IAMAW UA TA Registration Page

IAMAW UA TA Registration Page

Agreement in Principle

Between The International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers, District 141 and United Airlines Holdings, Inc.

Active Committee Members can use this form to register for the IAMAW / UA Tentative Agreement Informational Meeting at the Hilton O’Hare on April 11, starting at 10:00 AM. District 141 will cover the cost of lodging, and United is offering positive-space travel. Once you sign up for the meeting, you can check with your supervisor for final approval and to book your flight.

The final day to register for this event is April 3 at 11:59 PM.

Registration Form

Which days off are you requesting?

Kris N Treder Named New District 141 EAP Midwest Regional Coordinator

Kris N Treder Named New District 141 EAP Midwest Regional Coordinator

Kris N Treder Named New District 141 EAP Midwest Regional Coordinator

IAM141.org

IAMAW District President Mike Klemm and EAP Director Bryan Hutchinson have appointed Kris N Treder to serve as the new District 141 Midwest Regional Coordinator. Kris will provide confidential guidance and professional help to the IAM/EAP Midwest Regional team and its members in her new role. Kris is a long-time United Airlines employee and has been with the company since 1995 when she worked as a Reservations Sales and Service Representative.

Kris brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her new position, having worked in various hospitality and airline industry roles. She is friendly and positive and committed to standing up for truth, justice, and empowerment. Kris was born into an airline and hospitality family, and her father was an active member of the same Local 1487 while working for Flying Tigers.

Kris is passionate about assisting and empowering her fellow union members, and her goal is to reach as many of them as possible in need of help. She is committed to building a trusted network, providing educational information, and having the knowledge at her fingertips to provide guidance to the United/Union family. She plans to create support groups and involvement opportunities to create the best work/life atmosphere possible.

Kris’s appointment comes at a time when the IAM/EAP program is needed more than ever. The program provides free and confidential guidance to union members and their families on a wide range of personal and work-related issues. Kris will work closely with the IAM/EAP Regional team to ensure that members can access the support they need.

Kris’s IAM/EAP program mentors have been instrumental in her success, and she is grateful for their guidance and support. She looks forward to working with the fantastic team of men who have welcomed her into this new role.

If you need assistance or guidance, please do not hesitate to contact Kris at +17085526454 or ktreder@iam141.org. You can also look her up on the District website, where you will find her contact card and profile picture. We welcome Kris to the IAM Local 1487 family and wish her every success in her new role.

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Kris N Treder Named New District 141 EAP Midwest Regional Coordinator

March 17, 2023

IAMAW District President Mike Klemm and EAP Director Bryan Hutchinson have appointed Kris N Treder to serve as the new District 141 Midwest Regional Coordinator. Kris will provide confidential guidance and professional help to the IAM/EAP Midwest Regional team and its members in her new role. Kris is a long-time United Airlines employee and has been with the company since 1995 when she worked as a Premium Service Representative in the Customer Service and Sales department.

Kris brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her new position, having worked in various hospitality and airline industry roles. She is friendly and positive and committed to standing up for truth, justice, and empowerment. Kris was born into an airline and hospitality family, and her father was an active member of the same Local 1487 while working for Flying Tigers.

Kris is passionate about assisting and empowering her fellow union members, and her goal is to reach as many of them as possible in need of help. She is committed to building a trusted network, providing educational information, and having the knowledge at her fingertips to provide guidance to the United/Union family. She plans to create support groups and involvement opportunities to create the best work/life atmosphere possible.

Kris’s appointment comes at a time when the IAM/EAP program is needed more than ever. The program provides free and confidential guidance to union members and their families on a wide range of personal and work-related issues. Kris will work closely with the IAM/EAP Regional team to ensure that members can access the support they need.

Kris’s IAM/EAP program mentors have been instrumental in her success, and she is grateful for their guidance and support. She looks forward to working with the fantastic team of men who have welcomed her into this new role.

If you need assistance or guidance, please do not hesitate to contact Kris at +17085526454 or ktreder@iam141.org. You can also look her up on the District website, where you will find her contact card and profile picture. We welcome Kris to the IAM Local 1487 family and wish her every success in her new role.

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Kris N Treder Named New District 141 EAP Midwest Regional Coordinator

Kris N Treder Named New District 141 EAP Midwest Regional Coordinator

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Can Mediation Break the Contract Negotiation Deadlock for AA Flight Attendants?

Can Mediation Break the Contract Negotiation Deadlock for AA Flight Attendants?

Can Mediation Break the Contract Negotiation Deadlock for AA Flight Attendants?

IAM141.org

On March 3rd, American Airlines’ flight attendants union and company managers requested mediation from the National Mediation Board, hoping to resolve an ongoing contract negotiation standoff. The Association of Professional Flight Attendants has been negotiating a new contract since December 2019.

Julie Hedrick, president of the National Association of Professional Flight Attendants, said the union was eager to come to a resolution.

“We are entering a critical period in our bargaining of a new contract,” Hedrick said. “We have had productive discussions at the bargaining table…and are prepared to work with the National Mediation Board to bring these negotiations to a close and secure a contract with much needed improvements for 25,000 American Airlines Flight Attendants.”
The APFA’s national communications chair, Paul Hartshorn, Jr., said they want to secure better pay and work-life balance for the union’s members.

He said that flight attendants are back to flying the same hours as before COVID but with a reduced workforce.

“Staffing was reduced, flight attendants are working more flights per day, working longer hours per day,” Hartshorn said.

In the last quarter, American Airlines reported a net income of $127 million. For the full year, its 2022 net income was $803 million.

The Association of Professional Flight Attendants includes more than 23,000 members at American.

Paul Hartshorn, Jr., the APFA’s national communications chair, explained that flight attendants are working more flights and longer hours per day due to reduced staffing and are seeking better pay and work-life balance.

On average, union contracts in the airline industry can take several years to negotiate. Factors such as industry conditions, economic stability, and collective bargaining agreements can impact the length of negotiations.

The negotiation process can involve multiple rounds of proposals and counterproposals. It may also involve the assistance of a federal mediator, as is the case with American and Southwest’s flight attendant unions.

The behavior of executives at American Airlines is the latest of many such examples of management taking a high-handed stance against their workers.

Over the past year, airline industry workers, including cabin crew, pilots, ground handlers, and air traffic controllers, have faced increasingly contentious and deliberately provocative company executives.

Recently, pilots at FedEx have begun openly discussing the possibility of a strike action at the shipping company.

On February 17th, the leaders of the pilot’s union at FedEx unanimously passed a resolution that authorizes Captain Chris Norman, the FedEx ALPA Chair, to call for a vote on whether to authorize a strike. This decision has received support from ALPA President Captain Jason Ambrosi.

Before a strike can happen, the National Mediation Board (NMB) would need to release both parties from mediation. Following this, a 30-day cooling-off period would need to take place, after which both parties would be free to exercise self-help, which may include a strike by the union or a lockout by the company.

FedEx pilots have been trying to reason with company executives since May 2021, to no avail.

The Southwest Airlines flight attendants union, TWU Local 556, also requested a federal mediator this past summer. Southwest’s pilots have threatened to vote to strike in May while American Airlines is still negotiating with its pilots’ union.

Seven separate workgroups at United Airlines, including pilots, gate and ground agents, trainers, load planners, and security guards, have also seen contract talks stall over management refusals to match new industry standards for pay, job security, and other benefits that have become normal for airline work.

The Machinists Union is part of a coalition of unions at United Airlines, including the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, Air Line Pilots Association, and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

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Can Mediation Break the Contract Negotiation Deadlock for AA Flight Attendants?

March 15, 2023

On March 3rd, American Airlines’ flight attendants union and company managers requested mediation from the National Mediation Board, hoping to resolve an ongoing contract negotiation standoff. The Association of Professional Flight Attendants has been negotiating a new contract since December 2019.

Julie Hedrick, president of the National Association of Professional Flight Attendants, said the union was eager to come to a resolution.

“We are entering a critical period in our bargaining of a new contract,” Hedrick said. “We have had productive discussions at the bargaining table…and are prepared to work with the National Mediation Board to bring these negotiations to a close and secure a contract with much needed improvements for 25,000 American Airlines Flight Attendants.”
The APFA’s national communications chair, Paul Hartshorn, Jr., said they want to secure better pay and work-life balance for the union’s members.

He said that flight attendants are back to flying the same hours as before COVID but with a reduced workforce.

“Staffing was reduced, flight attendants are working more flights per day, working longer hours per day,” Hartshorn said.

In the last quarter, American Airlines reported a net income of $127 million. For the full year, its 2022 net income was $803 million.

The Association of Professional Flight Attendants includes more than 23,000 members at American.

Paul Hartshorn, Jr., the APFA’s national communications chair, explained that flight attendants are working more flights and longer hours per day due to reduced staffing and are seeking better pay and work-life balance.

On average, union contracts in the airline industry can take several years to negotiate. Factors such as industry conditions, economic stability, and collective bargaining agreements can impact the length of negotiations.

The negotiation process can involve multiple rounds of proposals and counterproposals. It may also involve the assistance of a federal mediator, as is the case with American and Southwest’s flight attendant unions.

The behavior of executives at American Airlines is the latest of many such examples of management taking a high-handed stance against their workers.

Over the past year, airline industry workers, including cabin crew, pilots, ground handlers, and air traffic controllers, have faced increasingly contentious and deliberately provocative company executives.

Recently, pilots at FedEx have begun openly discussing the possibility of a strike action at the shipping company.

On February 17th, the leaders of the pilot’s union at FedEx unanimously passed a resolution that authorizes Captain Chris Norman, the FedEx ALPA Chair, to call for a vote on whether to authorize a strike. This decision has received support from ALPA President Captain Jason Ambrosi.

Before a strike can happen, the National Mediation Board (NMB) would need to release both parties from mediation. Following this, a 30-day cooling-off period would need to take place, after which both parties would be free to exercise self-help, which may include a strike by the union or a lockout by the company.

FedEx pilots have been trying to reason with company executives since May 2021, to no avail.

The Southwest Airlines flight attendants union, TWU Local 556, also requested a federal mediator this past summer. Southwest’s pilots have threatened to vote to strike in May while American Airlines is still negotiating with its pilots’ union.

Seven separate workgroups at United Airlines, including pilots, gate and ground agents, trainers, load planners, and security guards, have also seen contract talks stall over management refusals to match new industry standards for pay, job security, and other benefits that have become normal for airline work.

The Machinists Union is part of a coalition of unions at United Airlines, including the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, Air Line Pilots Association, and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

 

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Do Airline Contracts Expire?

Do Airline Contracts Expire?

Do Airline Contracts Expire?

IAM141.org

You’ve probably heard of the Railway Labor Act if you work at an airline or are a frequent air traveler. This federal law, enacted in 1926, established a framework for labor-management relations in the railroad and airline industries. One of the Railway Labor Act’s most significant features is how it governs airline labor contracts.

Compared to most labor contracts with an expiration date set in stone, union contracts at airlines never truly expire. Instead, they become amendable after a particular date. This means that even if a union contract has passed its amendable date, it remains in effect until a new agreement is reached. Another way to think of it is to consider a union contract at an airline or railroad as “updatable” after a specified date instead of “expired.”

This unique feature of airline labor contracts results from the Railway Labor Act’s goal of promoting stability and avoiding disruptive labor disputes in industries essential to the national economy. Under the Act, airlines and their unions must engage in bargaining and mediation procedures before any work stoppages or strikes occur. This is intended to provide a safety net against any disruption to air travel that could have far-reaching consequences.

Many union contracts governed by the Railway Labor Act have amendable dates about three years after they are signed. Once the amendable date has passed and the agreement can be updated, both sides have a 30-day window to request to open negotiations. The contract will renew if the parties do not request talks during this time.

It’s important to note that the amendable date is one of many opportunities for airlines and their unions to change their labor agreements. Both sides can agree to negotiate outside of this window, and many airlines and unions do so regularly to address changes in the industry and other factors.

The Railway Labor Act’s framework for airline labor contracts has helped to promote stability and avoid disruptions in air travel for almost a century. While negotiating new agreements can be lengthy and complex, it has also led to a relatively stable labor environment in an industry essential to the nation’s economy.

The Railway Labor Act got its name because it was first drafted to prevent powerful rail unions from paralyzing national transportation, which relied heavily on railroads at the time. Airlines were added to the Act once they began to rival rail as a critical method of travel and shipping.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) has been negotiating with United Airlines for months over new labor contracts covering thousands of employees. The two sides have made some progress, but one sticking point has yet to be resolved: job security and status protections for workers.

According to the Machinists Union, these protections are critical for ensuring United employees have a stable and secure work environment. The union has proposed specific language that would provide significant job security and protections for customer service and ramp workers, stores, trainers, and load planners at the airline. However, United has yet to include these provisions in any updated contract, leading to an increasingly tense negotiation stalemate.

By putting profits ahead of its workers and failing to provide the job security and protections necessary in today’s airline industry, United is positioning itself at a competitive disadvantage. Staffing issues continue to plague the airline industry as carriers seek to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. While most air travel was grounded in 2020, United offered lucrative payouts to entice as many people as possible to retire as soon as possible. The policy allowed United to pocket millions in unspent wage support payments the airline collected from taxpayers.

United, for its part, has stated that it is committed to achieving a fair and equitable agreement with its union workforce. Still, CEO Scott Kirby has repeatedly demanded the airline return to its dark history of outsourcing employees to low-wage contractors – a return that no union worker supports.

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Stay up to date with all the latest news and information from the Machinists Union

Do Airline Contracts Expire?

February 22, 2023

You’ve probably heard of the Railway Labor Act if you work at an airline or are a frequent air traveler. This federal law, enacted in 1926, established a framework for labor-management relations in the railroad and airline industries. One of the Railway Labor Act’s most significant features is how it governs airline labor contracts.

Compared to most labor contracts with an expiration date set in stone, union contracts at airlines never truly expire. Instead, they become amendable after a particular date. This means that even if a union contract has passed its amendable date, it remains in effect until a new agreement is reached. Another way to think of it is to consider a union contract at an airline or railroad as “updatable” after a specified date instead of “expired.”

This unique feature of airline labor contracts results from the Railway Labor Act’s goal of promoting stability and avoiding disruptive labor disputes in industries essential to the national economy. Under the Act, airlines and their unions must engage in bargaining and mediation procedures before any work stoppages or strikes occur. This is intended to provide a safety net against any disruption to air travel that could have far-reaching consequences.

Many union contracts governed by the Railway Labor Act have amendable dates about three years after they are signed. Once the amendable date has passed and the agreement can be updated, both sides have a 30-day window to request to open negotiations. The contract will renew if the parties do not request talks during this time.

It’s important to note that the amendable date is one of many opportunities for airlines and their unions to change their labor agreements. Both sides can agree to negotiate outside of this window, and many airlines and unions do so regularly to address changes in the industry and other factors.

The Railway Labor Act’s framework for airline labor contracts has helped to promote stability and avoid disruptions in air travel for almost a century. While negotiating new agreements can be lengthy and complex, it has also led to a relatively stable labor environment in an industry essential to the nation’s economy.

The Railway Labor Act got its name because it was first drafted to prevent powerful rail unions from paralyzing national transportation, which relied heavily on railroads at the time. Airlines were added to the Act once they began to rival rail as a critical method of travel and shipping.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) has been negotiating with United Airlines for months over new labor contracts covering thousands of employees. The two sides have made some progress, but one sticking point has yet to be resolved: job security and status protections for workers.

According to the Machinists Union, these protections are critical for ensuring United employees have a stable and secure work environment. The union has proposed specific language that would provide significant job security and protections for customer service and ramp workers, stores, trainers, and load planners at the airline. However, United has yet to include these provisions in any updated contract, leading to an increasingly tense negotiation stalemate.

By putting profits ahead of its workers and failing to provide the job security and protections necessary in today’s airline industry, United is positioning itself at a competitive disadvantage. Staffing issues continue to plague the airline industry as carriers seek to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. While most air travel was grounded in 2020, United offered lucrative payouts to entice as many people as possible to retire as soon as possible. The policy allowed United to pocket millions in unspent wage support payments the airline collected from taxpayers.

United, for its part, has stated that it is committed to achieving a fair and equitable agreement with its union workforce. Still, CEO Scott Kirby has repeatedly demanded the airline return to its dark history of outsourcing employees to low-wage contractors – a return that no union worker supports.

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Broken Promises: Informational Picket Draws Crowds at LAX

Broken Promises: Informational Picket Draws Crowds at LAX

Broken Promises: Informational Picket Draws Massive Turnout at LAX

IAM141.org

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) – A coalition of unions representing all unified workers at United Airlines held an informational picket on Wednesday at LAX Airport in Los Angeles. Rallygoers marched to bring attention to ongoing contract negotiations with the airline, which have been met with delays and bad faith bargaining, some of which have drug on for years. United Pilots, for example, are in the fourth year of negotiations with the carrier. 

The coalition, which includes the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) and the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), Teamsters (IBT), and Flight Attendants of America (AFA), included Pilots, mechanics, flight attendants, customer service agents, and baggage handlers.

United has reneged on several commitments it made to its workforce. In the lead-up to negotiations, executives promised that it would not seek to outsource jobs and that it would offer strong wages compared to other airlines. Instead, the company is trying to force union members to accept outsourcing and plans to pay the lowest wages of any of the Big Three airlines. Executives want lower than promised pay for gate, ticket counter, and customer service workers, in particular. The new pay rates proposed by United would sit at levels below similar workgroups at smaller airlines and discount carriers such as Alaska and Southwest Airlines. 

Further straining labor relations at the company is the issue of profit sharing. 

United announced earlier this year that a rush of summer and holiday bookings led to two back-to-back quarters that were among the most lucrative in the airline’s history. Over the summer, United reported total earnings near $1 billion. The carrier brought in a net income of $942 million, with an adjusted profit of $927 million. “Operational Performance,” one of the indicators that help determine the productivity of front-line workers, were among the best in the history of the airline. Over the  holidays, United again generated higher-than-expected earnings, totaling more than $840 million.

 

ALPA President,  Garth Thompson

The performance of employees was the driving factor behind the profits. In the Fourth Quarter, the on-time performance came in at an enviable 80%, allowing United to boast the best on-time and completion rate of any network carrier at three major hubs (Chicago, Denver, and Houston.) Moreover, United employees created the lowest fourth-quarter misconnect rate in the airline’s history. All of which demonstrate the critical role of front-line workers at the carrier.

The profits have led United to increase spending for its “Good Leads the Way” marketing campaign, and order new planes, among many other programs. Executives have also opted to give themselves lavish salary increases. CEO Scott Kirby alone now has an estimated net worth of more than $32 million, according to the executive tracking site Wallmiime.com. Compared to front-line workers at United, Kirby will take home $126 for each dollar a typical worker earns.

Yet, executives suddenly become tight-fisted when sharing the record profits with the workforces that created them. Ground and Gate agents and dispatchers at United are getting an anemic .84% profit sharing this year. Despite the airline’s difficulty in hiring new pilots amid a nationwide shortage, pilots at United are only getting slightly more – 1.7%. (United has also denied pilots a new contract for four years.)

Informational pickets have become popular among union members, as they help raise awareness about their workplace concerns while also demonstrating solidarity. These pickets typically involve union members gathering outside of a company’s workplace or other public location, holding signs to be seen by passing pedestrians and motorists. 

 

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Stay up to date with all the latest news and information from the Machinists Union

Broken Promises: Informational Picket Draws Crowds at LAX

January 25, 2023

Listen to this article >>

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) – A coalition of unions representing all unified workers at United Airlines held an informational picket on Wednesday at LAX Airport in Los Angeles. Rallygoers marched to bring attention to ongoing contract negotiations with the airline, which have been met with delays and bad faith bargaining, some of which have drug on for years. United Pilots, for example, are in the fourth year of negotiations with the carrier. 

The coalition, which includes the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) and the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), Teamsters (IBT), and Flight Attendants of America (AFA), included Pilots, mechanics, flight attendants, customer service agents, and baggage handlers.

United has reneged on several commitments it made to its workforce. In the lead-up to negotiations, executives promised that it would not seek to outsource jobs and that it would offer strong wages compared to other airlines. Instead, the company is trying to force union members to accept outsourcing and plans to pay the lowest wages of any of the Big Three airlines. Executives want lower than promised pay for gate, ticket counter, and customer service workers, in particular. The new pay rates proposed by United would sit at levels below similar workgroups at smaller airlines and discount carriers such as Alaska and Southwest Airlines. 

Further straining labor relations at the company is the issue of profit sharing. 

United announced earlier this year that a rush of summer and holiday bookings led to two back-to-back quarters that were among the most lucrative in the airline’s history. Over the summer, United reported total earnings near $1 billion. The carrier brought in a net income of $942 million, with an adjusted profit of $927 million. “Operational Performance,” one of the indicators that help determine the productivity of front-line workers, were among the best in the history of the airline. Over the  holidays, United again generated higher-than-expected earnings, totaling more than $840 million.

The performance of employees was the driving factor behind the profits. In the Fourth Quarter, the on-time performance came in at an enviable 80%, allowing United to boast the best on-time and completion rate of any network carrier at three major hubs (Chicago, Denver, and Houston.) Moreover, United employees created the lowest fourth-quarter misconnect rate in the airline’s history. All of which demonstrate the critical role of front-line workers at the carrier.

The profits have led United to increase spending for its “Good Leads the Way” marketing campaign, and order new planes, among many other programs. Executives have also opted to give themselves lavish salary increases. CEO Scott Kirby alone now has an estimated net worth of more than $32 million, according to the executive tracking site Wallmiime.com. Compared to front-line workers at United, Kirby will take home $126 for each dollar a typical worker earns.

Yet, executives suddenly become tight-fisted when sharing the record profits with the workforces that created them. Ground and Gate agents and dispatchers at United are getting an anemic .84% profit sharing this year. Despite the airline’s difficulty in hiring new pilots amid a nationwide shortage, pilots at United are only getting slightly more – 1.7%. (United has also denied pilots a new contract for four years.)

Informational pickets have become popular among union members, as they help raise awareness about their workplace concerns while also demonstrating solidarity. These pickets typically involve union members gathering outside of a company’s workplace or other public location, holding signs to be seen by passing pedestrians and motorists. 

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4 Things Most People Don’t Know About MLK

4 Things Most People Don’t Know About MLK

4 Things Most People Don’t Know About MLK

IAM141.org

Today is the day Americans celebrate the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. There are many aspects of his life that everyone knows, such as his prominent role in the Civil Rights Movement of the ’60s, his work as a pastor and union organizer, and the near-constant harassment and conspiracy theories he had to endure. Yet, there are still many chapters of his biography that remain largely unknown. Here are five things most people still don’t know about the Human Rights icon. 

Martin Luther King Jr.’s birth name was actually Michael King Jr.

Every year on the third Monday of January, America celebrates the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a champion of civil rights and a symbol of peace. However, very few people are aware that this historic leader was born under another name: Michael King Jr. Martin Luther only adopted his famous name after his father, a prominent Pastor in Atlanta, GA, changed both their names to Martin Luther in honor of Protestant reformist Martin Luther following an extended tour of Europe and Germany in 1934. While the exact reasons for the change remain a topic of debate, the elder King swiftly replaced “M.L.” or “Mike” King with “Martin Luther King, Sr.”

The younger King was more reticent about the name change. His original birth certificate was filed on January 15, 1929, when he was already five years old. He did not start referring to himself by “Martin,” in his letters until well into the 1950s, preferring instead to sign off with the initials “ML.” The first time he seems to have formally used the name Martin was in a July 18, 1952, letter to his then-girlfriend and future wife, Coretta. He ends the beautiful missive with “Eternally Yours, Martin.”

His name was formally changed when his birth certificate was updated with “Martin Luther” on July 23, 1957, when he was 28. 

Read more here >>

 

He was nearly assassinated a decade before his actual assassination

One of the stranger stories about King’s life happened on a cool September afternoon in the shoe section of a bustling Harlem department store when he was 29. King had become a national figure following the Atlanta bus Boycotts triggered by Rosa Parks’ refusal to sit at the back of a bus. King had written a book about the event called Stride Toward Freedom. While promoting the book, a 42-year-old black woman named Izola Ware Curry stepped forward and stabbed King in the center of his chest with a pen knife. She stabbed him with so much force that the blade broke off in his chest and remained there as the shocked crowd jumped to restrain her. 

Photos from the attempt on his life are eery. In the most famous, King is shown calmly having a wound on his hand treated while the blade juts from his chest, a small circle of blood spreading under his otherwise clean white shirt. (Take another look at the photo above.)

Curry was arrested, and it was later determined that she was mentally unwell. She died in 2015 after spending the rest of her life struggling with paranoid schizophrenia.

Read more here >>

His “I Have A Dream” speech was not originally planned.

The “I Have A Dream” speech delivered at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, is one of the most iconic speeches of all time. But interestingly enough, it was largely off-script; the words were mostly improvised. Before delivering the speech on August 28, 1963, in front of an estimated 250,000 people, King wrote a 20-page manuscript that his advisors had reviewed. However, throughout his speech, he made substantial changes – substituting facts with emotional appeals to rally civil rights supporters to action. The words “I have a dream” do not appear in his speech notes. 

The “I have a dream” section was almost entirely improvised and was based on a sermon that his parishioners knew well. Towards the end of the remarks, a voice can be heard calling for him to “do, ‘I have a dream! Tell them about the dream, Martin!” 

That voice belonged to Mahalia Jackson, a vocalist who had sang hymns to the crowd before King was scheduled to speak. King had often performed versions of what would later become the “I have a dream” speech at engagements around the South. But, he had not included it in his address at the Lincoln Memorial because he didn’t think he could fit it in. Hearing Jackson’s calls to him changed his mind, and King delivered remarks that would be recited for centuries. 

Read More >>

 

He was arrested more than 30 times.

King was regularly denounced as a “criminal,” a “Communist,” and a “troublemaker.” And police at the time were not reluctant to arrest him for any and every accusation made against the human rights leader. Over his career, King was arrested after being accused of standing illegally outside a government building, lying under oath, driving 5 miles over the speed limit, and tax evasion, among many other accusations. Notably, King was also regularly acquitted of these allegations by all-white juries that prosecutors had hoped would hand down lengthy prison sentences.

Exasperated, in December 1959, the Governor of Georgia, Ernest Vandiver dropped all pretense and simply outlawed Dr. King altogether. Claiming that King’s presence anywhere in the state would disrupt the “good relations between the races,” and that “wherever M. L. King, Jr., has been there has followed in his wake a wave of crimes including stabbings, bombings, and inciting riots, barratry, destruction of property, and many others” he placed him under constant police surveillance. 

While King certainly had powerful enemies but also friends in high places. Among them were John F Kennedy, Jr. and his brother, Robert Kennedy, who regularly made calls for his release from jail. Moreover, the arrests led to some of the most poignant writing in American history, as they allowed King to use his considerable skills to create such works as “Letters From Birmingham Jail.”

Listen to the Letters Here >>

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4 Things Most People Don’t Know About MLK

IAM141.org

Today is the day Americans celebrate the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. There are many aspects of his life that everyone knows, such as his prominent role in the Civil Rights Movement of the ’60s, his work as a pastor and union organizer, and the near-constant harassment and conspiracy theories he had to endure. Yet, there are still many chapters of his biography that remain largely unknown. Here are five things most people still don’t know about the Human Rights icon. 

Martin Luther King Jr.’s birth name was actually Michael King Jr.

Every year on the third Monday of January, America celebrates the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a champion of civil rights and a symbol of peace. However, very few people are aware that this historic leader was born under another name: Michael King Jr. Martin Luther only adopted his famous name after his father, a prominent Pastor in Atlanta, GA, changed both their names to Martin Luther in honor of Protestant reformist Martin Luther following an extended tour of Europe and Germany in 1934. While the exact reasons for the change remain a topic of debate, the elder King swiftly replaced “M.L.” or “Mike” King with “Martin Luther King, Sr.”

The younger King was more reticent about the name change. His original birth certificate was filed on January 15, 1929, when he was already five years old. He did not start referring to himself by “Martin,” in his letters until well into the 1950s, preferring instead to sign off with the initials “ML.” The first time he seems to have formally used the name Martin was in a July 18, 1952, letter to his then-girlfriend and future wife, Coretta. He ends the beautiful missive with “Eternally Yours, Martin.”

His name was formally changed when his birth certificate was updated with “Martin Luther” on July 23, 1957, when he was 28. 

Read more here >>

 

He was nearly assassinated a decade before his actual assassination

One of the stranger stories about King’s life happened on a cool September afternoon in the shoe section of a bustling Harlem department store when he was 29. King had become a national figure following the Atlanta bus Boycotts triggered by Rosa Parks’ refusal to sit at the back of a bus. King had written a book about the event called Stride Toward Freedom. While promoting the book, a 42-year-old black woman named Izola Ware Curry stepped forward and stabbed King in the center of his chest with a pen knife. She stabbed him with so much force that the blade broke off in his chest and remained there as the shocked crowd jumped to restrain her. 

Photos from the attempt on his life are eery. In the most famous, King is shown calmly having a wound on his hand treated while the blade juts from his chest, a small circle of blood spreading under his otherwise clean white shirt. (Take another look at the photo above.)

Curry was arrested, and it was later determined that she was mentally unwell. She died in 2015 after spending the rest of her life struggling with paranoid schizophrenia.

Read more here >>

His “I Have A Dream” speech was not originally planned.

The “I Have A Dream” speech delivered at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, is one of the most iconic speeches of all time. But interestingly enough, it was largely off-script; the words were mostly improvised. Before delivering the speech on August 28, 1963, in front of an estimated 250,000 people, King wrote a 20-page manuscript that his advisors had reviewed. However, throughout his speech, he made substantial changes – substituting facts with emotional appeals to rally civil rights supporters to action. The words “I have a dream” do not appear in his speech notes. 

The “I have a dream” section was almost entirely improvised and was based on a sermon that his parishioners knew well. Towards the end of the remarks, a voice can be heard calling for him to “do, ‘I have a dream! Tell them about the dream, Martin!” 

That voice belonged to Mahalia Jackson, a vocalist who had sang hymns to the crowd before King was scheduled to speak. King had often performed versions of what would later become the “I have a dream” speech at engagements around the South. But, he had not included it in his address at the Lincoln Memorial because he didn’t think he could fit it in. Hearing Jackson’s calls to him changed his mind, and King delivered remarks that would be recited for centuries. 

Read More >>

 

He was arrested more than 30 times.

King was regularly denounced as a “criminal,” a “Communist,” and a “troublemaker.” And police at the time were not reluctant to arrest him for any and every accusation made against the human rights leader. Over his career, King was arrested after being accused of standing illegally outside a government building, lying under oath, driving 5 miles over the speed limit, and tax evasion, among many other accusations. Notably, King was also regularly acquitted of these allegations by all-white juries that prosecutors had hoped would hand down lengthy prison sentences.

Exasperated, in December 1959, the Governor of Georgia, Ernest Vandiver dropped all pretense and simply outlawed Dr. King altogether. Claiming that King’s presence anywhere in the state would disrupt the “good relations between the races,” and that “wherever M. L. King, Jr., has been there has followed in his wake a wave of crimes including stabbings, bombings, and inciting riots, barratry, destruction of property, and many others” he placed him under constant police surveillance. 

While King certainly had powerful enemies but also friends in high places. Among them were John F Kennedy, Jr. and his brother, Robert Kennedy, who regularly made calls for his release from jail. Moreover, the arrests led to some of the most poignant writing in American history, as they allowed King to use his considerable skills to create such works as “Letters From Birmingham Jail.”

Listen to the Letters Here >>

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