This year, for Black History Month, the IAM is highlighting some of our current history makers within the organization. All this month, we will be running stories on current Black activists in the IAM.

Teri McClendon started her career path as a Machinist at the Boeing Plant in Portland, OR in the late 1970’s performing a non-traditional job working in the paint room. She was the second African-American female to work there. 

McClendon faced many obstacles early on in her career being a young Black female in a male-dominated industry. In one instance, a Chief Shop Steward would not support or converse with her. A fellow union Brother found out about the situation and guided her in the right direction. This Brother became her mentor and encouraged her to become more active in the union by attending meetings and participating in functions. This led to McClendon becoming a board member at her District Lodge.

McClendon believes her willingness to volunteer to do things that nobody wanted to do helped her become successful in overcoming some of these obstacles. In the process, she discovered there were more people that supported her efforts. It motivated her to keep moving forward.

McClendon volunteered to become a safety monitor where she currently worked and her mentor, who happened to be part of the Joint Labor/Management Safety Committee at the Boeing facility, pushed her to become more involved. McClendon became part of various committees, including the Joint Safety Committee, which allowed her to attend the IAM Safety and Health Conference at the William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center. It opened opportunities for her to acquire the knowledge and provide the training she continues to teach today. 

“Sister McClendon is an asset to the Safety and Health Department and IAM CREST,” said Michael Oathout, IAM Safety and Health Director. “Teri has the ability to connect with union Brothers and Sisters during safety trainings by sharing her expertise and experience of working in the craft. I’m proud to have her on my team and I learn from her every time we are collaborating on a project.”

McClendon has seen changes and more opportunities for women and men of color since she began her career. Although it may be a challenge to find a mentor, technological advances and resources provide members with more avenues to make it possible to advance, said McClendon.

“If you have the passion and understand the commitment to be a part of the movement, there are things you can do to endorse yourself such as showing initiative and staying engaged,” said McClendon. “In other words, understand your value and what you can contribute.”

McClendon says she admires “all the Black women who continue to make their voices heard by exercising their right to vote. All women together can accomplish the impossible.”

According to McClendon, she has met some of the most incredible people since she has been part of this union. 

“Just being around them gives you a sense of pride that we can change the world,” said McClendon.

“It is so important to continue finding ways to encourage younger folks to become part of the struggle,” said McClendon. “As well as, the importance for members to learn why African Americans are celebrated and honored for their many contributions and sacrifices that have helped shape this nation. It depends on us all to fight against the craziness in our society today It’s wonderful to look at things with a fresh perspective; however I truly believe if you don’t look at what has happened in the past, we will never correct the future.”

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COVID-19 is spreading from person to person in parts of the United States. Risk of infection with COVID-19 is higher for people who are close contacts of someone known to have COVID-19, for example healthcare workers, or household members. Other people at higher risk for infection are those who live in or have recently been in an area with ongoing spread of COVID-19. Learn more about places with ongoing spread at   https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/ transmission.html#geographic. Have there been cases of COVID-19 in the U.S.? Yes. The first case of COVID-19 in the United States was reported on January 21, 2020. The current count of cases of COVID-19 in the United States is available on CDC’s webpage at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-in-us.html. How does COVID-19 spread? The virus that causes COVID-19 probably emerged from an animal source, but is now spreading from person to person. The virus is thought to spread mainly between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet) through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It also may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads. Learn what is known about the spread of newly emerged coronaviruses at https://www.cdc.gov/ coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/transmission.html. What are the symptoms of COVID-19? Patients with COVID-19 have had mild to severe respiratory illness with symptoms of • fever • cough • shortness of breath
What are severe complications from this virus? Some patients have pneumonia in both lungs, multi-organ failure and in some cases death. How can I help protect myself? People can help protect themselves from respiratory illness with everyday preventive actions.  
 • Avoid close contact with people who are sick. • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available. If you are sick, to keep from spreading respiratory illness to others, you should • Stay home when you are sick. • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces. What should I do if I recently traveled from an area with ongoing spread of COVID-19? If you have traveled from an affected area, there may be  restrictions on your movements for up to 2 weeks. If you develop symptoms during that period (fever, cough, trouble breathing), seek medical advice. Call the office of your health care provider before you go, and tell them about your travel and your symptoms. They will give you instructions on how to get care without exposing other people to your illness. While sick, avoid contact with people, don’t go out and delay any travel to reduce the possibility of spreading illness to others. Is there a vaccine? There is currently no vaccine to protect against COVID-19. The best way to prevent infection is to take everyday preventive actions, like avoiding close contact with people who are sick and washing your hands often. Is there a treatment? There is no specific antiviral treatment for COVID-19. People with COVID-19 can seek medical care to help relieve symptoms. 2019-ncov-factsheet

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Workplace violence is a problem, no matter where you work.

The IAM Health and Safety Department recently conducted the 2019 workplace violence survey. The survey identified trends that our members face on the job. Workplace violence may result in physical injury and can lead to medical treatment, missed work, stress and/or decreased productivity.

 One Hundred percent of survey participants experienced a violent incident, assault and/ or threatening behavior at work. This increased from seventy one percent in our 2018 survey. Verbal and emotional assaults are the most prevalent issues that our brothers and sisters have encountered in the workplace.

Seventy- nine percent of survey participants experienced a verbal assault along with sixty-eight percent of the survey participants experiencing emotional assault.  It was also reported that the severity of the incident would impact whether workers reported a violent incident, assault and/ or threatening behavior at work, while fifty-six percent of them indicated that the fear of retaliation prevented them from reporting.

Similar to last year’s survey results the shocking statistic was that over half of the survey participants reported no action was taken by the employer, even though a majority of employers have programs in place to prevent workplace violence. 

The top two groups that responded to the survey were aerospace and/ or SCA members, followed by railroad members.

Survey comments describing incidents that our members faced were appalling; ranging from harassment, bullying, stalking, to unwanted touching, and aggressive and hostile management.  This behavior is unacceptable and needs to be addressed and immediately stopped, without the fear of retaliation from the employer or coworkers.   IAM CREST encourages all members that are experiencing workplace violence to contact your local representative and follow the employer’s process and policy to immediately report the incident.  IAM CREST is available to provide additional training for joint labor- management health and safety committees to address these serious issues in the workplace.

We encourages all members to participate in future confidential workplace violence surveys to help us identify and understand the scope of the problem that IAMAW members face on the job when it comes to addressing this serious issue.

The IAMAW is committed to making workplaces safe and removing the apprehension that our members face on the job. The IAMAW Health and Safety Department is committed to assisting IAMAW members in addressing workplace violence.

2019 Workplace Violence Survey Data Click here to view the entire workplace violence survey results.

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IAM CREST in collaboration with the International Chemical Workers Union Council held a 32-hour chemical response training last week at the William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center in Hollywood, MD. Members from various locals participated in the training, which was made available by grant funding.

The sessions included both classroom and hands-on training designed to help workers protect themselves while responding to emergencies or working with hazardous waste. Learning to read OSHA standards and use other available resources is also an intricate part of the program. Proper PPE selection for any workplace task is necessary, and this class addressed those issues.

The class was led by the following instructors:

–          IAM CREST staff: Project Coordinator/Instructors Shaun Trude, Michael Oathout and Associate Instructor Joel Taylor Sr.

–          ICWUC Center for Worker Health and Safety Education Staff: IAMAW DOE Coordinator Tom Frazee, Field Training Coordinator Keith Mundy and Instructor Roy McAllister.

The next Chemical Response Hazmat training held at the William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center will be in November 2019. Please contact IAM CREST at 301-967-4707 for HAZMAT scholarship information.

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The William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center in Hollywood, Maryland was the site for the IAM CREST Fire Safety Training and the IAM CREST Forklift Safety Training and Recertification. Members from IAM local lodge-193 and the Winpisinger education representatives participated in the Fire Extinguisher training.  Our goal is to ensure that everyone knows how to safely handle an emergency. Members that work in the grounds and maintenance department participated in the forklift training and recertification.

This type of training is an example of the commitment that the IAMAW leadership has to ensure the safety of all of its workers and members while at the center.

I.A.M. C.R.E.S.T. Staff:  Project Coordinator/Instructors Teri McClendon, Michael Oathout, Shaun Trude and Associate Instructor Bill Hoobler led the training classes.

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