Members of IAM Union Local 2171 in Johnstown, Pa., are preparing for upcoming contract negotiations with Lockheed Martin after completing a week-long Negotiation Preparation Field Program designed to strengthen their bargaining skills and build a strategic approach to the talks.

The training equipped the Local 2171 Negotiating Committee with essential tools for effective collective bargaining, including drafting contract language, presenting proposals, evaluating the company’s strengths and weaknesses, and developing strategies to achieve the best possible agreement for members.

The program was supported by Aerospace Chief of Staff Benji Sullivan, Aerospace Coordinator Bobby Barnwell, Winpisinger Center Instructor Richard Dees, Strategic Resources Assistant Director Ilana Boivie, and IAM District 98 Business Representative Mike Wentzel, who helped prepare the committee for the challenges and opportunities ahead.

IAM Eastern Territory General Vice President David Sullivan highlighted the strength that comes from members working together toward shared goals.

“When our members are prepared, informed and united, they are in a stronger position to make their voices heard,” said Sullivan. “The time and effort this committee has invested in preparing for negotiations demonstrates their commitment to securing a strong contract for the hardworking members of Local 2171.”

“Preparing for negotiations is about making sure our committee has the knowledge, confidence and strategy to effectively represent the members at the bargaining table,” said IAM District 98 Business Representative Mike Wentzel. “This training gave the Local 2171 Negotiating Committee the tools to evaluate proposals, understand the bargaining process and work together toward an agreement that reflects the needs and priorities of the membership.”

Local 2171 members play a critical role in building key defense platforms, including the F-35, F-16, F-22 and C130. Their craftsmanship and dedication are vital to Lockheed Martin’s ability to meet national security needs and lead in aerospace innovation. 

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IAM International President Brian Bryant has appointed Josh Ott as a Special Representative in the IAM Rail Division, effective Nov. 1, 2026. Ott brings nearly two decades of public transit experience, a strong record of union leadership and a commitment to improving opportunities for working families.

Ott initiated into TCU/IAM Local 1315, representing Los Angeles Metro Transit employees, in January 2008 as a Customer Information Agent. A U.S. Army veteran, he served as an infantryman with the 24th and 3rd Infantry Divisions before beginning his career in public transit.

His leadership within the union began as a shop steward in 2015. He was elected Vice President of Local 1315 in 2017 and has served as the Local’s President since 2020. As Legislative Representative, Ott developed strong working relationships with elected officials at the city, county, state and federal levels, advocating for the interests of IAM members.

Ott also served as a trustee on the Metro/TCU Pension Fund and Metro/TCU Benefits Fund, helping secure multiple new benefit packages for members and their families. His commitment to improving lives beyond the workplace was also evident through his instrumental role in creating and expanding the Room to Work Program, which provides training, employment and career advancement opportunities to recently housed individuals, approximately half of whom are military veterans.

“Josh has built an impressive record of service and leadership at Local 1315,” said Josh Hartford, IAM Special Assistant to the International President for the IAM Rail Division. “From strengthening member benefits and advocating for working people to helping create opportunities for veterans and others facing barriers to employment, he understands the difference our union can make in people’s lives. His experience and dedication will serve the Rail Division and our membership well.”

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Members of IAM Local 1725 in Charlotte, N.C. are showing that union solidarity extends far beyond the workplace by supporting students and educators in their local community.

Members of the Local 1725 Community Service Committee recently visited Renaissance West STEAM Academy in Charlotte to deliver pencil pouches filled with essential school supplies, helping students feel prepared, confident and ready to learn.

Helena Thornton, IAM Southern Territory Special Representative and Local 1725 member, and Andrew Garmeson, IAM District 141 Organizer and Local 1725 Organizing Chair, joined school staff to help distribute the supplies and recognize the educators who make a difference in students’ lives every day.

“The excitement was priceless as students received their pencil pouches filled with school supplies. They couldn’t wait to open them and start using their new supplies,” said Brandy F. Johnson, a school social worker at Renaissance West STEAM Academy.

IAM Air Transport Territory General Vice President Richie Johnsen praised Local 1725 members for demonstrating the values of solidarity and service through their commitment to the community.

“Being a union member means looking out for one another, both on and off the job,” said Johnsen. “The members of Local 1725 are putting that commitment into action by supporting students, recognizing educators and investing in the future of their community. Their generosity reflects the very best of our union.”

The visit also brought smiles to school staff, including middle school counselor Ms. Littlejohn, who was excited to receive a coloring book and enjoy some well-deserved time to relax.

For IAM Local 1725, community service is about more than delivering supplies. It is about building relationships, supporting educators and helping ensure children have the resources they need to succeed.

Through efforts like this, IAM members continue to demonstrate that when working people stand together, they can make a meaningful difference one student, one school and one community at a time.

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Texas State Senator Taylor Rehmet, an IAM District 776 member, was reelected this week to the Texas state legislature. Senator Rehmet is fired-up and as a progressive legislative agenda that will benefit working families and unions in Fort Worth.

The post Fighting for Families in Fort Worth, Texas appeared first on IAM Union.

Resounding Rebuke on Era of MAGA is ‘Labor’s Revenge’; Catapults Working-People Champions to Power Across U.S.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The 600,000-member IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) joins working people across America in celebrating the record-shattering victories of labor-champion candidates who won office up and down the ballot across the United States Tuesday night.

In the largest electoral swing in a generation, the American people rose up — rejecting billionaires and their attempts to buy the election. Instead, they elected to flip the U.S. Senate and House, as well as gubernatorial and state legislative control across the country. 

“Workers vs. billionaires—that was the choice, and voters chose economic change. For more than 50 years, working people have watched their voices and power pushed aside. Too often, our political and economic system has served the wealthy few, not the people who keep this country running,” said IAM Union International President Brian Bryant. “This isn’t left versus right or Democrat versus Republican—it’s the top versus the rest of us. While extremists push divisive cultural issues to turn us against one another, working people are focused on kitchen-table concerns: the cost of groceries, health care, retirement security and dignity on the job. These victories show what we can accomplish when we stand together. They make clear that we need a system that works for workers—with lower costs, secure retirement and dignity on the job. The mandate is clear: put working people first.”

The victories come with an exclamation mark, as IAM Union mobilized to elect working people up and down the ballot across the nation, activating a large and active membership with vested stakes in a wide range of sectors, and diverse partisan affiliation. The mobilizations included in-person worksite meetings with thousands of battleground-state members held in a two-month rolling blitz of IAM Union member worksites in 15 states. 

The effort, coined the IAM Union Workers vs. Billionaires Tour, included an exhaustive canvassing program of member-to-member house calls, which resulted in tens of thousands of IAM Union members having their doors at home contacted in September and October. 

Running the largest midterm election mobilization in its history this cycle paid dividends for the union, including successfully re-electing aircraft mechanic, military veteran, and IAM Union member Taylor Rehmet back to the Texas State Senate for the second time this year, when he made national headlines by flipping a Trump + 17 seat by double digits. 

• “The IAM Union celebrates and applauds the victory of IAM Union leader, veteran, airforce mechanic, and working-class Texan Taylor Rehmet on his second election to the Texas Senate in one year. Taylor is the type of working class champion we need; he’s one of our own and will continue to serve the people of North Texas with integrity, loyalty and leadership.” – IAM Union International President Brian Bryant 

It also resulted in the successful election of National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM) member Sam Forstag to the U.S. House, after he flipped Montana’s first congressional district by running a worker-powered, barnstorming campaign. Congressman-elect Forstag is deeply connected to his union; his experience organizing non-union Forest Service workers as they fought back against massive Trump cuts to federal worker funding in 2020 is what sparked him to step back from day-to-day work as wildfire smoke jumper, and focus on taking on the people in Washington, D.C. who voted for those cuts. 

• “The IAM Union applauds the victory in Montana’s first congressional district, where NFFE-IAM Union member and wildfire smoke jumper Sam Forstag successfully won his election to Congress. Sam is a compassionate, dedicated, and heroic leader, whose life experience as a working-class Montanan is similar to so many Americans across the country. Voters chose change, and change is coming.” – IAM Union International President Brian Bryant 

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. 

The post IAM Union: American Voters Resoundingly Demand Change in the Workers vs. Billionaires Fight appeared first on IAM Union.

IAM Union members from across the United States and Puerto Rico gathered this past summer at the William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center in Hollywood, Md., for Spanish Leadership II. Throughout the week, members built on what they learned in Leadership I and sharpened the skills they use to represent their coworkers and to organize and strengthen their Locals.

The program covered collective bargaining, legislative issues and lobbying, advanced steward training, union ethics and organizing. Members put their training into practice on Capitol Hill, where they met with congressional offices to discuss issues that affect working people and to bring their on-the-job experiences into those conversations.

PHOTOS: Spanish Leadership II Advocacy Day

“Every IAM member should have the opportunity to learn how their union works and how they can help lead it,” said IAM General Secretary-Treasurer Dora Cervantes. “When we offer training in the languages our members speak at work and at home, we open the door for more members to get involved, stand up for their coworkers and take on leadership roles in our union.”

WATCH: IAM Spanish Leadership II Builds Skills for the Shop Floor and Capitol Hill

The Spanish Leadership Program brings together members who are most comfortable learning in Spanish and members who want to build stronger connections with their Spanish-speaking union siblings. Through leadership training in English, Spanish, and French, the Winpisinger Center helps members across the IAM develop the skills to serve their locals and advocate for working families.

Watch: Una Unión Para Todos: Spanish Leadership Program Continues Connecting and Developing IAM Leaders

“We want members to go home ready to use what they learned, whether that means helping a coworker with a grievance, getting more members involved in their local or talking with an elected official about what’s happening in their workplace,” said Winpisinger Center Director Julie Frietchen. “They also leave with relationships they can draw on long after the class ends.” 

Watch: IAM Members from across the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico on Spanish Leadership Program

Register Now for the 2027 Spanish Leadership Programs

Members interested in attending should contact their Local President, Business Representative, or General Chair as soon as possible. A working knowledge of Spanish is helpful, and members who completed prerequisite leadership classes in English are welcome to continue their training in Spanish. Leadership II requires completion of Leadership I, and Advanced Leadership requires completion of both Leadership I and II.

Participation in Spanish Leadership programs is separate from your local’s regular Leadership School allotment.

2027 Program Dates

• Spanish Leadership I: Aug. 29-Sept. 3
• Spanish Leadership II: July 18-23
• Spanish Advanced Leadership: Nov. 7-12

View the 2027 program schedule and leadership call letters.

For more information, contact the Winpisinger Center at 301-373-8820 or w3leadership@iamaw.org.

The post IAM Spanish Leadership II Builds Skills for the Shop Floor and Capitol Hill appeared first on IAM Union.

Hi IAM Union Family!

Happy Election Day! Today, working people take back our power and start to reverse the pro-billionaire policies that have made life unaffordable for families.

Find Your Polling Place

Call 866-OUR-VOTE for Live Support

AT THE POLLS

Did you register to vote, but your name isn’t on the list? Is your polling place closed unexpectedly, or are you stuck in line?

If you have questions while you’re at the polls today, call 866-OUR-VOTE to speak with a trained Election Protection volunteer. You can also text the hotline or chat online through the Election Protection website. Support is available in English, Spanish, Asian languages and Arabic. Learn more.

All voters have these federal voting rights, and you may have even more rights at the state level.

• The right to vote without intimidation: No one can threaten or harass you while you vote or register to vote.
• The right to stay in line: If you’re in line when your polling place closes, you have the right to vote.

• The right to ask for help: You can request help and ask for a new ballot if you make a mistake.

• The right to privacy: You can vote privately and independently.

• The right to accommodations: The Americans with Disabilities Act says you have the right to accommodations if you are disabled. The Voting Rights Act says you can receive voting assistance from a person of your choice.

Know Your Voting Rights!

If you know anyone else who could benefit from this information, please share it widely.

It’s up to us to turn out the vote, protect our democracy and make sure the will of the people wins. Every single vote is going to count today.

Thank you for stepping up on this incredibly important Election Day and for everything you do to help working families not just survive, but thrive.

Team IAM Union

P.S. Do you have a few hours to help turn out the vote in battleground states? Sign up for our Election Day phone bank.

The post It’s Election Day! Have You Voted and Do You Know Your Rights? appeared first on IAM Union.

IAM Local 839 won WSU Tech Foundation’s “Pull-a-Plane for Education” fundraiser this October in their first time entering the annual friendly competition that puts money towards school scholarships.

It all started with a cold-call from WSU Tech to IAM Local 839 as they were referred to reach out to the local IAM Union for support of their program and help in educating students about unions. From that, a partnership was formed. Local 839 donated to their scholarship program, presented at the school’s Manufacturing Day, and sponsored a team to enter the Pull-a-Plane competition. 

“Now, any time that they do anything where manufacturing is at play, they always reach out to see if we want to participate,” said IAM Local 839 President Darius Williams. “So that cold call actually opened up a gigantic door that we didn’t even know was there for us.”

WSU Tech offers a variety of certification courses in the realms of aerospace manufacturing, aviation maintenance, automotive technology, avionics, composite fabrication and repair, climate and energy control (HVAC), construction, welding, machining, and manufacturing. 

“A large portion of the students go on to engage in a career that is represented by a union, but they don’t actually teach that in school,” said Williams. “The initial call was to see if we would come out to educate about unions’ role in these industries.” 

IAM Local 839 represents approximately 7,000 Boeing employees in Wichita, and many WSU Tech students will become IAM Local 839 members at Boeing with their future careers. IAM Local 839 wants to contribute to their education early-on and help them become informed union members.

The Pull-a-Plane competition that WSU Tech Foundation runs every year is a highly popular event for the Wichita community. Although this was the first time that IAM Local 839 took part, they brought home the gold, despite pulling against reigning champions from years past. Roughly thirty teams total competed.

Adding to the exceptionality of the win, the plane that IAM Local 839 pulled was Doc, a B-29 Superfortress that was built in 1944 by IAM members at the Boeing Corporation Wichita facility. Doc weighs 80,000 pounds and the team of twenty-five IAM Local 839 members pulled it twenty-five feet in record time — 7.43 seconds.

“We were all just so happy about this thing. I mean, we were pumped up for three days afterwards,” said Williams. “It was a big deal for us. We actually set the record for the fastest pull, and then we beat our own record to bring home the championship there. We just had a great time. It was competitive, but it was for a good cause too, so that was the beautiful part of it.”

“Local 839’s victory is a marvelous example of how our locals build meaningful relationships in their communities, introduce students to the value of union membership, and help prepare the next generation of skilled workers,” said IAM Southern Territory General Vice President Craig Martin. “These students are the future of our aerospace and manufacturing industries, and potentially the future of our union. We’re proud of Local 839 for supporting their education and showing that the strength of the IAM comes from generations of members who build, support and advance our industries.”

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This article was featured in the Winter 2026-2027 IAM Journal and was written by IAM Communications Representative Bill Harkum

The leadership of the IAM Union’s Air Transport Territory has recently been contemplating how to grow the union in exciting ways, and has decided to expand its efforts to do so.

“We started five years ago, and we had this grand plan to communicate and be visible, so members see that they are being heard and understand the union is them, and we are working for them,” said IAM Air Transport Territory General Vice President Richie Johnsen. “If they don’t see or hear from us, they don’t think anything is being done. So we decided to work harder to get the message out.”

The first step was to totally revamp the initial engagement with new members. The Air Transport Territory new hire program was rebuilt with a strong foundation in unionism in mind, to help identify and grow future leaders.

“If you want to go fast, go alone. But you face dangers alone. If you want to go far and survive, go together,” is an old African proverb.

Every worker wants to be the No. 1 draft pick and command the largest contract dollars, but at most job sites, pay and benefits are not a function of hard work nor talent. It is simply cost controls. Every worker will not command the highest dollar in benefits, unless they use strength in numbers. Strong solidarity can build structures that fight for the best benefits of all, but that takes all workers pulling together, not just the No. 1 draft pick.

Air Transport Territory General Vice President Richie Johnsen meets with young workers at Alaska Airlines Cargo at SeaTac airport in Washington state.

“We always hear the term ‘knowledge is key’, and rightly so. If we don’t take the time to learn, we cannot have a thorough understanding of the challenges ahead,” said IAM Air Transport Territory Chief of Staff Edison Fraser. “With wisdom comes judgment, and correct judgment gives us an advantage at the right time to implement a plan. Keep in mind that empathy is also essential.”

Empathy for each other is common in a workforce, and at the job site, they see the best and the worst of the daily grind to produce. Solidarity grows from seeking justice on the job for all.

With over 100,000 members represented by the Air Transport Territory, the largest segment in the IAM Union, there are plenty of talented people rising in their careers who are the natural leaders of this union in the future.

“I was looking for work, and someone told me about the United Airlines jobs in Houston. When I went through new hire orientation, it was my first exposure to unions,” said IAM Local 2198 Young Workers Committee Chair Quintarius Oliver. “It changed everything I thought about unions, and I saw how it could bring people together. So I dived right in, and they put me to work building the Young Workers Committee for the Local. I love going back to my high school to talk about the union and jobs that kids about to graduate do not know are out there. My union job was a great step for me, and I hope that I can pass that on to as many people as I can.”

IAM Local 2198 Young Workers Committee Chair Quintarius Oliver speaks to a crowded room of young people at Elisk High School in Houston during a job fair.

“Quintarius is a great example of the leaders we are looking for. He shows that new hire orientation is working. It has increased involvement and awareness of how the union supports members and what it does on their behalf,” said IAM District 141 President and Directing Chair Mike Klemm. “Younger members are asking questions and sharing what they learn through the orientation program.”

“Individuals who command a room when addressing members and possess credibility and respect among their peers are the people we need to grow into leaders for our future. Stay true to yourself, underpromise, and overdeliver. These are the keys to a successful union leader,” said Klemm.

With District 142 reaching from the Dominican Republic to Alaska and Hawaii, you need to command more than just a room when addressing members.

“I became involved with our new hire program around 2023 when I became a grievance representative. I wanted to educate new members about the IAM, the benefits and protections available to them, and most importantly, the power of their voice,” said IAM Local 2339N Recording Secretary and Communicator Kayla Felix. “I believe the people who are successful in taking on new roles and leadership positions are those who are willing to learn while understanding they will never know everything. To me, the beauty of education is that it never ends—there is always something new to learn, grow from, and share with others.”

So where do you look for a person like that?

Richie Johnsen reminisces about how he got involved. Jim Barnett was a committeeman to Johnsen early in his career at United Airlines in Oakland, Calif.

“He was an interesting guy because he taught psychology at the junior college, so his perspective on how to be a representative was different than anything I’d ever seen before,” said Johnsen. “He said, ‘Hey look, if you have any guts, you’ll do this.’ He said, ‘You step up- and you do it.’”

District 141 President and Directing Chair Mike Klemm speaks to his staff and committee members about the importance of engagement with new and current members through the new hire orientation program.

Another mentor, Robert Roach Jr., told Johnsen that, “if you do this the right way, you could be me someday.”

“But here we are 25 years later, and I’m in this position as General Vice President,” said Johnsen. “So my message to any young worker out there is to step up, get involved, and then when a door opens, or a window opens, or a crack in the wall opens, go through it! Take that chance! Say I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, I have the work ethic. Take the chance!”

To support that effort, General Vice President Johnsen and Air Transport Territory leaders have announced their “Ride Along Program.”

The program offers an open opportunity for union members who have stepped up to be paired with a senior union mentor, allowing up-and-coming leaders to shadow current leaders at key events and functions. It is also an investment in the Air Transport Territory of tomorrow and the future of the IAM Union.

The IAM does not take applications for an opportunity like this – these opportunities are reserved for those who make a commitment to serve their fellow members. Are you one of those future leaders?

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