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118 years ago Thomas Talbot, a
machinist in one of Atlanta's railway yards, gathered 18 of his fellow
machinists together in May 1888.
Believing that machinists needed a union to cope with problems particular to
their craft, they formed the Order of United Machinists and Mechanical
Engineers. The First Convention of the Order was held on May 6, 1889 in the Georgia Senate Chamber in Atlanta. Talbot was elected Master Machinist, and the organization’s name was changed to the National Association of Machinists (NAM). 1890 and 1891 were important years for the N.A.M. Its first Canadian Local was founded in Stratford, Ontario, and locals were formed in Mexico as well. Hence, the name of the union was changed in 1891 to the International Association of Machinists. In 1895 the Machinists became affiliated with the American Federation of Labor. Shortly thereafter, the Machinists won one of their first big victories in 1898 when they successfully struck and earned a nine-hour work day. By 1915, they would win an eight-hour day. Beginning in 1935, the Machinists started organizing within the airline industry, and won several victories there. The shift had changed the composition of the organization from skilled craftsmen into essentially an industrial union. The bulk of the membership had moved from the railroads to the metal fabrication industry with aircraft industry workers composing the largest component of the workers. By 1954, the I.A.M. changed its name one more time to the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. The newly named union was able to shut down most of the airline industry two years later by striking against six of the largest airlines in the business. These included Eastern, National, Trans World, and United Airlines. After 1970, several new departments were added to headquarters to meet members needs. These included the departments of Civil Rights (1976), Organizing (1976, 1987), Older Workers and Retired Members (1981), and Women (1996). At the 1984 Convention in Seattle, Washington delegates voted to fun the Placid Harbor Education center to train and educate members of the union. This center was renamed the Winpisinger Education and Technology center in 1998 to honor the late International President William w. Winpisinger. |
