A Young District Lodge Embraces A Bright Future

The Greater Mid-Atlantic District Lodge 2020, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, and has jurisdiction over all affiliated local lodges within the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, and all assigned by the Grand Lodge, with the exception of air transport and railroad lodges.

District Lodge 2020 is comprised three zones: Zone 10, Zone 74, and Zone110. Zone 10 is comprised of Local Lodge 10. Zone 74 is comprised of Local Lodges 97, 2203, 2531, 2533, 2552, and W331. Zone 110 is comprised of Local Lodges 350, 757, 1859, 2296, 2297 and 2924. The Grand Lodge will approve any requests for zone changes or additions.

The object of District Lodge 2020 is to bring within its fold, all local Lodges of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, where they are composed of those engaged in work coming under the jurisdiction of this District, in whole or in part, and to investigate and discuss all questions affecting the interest of the craft and to secure better conditions, promote legislation and make every endeavor to impress upon unorganized workers, engaged in all branches of the Machinists trade, the necessity of joining the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers and at all times to further the principles as enunciated in the Preamble and Platform of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.

Our further object will be to encourage trade union organizing among all other classes coming under its jurisdiction.

This is a work in motion, but the IAM has a great history, and we want to share it with our members:

A union is a democratic organization of employees in a workplace who choose to join together to achieve common goals. By forming unions, employees can work collectively to improve working conditions, including wages and benefits, hours and job safety, to resolve disagreements of employees and employers and to find the best ways to get the work done.

Unions also represent members and all people who work by advocating working family-friendly laws and policies through legislative and political action. Most people who work in this country have the right to form and join unions under the 1935 National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), which encourages union formation. Yet millions of workers, such as farm laborers, domestic workers and managers, are not covered by the NLRA. Many of them, though, are organizing and partnering with the AFL-CIO to gain workplace rights.

In May of 2023 the IAMAW will be celebrating 135 Years. A remarkable achievement. On May 5, 1888, our great union was founded when 19 railroad machinists secretly met in Atlanta to protect their rights from an abusive employer. During that meeting in a dirty railroad pit, those individuals could not have conceived what the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers would become.

Tom Talbot and his coworkers set in motion a cause that has steadily grown in reach. Within two years of its formation, the Machinists Union became truly international when the first Canadian and Mexican local lodges were chartered. We were one of the first industrial labor organizations to admit women and minorities into its ranks.

Today we celebrate the IAM’s past accomplishments and look forward to the future we will all share. Many of the historical struggles our predecessors faced remain with us today. Our unity and resolve to defend the rights of working families have never been stronger. Workplace justice and fairness are noble ideals worth fighting for. Demanding that multinational corporations and our government recognize that is our ongoing task, and I am confident we are up to the challenge. “In solidarity, Bob Martinez International President”.