Welcome to the Machinists Union Local Lodge 460. Defending the rights of workers in Perryville, Maryland!

As your Negotiation Committee, we have been working tirelessly to protect what matters most to you - your rights, your dignity, and the work-life balance we have fought to maintain. But the company, IKEA, is pushing back harder than ever, trying to strip away the fundamental protections that have been the backbone of your contract. Here's what they're proposing:

• To Take away your right for the availability for a Shop Steward to be present when you receive a corrective action. The company is adamant about removing your right to have a shop steward present when they issue you corrective action (Article 13, Sections 1.2 and 1.3). They want to make it easier to discipline you without union representation. We must not allow this attack on long standing contract language to stand.
• Dismissal of grievances due to IKEA's own delays: IKEA is also pushing to dismiss grievances if we don't meet time requirements (Article 15, Section 1.6). If they fail to act in time, they want the power to move your grievance to the next step without accountability but if we don't meet the time requirements then we lose the grievance. This is a blatant attempt to weaken the protections that hold the company accountable.
• Forcing employees onto new schedules: IKEA is trying to take away your right to maintain your current work schedule (Article 18, Section 1.1). They want the ability to move you to new shifts at their discretion. Imagine working days one week and nights the next, all without your input. This disruption to your life is unacceptable! These things will be possible if IKEA gets the language they want. (NOTE: YOU WILL BE OPEN UNDER THIS LANGUAGE TO GO TO A 5 DAY WORK WEEK FROM A 4 DAY WORK WEEK. NOW THIS MAKES YOU MANDATED 6 DAYS A WEEK FOR MANDATORY OVERTIME)
• Refusing to give you personal time to leave early and come in late: The company does not want to allow you to use personal time at your own discretion. Which is in our CBA at the moment.
• Attacking your seniority rights: Perhaps the most egregious move of all, IKEA still wants to completely alter the main pillars of Article 28, which protects your seniority. The company aims to eliminate the seniority system that ensures fair treatment and job security. If they succeed, years of hard work and dedication could be erased with the stroke of a pen. ( Our basic concern is favoritism and possible discriminatory treatment to our members over job assignments dictated by seniority.) Once again this has never been a problem before. )
• Reducing your grace period: IKEA is pushing to reduce the grace period for clocking in from six minutes to two minutes. A shorter grace period means more write-ups for being just a minute late - more opportunities for the company to discipline and potentially terminate you.

This is not just about policies - it's about IKEA trying to have more unilateral control over your work life and create new ways to discipline, write you up, and to make you uncomfortable. Something our brothers and sisters in New Jersey told us that doesn't work out well in their DC. We have been the model of Seniority that other IKEA DC's wants to follow and we were the #1. DC in North America. IKEA has provided no valid justification or empirical evidence for these changes thus far.

These Articles, including the sections on Discharge and Discipline and Grievance Proce-dures, are the very foundation upon which 1-460 has been built. We have become the top Distribution Center in North America, and we did so under the protection of these Articles that the company now wants to dismantle.

We've made it clear to IKEA how much these protections mean to you, our members, but their actions show they don't care about your hard-earned rights, your dignity, or the balance between your job and personal life.

This is a critical moment in our fight. If the company gets the language they want, your shift today may not be your shift tomorrow. The future of your work schedule, your job security, and your rights are at stake. This is your fight! We will continue to work tirelessly to get you a fair contract, but IKEA is standing firm in their attempt to control your work life unilaterally.

Stand with us! Stand for your rights! Now more than ever, we must remain united and fight for what we deserve. We cannot let IKEA dictate the terms of your work life without a battle. Your rights matter. Your future matters. And together, we will not back down. Solidarity forever!

The IAM Human Rights Department recently hosted an exhilarating week packed with training at the IAM’s Education and Technology Center. This was brought about from the IAM Diversity Initiative’s request on September 6, 2023.

The 30 participants embraced a variety of perspectives and dove right in the many issues workers may encounter on the shop floor. They explored the essentials of connecting community stories, fostering a sense of belonging, and implementing effective intervention strategies.

They tackled generational diversity and implicit bias, recognizing that each of us brings unique histories and community needs to our union. They celebrated their differences and created an environment where everyone felt valued and respected. It was essential to acknowledge that the groups with histories of exclusion may require tailored support to truly thrive in an equitable space of belonging.

“Empowering workers is not just a labor issue; it’s a human rights mission,” said IAM Human Rights Director Nicole Fears.

Dear IAM Family,

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.

Sincerely,

Brian Bryant
International President

Dear IAM Family,

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.

Since having the honor of becoming the IAM’s 15th International President on Jan. 1, myself and your Executive Council have hit the ground running to build on our successes.

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.

In solidarity,

The IAM’s William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center recently conducted its week-long foundational skills class for officers and other representatives in the machinists union. Two full classrooms allowed new staff to meet and work with colleagues from around North America.

During the class, members learned how to manage their time and make schedules to service the membership. Class participants also studied a math program to help with future contract negotiations. Many speakers came to the education center, such as the Communications Department, who informed the students of how information can be given to the membership. Business Representative Shawn Altgilders gives a briefing in this video.