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GOP Scuttles Jobless
Benefits Plan “For too many families, unemployment benefits are about survival,” said Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-CA, the House minority leader. “They are never about luxury. It is about whether kids go to bed hungry, not about whether Christmas dinner is catered.” Democratic Rep. Jim McDermott, whose home state of Washington has one of the highest jobless rates in the country, weighed in with an even more scathing indictment. “This recovery is a mile wide and an inch deep—two out of every three people will not find a job.”
Even the Labor
Department reported that long-term unemployment has reached a 20-year
high, with 21 percent of the unemployed remaining jobless for six months
or longer.
UTC Workers Ratify New Contract
“These negotiations
show once again why we need a national solution to the issue of health
care,” said Jim Parent, IAM chief negotiator for the UTC workers. “Even
well-off employers like UTC say they can't afford to pay escalating costs.
Their answer -- to dump costs onto their employees -- is no solution. We
need national health care, and we need someone in the White House who will
work to help make that happen, instead of ignoring the problem."
Bush Signs ‘Sham’
Medicare Bill A Washington Post- ABC News poll found that a plurality of seniors over age 65 oppose the ballyhooed plan by a 47% to 26% tally. Those in the 55 to 64 age group opposed it by a 46% to 32% score.
On a related note,
more than 3,000 AARP members, angry at that organization for supporting
the bogus Medicare plan, tore up their membership cards and joined the
Alliance for Retired Americans, according to an Alliance spokesman Ed
Coyle. “We welcome with open arms any older American who shares our goals
and wishes to help us convince Congress to get back to work and pass a
real bill,” he said.
Workers Rights Are
Human Rights Dec. 10 commemorates the anniversary of the ratification of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. The declaration guarantees the right of people in every nation to come together into unions and bargain collectively. More than 40 million Americans say they would form a union today if given the chance. But when they attempt to form a union, they are routinely harassed, intimidated, coerced—and even fired. When employers and the government suppress the freedom to form unions, wages lag, race and gender pay gaps widen, civic and political participation is undermined. Millions of U.S. workers want collective bargaining but are denied that fundamental right. In rallies, marches, public hearings, candlelight vigils and other events, workers will tell their own stories about why they want a union and what happens to them when they try to form one. Dec. 10 will mark the beginning of a campaign to educate the public about employer abuses and mobilize union members and allies to change weak labor laws.
For more
information about the assault on workers’ freedom to form a union and to
find out about Dec. 10 events in your area, visit
www.afl-cio.org.
Phil Gruber Named
Midwest Territory AA
After launching his career at Ehrhardt Tool and Machine in the1970’s, Gruber served as Steward and later Chief Shop Steward. From there, Gruber was elected Treasurer and President of Local Lodge 688.
In 1987, Gruber joined
the staff of District 9 in St. Louis where he served as a Business
Representative and Assistant Directing Business Representative before
becoming District 9 Directing Business Representative.
IAM Posts
News about better wages and benefits won by IAM-represented workers at other Vertex locations spurred another win among Vertex employees at Kirtland AFB in New Mexico. Employees there voted by a 2-to-1 margin to join the IAM. “Thanks go to our newest members for voting IAM and everyone who worked on this campaign,” said Western Territory GVP Lee Pearson. “DBR John Lamar and GLRs Mike Wardle and Ray Rivera did a tremendous job.” In an additional Southern Territory organizing win, maintenance workers and supply clerks at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida voted unanimously for IAM representation. “They found that the IAM was successful with other units at Tyndall, and wanted to be part of it,” said Southern Territory Organizer Ray Moffatt. The new members will join Local Lodge 449, part of District Lodge 75.
“I want to welcome our
newest members into the Machinists family,” said Southern Territory GVP
Bob Martinez. “The strong contracts we negotiate for our members draw even
more workers eager for the good wages, benefits and protection only a
Machinists Union contract can provide. Congratulations to the Organizers
for the wins.” Past iMail | Your Email | Visit www.goiam.org | Print Version | Sign-Up for iMail 
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rights.
Gruber,
an experienced tool and die maker, holds a number of additional positions
including President of the Missouri State Council of Machinists,
Secretary-Treasurer of the Midwest States Conference of Machinists,
Secretary-Treasurer of the National Tool & Die Conference and Chairman of
the District 9 Joint Apprenticeship Committee. He is also a member of the
National Planning Committee, the Law Committee, the Board of Directors for
Guide Dogs of America and the Board of Directors for United Way of St.
Louis. 
