The IAM 100 "Model": A Debate
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[Excerpt] The last issue of Labor Research Review was devoted to what we called "the IAM District 100 model" for fighting concessions. Six articles over more than 90 pages explained the complex and sophisticated campaign the Machinists waged at Eastern Airlines to win a 32% wage increase and to preserve existing work rules. Three times—in March, June and October of 1983—District 100 Machinists had turned back the demands and threats not only of Eastern, but of the banks to which Eastern owes millions—among them giants of finance like Chase Manhattan and Citibank. But as the issue, which we called UP AGAINST THE GLOOM AND DOOM: Aggressive Unionism at Eastern Airlines, was ready to go to the printer, IAM 100 finally relented and gave up a concessions contract at the end of the year. What we were about to present to our readers as a model of union struggle had just been defeated. After we digested the sick feelings in our stomachs, we decided to go with the issue the way it was. On reflection we still felt that the way IAM 100 conducted itself in an impossibly difficult bargaining situation was a beacon for the labor movement in these troubled times.