01/17/2026
https://iamaw-international-association-of-machinists-and-aerospace-wor.read.axioshq.com/p/one-offs-main/61b74c7a-ddd5-44fa-8e65-4028daaff512/2bc4e1a9-83bc-4447-ad40-d98de54be4fe?utm_source=axioshq_readership&utm_medium=web&utm_location=readership_card
Dear IAM Union Family,
On Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend, we honor a leader who reminded us all—including the labor movement—that the fight for civil rights, human dignity, and economic justice are inseparable.
This weekend, I am at the AFL-CIO Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Human and Civil Rights Conference, along with IAM Union members and members of the IAM Executive Council, joining working people from across the labor movement to listen, learn, and share ideas about how we can strengthen human and civil rights, expand opportunity, and give back to our communities. At the same time, many IAM members are out in their own communities this weekend, rolling up their sleeves and giving back through service and solidarity.
We know that many may feel overwhelmed by everything happening in our country and around the world. In moments like these, the labor movement—and the IAM in particular—offers something powerful: a way to come together with purpose and solidarity. Our union gives us the strength to stand shoulder to shoulder, no matter who we are, who we worship, or where we come from, and to fight for the betterment of all people.
That belief is why the IAM has a dedicated Human Rights Department and why our union is a place where everyone is welcome. Dr. King taught us that progress is not automatic—it is built when ordinary people organize, lift one another up, and take action together.
I encourage every member to join us—get engaged with your union, become involved in your community, and find ways to give back to others. When we stand together and act with purpose, we have the power to make lasting change.
In solidarity,
Brian Bryant
IAM Union International President
