Local 1726 International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers

11/01/2025

11/01/2025

IAM local 1726 brought their community together for a Halloween celebration that embodied the true spirit of connection and generosity, with over 200 children and community members stopping in for trick or treats of a glow lights, candy popcorn and more.
A spooktacular Community Service outreach 🎃

10/10/2025

HOT OFF THE PRESS:
I am writing to provide an important update regarding the case of Christopher Crittenden, a former Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service captain, who assaulted United Airlines Passenger Service Employee (PSE) at Dulles (IAD) airport on March 13th of this year.

Mr. Crittenden, 54, of Frederick, Maryland, was on a delayed United Airlines flight and had consumed multiple alcoholic beverages. When boarding began, an inebriated Mr. Crittenden became frustrated with his seat assignment. The PSE member who was assigned to work the trip, apologized and informed him there were no other seats available. This unfortunately led to the assault.

While initially charged with a misdemeanor, our IAM legislative team, supported by MNPL donations, successfully advocated for these charges to be elevated to a felony. I am proud to report that the attacker, Mr. Crittenden subsequently pleaded guilty.

He was sentenced to two months in federal prison, three years of probation, banned from flying US airlines or from any US airport for one year, and ordered to pay restitution, fines, and punitive damages. This outcome matches exactly what the U.S. Attorneys asked for.

During his sentencing statement, Mr. Crittenden and his lawyer requested leniency, specifically 14 days in prison, citing his current rehabilitation efforts and past abuse. However, the judge was stern, emphasizing the serious nature of violence against airline employees and the commitment to addressing such acts with the full force of the justice system. Mr. Crittenden received the full sentence recommended by the US Attorneys, along with additional punitive fines and placement on the no-fly list. Our IAM brother delivered a powerful Victim Impact Statement directly to Mr. Crittenden, which brought him much-needed closure, and he is now ready to move forward.

While this case has concluded, significant work remains to protect all PSEs and airport workers from acts of violence and aggression. We must continue to work closely with the IAM legislative team, Congress, and other stakeholders to ensure that ramp and passenger service workers get the same federal protections as flight crews.

On behalf of your District 141 IAM family, we are incredibly proud of your bravery and glad that Mr. Crittenden was brought to justice.

10/01/2025

Spooky prep is underway. Join us for a fun and spooky experience that gives back to the community - 10/31 trick-or-treating from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. 🧙🎃👻 IAM LOCAL 1726

09/16/2025

UNITED AIRLINES CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE:

Our negotiating team and United Airlines management continued discussions for our seven collective bargaining agreements this past week in Chicago. We were joined by subcommittees for the Central Load Planners (CLP), who actively worked on their specific proposals.

Central Load Planners
For the CLP contract, we reached a tentative agreement on Article 1 (Qualifications, Positions and Vacancies) that better honors seniority when bidding Lead vacancies or Charter Desk work. We also reached two tentative agreements on Article 4 (Hours of Service & Overtime). A high priority in the CLP members’ survey was improving e ligibility to work overtime when members are on a DAT or floating holiday rather than on a vacation week—an improvement we successfully achieved. We also improved compensation for CLP members required to work mandatory overtime.

Passenger and Fleet Service
Negotiations for the Passenger Service and Fleet Service contracts continued to center on Article 4 issues, particularly outage relief. This was a key concern for our members in their proposals and surveys, second only to economics.

We are proud to say we FINALLY reached a tentative agreement that no longer allows the Company to place 100% of a station on outage relief and significantly improves the honoring of seniority, even when assigned to outage relief. This progress opened the door to discuss other Article 4 topics, including overtime and mandatory overtime.

Eliminating mandatory overtime industry-wide is not feasible due to weather and irregular operations. No Passenger Service or Fleet contract in the industry bars an airline from holding employees in emergencies. What we can do is hold management more accountable with stronger contract language to ensure that, when mandatory overtime is needed, it is administered properly—and that compensation is provided when it is not.

We have provided the Company with additional proposals and expect a response at our next session the week of October 6, when the Storekeeper subcommittee will join us.

08/29/2025

08/20/2025

United Airlines Clings to Bargaining Position that Undermines Seniority
20 August 2025

IAM District 141 and United Airlines management continued negotiations in Chicago last week. Unfortunately, United
management continued to advocate for contractual language that would significantly undermine the hard-earned
seniority of IAM members at United Airlines. These issues stem from the Union's efforts to address a top priority for
IAM members: fixing the broken Outage Relief system.

Through contractual surveys and ongoing communications, IAM members at United Airlines have consistently
demanded improvements to United's Outage Relief procedure to ensure greater fairness and better work-life
balance. However, the Company aims to implement an Outage Relief system that disregards seniority and is
fundamentally unfair.

The Union has made it clear to the Company that its current Outage Relief system must be fixed. It appears
the Company is following a path it has taken with other major work groups at United—a path that disregards its
workforce and leads to conflict and uncertainty rather than an agreement.

We hope United will acknowledge our concerns, take this matter seriously, and come prepared to listen to the
30,000 IAM members at United Airlines for our talks during the week of September 8th. Our Central Load Planner
group will also be present in September.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact a District Officer to ensure you receive accurate information. You
can also stay informed by signing up for District 141 updates on our website at www.iam141.org.

Thank you for your continued support and solidarity.
Michael G. Klemm
President and Directing General Chair,
District 141, IAM Union

IAM District 141 Negotiating Team
Olu Ajetomobi
Joe Bartz
Jill Hazamy
Victor Hernandez
Barb Martin
Terry Stansbury
Faysal Silwany
Erik Stenberg
Sue Weisner

07/08/2025

⏰ Deadline Approaching: July 15, 2025

IAM District 141 is proud to support the next generation of union minds through the 2025 Adolph Stutz Memorial Scholarship Essay Contest — awarding $8,000 in scholarships to IAM members and their families.

This year’s topic:
“Is artificial intelligence a threat to unions and job security?”
We want to hear your thoughts on how AI is impacting the labor movement.

Eligibility Includes:

IAM District 141 members in good standing enrolled in college or trade school

Children, spouses, and dependent grandchildren of members who are graduating seniors or currently enrolled full-time

Prizes:

One Grand Prize Winner – $2,000

Six Additional Winners – $1,000 each

Submit your essay (700–1,000 words), a recent photo, and your application by midnight on July 15, 2025 to [email protected].

Let your voice be heard – write, reflect, and represent!

More info: iam141.org/stutz2025

06/30/2025

Truth Over Confusion: What the 2021 Hybrid Move Team MOU Really Means