Brothers and Sisters,

First, I would like to thank all of you for allowing me to be your Directing Business Representative.  It has been a busy and interesting four months.

I apologize for not seeing all of you as of yet, but I do intend to do so.  New things are on the horizon and I am looking forward to sharing these things with you.  Of those I have met, I have given my business card.  This will allow each of you to contact me with any concerns you have from pensions to questions you might have on your contracts or what is happening to our UNION.  I work 24/7, so you can contact me at your convenience.

Within the next few months we will be in negotiations on five separate contracts.  Each of the Negotiation Committees and committee members are dedicated to your needs and together we will work to get the best contract we can.  You must trust your negotiating team and stand together with them to show the company our Union is strong.  I hope to devise methods in which we can communicate information directly to you while in negotiations either electronically or through the IAM 2515 website shortly after negotiations has ceased for the day.  I intend to have meetings with the entire membership prior to the negotiations as well as afterwards.   At all times, we must be strong and diligent in our efforts in showing companies we are together as a Union.

We have added another contract to our family, it is called SKOOKUM.  It is an Ability One contract which is located at White Sands Missile Range.  We are currently in negotiations and hope to finalize their contract shortly.  I am very proud to welcome our new brothers and sisters.

I have had the pleasure of working with members of your Executive Board, whose sole concern is the welfare of the Membership and our Lodge.  These are dedicated individuals who believe the Membership comes first.  I look forward to seeing our Lodge grow and continue to be something each of us can be proud of.

We should be proud to be Machinists and part of the IAM.  You must ask yourself, “Why did I join the Union.”  I joined because I was tired of the injustice I and my coworkers were receiving from the company.  I knew our Union fought for workers to have a decent wage and benefits for Members and their families and I wanted to be a part of it.  Our Union is much bigger than just our contracts and I have had the opportunity to meet Members from other states and countries who have the same issues and struggles we have.

 I recently had a chance to go to the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C.  I was moved by the struggle people endured under tyranny.  I was taken by the words from Martin Niemöller and have patterned my life in this same concept.

   “First they came for the communists and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist”.

   “Then they came for the trade unionists and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist”.

   “Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me”.

As your DBR you can be assured I will always put your needs and issues in front of mine.

In Solidarity,

Jay Jaramillo