$5 For the Fight

Dear Brothers and Sisters,



As you know, on March 16, 2011 International President R. Thomas Buffenbarger sent an urgent call to all members of the IAM. He explained the attacks which are currently taking place on workers in many states and the importance of fighting back. He clearly warned us, “…the concept and practice of collective bargaining is under serious attack by the same political and corporate interests who would see America return to the times when our nation’s workforce was subjugated and tyrannized.” He closed his letter by making this call to all IAM members, “I am personally appealing to every IAM member to stand with your union to defend and secure the very rights our union’s founders and our forbears fought so valiantly for and passed on to us. It is now this generation of IAM members’ turn to preserve our Union’s proud heritage and stake our claim as “The Fighting Machinists.”



In recent days there has been an overwhelming response from IAM members who want to know what they can do to answer the call. GVP Martinez has called DBR’s to a Staff Meeting in Mississippi to put into action a plan to implement the “$5.00 for the Fight” campaign at every Local Lodge in the Southern Territory. A plan will be finalized at the meeting and each DBR will return from the meeting with clear instructions for this important fight. Accordingly, I am providing a brief outline of the steps we believe we must take to best serve our members in fighting the good fight.



1) IAM Southern Territory Regional Office will distribute ”$5.00 for the Fight” envelopes and literature for each District Lodge and its affiliated Local Lodges.

2) Each DL will distribute envelopes and literature to every Business Representative and Local Lodge President for distribution to all Shop Stewards.

3) Shop Stewards will receive instructions from the DBR or Servicing Business Representative for how to conduct a face to face campaign.

4) A face to face campaign begins with each Shop Steward asking members to contribute to the fight.

5) All members should have a copy of the letter from International President Buffenbarger or Shop Stewards will provide one to them.

6) All contributions will be placed in the prepared envelope and returned to the Shop Steward. Cash contributions are preferred. If a check is written it should be made payable to “MNPL Education Fund.” The Shop Steward will return all envelopes to the DBR of each District.

7) DBR of each District will collect all contributions and forward them to the Southern Territory Regional Office.

8) Southern Territory Regional Office will send all proceeds to IAM Headquarters in Upper Marlboro, MD for deposit in the MNPL Education Fund.



I hope this will help you understand how the $5.00 for the Fight campaign will proceed, subject to any changes made during the Staff Meeting.



With best wishes, I remain



Fraternally yours,