This weekend, we remember those who have given their lives for our freedoms.
For more than 136 years, IAM members have been integral parts of our communities. They have fought—and died—in every major American military mission since our founding in 1888. As a union with deep ties to our military, we will always remember, mourn, and honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
That’s why we provide best-in-class services to our military veterans, built an IAM monument to honor our military, and are incredibly proud that IAM members serve the interests of our armed forces each and every day.
This Memorial Day – and every day – we remember those who have given their lives for all of us.
Happy 136th birthday to the IAM! It’s a testament to all of you, and all those who came before us, that our great union has risen from a railroad pit in Atlanta in 1888 to the powerful force for working people that we are today.
We are listening to you – our membership. We are organizing and growing our union. We are embracing our diversity. Most of all, we are moving the IAM into an even brighter future.
Led by membership input gathered last year by the IAM Committee on the Future, myself and your Executive Council are already implementing changes to strengthen our union. We are working toward new ways of communicating with our members and branding our union, expanding mentorship and training opportunities, improving our union’s structure, and much more.
And, our renewed focus on organizing is paying off. The IAM was amongst the fastest growing unions in 2023, and this year, we’ve already won campaigns to represent airline workers, healthcare professionals, artificial intelligence workers, manufacturing workers and more.
We are taking on employers big and small and winning record gains for our members. And, we are realizing our true potential by investing in the leadership of women and other under-represented groups through our new IAM Human Rights Department, and more.
As I continue to travel North America to meet our membership and hear your ideas, I am more hopeful than ever about the future of the IAM. Every day, we are moving closer to fulfilling our purpose of delivering security, dignity and opportunity for all.
Most of all, thank you to all of you for being a part of this journey. Together, we will continue to inspire, empower and create this more perfect union.
Colorado Department of Labor CDLE connects job seekers with great jobs, provides an up-to-date and accurate picture of the economy to help decision making, assists workers who have been injured on the job, ensures fair labor practices, helps those who have lost their jobs by providing temporary wage replacement through unemployment benefits, and protects the workplace – and Colorado communities – with a variety of consumer protection and safety programs. https://cdle.colorado.gov/
Black History Month is a time to celebrate the fullness of African American history and culture while honoring the triumphs and struggles of African-Americans throughout U.S. history.
Black History Month has been celebrated since 1926 when Carter Woodson proclaimed a week in February “Negro History Week.” Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the entire month of February as Black History Month. Other countries around the world, including Canada, also devote February to celebrating Black history in their respective countries.
The fight for equal rights still continues today. The IAM shares in that same fight, and has fought for Civil Rights even before the historic passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
IAM leaders knew racial equality could not be achieved without participation in every part of our union. IAM Shop Steward training played a critical role, and IAM leadership ensured a focus on recruiting and training African American men to become shop stewards going back to at least the 1950s.
In January of 1963, Local 1781 in San Mateo, CA announced that a multiracial group of members successfully passed the Stewards Training Course. That same year, Local 1666 in Stamford, CT, had a basketball team comprised of eight players, six Black, and two white members. Teams like these continued throughout many lodges through the 1960s.
One act for justice can cause ripple effects that change the world. So don’t hesitate to get involved and support the labor movement’s push for equality. You can become a member of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) or the A. Philip Randolph Institute, constituency groups that work with unions to ensure the rights of our African-American brothers and sisters are protected.
As the year comes to a close and we embrace the spirit of the holidays, I extend my warmest wishes to each and every one of you and your families. Serving as your international president has been the greatest honor of my career, and as I approach retirement at the start of the new year, I reflect with immense gratitude on the journey we’ve shared.
It is with a deep sense of camaraderie that we’ve faced challenges and celebrated victories together. The solidarity that defines our union will undoubtedly continue to flourish under incoming International President Brian Bryant, and other new leaders.
It’s been my privilege to work alongside such passionate and committed individuals who strive for the betterment of workers everywhere. May the spirit of unity, compassion and understanding prevail, not only during these festive moments but throughout the years to come.
I wish you and your loved ones a joyous holiday season filled with love, laughter, and togetherness. Thank you for your trust and support. Here’s to the legacy we’ve built together and the bright future that awaits our union.
After more than 43 years of membership and eight years leading our great union, Bob’s legacy guiding the IAM will forever be remembered across the labor movement.
Bob’s leadership allowed the IAM to emerge from the pandemic with financial stability and historic membership growth through robust and innovative organizing, while putting the IAM in its strongest financial position in generations. Most of all, Bob has dedicated his life to this union and its membership.
We wanted to give everyone the chance to say “thank you, Bob.”
Bob has also been a true trailblazer for our union. He’s the first Latino international president of a major American labor union in the history of the American labor movement, the first Latino elected to the IAM Executive Council, and the first international president of color in the history of the IAM.
Through Bob’s leadership, the IAM has grown into new industries, including healthcare professionals, gig workers, tech workers, veterinary technicians, museum workers, architectural workers and more. Using new organizing tactics and strategies, the IAM was the leading AFL-CIO affiliate in National Labor Relations Board union election victories from 2018 through 2022.
At Bob’s direction, the IAM also created groundbreaking membership programs that assist members and their families, as well as expanded opportunities for underrepresented groups to advance in the IAM. Martinez commissioned a new department to provide IAM members and their families who are military veterans with VA claims assistance free of charge, as well as an addiction services program and a women’s leadership initiative.
And as chair of the 39th and 40th IAM Grand Lodge Conventions, Bob presided over delegate action to pass a Membership Bill of Rights, greatly expand resources for organizing, increase strike benefits, implement electronic meetings, and launch a Committee on the Future to listen to our members and chart the IAM’s next chapter.
As we celebrate Thanksgiving, I can’t help but feel a deep sense of gratitude. To the 600,000 IAM members who placed their trust in me as International President, I am genuinely thankful. But most of all, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you who are making a positive impact in the lives of others, no matter how big or small. Your contributions are truly making a difference, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
We are sincerely grateful for you and all IAM dedicated members in essential industries such as aerospace, transportation, federal government, automotive, defense, woodworking, and more. These industries thrive during the bustling holiday season thanks to your hard work.
As we celebrate Thanksgiving with our loved ones, let’s pause and express our appreciation for the hardworking people who make our communities and country move forward. Their tireless efforts enable us to relish in cherished traditions and forge unforgettable memories year after year.
IAM family, your dedication and tenacity have and continue to leave a strong mark on our union and myself. Your hard work will always serve as an inspiration to us all.
On behalf of the IAM Executive Council, I wish you all a happy, healthy and safe Thanksgiving.
