Category Archives: News
IAM Canada – Janet Andrews honoured with coronation medal
Vancouver, BC-IAM Local 764 member Janet Andrews was awarded with the King Charles III Coronation medal in a ceremony on February 16th for exemplary service to her community and the labour movement.
The Coronation Medal commemorates the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III as King of Canada and is awarded to candidates who have made a significant contribution to Canada or to a particular province, territory, region or community, or have made an outstanding achievement abroad that brings credit to Canada. There will be 30,000 medals awarded during the anniversary year.
Andrews, a 27-year member of the Machinists’ Union who started out at YVR with United Airlines in 1998 served as Senior Steward, Political Action and Women’s Committee Chairperson at her local before being acclaimed as Secretary Treasurer for the New Westminster & District Labour Council in 2017. She is currently serving her fifth consecutive term at the NWDLC which is the largest labour council in British Columbia, representing over 65,000 union members from almost 100 different union locals in fourteen cities in Metro Vancouver.
In presenting the medal, Member of Parliament for Vancouver-Kingsway Don Davies noted “Janet is a trailblazing labour leader, women’s rights advocate and social justice champion who has given decades of service to improve the lives of workers in our community.”
A tireless advocate for workers, developing future leaders and fostering solidarity, in addition to her work at the NWDLC Andrews serves on the Executive Council of the BC Federation of Labour, completed 6 years on the Board of the United Way of BC and in 2024 was elected Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for Pacific Blue Cross, the number one health benefits provider in BC. She is also politically active supporting candidates for office who will stand up for workers at the local, provincial and federal levels of government.
Davies added her “commitment and efforts to support diversity and inclusion in leadership roles in the labour movement and in local government across the Metro Vancouver region are truly nation-building.”
IAM Canada – IAM Union Condemns Trump’s 25% Tariffs on Canada
Brian Bryant, International President of the 600,000-member IAM Union, and David Chartrand, IAM Canadian General Vice President, issued the following statement regarding President Trump’s 25% tariffs on Canada:
“The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Union strongly condemns the Trump administration’s reckless decision to impose a 25% tariff on all Canadian imports. This harmful action threatens jobs, raises prices, and undermines the long-standing economic partnership between the United States and Canada.
“The IAM has always supported trade policies that protect and grow jobs in both nations. But these tariffs are an unjustified attack on a trusted ally.
“Canada is not the enemy. Canada is committed to fair trade practices that support workers and communities. This decision will disrupt industries that rely on integrated supply chains, hurting workers on both sides of the border.
“The IAM represents 600,000 workers, including tens of thousands in aerospace, defense, and manufacturing—industries that depend on strong U.S.-Canada cooperation. These tariffs will destabilize those sectors, putting livelihoods and our nations’ economies at risk.
“As our union has said previously, tariffs should be used strategically to counter bad actors, like China, that manipulate markets and undermine fair trade.
“Targeting Canada with punitive tariffs is not only misguided, but dangerous. It weakens North American industry and puts working families in jeopardy.
“We urge President Trump to immediately reconsider these tariffs and pursue trade policies that strengthen, rather than weaken, the economic relationship between the United States and Canada.”
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) is one of North America’s largest and most diverse industrial trade unions, representing approximately 600,000 active and retired members in the aerospace, defense, airlines, railroad, transit, healthcare, automotive, and other industries across the United States and Canada.
IAM UNION – IAM Union members rally against Bill 89
Members of IAM Union Locals in Montreal recently gathered to rally against Bill 89, a measure imposed with the potential to politicize labour relations and disrupt fair negotiations. The proposed bill aims to suspend the right to strike, undermining the critical balance of power between workers and employers. This right is not simply a tool of leverage; it is an essential safeguard that allows workers to protect their interests when negotiations become unbalanced.
By weakening this fundamental right, the government risks disarming workers, leaving them vulnerable to further exploitation by employers. If this bill is passed, it could lead to long-term damage to labour relations, erode trust, and ultimately result in worsened working conditions, lower productivity, and a decline in the quality of goods and services. IAM members are fighting to defend the rights that ensure fair treatment and dignity in the workplace.
The rally highlights the deep concerns of union members, who understand that strikes are not undertaken lightly. They are a last resort, a necessary tool for workers to secure better wages, safer conditions, and greater respect. Strikes have never been about causing harm to the public; they are about standing up for what is fair and just.