Grand Lodge Elections
IAM members have completed the endorsement process for the election of Grand Lodge Officers. The results from the U.S. Department of Labour–supervised election are that over 770 IAM Local Lodges endorsed the incumbent slate and 20 or 21 IAM Local Lodges endorsed opponent slate candidates. More than 97 per cent of Lodges nominated the incumbent slate.
This only applies to the U.S. GVP’s. Canada in not under the U.S. Department of Labour rules and Canadian members elect their own GVP. Canadian members do however vote for the International President and General Secretary Treasurer. In Canada, 63 Local Lodges voted in January to support International President Robert Martinez Jr. and General Secretary Treasurer Dora Cervantes. “We had one Local Lodge that had a run-off vote on February 10th,” explained IAM Canadian General Vice President Stan Pickthall. “But altogether, everyone placed their Local Lodge’s nominations behind the incumbents.”
IAM Local Lodges endorsed each of the following candidates; Robert Martinez Jr. as International President, Dora Cervantes as General Secretary-Treasurer; and Philip J Gruber, Gary R. Allen, Sito Pantoja, Mark A. Blondin, James Conigliaro, Ricky Wallace and Brian Bryant as U.S. General Vice Presidents.
“The membership has spoken clearly for a second time,” said International President Robert Martinez. “This union overwhelmingly and decisively endorsed our incumbent slate and new direction we have charted for Machinists Union families. I look forward to continuing our momentum toward growing and strengthening our union.”
Final results are contingent on a U.S. Department of Labour review of any filed election protests. Detailed results will be published when final.
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