Contents
Cover Story 
President Bush keeps saying the recession is over, but in counties across America, families struggle to find work. JOBS will be a driving force in the 2004 election.
Black and Bruised
The Real Numbers
JOBS: A Savvy Strategy
Turning Out the Vote
The Values Debate

Commentary from IP Tom Buffenbarger
Forget about red and blue states. Pay attention to those black, bruised and bleeding counties. They hold the key to this election.


The Fight for Jobs Goes to Miami
A massive display of police power did not deter thousands of union members as they marched through downtown Miami to protest the creation of a Free Trade Area of the Americas

‘Wall of Shame’ Honors Jobless Americans
Mounted on the back of a 40-foot flatbed trailer, the “Wall” rolled more than 1,000 miles across Iowa, stopping at union events in more than a dozen towns and cities, where unemployed workers climbed aboard and added their names.

Making Good Jobs Better
Service to the community and justice on the job — the IAM’s organizing rallying cry — echoes across the South.  District 75 in Daleville, AL organized 2,000 new members in the last year and a half.

Team Effort in Scranton
When the mayor and city council of Scranton, Pennsylvania tried to balance its budget by cutting jobs of city employees, the IAM teamed up with other unions to give them a surprise.

Pullman Train to Ride Again
The historic link between labor and the civil rights movement was renewed recently when the Machinists Union and the A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum joined forces to acquire a vintage rail car for a “Living History” exhibit to honor the legendary Pullman Porters.

Cincinnati To Host IAM's 36th Convention
The 36th Grand Lodge Convention of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers will convene on September 19, 2004 at the Cincinnati Convention Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Cyberlodge Open for Business
Cyberlodge, the IAM’s innovative open-source initiative to organize information technology workers, is open for business. After seeing what computer programmers, web developers and other information needed from a labor union, Cyberlodge offers tech workers access to medical coverage and a way to pool their resources to fight for the future of their profession.

Noteworthy
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Member Donates Kidney to Fellow Member
- Omaha Sculpture Honors Labor
- Searching For a Part of History

Transportation
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Fighting to Save Jobs at US Airways
The attempt by US Airways to subcontract heavy maintenance of its Airbus aircraft was met with a swift response from the Machinists Union.

- IAM Rail Campaign Targets NMB
- Southwest Hangs Up On Reservations Centers
- Flight Attendants Launch Unique Program  

Aerospace
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IAM Members Win Boeing 7E7 Project
Thousands of IAM members and their families fueled the campaign to land Boeing’s 7E7 in Washington State. What began as a long shot became “the best news we’ve heard in a long time,” according to Mark Blondin, District 751 president.

Newsletter & Website Contest Winners
See who won an award in the annual IAM Newsletter & Website Contest for 2003. Contestants are judged in a number of different categories split between local lodge and district publications and websites.