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 Help Stop Key Senators on a House-Senate Conference committee hold the fate of more than 600,000 Defense Department employees in their hands. The conference committee will hammer out a final Defense Authorization bill that now includes a radical plan by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to rewrite the rules covering pay and promotions for Department of Defense (DOD) employees. The changes will weaken current civil service and union protections for Defense Department employees. If adopted, the Rumsfeld plan will be the blueprint for other federal agencies to rewrite rules governing their employees. The following Senators are on the House-Senate conference committee (the House members have not been announced). IAM members in any of the states listed below should make an extra effort to contact the Senator on the committee and urge them to strip the entire Rumsfeld plan from the final Defense Authorization bill. IAM members in all other states should contact their U. S. Senators and Representative and urge them to contact members of the conference committee and demand the Rumsfeld plan be removed.
"The Rumsfeld proposal is patently unfair and this is our last chance to stop it," said IP Tom Buffenbarger. "The civilian employees of the DOD are among this country's most loyal and hardworking citizens. They deserve better treatment than the strong-arm tactics Secretary Rumsfeld has in mind for them."
To send a pre-written message to your members of Congress opposing the
Rumsfeld plan, visit the Action Alert section of the IAM website:
http://congress.nw.dc.us/iamaw/issues/
The current law, FELA, is a railroad worker’s exclusive remedy for compensation due to asbestos-caused disease. This is their workers’ compensation statute that Congress passed in 1908 and which provides the sole means for railroad workers to seek justice for job-related injuries. For years, the railroad industry was a heavy user of asbestos products, from the “steam era” all the way through the “diesel era.” Railroad officials—and physicians on the railroads’ payroll—knew and discussed as early as 1935 the fact that exposure to asbestos could cause serious illness; little was done to protect workers, or even warn them, of the dangers. As a result, many workers suffered from asbestosis and other asbestos-related cancers. Predictably, the American Association of Railroads (AAR) strongly supports the measure, sponsored by Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-UT, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee.
You can make your voice heard on this issue by visiting
www.goiam.org and click on the 'Actions
Alerts and Advocacy' button or follow this link:
http://capwiz.com/iamaw/mail/oneclick_compose/?alertid=2728546
It’s Official: GE Pact Ratified Rallying around the slogan, “My GE Job Is Worth Fighting For”, IAM members remained united throughout the negotiations. “Their solidarity gave us strength at the bargaining table,” said GVP Bob Thayer, who led the IAM negotiating team. “We listened to their concerns and I think we made considerable progress in addressing those concerns,” he said. The agreement includes pay raises in each of the four years of its duration. The pay raises, along with projected COLA increases and a skills adjustment provision, adds $3.82 to the average hourly wage over the life of the contract. Additionally, IAM negotiators won sizable improvements in pension benefits. Two Special Early Retirement Options (SEROs) permit qualified union members to take early retirement with full pension benefits, Thayer explained.
“Pension issues were a major concern,” Thayer said. “We believe this
agreement addresses most of the concerns our members passed along to us.”
He credited a “solidly united membership” and “an unbelievably dedicated
and hardworking bargaining committee” with bringing the talks to a
successful conclusion.
Dean Clicks With
Internet Voters The former Vermont governor received 43.87 percent of 317,647 votes cast in the non-binding national primary. Fellow Democratic candidates Dennis Kucinich and John Kerry finished second and third respectively with 23.9 percent and 15.7 percent of the online vote. The unique primary confirmed the blossoming importance of the Internet for grassroots political organizing and fundraising. Following widespread coverage of the primary, the candidates taking part reported a surge in donations and campaign volunteers.
“This is only the beginning,” said Wes Boyd, organizer of the online
primary. “Our most important objectives have been met: early Democratic
grassroots involvement; increased contributions and volunteer support for
each campaign. We wanted people to have a seat at the table and they have
taken it.”
Babineaux to Receive A Phillip Randolph Award The award is given each year to deserving African Americans who exemplify the quiet warrior spirit for which A. Phillip Randolph was known throughout his career. Past winners include Leroy Shackleford, the last international Vice President of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP), and the members of the Vulcan Society, an organization of black fire fighters who lost 12 men during the 9-11 tragedy.
“I’m deeply honored,” said Babineaux, who has served on numerous labor
committees during her 31-year IAM career. “The APRPPM is at the forefront
of chronicling the history and contributions of African Americans to the
American Labor movement. I look forward to accepting this award on behalf
of every member of the Machinists Union.”
IAM Honors Aviation H.S. Grads “These extremely bright and skilled students are the future of the U.S. aviation industry,” said Roach. “The IAM is very proud to expand its partnership with Aviation High School and provide these students with the tools and training to get their new careers off the ground.” The toolboxes and scholarships were made possible by contributions from all four IAM Air Transport Districts and Local Lodges 1781, 1487, 1976 and 2294. The 250 students at this year’s graduation ceremony received more than $500,000 in scholarships toward advanced training in aviation maintenance, engineering and related fields. |
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