Representatives and members from NFFE-IAM were in Washington, D.C. to urge lawmakers to pass H.R.3300, also known as the Forest Protection and Wildland Firefighter Safety Act. If signed into law, the bill strengthens healthcare and safety of firefighters who risk their lives battling blazes.

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IAM National Legislative and Political Director Hasan Solomon recently participated in a strategic planning session with the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) focused on Black workers and the labor movement’s legislative priorities heading into the 120th Congress. The meeting was chaired by Vince Evans, Executive Director of the Congressional Black Caucus.

The meeting, held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in D.C., brought together representatives from IAM and other labor unions, community allies including the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the American Postal Workers Union (APWU), the National Education Association (NEA), AFT Union, United Mine Workers of America, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT), SAG-AFTRA, and many more.

Solomon presented on the labor movement’s top priorities. We also heard directly from AFGE President Everett Kelley, NEA President Princess R. Moss, and APWU President Jonathan Smith on how to strengthen the partnership with the Congressional Black Caucus.

Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) spoke on the importance of fighting for working families and highlighted the urgent unemployment crisis facing Black Women in our nation. In a recent Newsweek Op-ed written by AFL-CIO National Secretary Fred Redmond, he pointed out that Black unemployment climbed to 6.9% in 2025, and for Black women, it jumped to 6.7%.

Also in attendance were Florida State Representative and Florida U.S. Senate candidate Angie Nixon (D), Emeritus Executive Vice President of the National AFL-CIO Arlene Holt Baker, and Joy Reid, host of “The Joy Reid Show.”

The panel session focused on five guiding questions: where the labor movement and Black communities stand today; which affirmative policies the CBC should be ready to advance; what partners can do together; and what commitments should follow.

The panel closed with a discussion of challenges and opportunities facing Black workers, what resources, including research, organizing, communications, and coalition-building, will be needed to carry that agenda forward, and how CBC members, unions, and other partners can continue working together.

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Three decades after founding, IAM Union women return to city where their department was born

CHICAGO – Today, the IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) celebrates the thirtieth anniversary of its historic Women’s Department in the city where it was originally founded, Chicago.

“Three decades ago, IAM Union leaders became one of the first North American trade unions to found an International Union department centered fully on the advancement of justice and opportunity for its female membership,” said Dee Colbert, Director of IAM Union’s Women’s and Young Workers Department. “This week, as our union convenes for a Women’s and Young Workers conference in Chicago, the birthplace of our union’s Women’s Department, we celebrate the professional excellence, advocacy, and leadership of tens of thousands of IAM women whose contributions have shaped our union, and the hundreds of industries we represent.” 

“I stood in Chicago as a delegate 30 years ago and voted for the addition of a Women’s Department then,” said Dora Cervantes, IAM Union General Secretary-Treasurer and the first woman to ever hold the No. 2 position in the International Union. “To see it come to fruition, and to go on to become the highest-ranking female leader ever in our union, speaks volumes about who our union is and what we believe in. When I think back to the 1996 Convention and this resolution, I am overcome with emotion. I was a young worker before we were acknowledged, and a woman fighting for recognition before we had it.  My own trajectory, and the rising leadership of so many other IAM women, is direct proof of how amazing the IAM is. We have come a long way, and we are not stopping. 

“The reality is that women build this union every day,” continued Cervantes. “IAM Union women break glass ceilings every day in our workplaces, smashing the narrative about what women can achieve in traditionally male-dominated industries like aerospace, airlines, defense and manufacturing. We are proud to advance inclusivity and gender equity in every workplace we represent, and 30 years after the founding of our Women’s Department, our message to women everywhere remains the same: Your place is in your union.” 

Collective bargaining agreements are one of the most effective tools available to eliminate the gender pay gap in the workplace and safeguard against gender based discrimination. 

Over the past 30 years, one of the most consequential initiatives led by IAM Union’s Women’s Department has been the founding of its groundbreaking Leadership Excellence Assembly of Dedicated Sisters mentorship program, or LEADS. The LEADS project intentionally recruits and trains women members for leadership positions within the union and has served as a transformative pipeline into greater activism and elected union office for generations of IAM Union women. The marquee program pairs established female leaders with new and emerging activists, providing gender-specific mentorship within a formal education and development curriculum that has paid dividends in changing the face of leadership within the union. 

Speakers in Chicago this week celebrating the 30th anniversary of the IAM Union Women’s Department in addition to Secretary-Treasurer Cervantes and Director Colbert include Allison Beck, IAM Union’s first woman General Counsel; Diane Babineaux, IAM Union’s first woman General Vice President; Lorie Wilson, IAM Union’s first woman Chief of Staff in the Eastern Territory; and other trailblazing visionaries whose leadership has forever changed IAM. 

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ATLANTA – Newly unionized Massage Envy workers in Stockbridge, Ga., made history today as they held their first-ever day of collective bargaining for their first union contract. The workers won their union this May, and are the first in the nation to successfully unionize at Massage Envy. Their contract is believed to be the first union contract at any Massage Envy location in the U.S. 

Massage therapists face a myriad of workplace challenges, including health and safety challenges, serious risk for workplace injuries, and unpaid labor for time spent working outside of the massage room, making the need for union representation and contract urgent. The Stockbridge Massage Envy workers joined the 16,000-member powerhouse Printing Packaging & Production Workers Union of North America (IAM/PPPWU), an affiliate of the 600,000-member IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers).

“IAM/PPPWU is incredibly proud of the courage and tenacity of our Stockbridge Massage Envy members for standing up together to take their workplace safety, wages, and working conditions into their own hands and ensure that their jobs are sustainable, safe, and fair,” said Israel Castro, International President of IAM/PPPWU. “Every massage therapist – and every working person – deserves a union contract that ensures they will be safe at work and able to earn enough to live with dignity. Our union could not be more proud to represent Massage Envy workers, and we look forward to securing the first-in-the-nation union contract for them.”

“When we leave work, our bodies should not be aching with pain that makes it impossible to enjoy our lives,” said Nerissa Delacroix, a six-year massage therapist at Massage Envy in Stockbridge. “We deserve working conditions that allow our bodies to recover from repetitive, strenuous movement; protections from sexual harassment at work; fair policies that recognize the full contribution of our labor in preparation for and after every service; and wages and benefits we can support our families on. All workers deserve a union, and by standing together, we can change our industry to ensure jobs within it are just and sustainable.”

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SAN DIEGO, Sept. 17, 2026 — IAM Union members at General Dynamics NASSCO have ratified a strong new three-year collective bargaining agreement covering more than 800 shipbuilders in San Diego with massive wage and benefit gains.

The agreement delivers a 10% wage increase in the first year, followed by increases of 5% in the second year and 4% in the third year – raising wages by nearly 20% over the life of the contract.

The new contract also includes significant retirement improvements, including an increase in the 401(k) contribution to 5% and an increase in the pension multiplier to $57. Members also secured an additional floating holiday and stronger language covering attendance, seniority, life insurance, and disability benefits.

Additional economic gains include a $2 increase in working preman pay and a $1 increase in leadman pay.

The agreement maintains the current employee cost share for the Kaiser HMO/EPO, Kaiser HSA and alternative health plans. Under the SIMNSA plan, the company will pay 95% of the cost, with employees contributing 5%.

“This contract recognizes the skill, sacrifice, and essential work of IAM members who build the ships that support our national security and strengthen America’s maritime capabilities,” said IAM Western Territory General Vice President Robert “Bobby” Martinez. “Our members stood together throughout this campaign, and their solidarity produced meaningful improvements in wages, retirement security, benefits and workplace protections.”

The ratification followed a months-long internal organizing and mobilization campaign led by IAM Local 389 and IAM District 947. During the campaign, membership within the NASSCO bargaining unit grew from approximately 21% to more than 67%, significantly strengthening workers’ collective voice at the negotiating table.

IAM Western Territory Special Representative Luis Silvas served as the negotiating committee’s spokesperson throughout bargaining.

“This agreement lays a strong foundation for the contracts still to come at NASSCO,” said Silvas. “As more workers become IAM members and our union density continues to grow, so does our leverage at the bargaining table. This contract shows what solidarity can achieve, and we will keep building that strength to win even more for NASSCO shipbuilders in the future.”

“This outcome belongs to the members who organized, attended meetings, participated in workplace actions, and supported their negotiating committee every step of the way,” said IAM District 947 President and Directing Business Representative Sal Vasquez. “They proved that when workers become members, get involved, and remain united, they can win a contract that moves everyone forward.”

IAM District 947 Business Representative William “Billy” Corona helped lead the internal organizing campaign and supported the committee throughout negotiations.

“Our members built the strength that made this agreement possible,” said Corona. “They talked with their coworkers, grew the union inside the shipyard and showed the company that NASSCO shipbuilders were prepared to stand together. That unity gave the committee the power it needed to secure real gains at the table.”

The IAM negotiating committee included NASSCO shipbuilders and IAM members Adrian Contreras, Stanley Huddleston, and Armando Ybhoa, who brought their coworkers’ priorities and experiences directly to the bargaining table.

The negotiating team also received support from IAM District 947 Organizer Alberto Delfin, who played a key role in the internal organizing and mobilization efforts that strengthened member participation and solidarity throughout the campaign.

“We are proud of what NASSCO shipbuilders accomplished together,” said the Negotiating Committee. “Our members made their priorities clear, stood behind their committee, and stood in solidarity throughout negotiations. This contract delivers substantial wage increases, stronger retirement benefits, and important language improvements that will make a real difference for our members and their families.”

IAM members at NASSCO build critical auxiliary and support ships for the U.S. Navy, as well as oil tankers and dry-cargo carriers for commercial markets. Their highly skilled work supports U.S. national defense and strengthens the nation’s maritime and shipbuilding industries.

The ratified agreement reflects the growing strength and solidarity of IAM Local 389 members and their commitment to building a stronger future for every NASSCO shipbuilder.

Trabajadores de la IAM en NASSCO ratifican un nuevo contrato histórico con aumentos salariales de casi un 20% y mejoras significativas en beneficios

SAN DIEGO, 17 de septiembre de 2026 — Los miembros de la IAM en General Dynamics NASSCO han ratificado un sólido nuevo contrato colectivo de tres años que cubre a más de 800 constructores navales en San Diego y ofrece importantes aumentos salariales y mejoras en beneficios.

El acuerdo establece un aumento salarial del 10% durante el primer año, seguido de aumentos del 5% en el segundo año y del 4% en el tercero, lo que representa un incremento de casi un 20% durante la vigencia del contrato.

El nuevo contrato también incluye mejoras significativas para la jubilación, entre ellas un aumento de la aportación al plan 401(k) al 5% y del multiplicador de la pensión a $57. Los miembros también obtuvieron un día feriado adicional de libre elección y disposiciones contractuales más sólidas sobre asistencia, antigüedad, seguro de vida y beneficios por incapacidad.

Otras mejoras económicas incluyen un aumento de $2 en la remuneración adicional para el puesto de “working preman” y de $1 para el puesto de “leadman”.

El acuerdo mantiene la proporción actual de los costos que pagan los empleados por los planes de salud Kaiser HMO/EPO, Kaiser HSA y el plan alternativo. En el plan SIMNSA, la empresa cubrirá el 95% del costo y los empleados aportarán el 5%.

“Este contrato reconoce la destreza, el sacrificio y el trabajo esencial de los miembros de la IAM que construyen los buques que respaldan nuestra seguridad nacional y fortalecen la capacidad marítima de Estados Unidos”, dijo el vicepresidente general del Territorio del Oeste de la IAM, Robert “Bobby” Martinez. “Nuestros miembros se mantuvieron unidos durante toda esta campaña, y su solidaridad produjo mejoras significativas en salarios, seguridad para la jubilación, beneficios y protecciones laborales”.

La ratificación se produjo tras una campaña de organización interna de varios meses y esfuerzos de movilización encabezados por la Local 389 y el Distrito 947 de la IAM. Durante la campaña, el porcentaje de miembros de la unión dentro de la unidad de negociación de NASSCO pasó de aproximadamente un 21% a más del 67%, fortaleciendo considerablemente la voz colectiva de los trabajadores en la mesa de negociación.

El representante especial del Territorio del Oeste de la IAM, Luis Silvas, fue el portavoz del comité negociador durante las negociaciones.

“Este acuerdo sienta una base sólida para los próximos contratos en NASSCO”, dijo Silvas. “A medida que más trabajadores se afilian a la IAM y aumenta el porcentaje de miembros de nuestra unión, también crece nuestro poder en la mesa de negociación. Este contrato demuestra lo que podemos lograr con solidaridad, y seguiremos fortaleciendo ese poder para conseguir aún más para los constructores navales de NASSCO en el futuro”.

“Este resultado les pertenece a los miembros que se organizaron, asistieron a reuniones, participaron en acciones en el lugar de trabajo y respaldaron a su comité negociador en cada etapa”, dijo el presidente y representante de negocios del Distrito 947 de la IAM, Sal Vasquez. “Demostraron que cuando los trabajadores se afilian, participan y se mantienen unidos, pueden conseguir un contrato que permita avanzar a todos”.

El representante sindical del Distrito 947 de la IAM, William “Billy” Corona, ayudó a dirigir la campaña de organización interna y apoyó al comité durante las negociaciones.

“Nuestros miembros construyeron la fuerza que hizo posible este acuerdo”, dijo Corona. “Hablaron con sus compañeros de trabajo, fortalecieron la unión dentro del astillero y le demostraron a la empresa que los constructores navales de NASSCO estaban preparados para mantenerse unidos. Esa unidad le dio al comité la fuerza necesaria para obtener mejoras concretas en la mesa de negociación”.

El comité negociador de la IAM incluyó a los trabajadores navales de NASSCO y miembros de la IAM Adrian Contreras, Stanley Huddleston y Armando Ybhoa, quienes llevaron las prioridades y experiencias de sus compañeros directamente a la mesa de negociación.

El equipo negociador también recibió el apoyo del organizador del Distrito 947 de la IAM, Alberto Delfin, quien desempeñó un papel clave en los esfuerzos de organización interna y movilización que fortalecieron la participación y la solidaridad de los miembros durante toda la campaña.

“Estamos orgullosos de lo que los trabajadores de NASSCO lograron juntos”, declaró el comité negociador. “Nuestros miembros dejaron claras sus prioridades, respaldaron a su comité y se mantuvieron unidos durante las negociaciones. Este contrato ofrece aumentos salariales sustanciales, mejores beneficios para la jubilación y mejoras importantes en las disposiciones contractuales que marcarán una diferencia real para nuestros miembros y sus familias”.

Los miembros de la IAM en NASSCO construyen buques auxiliares y de apoyo esenciales para la Marina de Estados Unidos, así como buques petroleros y de carga seca para el mercado comercial. Su trabajo altamente especializado respalda la defensa nacional y fortalece la industria naval del país.

El acuerdo ratificado refleja la creciente fuerza y solidaridad de los miembros de la Local 389 de la IAM y su compromiso de construir un futuro más sólido para cada trabajador de NASSCO.

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Dear IAM Family,

Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity to celebrate the generations of Latina and Latino workers whose skill, sacrifice, and solidarity have strengthened our union, our communities, and the entire labor movement.

Across the IAM, Latina and Latino members help build America, maintain our transportation systems, protect our communities, support essential public services, and perform countless other jobs that keep our nation moving. Their contributions are an important part of our union’s strength and our shared history.

The IAM has always understood that our union is strongest when every worker has the opportunity to be heard, participate, and lead. That commitment is reflected in programs such as the Spanish Leadership and Organizing Classes at the William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center. By providing education in Spanish, the IAM equips members with the skills and tools necessary to organize their workplaces, represent their coworkers, and become leaders at every level of our union.

We are also proud of the history made by IAM General Secretary-Treasurer Dora Cervantes, the first Latina to serve in that position. Her trailblazing leadership continues to open doors and demonstrate what is possible when our union invests in the talents and leadership of all our members.

Our work also extends beyond the IAM. Through our support of organizations such as the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, or LCLAA, we help advance economic justice, political empowerment, and workplace dignity for Latino workers and their families. These partnerships strengthen the labor movement and ensure that the concerns of Latino communities remain central to our collective fight for justice.

In these challenging times, we must remember one of the labor movement’s most fundamental principles: an injury to one is an injury to all. When any worker or community is attacked, exploited or denied dignity, it affects all of us. Unions have a critical role in bridging the gaps that divide working people – whether those divisions are based on race, ethnicity, language, immigration status, or background. Through solidarity and collective action, we can bring people together around the values we share and build a future in which every worker has a fair opportunity to succeed.

While Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to celebrate progress, it is also a reminder of the work still ahead. Latina and Latino workers continue to face wage inequality, unsafe working conditions, discrimination and barriers to exercising their rights on the job. The IAM will continue organizing, educating and mobilizing to confront these injustices and ensure that every worker – regardless of language, background, or place of origin – has the opportunity to build a better future through a strong union contract.

To our Latina and Latino IAM members and their families: thank you for your leadership, your culture, your courage, and your solidarity. Your contributions make the IAM stronger every day.

Together, we will continue building a union in which every member has a voice, every worker is treated with dignity, and everyone has an opportunity to lead.

In solidarity,

Brian Bryant
IAM International President

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WICHITA, Kan., Sept. 15, 2026 —  Following Boeing’s reacquisition of Spirit AeroSystems, IAM Union Local 839 (IAM District 70) members voted Sept. 12, 2026 to pursue coverage under the IAM Union/Boeing Master Agreement as opposed to renegotiating the existing Spirit AeroSystems independent contract with Boeing, in January.

The vote was held to determine how IAM-represented workers in Wichita wish to proceed with their collective bargaining agreement as the two companies become one, again.

Spirit AeroSystems was part of Boeing until it was spun off in 2005. Before the spin-off, the Wichita location was covered under the IAM/Boeing Master Agreement alongside IAM-represented Boeing workers in the Pacific Northwest. After the spin-off, IAM members negotiated an independent contract between IAM District 70 and Spirit Aerosystems. Boeing reacquired Spirit in December 2025.

Today, more than 30,000 IAM-represented Boeing workers in Washington state, California, and Oregon are covered under the IAM/Boeing Master Agreement through IAM District 751 and District W24.

IAM District 70, District 751, District W24 and IAM Union leadership believe Wichita members have a right to pursue coverage under that Master Agreement. At the same time, IAM leadership believes the decision about the best path forward belongs to the membership.

“We have one goal in this process: to make sure our members have the information and the power to determine their own future,” said IAM District 70 Directing Business Representative Lisa Whitley. “This vote gave IAM Local 839 members the opportunity to make that decision. They chose to pursue their entitlement to the IAM’s Master Agreement with Boeing, and the full strength and resources of the IAM Union stand behind them.”

IAM representatives have conducted 10 town hall meetings to answer members’ questions and explain the differences between the current IAM District 70/Spirit agreement and the IAM District 751 and District W24/Boeing Master Agreement. 

The current Spirit agreement expires in June 2027, and negotiations were scheduled to begin in January 2027. Now, the IAM will seek for IAM District 70 (Local 839) members to be included in the existing Master Agreement the union has with Boeing. Boeing has indicated that it does not consider District 70 to be part of the Master Agreement between IAM Union Districts 751 and W24 and Boeing, despite the IAM’s position that specific language in the collective bargaining agreement supports Wichita workers’ claim to inclusion. 

With the results of this vote, if the company refuses, the union will proceed through the grievance process and possibly to binding arbitration.

An arbitration could take from six months to two years. If a decision is not reached before the current Spirit agreement expires, the IAM Union will engage with Boeing to protect the membership until it is resolved.

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Approximately 70 civilian aircraft mechanics employed by Strategic Technology Institute, Inc. (STI) at Marine Corps Air Station New River in Jacksonville, N.C., have joined the IAM Union through voluntary recognition.

A strong majority of the workers supported joining the IAM, leading STI to sign a voluntary recognition agreement recognizing the IAM as their exclusive collective bargaining representative.

The aircraft mechanics joined together to improve their working conditions and secure the protections, benefits, and voice that come with a strong union contract.

“This victory belongs to the STI aircraft mechanics who stood together and made it clear that they wanted a voice on the job,” said IAM Western Territory Assistant Organizing Coordinator Joe Solis. “We are proud to welcome them into the IAM family.”

STI provides mission-critical engineering, logistics, maintenance, cybersecurity and technical support services to the U.S. Department of Defense and other federal agencies.

“Voluntary recognition gives workers a direct path to securing union representation when a clear majority has chosen to stand together,” said IAM Organizing Director Mike Evans. “Our team is ready to support them as they move toward negotiating a strong first agreement.”

The organizing victory continues the IAM’s long-standing commitment to representing highly skilled workers who support the nation’s military readiness and national security at installations across the United States.

“Organizing is about listening to workers, understanding the issues they face and helping them build the collective power to make lasting improvements,” said IAM Assistant Organizing Director Juan Eldridge. “The STI aircraft mechanics stayed focused and united, and now they will have a seat at the table to negotiate over their wages, benefits, and working conditions.”

Solis, who led the organizing effort, will also serve as the IAM’s lead representative during negotiations for the mechanics’ first collective bargaining agreement with STI. The Organizing Department’s continued involvement will provide consistency as the workers move from organizing their workplace to establishing their priorities and securing their first union contract.

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