The IAM Midwest Territory hosted its 13th annual “Rides for Guides” Motorcycle Charity Ride on July 16 in Deadwood, SD. The event raised $17,656 for Guide Dogs of America – Tender Loving Canines (GDA), which provides guide dogs at no cost to people who are visually impaired, veterans suffering from PTSD, and children with autism.

This year’s ride toured 182 miles through Sturgis, Vanocker Canyon Road, the Pactola Reservoir, Hill City, and Custer State Park. This ride saw the highest participation in 13 years of the event with 53 drivers and 38 passengers.

See photos of the IAM Midwest Territory’s 13th Annual “Rides for Guides.”

“My thanks to all the participants, District Lodges, Local Lodges, businesses and sponsors for always generously supporting the Midwest’s ‘Rides for Guides’ Motorcycle Charity Ride,” said IAM Midwest Territory General Vice President Steve Galloway. “A special thank you to Midwest Territory staff for their hard work running a safe, fun, and successful event. It was great to see more people than ever before and we’re already looking forward to next year.”

Click here to see prize winners, poker hand winners, and sponsors.

The 2022 ‘Rides for Guides’ was directly followed by the IAM’s Kourpias K-9 Classic, which was also hosted by the Midwest Territory and benefits Guide Dogs of America – Tender Loving Canines. The Kourpias ride is hosted by a different IAM territory every year.

For more information about these and other IAM Midwest Territory events that benefit Guide Dogs of America, visit the Spirit of the Midwest website at SpiritoftheMidwest.org.

For more information on Guide Dogs of America, visit GuideDogsofAmerica.org.

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The 600,000-member International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) supports the Safe Aircraft Maintenance Standards Act, which would strengthen Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) oversight of commercial airline repair facilities outside the United States.

The IAM is the largest airline union in North America, representing over 100,000 airline workers.

The federal legislation, introduced by U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-OR), would include measures such as unannounced FAA inspections of foreign repair stations, set minimum qualifications for mechanics and other workers, including drug testing and background checks, and require air carriers to submit detailed maintenance reports to the FAA.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 900 aircraft maintenance and repair stations have been certified by the FAA outside the U.S., which includes countries such as China, Singapore and Brazil.

“Our hard-working members proudly maintain commercial airplanes in North America for carriers such as American Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and British Airways to name a few, and safety and quality is always a top priority,” said IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. “It’s long overdue that carrier facilities outside the U.S., abide by the high-quality standards that help ensure smooth and safe travel for passengers and the airline workers. The current lack of uniform regulatory standards and oversight sets an unlevel field with carriers increasingly enticed by the financial incentives to push this work overseas. This results in job losses in the U.S. and risks passenger safety.”

“Congress should move swiftly to pass this very important legislation that would set a series of safety and security requirements for overseas facilities,” said Richie Johnsen, IAM Chief of Staff to the International President. “There should be a uniform level of maintenance requirements whether in the U.S., or overseas. Our IAM members are tasked with this critical job of maintenance here in North America and it’s simply unfair that they are forced to compete with the lower standards of work done at foreign facilities.”

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers is one of the largest and most diverse industrial trade unions in North America, representing approximately 600,000 active and retired members in the aerospace, defense, airlines, railroad, transit, healthcare, automotive, and other industries.

goIAM.org | @MachinistsUnion

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IAM District Lodge 19 has been the keeper of an historic steam-era bell that was showing signs of wear and tear. So, a group of members transported the bell from Denver to Roanoke, Virginia, to be refurbished by Machinist members at the Roanoke Locomotive Shop. This bell has been ringing in conventions and conferences for years and now it has a Machinist-made makeover.

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unioNation is a labor music band formed in 2012 by the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers. The IAM’s unioNation aims to change the mindset of labor music and the stereotypical sound that comes with it.  The band was originally inspired by singer/songwriter Cody Wilder’s presentation of the song “United We Stand, Divided We Fall,” during a class at the William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center in Hollywood, MD. Since then, the band has performed in Toronto, Atlanta, Baltimore and New Mexico.

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As millions of people rush to catch flights over the holiday season, many will travel comfortably in aircraft made by the Machinists Union. One in plane in particular, the Boeing 737, is a reliable twin engine marvel being built with the help of IAM District Lodge 70 in Kansas.

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The Department of Labor is urging companies and organizations to hire military veterans.  The Machinists Union has a sizable number of veterans among its ranks. We thank all of our veterans this Thanksgiving and join Secretary of Labor Tom Perez in saluting our veterans, hoping the 1.5 million who return home during the next five years find jobs.

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IAM Chief Steward Alex Catalan of Local 933 in Tucson, AZ helped the William W. Winpisinger Education & Technology Center honor the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks by performing a flag-lowering ceremony. The day affected Catalan twice as hard because he’s also a firefighter and Marine.

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The Dropkick Murphys took the stage in Cincinnati to give labor a night to remember.  Putting a spotlight on the right to work for less issue moving through Ohio’s government and celebrate the working class.

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