chief strategy was to divide and conquer,” said Hollis. “Our group of leaders stood together, and we committed to each other to do everything we could to keep from being divided.”

Under Hollis’ leadership, the STCU negotiated with Walt Disney World for six intense months. During that time, the group engaged in consistent community outreach, garnering political support from U.S. representative Maxwell Frost of Florida. Hollis also updated membership by hosting routine union meetings, organizing energetic labor rallies, holding media briefings with news networks like CNN and setting-up press conferences with local television stations.

In early 2023 the bargaining unit overwhelmingly rejected a low-ball offer from the company. But in March of this year the STCU was successful in reaching a substantial multi-year deal. The agreement raises wages in increments over several years. Pay in the first year of the new contract is $18 an hour, up from $15. Pay in the final year of the contract jumps to $20.50 per hour. The agreement also protects employee pensions and provides paid child bonding for full-time employees, a process that gives parents appropriate time to bond with their newborns.

“I am proud for our members and proud for unions in the STCU to be able to deliver such a great agreement,” said Hollis. “Walt Disney World workers do it best and they lead the way for the entire tourism industry in the region.”

The win was applauded by Josh Hartford, who is the Special Assistant to the IAM International President. Hartford, who has extensive experience at bargaining tables across the country, was impressed by TCU/IAM’s negotiating team. “They had a great mix of seasoned union leaders and young, enthusiastic members, all focused on obtaining a good contract,” said Hartford. “It’s clear, Local 1908 will be in good hands for a long time. The group’s teamwork, drive and dedication will serve central Florida’s working families well for years to come.”

Ben Kocsis is the Vice President of TCU/IAM Local 1908 and works at Walt Disney World as a gondola host on an aerial transportation system called the Skyliner. The system moves tourists around the area in small cabins, dozens of feet above land and water, suspended by wire. Kocsis says the new contract, which runs through 2026, gives him and his wife peace of mind.

“It got harder and harder to live off what I was bringing home. Even between both my wife’s and my income, we were still struggling to make ends meet,” said Kocsis, an avid bowler and dog lover. “That’s the most important issue to me, making enough not only to survive, but to live comfortably. This doesn’t mean live exorbitantly, but enough to cover the bills and still have fun as well.”

The new contract will impact a diverse range of TCU/IAM union members, including U.S. military veterans who have a strong residential presence in the region.

Local 1908 Shop Steward Paul Dublino, a U.S. Navy veteran of 20 years, works as a transportation coordinator at Walt Disney World. Daily, he ensures safe operation of boats on the property that transport tourists. Dublino, who’s been married 37 years to wife Gloria, is a father of three and grandfather of four. He helped negotiate the contract and says fairness fueled his fight for a good agreement.

“Without a contract, corporations can look past safe working conditions, fair living wages and health insurance,” said Dublino. “As an active member and officer of TCU, I was able to share my knowledge and experience with others on how important the fight is for a fair contract and contribute to the efforts to reach an agreement. I am grateful for the support of the union.”

The new contract gives longtime Local 1908 member Ramon Diaz a good, working-class way of life. He has a 30-minute work commute from nearby Kissimmee, FL and enjoys serving tourists who visit the theme park from around the world.

“I fought for a better contract because I have a lot personally invested in this company,” said Diaz, who plans to retire in 13 years. “Having stable and sufficient income in a safe and supportive environment is important to everybody.”

Diaz, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom, has worked at Walt Disney World off and on for 34 years, including 16 years as a union-represented boat pilot. He says the new contract’s pay increase will ease the burden of rising gas prices, a problem that frustrates many Walt Disney World employees who commute to, and from work.

“The public transit in this area is not very good or efficient, and therefore incompatible with our job,” said Diaz. “Most of us cast members are car dependent.”

For six years, Craig Heaney, a proud TCU/IAM Local 1908 member and Shop Steward at Walt Disney World, has worked as a watercraft host on site. He’s relieved labor negotiations are over and says strong contract language, bargained by the union, will give him work-life balance and a more lucrative salary doing what he loves.

“I’m passionate about this job because I get to share my love for boating and train the next generation of deckhands and pilots,” said Heaney, who enjoys cooking, fishing and playing video games. “On any given day I could be driving vessels of various size and tonnage, training new cast mates on how to deckhand or drive boats, or managing labor and work assignments. I am very often the go-to person when coworkers have union and work-related questions.”

This contract win caught the attention of the U.S. labor movement because it’s one of the larger labor victories in TCU/IAM’s recent history. The agreement preserves a good quality of life for thousands in central Florida, including hardworking members of Local 1908. It also helps maintain Florida’s most lucrative tourist attraction, Walt Disney World, a popular destination that has been entertaining millions of families from around the globe since 1971.

“I’m proud for our members and I’m proud of our great team of representatives that worked so hard trying to bring this agreement together: National Vice President Matt Hollis, National Representative Staci Bowermeister-Shkoler, National Field Representative Will “Elvis” White, Division Chairman TJ Norwood and our host of great stewards who worked hard at the bargaining table, in committee meetings and on the property,” said Maratea. “I really appreciate their work. They are a top-notch group of professionals who care deeply about working families.”

The post TCU/IAM Workers Win at Walt Disney World appeared first on IAMAW.

The IAM Southern Territory has intensified its efforts to organize diverse groups of workers. They’ve recently had impressive organizing wins at Lufthansa Technik, Zenetex, Maytag, Akima Technical Solutions, and Servicon Systems Inc., to name a few.

Many new Machinists are now experiencing respect on the job and improved family lives for the first time.

Being a Machinist Makes a Difference

“We want a better quality of life in the work area, resulting in a better home life. I have high hopes that we will accomplish great things with the team we have and the IAM by our side.”

Keith Pérez (pictured right) has been a mechanic at Lufthansa Technik in Puerto Rico for over four years. His primary job assignment is to the A320 family’s landing gear and hydraulic systems.

Pérez is part of a group of over 200 mechanics and related groups who provide service for United Airlines, Allegiant, Spirit, and Avianca.

Pérez and his coworkers sought IAM representation due to various workplace issues, including reduced work hours, irregular work rules, inadequate wages and benefits, and not having a voice on the job.

Before organizing with the Machinists Union, many workers decided to resign and study for their certification or find a job in another career field to escape the company’s control.

“Before we won the election to join the Machinists Union, we had a set starting time but no definite time for our shift to end,” said Pérez. “My coworkers and I were not strangers to working over 12 hours daily for six consecutive days. Like many other mechanics, I love my island and wanted to stay here and not worry about leaving my family behind for better work opportunities.”

Joining the IAM was a long, complicated process. The National Mediation Board (NMB) election results came months after aggressive tactics and appeal to stop Lufthansa Technik workers’ right to join the IAM.

The new Machinists know there are still obstacles ahead.

The company has tried implementing policies to retain control and instill fear in the workers. They have also made false promises that the workers would receive pay raises and promotions.

“This is not our first rodeo nor our first time hearing these rumors,” said Pérez. “We don’t trust the rumors the company is spreading. Many mechanics took winning the union election as a relief because we know only good things can come from being part of the Machinists Union.”

Anything Worth Doing is Worth Doing Right

That is just one core value that Anthony Dailey (pictured right), a Team 6 member, believes in while working for the U.S. Army’s Parachute Team.

Dailey and his team, who work for Zenetex in Fort Bragg, NC, worked without a union for over two decades before joining the IAM. He believes dedication and devotion set their team apart from other groups in their industry.

“Being a contractor, sometimes things get left on the table,” said Dailey. “Things can always improve in retaining staff to provide long-term dependable service to the customer, but, sometimes, that is not always the case. Joining the IAM was the most logical step to improve our organization and benefits.“

Bringing the IAM on board was a seamless process. From the moment they called to inquire about information, it has been a transparent and good partnership. This group knew their voice was being heard, and it became clear that IAM was in their corner.

“My initial phone call to the IAM was quickly answered, and a plan was immediately implemented, with each subsequent step clear and concise,” added Dailey.

“I was advised on all aspects, and every concern that arosewas handled without delay. The IAM visited our team, and this personal interaction empowered our team.”

With the team now on board, the next step happened fast. The IAM quickly organized their election vote, and Team 6 overwhelmingly voted to join the Machinists Union.

“Since we started negotiations, our team feels we are in good hands,” said Dailey.

“With the IAM’s help, I feel we are heard and not just listened to. We are confident there will be a successful resolution to our first contract.”

Born Organizers

The Southern Territory has organizers who have paid their dues and understand the value of having a union contract, which affords them and their families benefits and competitive wages.

IAM Local 2340 (District 776) member Valaree Villanueva- Ramirez has been in organized labor for 17 years as an aircraft mechanic and has witnessed many changes in the workplace and society.

Before becoming a Machinist eleven years ago, Villanueva- Ramirez worked at United Auto Workers (UAW-L3 Communication I.S.) on the RJ-135, TACOPS King-air, and Boeing 757 for six years, honing her skills and becoming more proactive in her union. She began her career as a Machinist at Vertex Aerospace, working on the Goshawk T-45 Trainer Jet.

This is where her affinity for organizing and bettering the lives of others grew.

“I’ve always been an organizer,” said Villanueva-Ramirez. “Whether it was organizing family functions, local functions, school functions, or working political campaigns and fundraisers, being a humanitarian first and a leader second, organizing came along with it.”

“I was fortunate to grow up in a very political family, and several relatives held local and state positions,” added Villanueva-Ramirez. “It was a way of life for our family.”

Villanueva-Ramirez considers herself lucky to have participated in inplant organizing, organizing site campaigns, and all the arduous hours of leg work required. She knows each campaign has a different strategy, and incorporating all the tools the Machinists have at our disposal will lead to more organizing wins for the Southern Territory.

Tesha Mungin, a single mother of a 10-year-old adopted daughter, started her journey as a general warehouse worker at IKEA in 2009. She often volunteered for duties outside her job requirements to learn not only that position but also the total company operation.

“While at IKEA, I transitioned from general warehouse worker to several other job titles,” said Mungin. “I soon was voted shop steward and appointed as chief shop steward.

I enjoyed both positions because they offered a chance to advocate for the IKEA members and understand the union’s function and benefits.”

Earlier this year, she was offered the opportunity to become an IAM Organizer.

“I was honored to be asked and quickly accepted,” added Mungin. “Being part of the Machinists Union has allowed me to be a more hands-on parent and flexible work schedule to better manage my child’s education. It has also provided me with a better living wage and an improved lifestyle for my family.

As a new District Organizer, Mungin has been allowed to travel, meet and network with other members of the IAM family. She speaks firsthand to potential IAM members about the benefits being part of a union has given her.

She wants to continue learning and developing new, diverse strategies to communicate with the organizing groups she’s involved with. Some of the groups Tesha is currently working on or considering are Apple, Amazon, Hyundai and Shaw Industries.

“One way we can organize going forward is communicating positive information about unions more accessible to the future generation of workers,” adds Mungin. “We can do this by visiting Job Corps programs and community events and attending local career expos at high schools, trade schools, and colleges. A problem we face is that when we can talk to workers, they have already heard negative things from their employers. We can counter that by getting the truth about the benefits of unions to them earlier.”

“The Southern Territory is grateful to be able to increase our union density and provide our new Machinists with improved benefits and the quality of life they deserve,” said IAM Southern Territory General Vice President Rickey
Wallace. “We have some great organizers and shop stewards with a new perspective and gained knowledge that will continue to help grow our union well into the future. I am incredibly proud of the work done to expand our footprint throughout the Southern United States and U.S. Territories.”

The post Organizing Into the Future: Improving Workers’ Lives One Win at a Time appeared first on IAMAW.

Brings Justice To Missouri Workers Standing For the IAM

Lucy Stanfield and Shannon Bartle discuss the results of the NRLB ruling with Grand Lodge Representative William LePinske.

On Jan. 31, IAM District 9 Organizing Coordinator Bob Beloit met with former Motor Appliance Corporation (MAC) employees in Washington, MO, as he had done almost every week for a year.

This meeting was different, though. It was full of hope and relief after wading through a mess of legal and emotional strife that left Beloit and four former MAC employees exhausted.

Beloit was there to officially tell these workers that their testimonies in a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) case were worth it. The NLRB judge had just filed his decision, ruling that their former employer broke the law, and that they now have a decision to make—do they want their jobs
back?

Interest in the IAM
Machine operators at MAC started seeking union representation in November 2021 because they knew a union was their only path for better working conditions, a voice on the job and better pay.

Employees felt the company wasn’t properly addressing reports of harassment, and that IAM representation would establish a grievance process and employee protections that would make things better.

Beloit was assigned to their organizing campaign. Three weeks after he initially spoke with the lead contact at MAC trying to organize the union, the group had signed enough authorization cards to get a union election.

Union-Busting

“The union-busting consultant reached out to the employer the same day that we filed the petition,” said Beloit. “In less than a week’s time, they were actually going after our people. It started out pretty standard until the captive audience meeting.”

MAC contracted the labor consulting firm Sparta Solutions to provide “its own very special brand of union avoidance services” at the rate of $375 per hour, explains Judge Robert A. Ringler in his case decision.
Sparta’s president and the consultant assigned to MAC both operated under fake names such as “Jack Black” and “Aleks Greene.”

The man who was only known to MAC employees as his alias “Aleks Greene,” illegally insisted on meeting one-on-one with known union supporters, including Shannon Bartle and Jessica Krausch, to question them about their union support.

“We were pulled into meetings, we had no choice,” said Krausch. “We had to be there, otherwise they said that we were voluntarily quitting.” In the meetings, the Sparta consultant aggressively intimidated Krausch and Bartle, feeding them misinformation about the futility of unionizing and threatening pay freezes and intensified surveillance.

Jessica Krausch relayed her interactions with Sparta. “I didn’t know the laws at that point,” said Krausch. “I didn’t know that 90 percent of what he was saying was either incorrect or unlawful. I just knew that I was being put into a position that I did not feel safe.”

The judge deemed those exchanges unlawful interrogations because “the questioning involved a protected activity” with “animus ranging from threats to unlawful firings.”

After those meetings, MAC and Sparta started finding reasons to fire or force a resignation from just enough pro-union employees to ensure the union wouldn’t have enough votes in the election.

Nic Kampschroeder was the first to be fired. He had a seizure while at work, and MAC used that and the claim that he was “loafing” on the clock as reasons for firing him.

Then Sparta’s consultant held a pivotal captive audience meeting with all employees where he constructively discharged union supporters Shannon Bartle and Lucy Stanfield.

“A constructive discharge means that the employer makes working conditions so difficult or unpleasant that the employee is forced to resign,” says IAM General Counsel Carla M. Siegel.

Jessica Krausch recorded the meeting where Shannon and Lucy were discharged.

“I know previously some people had said if they get pulled into any other meetings, that they were going to quit. Well feel free right now, your bosses are here to tender your resignation. Are there any takers? Any Takers?” prodded Sparta’s union-buster at the start of the meeting.

Bartle and Stanfield felt compelled to resign in that moment.

In an exchange with MAC human resources after she was forced to resign, Bartle explained: “I told him [a supervisor] that I cannot handle that meeting. When the union buster came in and bullied us and threatened us, I could not take it anymore. I really did like my job, but I could not take the stress and bullying anymore.”

The judge decided that MAC knew requiring Bartle and Stanfield to attend a mandatory anti-union meeting would prompt their resignation, which qualifies as constructive discharges.

MAC was successful in firing enough pro-union employees to extinguish the IAM’s chances of winning the election.

When Beloit reported the details of the failed election to the IAM Midwest Territory, the union reported MAC’s unfair labor practices to the National Labor Relations Board, which swiftly and dutifully brought charges against MAC and Sparta.

Remedy

Nicholas Kampschroeder with wife Miranda Kampschroeder.

The judge implemented what’s known as a Gissel bargaining order, a remedy the Board will impose when an employer egregiously violates the law by engaging in unfair labor practices.

“A Gissel bargaining order is not at all common,” says Siegel. “Here, it requires the employer to bargain with the union immediately without any further election.”

The NLRB took another Nicholas Kampschroeder with wife extraordinary step in this Miranda Kampschroeder.
case when it brought charges not only against the Company, MAC, as is typical, but also against the firm the company hired to persuade employees not to join the union, Sparta.

“As far as we are aware, this was the first time the board took such steps in many decades,” Siegel said.
The judge also ordered that MAC “cease and desist” from threatening, interrogating, misinforming, increasing surveillance of, and firing employees in response to their protected activity.

Finally, MAC was made to offer jobs back to Nicholas Kampschroeder, Shannon Bartle, and Lucy Stanfield and
“make them whole for any loss of earnings and benefits suffered as a result of its unlawful discrimination against them.”

Only Because of Biden’s NLRB
“Make no mistake, this decision would never have come under the previous administration,” says IAM Midwest Territory General Vice President Steven Galloway. “The result of this case was made possible by a labor-friendly administration that finally put worker-supportive, union members in charge of the NLRB.”

Less than a month after President Biden took office, he nominated Jennifer Abruzzo, an experienced NLRB attorney and former Special Counsel to the Communications Workers of America (CWA), as General Counsel for the NLRB. She would replace the former president’s appointee, pro-business and anti-labor Peter B. Robb.

Protected by the IAM

“I tell my groups to not be afraid to let the company know they support the union. That’s the best thing you can do,” says Beloit. “If you’re on record as being a union supporter, then I can offer you more protection.”

Nicholas Kampschroeder, Shannon Bartle, and Lucy Stanfield are all strongly considering returning to the positions they were bullied out of at Motor Appliance Corporation.

“I would feel proud walking back in there as a union employee,” said Bartle. “The union fought so hard for us. To walk back in there with this victory and to have the union behind us would feel great. They tried to knock us out and they didn’t.”

The facts of this case may seem extraordinary, but it is all too common that employers hire union busters to influence employees in their selection of a representative.

“This case set a strong precedent against the manipulative tactics used here and serves as a warning to other employers and ‘labor consultants’: the IAM and the NLRB will protect workers’ rights to select a union of their choice without undue interference from employers and union busters,” said Siegel.

Kampshroeder, Bartle, and Stanfield all know they’ll be on the bargaining committee for a first contract if they choose to go back to MAC. Beloit will turn the group over to District 9 Business Representative Joe Eccardt to guide them in negotiations.

“This victory is a huge win for these workers! We all look forward to a day in the future that all corporations universally respect workers’ rights to organize without interference.” said IAM Midwest Territory General Vice President Steve Galloway.

The post NLRB Takes Down Union Buster appeared first on IAMAW.

IAM Local 1943 members Jeff Esposito (left) and Cody Lay shown working at the #4 Aluminized Line, a hot-dip carbon and stainless coating line.

In southwestern Ohio, nearly 1,900 IAM members operate and maintain a fully integrated steel mill that sprawls across 2,800 acres of land. Cleveland-Cliffs Middletown Works has carbon steel melting and casting operations and produces hot-rolled, cold-rolled, and finished steel, all starting from raw materials.

You can find the high-quality steel produced by these members in your cars, home appliances, heating ventilation, air conditioning systems, and culverts throughout your cities. Steel has been made at this facility for over 120 years.

One of the buildings at this facility is the Cliffs’ Maintenance Training Center.

On this morning, the training center is abuzz as members of IAM Local 1943 participate in different classes throughout the building, learning and honing their maintenance skills. The welding lab is nearly half full of people practicing their welding, burning, and grinding under the instruction of the welding instructor and Local 1943 member Bruce Gibbs.

How the Program Works

Entry into the apprenticeship program is based on seniority in each member’s department. Once the member passes a few basic classes, they move on to the apprenticeship program.

“You start out in math, then as long as you pass your math test, you get to move on to what they call skills and trade,” said seven-year member and Journeyman Jessica Pabst. “They have to make sure everybody knows how to use power tools, hand tools, tap and dye, burning, etc. Just general simple maintenance things to get the basics.”

The main structure of the class consists of 1,620 hours of class and lab work, and 2,000 hours of on-the-job training alongside a journeyman. The entire training takes 18 to 20 months to finish. Upon completion, each apprentice becomes a certified journeyman maintenance mechanic through the state of Ohio.

“They have to pass all the classes with a 70% or higher throughout each grading period and achieve those hours in order to be considered a finished Journeyman under our standards,” said IAM Local 1943 Educator and Training Director Willie Parman.

The apprenticeship program at Cliffs Middletown Works is instructed by union journeymen with decades of experience in the plant. From left to right: Bruce Gibbs, Steve Poff, Todd Cramer, John Giltrow, and Chad Johnson.

The training center has labs set up with the exact same equipment as the apprentices will be working on in the mill.

“It’s amazing that in a controlled environment we can literally simulate every issue that you would have on a direct current crane board in the mill without actually being 50 feet up in a crane or having to disrupt production,” said eight-year member and South Processing Maintenance Apprentice Jeff Esposito.

“I gained so much confidence actually working on this stuff here in the lab that we’ll be working on out there in the mill,” said seven-year member and now BOF Maintenance Journeyman Carlos Hall. “Like the hydraulic simulators, the welding lab, and the brakes, anything that we have here, it actually stuffs you will be working on out there. It’s all hands-on stuff. You can’t ask for anything better than that.”

“It’s like an industrial college campus,” said Parman. “It’s went from just bare floors and old machines to a state-of-the-art training center. I took my pipe fitting class upstairs, it was in the old rigging shop lunchroom. You could look out over the building from that catwalk up there and there was nothing in here. It had been sitting empty for years. Cleveland-Cliffs is going to invest in a roof for the whole facility.”

The training center has quite a few different classes being taught in addition to the apprenticeship program. Current Journeyman is able to refresh their skills by taking “a la carte” classes for pipefitting, pneumatic training, rigging basics and safety, electric and hydraulic brake training, fluid power training, coupling basics, and installation, and many other subjects.

Another impressive aspect of the training program developed by Local 1943 and Cliffs is that all training is done during normal working hours and the apprentices are paid their wage rate, whether in the classroom or performing on-the-job training.

The program allows members to advance in their careers, without sacrificing their much-limited time with their families.

“You know, working the way that we do, around the clock with rotating shifts, it’s very difficult to take any kind of higher-level education, apprenticeship, or anything like that,” said Cold Mill Maintenance Apprentice Shane Claxton, who has been at Middletown Works for 20 years. “But the way they’re doing it now, they offer an 18-month class and they pay us to be here Monday through Friday. It’s really amazing what they’ve put together for us.”

One thing that separates this program from others is that all the classes are instructed by a union Journeyman who has worked in the Middletown Works steel mill for decades and bring a wealth of knowledge to the table. The six union instructors have a combined total of over 175 years of experience working in the plant.

Learning from highly experienced, fellow union members is something many of the apprentices say makes this program special.

“They’re giving you their insider info. If you’re willing to listen, they’re going to talk,” said 11-year member and South Processing Maintenance Apprentice Cody Lay. “And then with the on-the-job training, the older guys that have 30 and 40 years have taken me under their wing and they’ll sit down and give you the college education on an individual piece of equipment throughout the plant that you can’t get anywhere else.”

“These are some of the best instructors, and the best maintenance guys in the mill,” said Esposito. “That has really been my favorite part, the opportunity to learn from guys that really know how this mill runs. You can’t put a value on learning from the guys that we learned from over here.”

The morning sun shines through the building that houses the steelmaking and casting operations at Cleveland-Cliffs Middletown Works. The facility can produce 3 million net tons of raw steel annually.

“All of them are great,” said Hall. “They made sure that you’re not left behind make sure everyone understands what’s going on. They all have a positive attitude and a great sense of humor. They make it fun for you as well, and that is important too.”

One of those instructors is third-generation Middletown Works employee John Giltrow. The Pipefitting instructor is No. 6 on the seniority list and could be working just about any job in the mill.

“I think I just got to the point in my career where I just felt like, you know, it was time for me to give back a little bit more than what I was doing on my

old job,” said Giltrow. “I’m going to be relying on these guys for my retirement and my pensions and stuff like that, you know, so we want to keep these doors open.”

Passing on that knowledge has been some of the most rewarding work he has done in his 43 years in the mill.

“I’ve seen a lot of things, and picked up a lot of knowledge along the way,” continued Giltrow. “To be able to pass that on to a younger generation of students that are really interested in what you’re doing, and see them really apply themselves and they really pick it up is very satisfying. To see their growth and what they’ve done to get to where they’re at, it brings you satisfaction. It’s great to see their gratitude that they have, it’s very special.”

Just a few short years ago, the building that houses the training center and its high-tech training modules looked much different than it does today.

When the Middletown Works facility was previously owned by AK Steel, there was an apprentice program in place through a local community college. AK ended that program in 2005 and eventually locked out the union workforce in 2006 for more than a year until a new labor agreement was reached.

Upon return from the labor dispute, there was no maintenance training at all. Local leadership knew this was not sustainable.

“There was no pathway into maintenance, it was kind of all over the place,” said Local 1943 President and Directing

Business Representative Neil Douglas. “They would accept some people into maintenance based on past qualifications and some they wouldn’t. It was chaotic at best and they were contracting out a lot of the work here. And frankly, I thought the company’s [AK Steel’s] position was just to do away with any kind of skilled trades by attrition.”

In 2011, the Local 1943 membership ratified a new contract that included 10 cents for every hour worked by all members to go into a training fund and could only be used by mutual agreement for training.

“We came back with a plan that partnered up again with a local community college,” continued Douglas. “It wasn’t exactly the ideal training we were looking for, but it was better than having nothing. Even the company started to recognize that it wasn’t adequate for what we do out here in the steel mill. In the next negotiations, we expanded on it and gradually got to the point through discussions, even outside of negotiations to partner up with the company and grow it.”

It is worth noting that this all transpired while Middletown Works was owned by AK Steel. In 2020, AK Steel was acquired by Cleveland-Cliffs, now the largest flat-rolled steel producer in North America.

Since the acquisition, the relationship between the union and the company has flourished, and so has the Apprenticeship Training Program. Cliffs are not only investing in the program but also in its workforce.

“It speaks volumes,” said Hall, “They buy thousands of dollars worth of equipment just to educate us and get us to the best of our abilities to do our job better job for them. I think that is phenomenal.”

“You have a lot of people, for the company and the union, that worked really hard to give us this opportunity,” said Esposito. “They’ve worked together to make their employees and our members more valuable. It’s an amazing thing how they did this and it’s something you don’t often see. It’s a good example of how things can be when the company works with you and vice versa.”

“You’re not going to find this training anywhere, really,” said 18-year member and Zinc Grip Department Maintenance Apprentice Brian Sorrell. “I hired in 2003, and this is something that I’m not used to, we’ve always butted heads on pretty much every issue. And now it’s so much better than Cliffs has come on board. I mean, they’ve dumped so much money into this and they’re backing this program. It’s great. Everyone’s kind of working together and we are all going to reap the benefits of all this.”

Local 1943 members Carlos Hall and Justin Fletcher make repairs to the hood above the steelmaking vessel at Cliffs Middletown Works. Both members were part of the latest class of apprentices to graduate from the program.

“The training program that has been built at Middletown Works through the collaboration of Local 1943 and Cliffs is outstanding,” said IAM Eastern Territory General Vice President David Sullivan. “They both are making an investment in the mill’s greatest resource, its workers.

I couldn’t be more proud of the foresight of the leadership and the progress that has been made there.”

Something many of the apprentices says they are looking forward to is helping the next generation of students get to their journeyman status.

“I would love to mentor somebody coming through this program, because I’ve been through it, and I know what they’re going through,” said 12-year member Justin Fletcher. “This program is just so great that anybody coming through it is really going to benefit from it. I can’t wait to see younger guys coming through it and see where they’re going with it. It’s going to be awesome.”

“I’m a huge supporter of recruiting people along the way,” said Sorrell. “I find people that are in the production and I say, ‘Hey, the next program that comes available, you need to take advantage of that.’ And there’s always the, ‘Well, I’m not very good at math, I haven’t been in school forever, I don’t know how to do this.’ I tell them they would teach you everything you need to know.”

By the end of the summer of 2022, nearly 100 apprentices will have graduated from the program. In addition, more than 400 members have benefited from the “a-la-carte” maintenance classes since their inception.

At a plant that has been making steel for over 120 years, IAM Local 1943 has worked with Cleveland-Cliffs to invest in the workforce and ensure they can continue making it for 120 more.

The post Investing In The Future appeared first on IAMAW.

Across the country women are on the move in the IAM. In the IAM’s airline division alone, 13 IAM women serve as local presidents. Some are new to the position, while others have years of service to the membership.

“Each and every one of these women are trailblazers,” said IAM Air Transport General Vice President Richard Johnsen. “All of them have led the way and by doing so laid the path for other women to follow behind them.

My appreciation goes out to each of them for their hard work and dedication to the members and the Machinists Union.”

Thanks to a newly launched IAM program called “LEADS” which stands for “Leadership Excellence Assembly of Dedicated Sisters,” the trend should continue to grow. The LEADS Program is a mentoring program designed to continue the advancement of IAM women by offering new pathways to leadership for the sisters of our union family.

Sharon Sugiyama
Local 2339G

Sharon Sugiyama started her career in June 1992 with Continental Micronesia as an airport sales agent and then a load planning specialist. She also worked as a lead customer service representative and most recently became a storekeeper with United Airlines.

In 1997, when Continental Micronesia was represented by another union, she became a shop steward and was involved with several negotiations. Under that union, she was elected as the committee chair for passenger service and held that position until 2012.

In 2012, during the merger of United Airlines and Continental Airlines, passenger service voted for representation with IAM. Sugiyama was voted in as the president of the new IAM Local 2339G. She continues to hold that position.

In 2015, Sugiyama was appointed the IAM vice president in Guam and most recently was re-elected to serve another four-year term. In 2021, she became an AFL-CIO delegate for the IAM.

Sugiyama credits her success to the IAM leadership and being able to help working people in Guam understand the importance of being a part of the union.

Kiana Peacock
Local 601

Kiana Peacock was born and raised in Kotzebue, AK, and started with Alaska Airlines in January 1995 as a ramp agent in Kotzebue after graduating from the University of Notre Dame in December 1994.  Peacock transferred to customer service in April 1995 and became a shop steward in 1997 for Kotzebue at the urging of District 143 General Chair Don Welch. 

In 1998, she transferred to Anchorage where she continues to serve as a shop steward. In 1999, she was elected and served as local trustee until 2005. From 2000 until 2010 she was elected and served as chief shop steward. In 2008, she was appointed as District 142 vice president of Alaska Airlines until 2011. She was elected as president of Local 601 in 2005 where she currently serves.

Peacock was elected as a delegate to three Grand Lodge Conventions, District Conventions, and Transportation Conferences. She is especially proud of completing the four-year cycle of leadership programs at the Winpisinger Center.

Lorraine Fraser
Local 846

Lorraine Fraser initiated into IAM Local 846 in Baltimore in 2002 as a customer service agent for Southwest Airlines. Since then she has served as the chairperson for the legislative committee, elected as shop steward, trustee, vice president, and then elected as president of Local 846.

Fraser was recently appointed to vice president of Southwest Airlines at District 142. Safety being one of her priorities, she served as an associate instructor under the IAM CREST U.S. Transportation Department grant. 

Fraser worked on several organizing campaigns for her local lodge, as well as District 141 and 142.

When Fraser first began her union career, she never dreamed where it would take her. She took the position of the legislative committee chairperson as a favor to the local president at the time, and shortly after, she was on the executive board.

Fraser is a very active union member who believes the labor movement has a duty to educate, motivate and inspire the membership to understand the values of our union. She loves the challenges union work brings and enjoys mentoring new stewards and officers. 

Wendy Goodell
Local 1782

Wendy Goodell began her career at United Airlines in 1997 as a customer service representative at San Francisco International Airport. Because of a passion to travel, along with helping others, her dream has always been to work in the airline industry. Goodell has worked just about every customer service and lead position at United Airlines, including lobby, gates, baggage service, international arrivals and premium service – which consists of the United Club, Global Service and Polaris.

When asked to become a shop steward more than 10 years ago, she expected the role to be temporary. However, she has continued as a shop steward to the present. In her union career, she has also served as Customer Service assistant committee person, IAM Local 1782 vice president and currently serves as its president.

During her long and extensive career at United she has assisted numerous members with issues and or concerns both union and non-union related. Goodell has had the opportunity of attending all leadership classes at the Winpisinger Center, the IAM women’s conference in Las Vegas, along with committee conferences and district conventions.    

Lydia Roman
Local 2220

Lydia Roman started with Southwest Airlines in 1999, knowing nothing about unions for years. One day, she needed help from a union representative and could not get it. That’s when she started investigating, telling herself no one should struggle to get union help.

Shortly afterward, she became a shop steward at the urging of Larry Morgan and Gary Collins.  Roman says she’s very passionate about what she does as a steward, and loves upholding the contract and helping members.

Roman became Local 2220 president in 2017, again pushed to do so by her peers. Currently in her second term, she hopes to run again.

 As the president, she started a political committee and a community service committee. She continues to ensure to the best of her ability that her members have a successful union, and she enjoys attending classes at the Winpisinger Center to learn all that is needed in order to do a good job as president.  

Roman credits Rachel Cavasos, a previous Southwest Airlines agent and local president, with helping her through all of this.  She also looked up to IAM Secretary-Treasurer Dora Cervantes with her courage and strength that pushed her to say, “I can do this.” 

Maria Victoria Schoening
Local 845

Maria Schoening started at Continental Airlines on the ramp in Cleveland in 2000. She became involved with the IAM during the process of having an election to choose between another union and the IAM. She educated herself about the IAM and decided that was the way she was going to vote, while educating as many of her coworkers as possible about the benefits of being a part of the IAM.

Once they became IAM members, she got involved by first volunteering to help around the local. Shortly after, her union president and chair Tony Media got her involved with the hazardous materials workers awareness train the trainer program for IAM CREST. After completing her training, she was part of the team that helped train other trainers in her station.

Schoening credits the guidance of Committee Chair Rod Fields, who made sure she had the tools and support to get her to this point, along with her former chair and former Local 845 Vice President Scott Mexiner and Assistant General Chair Kyle Carrol.

In January 2022, the opportunity to run for Local 845 president presented itself, and she was elected. Five of the eight board members are women. Schoening says she feels extremely lucky to get to work with these strong, intelligent sisters.       

Dianne Willaum
Local 1894

Dianne Willaum became an IAM member in 1987 after joining British Airways in New York. In 1994, she was elected as a shop steward for reservations and related, and in 1995 was elected as chief steward for reservations. In 1996, she was elected as trustee for Local 2656, and served on the negotiating committee until 1999 during negotiations with British Airways. In 1999, Willaum joined the IAM Transportation Organizing Team until 2001, and in 2002 was elected as District 142 vice president of British Airways.

Later in 2002, after a transfer to JFK customer service agent and Local 1894, Willaum was elected as shop steward for customer service, a position she has served now for two decades. In 2004, she was elected as trustee for Local 1894, and in 2007 was elected as the president of Local 1894 serving the membership in that capacity since. In 2020, she retired from British Airways.  

She had the opportunity to work with wonderful union sisters and brothers including General Secretary-Treasurer Dora Cervantes during her two years organizing, and she worked with great members of IAM Headquarters and the Transportation and Legal departments.

Willaum credits the support and opportunities during her years as an IAM member for her success. She says she was very fortunate over the years to have access to some of our great union leaders. Carol Creamer and Maur

Nancy Jakubczak
Local 1635

Nancy Jakubczak started with Southwest Airlines in 1994, and admittedly never really understood what a union about in the workforce and had no reason to inquire until witnessing a discussion between a member of management and a co-worker. She questioned the supervisor on his approach and the discussion he was having in front of other members and his response to her was, “why do you care, it’s none of your business.” Her response was, “you just made it my business by the way you are handling this.”

She was inspired to run for shop steward and was elected by her peers and has been representing the work group for over 24 years. The person who played the most important part in her career as a steward was her General Chair Ann Liu.

Eventually she became a trustee for Local 1635, later being asked by President Tish Kellogg to be recording secretary to fill a vacancy midterm and held that position for over six years. She went to training classes at the Winpisinger Education and Technology Center. Her president during the majority of her term was Beverly McMullan, who was a true mentor to her.

McMullan asked Jakubczak to run as her vice president and she gladly accepted. Both were elected by the membership in 2015. Sadly, President McMullan passed away suddenly in December 2016. As vice president, Jakubczak is now holding the position of local president. These were tough shoes to fill, but with the knowledge and friendship she learned from McMullan, she has succeeded.

Mary Sansom
Local 1833

Mary Sansom began with the former Northwest Airlines flight kitchen in Minneapolis as a “packer” and initiated into the IAM in 1973, when co-worker and mentor Carol Borg took her to a union meeting.

 In 1982, the mechanics and related workers went on strike against Northwest Airlines. That’s when her union career really took off. The local executive officers at the time did not want women to walk the picket lines, so during the strike they were assigned to manage strike headquarters by answering phones, assigning strike crews, and visiting the picket lines with refreshments.

 In 1988, she attended her first Grand Lodge Convention in Atlanta and has been elected to many more since. She is grateful the Local 1833 membership has honored her so many times to represent them.

When the mechanics, cleaners and custodians voted in 1999 to leave the IAM, new leadership was needed and while she was attending a National Safety Council Labor Division Conference, Sansom learned that she had been nominated for the recording secretary position.

In 2010, Sansom retired from the airline, but not her union. From January 2000 until January 2022, she served as the Local 1833 recording secretary, and in January 2022 she took the oath of office as president of Local 1833. 

Sansom is a proud 48-year IAM member who says “just because I retired from the company does not mean I retired from my union. Go union. Go IAM.”  

Kari Hebert
Local 2339N

Kari Hebert became an IAM member in 2010 when she was hired at ExpressJet, and began regularly attending meetings in 2012. In November 2020 she hired on at CommutAir to become an active member again after being furloughed by ExpressJet.

Hebert grew up in a union home, and her mother was an active union member. She was immersed in unionism and understood early on that one must actively participate. In her youth, Hebert held many picket signs, sat outside while her mother was in union meetings, and participated in various community service projects and organizing campaigns. 

She credits her former coworker Banetta Jones with getting her involved with the IAM. She would always ask her to come to a union meeting. Hebert was reluctant at first, but it blossomed from there. Jones would always say “you have to get involved if you want to see the change that you desire.”

Along the way, Hebert held many positions including auditor, trustee, vice president, secretary treasurer, and grievance representative. She also served on the jumpseat committee, ERC/ASAP safety committee, women’s committee and human rights committee. Hebert worked on the Delta Air Lines organizing campaign in Atlanta and New York. In 2021, she was elected president of Local 2339N.

Jami Meyer
Local 2909

Jami Meyer started with Southwest Airlines in December of 2011 and was initiated into the IAM.

Meyer has been in the airline industry for over 20 years with one airline or another. Because of her experience with her previous airline and no union, she lost pay with no recourse. She vowed not to let that happen again and became active in the union.

She was able to see the benefits of a union and found her voice to make sure that this did not happen again. Former Local 2909 President Carol Johnson took Meyer under her wing and showed her the strength in fighting for what the union stands for and that there is security in the work force.

In 2016, Meyer became a shop steward. In 2018, she was elected as vice president and in February 2022, when Johnson retired as local president, Meyer took over for Local 2909.  

Kelli Apollo
Local 949

Kelli Apollo initiated into the IAM after joining Southwest Airlines in 2001.

 She admittedly became very vocal during one of their contract negotiations and had lots of questions. That’s when former Local 949 President Joy Asbill got Apollo involved, explaining to her that “your voice would be considerably louder if you were active in the lodge.” Asbill encouraged her to become a shop steward.

Apollo became an IAM shop steward in 2010, and was elected as a local trustee. In 2015 she became Local 949 vice president. She credits Asbill with mentoring her in all of her executive board positions. In 2017, when Asbill retired, Apollo became president.

Helena Thornton
Local 1725

Helena Thornton started her career in August 2006 with US Airways in Charlotte, NC as a part-time fleet service agent and member of Local 1725. She was elected as a Shop Steward in 2008.

When Thornton started, she worked a lot of overtime to make ends meet and would read a lot of the US Airways policies and procedures to ensure she was working safe and would go back home the way she came into work that day. She was introduced to the grievance committee and they talked to her about the benefits of unionism and what it meant to her and her family. 

As time passed, she found herself speaking up for what was right for members in many different situations and they would ask, “Helena, this has happened to me and I don’t think that’s right? Could you help me?” More and more she found herself helping members get their point across or making sure management was upholding the contract.

In 2010 she ran for conductor sentinel and lost by three votes, but never gave up, working harder to learn and it paid off because she was then elected to her first District 141 convention. Her hard work and determination to learn more paid off when she ran in 2013 for conductor sentinel and won.

She also became a delegate for her local lodge and attended her first Grand Lodge Convention, as well as the Transportation Conference and the women’s and human rights conference. During this time, she served on her local lodge’s women’s committee.

In 2016, Thornton was elected to serve as Local 1725’s recording secretary.

During her term as recording secretary, she was appointed to be an auditor to District 141. In 2019, Thornton was one of the three honorary recipients of the community service award from the Women’s Department at the IAM Women Rising Conference.

In 2022, Thornton was elected as the first woman president of her lodge.

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