The attack of September 11 changed the course of U.S. history.The IAM Journal honors our members who lost their lives and looks at the tragedy's effects on our members and their livelihoods.  There are new concerns and questions involving anthrax, learn the facts and where to get informatiom In a press release today, the IAM announced it plans to target Republican governors in the next election. A close look at how big business wants to expand NAFTA Free Trade Area of the Americas A video interview with Dr.Chrisitan E. Weller, from the Economic Policy Institute.  Economic Stimulus Package A report on the Canadian  Machinists Conference and the new Executive, elected last month in Winnipeg. The IAM  Executive Council  International President  R. Thomas Buffenbarger     Secretary Treasurer Donald E. Wharton     GVP Western  Territory Lee Pearson  GVP Canada  GVP Canada Dave Ritchie    GVP Midwest  Territory Alex M. Bay    GVP Headquarters Robert V. Thayer GVP Southern  GVP Southern Territory George Hooper  GVP Eastern Territory GVP Eastern Territory Warren L. Mart    GVP Transportation Robert Roach, Jr.

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In a blistering 5-page letter delivered to members of the UAL Board of Directors, IP Tom Buffenbarger said the search for Chairman James Goodwin's successor should begin immediately. "His credibility is beyond repair," said Buffenbarger  in comments widely covered by the national media. "Public shareholders are driving UAL stock to new lows and employees are clamoring for his removal. Perhaps it is only United's competitors who now favor Mr. Goodwin's continued stewardship."

Buffenbarger linked Goodwin's October 17 doomsday letter to a 21 percent drop in UAL's stock price and widespread alarm among 
passengers, employees and investors. "No single person, no single employee should be able to wreak such havoc without consequences," said Buffenbarger. While airline stocks staged a general rally on 

Thursday, UAL stock dropped another 4 percent to a 52-week low of $14.25 per share. The letter from IP Buffenbarger to the UAL Board of Directors is available on the IAM website at www.goiam.org.

"NAFTA and WTO have been equal opportunity destroyers, 
hitting every state without exception," said Robert Scott, the senior EPI economist who analyzed the jobs data. "During the economic boom, the loss of good manufacturing and other trade-related jobs was masked by rapid growth elsewhere, primarily in the volatile high-tech and lower-wage service sectors."

These job losses have been studiously ignored, even denied, by Fast Track supporters inside and outside the Bush administration, who have reported only on the impact of increasing exports while ignoring the jobs-destroying impact of more rapidly increasing imports. For more detail, visit the EPI website, www.epinet.org

He painted a grim reality facing workers. Buffenbarger pointed out that "the IAM could lose as many as 50,000 members by year's end, 10 percent of our active membership."  And he reminded delegates to the two conferences that this comes as Big Business used the September 11 tragedies as a justification for raiding the U.S. Treasury.

"Congress did nothing for the laid-off workers idled by these tragedies," Buffenbarger said. He urged delegates to make their voices heard and to send a strong message to their senators and representatives. "Put them on notice," he suggested. "Deliver for the people or we'll hand you your pink slip without severance pay," he warned.

"Despite its label, the package does absolutely nothing to stimulate the economy," said IP Tom Buffenbarger, "and it does even less for working families, including hundreds of thousands of laid-off workers."

AFL-CIO President John Sweeney was equally blunt. "This is a quick response to Big Business and the wealthy, no response to the needs of working families."

The package gives additional tax cuts to the richest taxpayers and a gaggle of generous handouts to corporations. One of the bill's provisions repeals the alternative minimum corporate tax. That is a tax levied on profitable corporations whose tax lawyers figure out ways for the firm to avoid any tax payment whatsoever.

"That one single provision means that General Electric, perhaps the world's richest corporation, could receive more than $650 million in tax rebates," Buffenbarger said.

The package faces tougher sledding in the Senate, where the IAM joins with the AFL-CIO in seeking to add more benefits for working families. A Democratic alternative measure targets smaller tax cuts combined with higher spending for health care, and jobless benefits among other proposals.

"We're looking to all levels of government to get involved to save jobs and preserve the social and economic fabric of our Winnipeg community," said Mike Fennessy, president of IAM Local Lodge 714. "The lack of action on the part of the federal government is 
appalling."

The Machinists, along with six other airline unions, are seeking federal funding to deflect involuntary layoffs by allowing senior members to retire without pension reduction. The price tag for the job saving pension supplement plan is approximately $117 million.

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Durable goods orders fell 8.5 percent in September and home sales sank 11.7 percent while the number of Americans filing new unemployment claims rose last week to 504,000, the second highest figure in nearly a decade.

The outlook for recovery is equally uncertain, with a stimulus package proposed by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives consisting mostly of tax breaks for 
corporations and wealthy individuals. 

"This Congress is busy returning favors for campaign contributions when they should be helping the working families who are the heart and soul of the American economy," said IP Buffenbarger. "We intend to remind voters next November who helped in this time of crisis and who merely helped themselves."

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