International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers

IAM
Full name International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers
Founded 1888 (1888)
Members 570,423 (2013)[1]
Affiliation AFL-CIO, CLC, ITF, IMF, IFBWW
Key people Robert Martinez, Jr., international president
Office location Upper Marlboro, Maryland
Country United States, Canada
Website www.goiam.org

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) is an AFL-CIO/CLC trade union representing approx. 646,933 workers as of 2006 in more than 200 industries with most of its membership in the United States and Canada.

Origin

International Association of Machinists Local 831 Hall in Cedar Rapids, Iowa

On May 5, 1888, Thomas W. Talbott, an Atlanta railroad machinist, formed a small group called the Order of United Machinists and Mechanical Engineers. Thomas W. Talbot and 18 others had been members in the Knights of Labor. Thomas W. Talbot believed that a union needed to be formed for railroad machinists. He believed that there needed to be a union specifically geared toward machinists that would resist wage cuts. Thus, he wanted to provide insurance against unemployment, illness, and accidents but also wanted railroad machinists to be recognized for their craft skill. Unlike the Knights of Labor who accepted everyone, Talbot's union consisted mainly of all-white U.S. born citizens. The union excluded blacks, women, and non-citizens. The founders invented secret passwords in order to keep the group a secret. Despite the secrecy, the order spread beyond Georgia thanks in part to the "boomers". Boomers were men who traveled the railway line for work. The boomers established local lodges in areas where they were not already present. Within one year there were 40 lodges, and by 1891, there were 189. On May 6, 1889, machinists held their first major convention in Atlanta, Georgia. Thomas [Tom] Talbot was elected the grand master machinist (later known as the international president), and William L Dawley was elected as grand secretary (now known as the grand secretary- treasurer).[2] The Organization's name was changed to the National Association of Machinists and a constitution was created. A journal, Machinists Monthly Journal, was published monthly consisting of sixteen pages. In 1889, the machinists wanted to design a union emblem. Frank French designed an emblem for the union. The emblem depicted a flywheel, friction joint caliper, and the machinist's square with the initials of the organization. The flywheel was significant because it generated power when it got started. French also explained that the caliper signified an extended invitation to all persons of civilized countries.[3] The square signified that IAM was square and honest. In 1890 and 1891 the machinists' union reached Canada, making Canadians the first international members. Locals were also formed in Mexico. In 1891,in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania the name Order of United Machinists and Mechanical Engineers was changed to International Association of Machinists. In 1892, IAM signed a contract with the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad making it the first Railroad Company and organized shop in the United States. Because IAM had a color bar, the American Federation of Labor did not accept IAM right away. In 1895 after joining the American Federation of Labor, President Samuel Gompers urged IAM to drop its white only policy. IAM maintained racial segregation arguing that it needed to retain southern members.[4] Thomas Talbot's primary objective was to establish a union that consisted strictly of a fraternity of white men born in the United States who possessed good moral character.

1920-40's

The Machinists' membership reached 300,000 during World War I which at the time made it the largest union in 1918. As the war ended and wartime production came to an end membership dropped to 80,000 in 1923. Membership declined in 1933 to only 50,000 due to the effects of the Great Depression. Of those 50,000 members, 23,000 workers were unemployed. In 1935 the machinists started to organize with the airline industry. In 1936, the Boeing Company in Seattle, Washington signed the industry's first labor agreement. By 1938, the IAM negotiated the first union agreement in air transportation with Eastern Air Lines.[5] In 1944 IAM union members established an education department to publish a supplemental journal. This journal would be published weekly by the Machinist the IAM newspaper. Eventually the Journals production was cut back to twice a year and was voted out of existence in 1956.[6] It was replaced with a quarterly magazine entitled The IAMW journal. The break was over a failure of the AFL to settle a jurisdictional dispute between IAM and the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America as well as the Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Railway Employees of America. IAM disaffiliated with the AFL in 1945.[7] In 1947 Congress passed the Taft Hartley Act, officially known as the Labor-Management Relations Act, which placed restrictions on union activities. This act also contained provisions that made closed shops illegal and outlawed boycotts. The second section of the Taft Hartley Act was controversial because it allowed states to pass right-to-work laws, which enabled them to regulate the number of union shops. Furthermore, the machinists worked with AFL unions to repeal the act. The limitations imposed on union political activity by this act led to the creation of the Machinists’ Non- Partisan Political League.[8] In 1948, Lodge 751 went on strike against the Boeing Company in Seattle, Washington. The machinists preserved longstanding seniority rules that the company wanted to abolish and achieved a 10% per hour raise. IAM also competed for members with the United Auto Workers of America in the automotive industry and with the United Aerospace Workers for aircraft working in that union. In 1949, IAM signed no-raiding agreements with both unions.[9] Those agreements become the model for other unions when AFL and the CIO merged in 1955.

Recent history

Membership (US records)[10]
Finances (US records; ×$1000)[10]
     Assets      Liabilities      Receipts      Disbursements

The 1950s was a period of rapid growth for IAM. The production of jet engines during the war led IAM to expand to the aircraft industry. By 1958, IAM had more than 900,000 members. This was because IAM took steps to begin to move away from its racist past. In 1955, under the leadership of President Al Hayes IAM became more of an industrial union; it began to shift from railroad work to metal fabrication. IAM had more union members as well as workers in the aircraft industry. Thus, Aerospace workers were attracted to join IAM. In 1964, IAM changed its name to the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. IAMAW began to strike against five major airlines, including Eastern, National, Northwest, Trans World, and United Airlines. 35,400 IAMAW members in 231 cities grounded the airlines for 43 days finally winning 5% raises in three successive years.[11] IAM membership nearly doubled in the 1950s, in large part due to the burgeoning airline industry, from 501,000 members in 1949 to 903,000 members in 1958. As a result of the influx of members from the airlines and the new American space program, the delegates voted to change the name to the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers at the 1964 convention.[12] In 1982, due to individual and corporate bankruptcies IAM membership dropped to 820,211 members from a high of 927,000 in 1973.[13] Also, in 1982 boycott was initiated by the IAM against Brown & Sharpe, a machine, precision, measuring and cutting tool manufacturer, headquartered in Rhode Island. The boycott was called after the firm refused to bargain in good faith (withdrawing previously negotiated clauses in the contract), and forced the union into a strike, during which police sprayed pepper gas on some 800 picketers at the company's North Kingston plant in early 1982. Three weeks later, a machinist narrowly escaped serious injury when a shot fired into the picket line hit his belt buckle.

The National Labor Relations Board later charged Brown & Sharpe with regressive bargaining, and of entering into negotiations with the express purpose of not reaching an agreement with the union. It was not until 1998, nearly seventeen years after the strike began, that the Rhode Island Supreme Court ended the legal battle, ultimately siding with Brown & Sharpe in its plea that it had not illegally forced the strike. By this point, both Brown & Sharpe and its erstwhile work force were retreating from manufacturing in Rhode Island.

From 1981 to 1990 the union owned and operated an Indy Car racing team, Machinists Union Racing.

On September 7, 2008 the union began a strike against Boeing over issues with outsourcing, job security, pay and benefits.

The union continues to expand into different companies today.

Composition

According to IAM's Department of Labor records since 2005, when membership classifications were first reported, the union's membership has been generally in a slow decline, including "dues paying," "retired," and "exempt" members. Despite this, "life" members report a 22% increase during this period, and "unemployed" members momentarily increased to a peak in 2009 before also declining. Members classified as "on strike" have varied considerably throughout, though remaining less than 1% of the total membership. IAM contracts also cover some non-members, known as agency fee payers, which since 2005 have grown to number comparatively just over 1% of the size of the union's membership.[10] As of 2013 this accounts for about 145,000 "retirees" (25%), 52,000 "life" members (9%), 26,000 "exempt" members (5%) and 14,000 "unemployed" members (2%), plus about 7,000 non-members paying agency fees, compared to about 333,000 "dues paying" members (58%).[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 US Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards. File number 000-107. Report submitted March 31, 2014.
  2. ↑ "International Association of Machinists' Digital Publication". dlib.gsu.edu/spcoll/IAMAW/index.
  3. ↑ Rodden G., Robert (1984). "The Fighting Machinist : A Century of Struggle.".
  4. ↑ Murolo, Priscilla (2001). From the Folks Who Brought You the Weekend: A short, Illustrated History of Labor in the United States. New York: News Press.
  5. ↑ Arnesen, Eric (2007). Encyclopedia of U.S. Labor and Working- Class History (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Taylor & Francis Group LLC.
  6. ↑ http://www.goiam.org. Missing or empty |title= (help); External link in |website= (help);
  7. ↑ Murolo, Priscilla (2001). From the Folks Who Brought You the Weekend: A short, Illustrated History of Labor in the United States. New York: New Press.
  8. ↑ Arnesen, Eric (2007). Encyclopedia of U.S. Labor and Working – Class History. New York, NY; Taylor & Francis Group LLC.
  9. ↑ Weir, Robert (2013). Workers in America: A Historical Encyclopedia (2nd, Vol 2 ed.). Santa Barbra,California: ABC-CLIO, LLC.
  10. 1 2 3 US Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards. File number 000-107. (Search)
  11. ↑ Aresen, Eric (2007). Encyclopedia of U.S. Labor and Working- Class History. (2nd. Vol.2. ed.). New York, NY: Taylor & Francis Group LLC.
  12. ↑
  13. ↑ "IAM History".

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