The Arbitration program is designed to take participants through each step of the arbitration process, from initial grievance filing and investigation through preparing the case and the actual arbitration itself.  Participants are assigned to teams which prepare a case for a simulated arbitration hearing before an outside arbitrator at the end of the week.  The program emphasizes hands-on exercises in exploring Grievance and Merits of the Case, Research for Arbitration, Conduct of the Hearing, Theory of the Case, Case Studies, Duty of Fair Representation, Opening Statements, Evidence & Arbitration, Witnesses & Arbitration, Arbitration Hearing Simulation, and Brief Writing.

Prerequisites: None

Participation: Each class is limited to 24 participants. Participants are assigned by General Vice Presidents. Appropriate for full-time representatives or local lodge officers or members with responsibility for assisting with arbitrations.

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The Advanced Arbitration program is designed to improve participants’ skills in writing post-hearing briefs and preparing cases up-front. Participants write a complete post-hearing brief and work with actual IAM case studies to develop a theory of the case and opening statements for complex contract interpretation issues.

Prerequisites: Completion of the Arbitration program or extensive prior arbitration experience as an advocate.

Participation: Each class is limited to 18 participants. Participants are assigned by General Vice Presidents. Appropriate for full-time representatives or local lodge officers or members with responsibility for and extensive experience in assisting with arbitrations.

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The Collective Bargaining program offers participants a unique opportunity to analyze, build, and practice effective bargaining techniques which are useful in an ever-changing bargaining environment. Participants are divided into teams and assigned specific objectives to attain in a simulated bargaining session which ends the week. Topics covered include Bargaining Timeline – Preparation for Bargaining, Negotiating Committees, Power Analysis, Collective Bargaining, and the Law, Contract Costing, Research for Negotiations, and Drafting and Presenting Proposals.

Prerequisites: None.

Participation: Each class is limited to 24 participants. Participants are assigned by General Vice Presidents. Appropriate for full time representatives as well as members with negotiation responsibilities.

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The Advanced Collective Bargaining Program is designed to familiarize participants with the IAM’s collective bargaining software (MCBP). Participants receive a copy of the MCBP software at the conclusion of the program. Most of the program takes place in the computer lab and topics covered include Familiarization with MCPT (the IAM’s costing software), Contract and Proposal Costing, Analyzing Corporate Financial Data and Ability to Pay, Bargaining Timeline, Trends and Strategies in Bargaining, and Using Excel for negotiations.

Prerequisites: Experience costing contracts is strongly recommended, completion of the Collective Bargaining Program may substitute in lieu of costing experience. Familiarity with computers helpful but not necessary.

Participation: Each class is limited to 24 participants. Participants are assigned by General Vice Presidents. Appropriate for full-time representatives.

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The First Contract Program is designed to help participants develop the skills and strategies important in obtaining a first contract in a newly organized workplace. Working with actual IAM first contract case studies, the focus is on building the union while transitioning from the organizing campaign to the contract campaign through the following topics: the Organizing Model, Legal and Community Pressure, Offensive Bargaining, First Contract Power Analysis, and Member/Steward Training and Communications.

Prerequisites: None.

Participation: Each class is limited to 24 participants. Participants are assigned by General Vice Presidents. Appropriate for full-time representatives as well as local or district lodge organizing committee members.

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The Foundational Skills program is designed to make new full time representatives aware of their responsibilities and the services available to them as well as to enhance their personal and technical skills. New representatives’ ability to better serve the membership and grow the union are developed through the following: Labor History, Grand Lodge Structure & Services, Lodge Operations, Pension Basics, Computational Math, Legal Issues, and Media Relations.

Prerequisites: None

Participation: Each class is limited to 24 participants. Participants are assigned by General Vice Presidents. Appropriate for recently elected or appointed full-time representatives.

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The Local Lodge History Project provides active and retired members with the skills and techniques necessary to tell the history of their local lodge. Topics include: Importance of Local Lodge History, Choosing & Organizing a Local Lodge History Project, Creating and Using Oral History Interviews, Keeping Union Records, Research with Historical Resources, and Preserving and Displaying Union Records.

Prerequisites: None

Participation: Each class is limited to 24 participants. Participants are selected by local lodges in accordance with IAM policies or assigned by a General Vice President.

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The Negotiation Defined Contribution Plans program is designed to give participants a detailed understanding of the features and issues involved in defined contribution pension plans – primarily 401(k) plans – in order to more effectively deal with the trend of employers attempting to move from traditional defined benefit pension plans. Topics covered include: Plan Design and Bench Marking, Legal Issues, Fees, Costing, Targeting Benefits, Proposal Development, Investments, and Multi-employer Plans.

Prerequisites: None

Participation: Each class is limited to 24 participants. Participants are assigned by General Vice Presidents. Appropriate for full-time representatives and members with substantial bargaining and/or benefits responsibilities.

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The Negotiation Preparation for Bargaining Committees program is designed to help bargaining committees and representatives develop a constructive and unified approach to negotiations in difficult circumstances (divided committee, limited bargaining experience, decertification threat, disappointing prior negotiation experience, etc.) The bargaining committee and representative work together to produce tools and plans necessary for the specific negotiation they are preparing for through the following customizable modules: Negotiating Committee Responsibilities & Ground Rules, Developing a Bargaining Calendar, Bargaining Surveys, Research for Negotiations, Power Analysis, Contract & Proposal Costing, Drafting Contract Language, Presenting Proposals, Membership Communication, and Membership Mobilization Strategies.

Prerequisites: None

Participation: Programs are scheduled at the request of a General Vice President with each territory allotted up to two programs per year. Participants should include the full bargaining committee plus the servicing representative.

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The Organizing I program is designed to help participants develop the skills and strategies necessary to organize groups of workers. Working with case studies from IAM organizing campaigns, the focus is on developing essential communication and message skills as well as understanding the essential elements of a plan for organizing success through the following topics: elements of a comprehensive strategic campaign, face to face communication, identifying and recruiting the internal organizing team, the company campaign, issue organizing, messaging, and working with allies.

Prerequisites: None

Participation: Each class is limited to 24 participants. Participants are assigned by General Vice Presidents. Appropriate for full-time representatives as well as rank and file organizing activists, including members of district and local lodge organizing committees.

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The Organizing II program is designed to help participants understand and development some of the skills and knowledge needed to act as a lead organizer in an organizing campaign. Participants work on developing a strategic plan for an actual organizing campaign and also explore various topics through a case study of an innovative IAM organizing campaign. Topics covered include campaign and work plans, strategic research, debriefing, lead and leadership development, building and assessing support, leading other organizers, message and theme development, and working with allies and media.

Prerequisites: Organizing I

Participation: Each class is limited to 24 participants. Participants are assigned by General Vice Presidents. Appropriate for full-time representatives as well as rank and file organizing activists, including members of district and local lodge organizing committees.

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The Organizing III program provides instruction on how to organize field training, and reviews principles and techniques for effective adult education and training and how to adapt training materials for different situations. Participants practice multiple simulated training sessions with feedback from instructors.

Prerequisites: Organizing I & Organizing II

Participation: Each class is limited to 24 participants. Participants are assigned by General Vice Presidents. Appropriate for full-time representatives as well as local or district lodge organizing committee members or local or district lodge educators.

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The Pension Fundamentals program and the separate Pension Fundamentals – Canadian program are designed to help participants develop the skills and techniques necessary to effectively negotiate and represent IAM members in the complex area of pensions. The Pension Fundamentals program focusses on defined benefit pension plans, with a separate program covering defined contribution plans.

Topics for United States pensions include Pension Trends, Plan Design, Single and Multi-Employer Plans, Understanding Actuarial Concepts, Costing and Negotiations, Legal Issues, Pension Terminations and the PBGC, Pension-Related Internet Resources, and Membership Education & Communication Strategies.

Topics for Canadian pensions include Basic Pension Concepts, Public Pension System, Private Pension Plans, IAM Multi-Employer Plans, Using an Actuarial Report, Pension Fund Investments, and Sales/Windups/Surpluses.

Prerequisites: None

Participation: Each class is limited to 24 participants. Participants are assigned by General Vice Presidents. Appropriate for full-time representatives and members with substantial bargaining and/or benefits responsibilities

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