As the government shutdown moves well into its second month, IAM International President Bob Martinez continues urging lawmakers to guarantee federal contractors back pay. “Congress must go further and pass a bill to guarantee back pay for federal contract workers who have been furloughed or forced to work without pay,” said Martinez. “The Machinists Union […]

Dive Brief: In the tightest talent market in recent history, job seekers may appear to be holding all the cards, but workers are also realizing their value and acting on it through strikes, according to reporting from The American Prospect. As employees realize their value, they’re more willing to leverage it for better wages and […]

  The federal government partially shut down at midnight on Saturday, December 22, 2018. This means that the lives of federal employees are again affected by Congress and the White House’s failure to do their job. “Our members in the federal sector are once again dealing with the consequences of political squabbles in Washington,” said […]

IAM International President Bob Martinez recently visited Panama City, FL Local 1106 members at WestRock mill and Local 449 members at Tyndall Air Force Base. They, and the community as a whole, continue to suffer two months after Hurricane Michael made landfall. The storm is the first ever Category 4 hurricane on record to hit […]

Dozens of Amtrak employees and their supporters rallied in front of South Station Monday morning to protest changes to the rail company’s dining service, and the possible outsourcing of 1,700 union food and beverage jobs. The demonstration was the latest in a series of actions across the country denouncing reductions in Amtrak meal service and […]

IAM Members of Local 1297, District 54 employed at Vesuvius USA Corporation overwhelmingly ratified a new five-year deal on Friday, September 28, ending the brief, but effective strike. The strike came after members voted unanimously to reject a so-called last, best, and final offer from the employer that made draconian cuts across the board. The […]

October 1, 2018, WASHINGTON, D.C. – Machinists Union International President Robert Martinez Jr. issued the following statement regarding NAFTA renegotiations:  “Hundreds of thousands  U.S. and Canadian manufacturing jobs have been lost to Mexico since NAFTA was approved.  At the same time, workers in Mexico have yet to enjoy fundamental rights, like the right to form […]

A bipartisan group of 177 members of the House of Representatives, led by Rep. Rick Larsen (WA), sent a bipartisan letter urging Boeing Co. to respect the decision of Flight Line Technicians in South Carolina who voted to join the Machinists Union. In August, 23 U.S. Senators urged Boeing to drop its appeal and immediately begin collective bargaining […]

Swissport workers at Chicago’s O’Hare airport voted overwhelmingly in favor of IAM representation last week. Workers cited safety, work-life balance and respect on the job as the primary reasons for voting to join the IAM. The group consists of more than 100 ramp service agents and lead ramp service agents. “All these workers wanted was […]

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