The IAM Kentucky/Tennessee Joint State Council recently gathered in Louisville to energize the union’s powerful pro-labor political base.

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WASHINGTON, June 5, 2026 — The IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) issued the following statement blasting Whirlpool Corporation’s latest round of layoffs at its Amana, Iowa, manufacturing facility, affecting 288 IAM Union Local 1526 (District 6) members, effective July 5, 2026: 

“Whirlpool continues to twist the knife in the back of the workers who built this company and in the community that has carried it for generations. These 288 layoffs are not a business decision. They are a betrayal, the latest in a long and disgraceful pattern of corporate abandonment that Whirlpool has refused to stop, explain, or reverse.

“Let’s count what Whirlpool has done to the Amana community: approximately 250 workers were laid off in July 2025. Nearly 400 more out the door on March 9, 2026. Now, 288 additional members are receiving pink slips before the Fourth of July. They won’t even be able to work the last two weeks, since the facility is shutting down two weeks before their last day. A facility that once employed more than 3,000 skilled union workers is being gutted not because the work has disappeared, but because Whirlpool has chosen to do it in Mexico instead. 

“IAM research shows Whirlpool has been aggressively expanding its manufacturing footprint in Mexico, recently completing a major refrigerator plant expansion in Ramos Arizpe, Coahuila, in 2024, investing $65 million into its Celaya, Guanajuato facility, and designating Mexico as the sole producer of its French Door refrigerator line, a product exported almost entirely back to American and Canadian consumers. 

“We sent a letter to Whirlpool Chairman and CEO Marc Bitzer months ago demanding a meeting, demanding answers, and demanding a real commitment to the Iowa workforce. Bitzer has not responded. The silence from Whirlpool’s boardroom is deafening and inexcusable.

“We are done asking for help from the current elected officials. We need intervention, accountability, and action. Our members sent these elected officials to Washington and to Des Moines to fight for them. This is that fight. If they can’t take on this fight, then we will elect candidates who will. 

“To our 288 IAM members facing layoffs on July 5, your Union will not abandon you. We will continue to fight for every right, every benefit, and every resource you are owed. And we will continue to hold Whirlpool accountable at the bargaining table, in the halls of Congress, and in the court of public opinion until this company answers for what it has done to the working families of Amana, Iowa.” 

IAM Union Local 1526 members at the Amana facility produce refrigerators sold under the Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, and Amana brand names.

The IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) is one of North America’s largest and most diverse industrial trade unions, representing approximately 600,000 active and retired members in the aerospace, defense, airlines, shipbuilding, railroad, transit, healthcare, automotive, and other industries across the United States and Canada.

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The strength of IAM Union solidarity took center stage at the AFL-CIO Convention as IAM Union member Maximo Londonio and his wife, Crystal, shared their family’s story and reflected on the support that helped them overcome one of the most difficult chapters of their lives.

Londonio, a Filipino immigrant and member of IAM Local 695 (District 160) in Olympia, Wash., appeared before thousands of attendees just months after being released from nearly two months of wrongful ICE detention. 

Watch Maximo and Crystal Londonio tell their story and hear from the IAM Union members who rallied together to help secure Maximo’s release.

Following his detention, the IAM Union rallied around Maximo and his family, mobilizing members across North America, engaging elected officials, and building support throughout the labor movement, immigrant rights groups, and the local community. The campaign ultimately helped secure his release and reunite him with his loved ones.

“When I was detained, I was separated from my family and faced an uncertain future. But we were not alone,” Maximo Londonio told convention delegates. “My wife fought for our family, and the entire IAM Union stood with us every step of the way.”

Londonio said the support he received demonstrated the true meaning of solidarity.

“Your support gave us hope when we needed it most and showed me the true power of solidarity,” said Londonio. “It reminded me that when we stand together, no one has to face these challenges alone.”

For Crystal Londonio, the experience revealed the true meaning of union solidarity and the impact the IAM can have on a member’s family.

“IAM helped do much more than I ever anticipated,” said Crystal Londonio. “It’s not just a union due, it’s true solidarity.”

View photos from Maximo and Crystal Londonio’s inspiring appearance at the AFL-CIO Convention here.

IAM Union International President Brian Bryant highlighted the IAM Union’s commitment to standing up for every member and defending immigrant workers.

“When you pick a fight with one IAM Union member, you pick a fight with all of us,” said Bryant.

IAM General Secretary-Treasurer Dora Cervantes then spoke in support of AFL-CIO Resolution 4, reaffirming the labor movement’s commitment to protecting immigrant workers and advancing policies that strengthen working families.

“We cannot allow ourselves to be divided by the color of our skin or the way we look,” said Cervantes, who described her own experience being questioned by immigration agents. “The status of workers cannot be used to divide or hurt our members or their families.”

Bryant delivered a message directly to the Londonios that drew a standing ovation from convention delegates.

“Max, you belong in this country, you belong in this union, and you belong in this labor movement,” said Bryant.

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Click Here! to view this edition of IAM UNION on the Hill.

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IAM Union members from across the country joined hundreds of labor leaders, activists, and allies in Atlanta, Ga., for the 55th Annual Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) Convention, gathering under the theme, “Cherish Our Legacy & Bend to No One.”

The annual convention brought together union members committed to advancing worker justice, strengthening organizing efforts, and building power in communities across North America.

CBTU President Rev. Terrence L. Melvin challenged delegates throughout the convention to continue building worker power through solidarity, action, and engagement. Delegates also heard from influential voices across the labor and civil rights movements, including AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler, AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond, AFSCME President Lee Saunders, CWA President Claude Cummings, AFGE President Everett Kelley, and civil rights leader Stacey Abrams.

WATCH VIDEO 

IAM National Political and Legislative Director and CBTU Executive Board Member Hasan Solomon addressed delegates with an update on the IAM’s organizing efforts nationwide and urged support for Apple workers in Towson, Md., following Apple’s decision to close the first unionized Apple retail store in the United States while denying workers the same transfer opportunities offered at other closing locations.

CBTU delegates responded by passing a resolution supporting the Apple workers and condemning Apple’s anti-union actions.

“When workers come together across unions and communities, we become a force that employers and politicians can’t ignore,” said Solomon.

“CBTU has always been a critical force in the labor movement because it recognizes that the fight for workers’ rights and civil rights are inseparable,” said IAM Human Rights Director Nicole Fears. “For IAM members, being part of this convention means learning from that legacy, strengthening our solidarity, and bringing back strategies that help us build a stronger, more inclusive union.”

SEE PHOTOS

During CBTU’s Awards Dinner, Solomon was recognized with the 2026 CBTU Award of Distinction, honoring his longstanding and exceptional advocacy for workers and communities.

IAM delegates also participated in workshops covering civic engagement, artificial intelligence and its impact on workers, leadership development, and organizing strategies designed to help unions grow and adapt in a changing economy.

Founded in 1972, CBTU has become one of the most influential voices for Black union members, representing more than 50 international and national unions through 50 chapters across the United States and one in Ontario, Canada.

The IAM remains proud to stand alongside CBTU and all the constituency groups in the fight for dignity, justice, and economic opportunity for all working people.

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This article was featured in the Summer 2026 IAM Journal  and was written by IAM Communications Representative Bill Harkum

“People were literally just running for their lives,” said IAM California Fire Pilots Association member and Cal Fire pilot Keith Eyler. Around 10:30 a.m. on Jan. 7, 2025, Santa Ana winds reignited a brush fire near Temescal Canyon in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood northwest of downtown Los Angeles. By 2 p.m., steady winds around 60 mph had turned the hills behind that neighborhood into the nightmare inferno that movies are made of in nearby Hollywood. Fire was spreading so quickly that the only exit by road, Palisades Drive, was on fire on both sides of the street. People panicked.

Police officers started running through the stalled traffic, yelling at motorists to “run for their lives,” leaving their cars unlocked and keys in the ignition. Inside the inferno, people faced the option of running or staying in their cars, hoping someone would help.

Above them in the skies was a Cal Fire S-2 tanker plane, piloted by Eyler.

“My mission changed from firefighting to life saving,” said Eyler. “I literally had to put a load of time on the ground to save lives.”

Phos-check, the load of “time” Eyler puts on the ground from his S-2 tanker aircraft, is a water-and-fertilizer compound fire retardant that turns big flames into smaller ones, but it often does not douse them completely.

It only buys time. Time to run. Time to escape the fire, as an LA traffic jam trapped hundreds of neighbors in one of the worst wildfires in California’s history. On this day, it probably saved hundreds of lives.

Cal Fire uses multiple aircraft for aerial fighting. Many are former military equipment – from C-130 Hercules aircraft, UH-1 Huey Helicopters, S-70i Firehawk Helicopters, OV-10 spotter aircraft, to the venerable S-2 tanker aircraft that Keith Elder flew above the Palisades fire. Cal Fire operates 23 turbine powered S-2 planes over the past 20 years, each providing stable jobs to IAM members at Cal Fire Aviation located at McClellan Airpark in Sacramento. Cal Fire has operated S-2 type aircraft in the State of California since the early 70’s.

“We do a lot of flying that would get a regular pilot in trouble with the FAA,” said Eyler. “People really appreciate when we fly through their backyards at 150 feet to save their home, but that’s not normal.”

IAM Local 93 member Greg LaFrancis
inspects a component on an OV-10
spotter aircraft at McClellan Air Park in
Sacramento, California.

There are approximately 100 flight certificates for this kind of flying for aerial firefighting, and IAM members hold almost one-third of those special certificates. These pilots also rely on skilled union aircraft mechanics to ensure these aircraft will not fail while flying at 150 feet above the ground or while dropping below the rim of mountain canyons in 60 to 100 mph swirling winds.

“Many of us are prior military service members, so we are used to uniforms,” said Greg LaFrancis, a lead technician and Local 946 member. “Our union membership is like a cloak – an invisible cloak. The cloak is there when we need it, and we all know we wear it. It reminds us of the team we represent.”

“When this unit joined the IAM in 2001, it transformed this industry – full stop,”

said IAM California Fire Pilots Association’s Colin Rodgers. “Before the union, we had off seasons where some employees were effectively laid off. The Union changed that and it moved aerial firefighting operations to full-time skilled professional union work.”

Just like traditional firefighters, their profession has evolved to high standards and rigorous maintenance of their equipment, even when not actively fighting fires.

“These members are courageous and admirable people,” said IAM Western Territory General Vice President Robert “Bobby” Martinez. “Day in and day out, they are the line of defense against wildfires that threaten citizens and property across our great country.”

Wildfire also broke out in the San Gabriel Mountains above Pasadena that same evening of Jan. 7. Santa Ana winds drove that fire to triple in a matter of 12 hours.

IAM Local 93 members working for Cal
Fire service an S-2 aerial tanker aircraft.
Many of these firefighting aircraft fly
below 1,000 feet above populated areas,
requiring zero defects in maintenance.

“If you can’t outrun the wind, you are not going to outrun the fire,” said NFFE-IAM Fire Captain Eduardo Cerna, one of the initial responders to the Eaton Fire. “It’s like standing in front of a freight train. You have a matter of minutes to get out of its way, that’s all you can do.”

The San Gabriel Mountains run east to west just outside Los Angeles, one of a handful of mountain ranges on the planet with that topography.

Because the LA side of the mountain range faces the sun most of the day, vegetation dries out quicker and becomes fire fuel, just waiting for a spark.

Weather in the deserts of Nevada and Utah impact these mountains with a wind funnel effect known as the Santa Ana winds. Legend has it that the Spanish settlers gave these winds that name intending to call it “the devil’s breath,” of hot, dry air with speed near hurricane force level. In January 2025, some Santa Ana wind gusts around LA reached 100 mph, lasting 20 to 30 minutes straight.

NFFE-IAM Battalion Chief Gregory Stenmo has been fighting wildland fires for more than twenty years across the United States. He has faced many fires in the Angeles National Forest.

“We were returning from another fire when the first call came out,” said Stenmo. “We were six minutes away. When we arrived, it was the first time in my career that I called for other responding units to stay away. It was moving too fast.”

Stenmo’s brother had a house in the area. Gregory sent his brother a text to move now because the fire was racing across the face of the mountains. “Ember wash” was already circulating in the community. It was too late. Gregory’s brother’s house was lost in the first 10 minutes of the fire. Stenmo had never seen fire behavior like this in his 20-plus-year career.

“Typically, we see structure fires in the first two to five blocks of a community with a wildland, urban interface,” said NFFE-IAM Fire Captain Robert Robledo, one of the initial attack crews. “With this fire, we were 25 to 30 blocks into the community with the ember cast, and the structure fires would just domino.”

Instead of running a hose, they were using large trash bins dipped in backyard pools to attack spot fires, and just being able to move when they had to quickly.

The dominoes were falling fast.

Left, NFFE-IAM member Greg Stenmo at San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. He stands next to a wall that trainees navigate during training. Right, NFFE-IAM trainees walk a ridgeline at the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. They carry their New Generation Fire Shelters for this exercise to make sure they can protect themselves as a last resort.

“Once there were homes on one block fully involved, dozens more were in danger, so we started attacking the front edge of the fire to create the Venturi effect,” said Stenmo. “That [difference in] air pressure allows the Venturi effect to create [fire] tornadoes. It would pull back into itself and usually away from the uninvolved homes. We saved a lot of structures that way, and I credit these crews with improvising those tactics to save as much as we could.”

More than 9,000 homes and structures were lost in the Eaton fire, most in the Altadena Community. Nineteen people lost their lives. Twelve more were lost in the Palisades fire, and nearly 7,000 homes and structures were lost. None were reported lost in the traffic jam that IAM Pilot Keith Eyler targeted with his “load of time.” During the week of Jan. 7, almost 200,000 residents of Los Angeles County were under evacuation orders.

NFFE-IAM Business Representative Steve Gutierrez represents many of the wildland firefighters who work for the federal government.

“If we don’t continue to control the fuel loads and manage the land, it will lead to more high-intensity fires,” said Gutierrez. “Fires like the Altadena and Eaton fires are going to keep happening. We need more workers because fuel management is the key to fighting these types of fires before they start. Water can only do so much.”

“Our Forest Service members do the back-breaking, hard work to maintain these beautiful natural resources for everyone’s use, and keep all of us safe as possible by managing the fuel loads that can feed high-intensity wildfires,” said NFFE-IAM National President Randy Erwin. “We fought to get these members fair pay, and now we are honored to try to make these workers’ quality of life better with each year in our union.”

Greg Stenmo retired from a 20-year U.S. Forest Service career two days after his IAM Journal interview.

“If the kids that start here now get $50,000 more a year the day after I retire, good for them,” said Stenmo. “If things improve for them, I’d be happy for them. I wouldn’t care that I didn’t get it while I served. We need to get away from that old mentality of ‘you don’t get it, if I never got it,’ you know. And I see the union having the impact to change that for the good of everybody.”

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The IAM Western Territory recently completed a highly successful internal organizing blitz at the City of Long Beach, signing up 147 new dues-paying members in just three days through coordinated outreach efforts across the city.

The organizing effort led by IAM International Representative Ryan Carrillo brought together 13 teams and 28 workers and staff who conducted worksite visits, new employee orientations, and sidewalk conversations throughout the City of Long Beach. The campaign demonstrated the growing strength and solidarity of IAM members while continuing to build worker power across the city.

“This organizing blitz showed what can be accomplished when IAM members and staff come together with a shared commitment to growing our union,” said IAM Western Territory General Vice President Robert “Bobby” Martinez. “Every conversation, every worksite visit, and every new member strengthens our collective voice and helps build a stronger future for workers throughout Long Beach.”

“Workers are joining the IAM because they understand the value of having a strong union fighting alongside them,” said Carrillo. “A union provides workers with protections on the job, a stronger voice in the workplace, and the opportunity to build a better future for themselves and their families. The conversations we had throughout Long Beach showed that workers want to stand together and be part of something bigger.”

The success of the organizing blitz was made possible through the support and leadership of the IAM Western Territory, IAM Air Transport Territory General Vice President Richie Johnsen, and IAM Organizing Department Director Mike Evans.

Special recognition also goes to IAM Assistant Organizing Director Juan Eldridge for coordinating a dynamic team of organizers to assist with the effort, including IAM International Representative Fabian Liendo, Assistant Organizers Lisa Ferm, Adrian Marquez, Thomas O’Bryant, and Craig Garrett, whose dedication and hard work were instrumental throughout the campaign.

In addition, IAM Western Territory Assistant Organizer Darren White and District 142 Organizer Harriet DeBaca played a pivotal role in signing up new members at airport locations and worksites throughout the city.

The IAM also recognizes the leadership and support provided by IAM District 947 President and Directing Business Representative Sal Vásquez, Business Representative Jenifer Friesen, Carla Pulido, and Sashi Muralidham, along with IAM Western Territory International Representative Ashley Gunkle and Assistant Organizer Danny Johnsen, for their professionalism, commitment, and dedication to strengthening the union.

The organizing blitz reflects the IAM Union’s continued commitment to building solidarity, increasing membership engagement, and strengthening the collective voice of workers throughout the City of Long Beach.

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