Longtime aerospace negotiator and leader Jody Bennett will become IAM Resident General Vice President, effective Jan. 1, 2024.
Bennett, a 33-year IAM member, initiated into IAM Local 2771 (District 776) in 1989 as an aircraft mechanic at DynCorps in Wichita Falls, Texas. He quickly became involved in the union once he and his coworkers organized with the IAM, becoming a Steward, Negotiating Committee Member, Conductor Sentinel, and Chief Steward.
Bennett became a District 776 Business Representative in 2004 and Assistant Directing Business Representative in 2006. In 2012, he joined the Grand Lodge as an Aerospace Department Special Representative before becoming Aerospace Coordinator in 2013. In 2017, Bennett became the Aerospace Department Chief of Staff.
“The IAM has been my life for more than three decades, and I’m so honored to take on this important role in the best union in North America,” said Bennett. “I’m humbled that International President Martinez and the Executive Council have put their trust in me, and I’m excited to work alongside Brother Brian Bryant and every IAM department and territory as we lead our union in the future.”
Bennett is renowned across the aerospace, defense and Service Contract Act industries as a tough negotiator, often going up against some of the largest and most powerful corporations in the world.
“Jody is going to bring his great passion for the IAM and our members to every corner of our union,” said IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. “He’s a huge advocate for maximizing the IAM’s resources for the good of the membership, and I know that will continue with his leadership on the Executive Council.”
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