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The IAM
Executive Council

International President 
R. Thomas Buffenbarger 
 

Secretary Treasurer
Donald E. Wharton 
 

GVP Western 
Territory
Lee Pearson 

GVP Canada
Dave Ritchie 
 

GVP Midwest 
Territory
Alex M. Bay 
 

GVP Headquarters
Robert V. Thayer

GVP Southern
Territory
George Hooper 
 

GVP Eastern
Territory
Warren L. Mart 
 

GVP Transportation
Robert Roach, Jr.
 

Thursday,  December 19, 2002


A Season of Light, A Season of Hope
This is the season of lights. In almost every faith and spreading to virtually every corner of this globe, the darkness is shattered by the twinkle of candles or light bulbs. And those lights warm our hearts and renew our hopes.

As we pause in our labors to celebrate and rejoice in this holiday season, let us reflect on the challenges we face and our history of meeting them forcefully. And, in this season of lights, let us re-dedicate ourselves to join in solidarity with all the peoples of our world and in so doing, bring Peace on Earth and let Freedom ring.

Clearly we face challenges from the global economy at a time when our political leaders are consumed with petty policies that reward the rich and ignore working families. We see them promising bold leadership, but proposing trite policies from a discredited past—policies that caused soaring budget deficits, rising unemployment and domestic despair.

We see a callous disregard for jobless workers teetering on the brink of financial ruin, and the shabby spectacle of an ambitious Senator so blind to the hurtful, hateful misguided mistakes of history that his political fate hangs by a thread.

And yet, even with the cascading darkness, there is hope. Our undying commitment to bring social justice and economic dignity to all is a light that shines brightly this year, every year.

Grand Lodge Closed For Holiday Week
The IAM's headquarters  in Upper Marlboro, Maryland will be closed for the holidays beginning December 23, 2002. The building will reopen Thursday, January 2, 2003.

A ‘Not So Sweet Deal’ From Sugar Firm
A Texas sugar refinery boasts of its 150-year history as a Sugarland employer, but its relationship with its workers took a sour turn recently. More than 300 IAM-represented workers at the Imperial Sugar Co. facility faced a bitter choice when the firm demanded huge concessions and withheld severance pay from laid-off workers.

“Unless we give in to their demands, they promise they will close the plant,” reported Todd Rogers, District 37 directing representative. “How can they do this a week before Christmas? Have they no shame? This is blackmail pure and simple.”

Imperial Sugar earlier said they were closing the refinery and laying off more than 200 of the IAM members at the facility. The packaging and distribution functions would remain. “That’s about 105 jobs,” Rogers said. “Working people need to know what’s happening here. This will hurt other businesses in our area and the people living here. A corporation should not be able to blackmail an entire community.”