International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers
Website | goiam |
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Formerly called |
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The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) is an
Origin
On May 5, 1888,
On May 6, 1889, the Machinists held their first major convention in Atlanta. 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 General Secretary-Treasurer).[2] The Organization's name was changed to the National Association of Machinists (NAM) and a constitution was drawn up. The NAM began publishing the 16-page Machinists Monthly Journal. Also in 1889, Frank French designed an emblem for the union. The emblem consisted of a flywheel, a friction joint caliper, and a machinist's square with the initials of the organization. According to French, the flywheel represented the ongoing power of the union once it started, and 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, NAM reached Canada, making Canadians the first international members. Locals were also formed in Mexico. To reflect this, in 1891 the name was changed from National Association of Machinists to International Association of Machinists (IAM), at a conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
In 1892, IAM signed a contract with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, establishing the first organized shop at a railroad in the United States. Because IAM had a color bar, the American Federation of Labor (AFL) did not accept IAM right away.
After IAM finally did join the AFL, AFL President Samuel Gompers urged IAM to drop its whites-only rule. But IAM maintained racial segregation, arguing that it needed to retain southern members.[4] IAM chief Talbot's wanted the union to be a fraternity of white men born in the United States who possessed good moral character. Though the AFL president urged the dropping of the color bar, member unions routinely discriminated against black workers through racial exclusion policies on the local level which the AFL rarely commented on.[5]
1920s–1940s
The Machinists' membership reached 300,000 during
Break with AFL
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.
Recent history
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
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. The trade union produced a first-of-its-kind radio show, Boomer Jones, to tell their history in a modern way.
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
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.
In 1991, the union absorbed the Pattern Makers' League of North America.[15] The Transportation Communications International Union (TCU) merged with the IAM, after a TCU member vote in July 2005.[16]
On September 7, 2008, the union began a
The union continues to expand into different companies today.
In December 2013 the union's attempt to represent workers at an
In 2020, the union began a
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 were reported to have had a 22 percent 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, although remaining less than 1 percent of the total membership. IAM contracts also cover some non-members, known as
Affiliates
International Presidents
- 1888–1890: Thomas W. Talbot[21]
- 1890–1892: James J. Creamer[21]
- 1892–1893: John O'Day[21]
- 1893–1911: James O'Connell[21]
- 1911–1926: William Hugh Johnston[21]
- 1926–1939: Arthur O. Wharton[21]
- 1939–1949: Harvey W. Brown[21]
- 1949–1965: Al J. Hayes[21]
- 1965–1969: P. L. Siemiller[21]
- 1969–1977: Floyd E. Smith[21]
- 1977–1989: William W. Winpisinger
- 1989–1997: George Kourpias
- 1997–2016: R. Thomas Buffenbarger
- 2016–present: Robert Martinez Jr.
See also
References
- ^ a b US Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards. File number 000-107. Report submitted March 31, 2014.
- ^ "International Association of Machinists Digital Publication". Retrieved November 19, 2014.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Rodden G., Robert (1984). "The Fighting Machinist: A Century of Struggle".
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help) - ^ 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.
- ^ Foner, Eric (1974). Organized Labor and the Black Worker 1619-1973. New York: Praeger Publishers.
- ^ Arnesen, Eric (2007). Encyclopedia of U.S. Labor and Working- Class History (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Taylor & Francis Group LLC.
- ^ "Labor Union for the 21st Century - GOIAM". goiam.org. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Arnesen, Eric (2007). Encyclopedia of U.S. Labor and Working – Class History. New York, NY; Taylor & Francis Group LLC.
- ^ Weir, Robert (2013). Workers in America: A Historical Encyclopedia (2nd, Vol 2 ed.). Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, LLC.
- ^ a b c US Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards. File number 000-107. (Search)
- ^ Aresen, Eric (2007). Encyclopedia of U.S. Labor and Working- Class History (2nd. Vol.2. ed.). New York, NY: Taylor & Francis Group LLC.
- ^ "I AM LOCAL - 2569 Insiders". Archived from the original on August 17, 2010. Retrieved April 11, 2010.
- ^ "IAM History". Archived August 17, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Inactive Organizations" (PDF). UMD Labor Collections. University of Maryland. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
- ^ "About Your Union".
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|url=
(help) http://railroadworkersunited.org/about-your-union/ access-date=February 1, 2017 - ^ "Amazon Workers Vote Against Forming Union".
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|url=
(help) http://business.time.com/2014/01/15/amazon-union/ access-date=October 10, 2017 - ^ "Bath Iron Works shipbuilders vote to strike - The Boston Globe". The Boston Globe. June 21, 2020. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
- ^ Sharp, David (July 25, 2020). "Machinists union president rallies striking shipyard workers". The Washington Times. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
- ^ Sharp, David (August 23, 2020). "Maine Shipbuilders Approve 3-Year Pact, Ending 63-Day Strike". Time. Archived from the original on August 23, 2020. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
- ^ ISBN 0883710021.
Archives
- Preliminary Guide to the International Association of Machinists Hope Lodge 79 Records. 1932–1941. 25 items.
- International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, Aerospace Industrial District Lodge 751 Publications. 1939–2008.
- Jackie Boschok Papers. 1979–2013. 16.32 cubic feet (22 boxes), 2 oversize folders.
- George E. Rennar Papers. 1933–1972. 37.43 cubic feet.
- Matthew C. Bates Papers. 1988–2002. 0.48 cubic feet (1 box and 1 oversize folder).
External links
- Official website
- Aerospace Union
- International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, Canada
- IAMAW Collection. Historical materials related to IAM held by Georgia State University, Special Collections,Southern Labor Archives. Online guide retrieved April 27, 2005.