In his two decades as local president, Brother Al has prioritized members’ education and skills development. Several members have taken early retirement in the past year, so he is working closely with the local’s vice president and younger members who have stepped up to fill leadership roles to continue the essential work of representing members.
141 Report: Al Yamada, President of Sea-Tac Local 1351
A 35-year veteran of United and second-generation Machinist, Al Yamada keeps building the leadership team at Local 1351.
We travel via Zoom to Sea-Tac to speak with the president of one of the oldest local lodges in District 141. When it was founded in 1941, members of IAM Local 1351 worked at airlines that are now part of history, like Flying Tigers, Northwest, and TWA. Today, the local represents 315 members who work for United, American, and Hawaiian Airlines at SEA and UGE workers at Payne Field (PAE).
Local 1351 President Al Yamada worked for United in Chicago and San Francisco before he settled in Seattle and became active in the Machinists Union. He has roots in the area, as the son of a Machinists Union member who worked at Boeing for 30 years. Al served as Shop Steward and Conductor-Sentinel before he was elected president 20 years ago.
In his two decades as local president, Brother Al has prioritized members’ education and skills development. Several members have taken early retirement in the past year, so he is working closely with the local’s vice president and younger members who have stepped up to fill leadership roles to continue the essential work of representing members.
“Solidarity and strength in numbers makes the union go,” Al tells Dave. We couldn’t agree more.
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