Michael Klemm began his career on the ramp at United Airlines in 1992 and quickly became an active and respected voice within the Machinists Union. After serving as Grievance Committee Chair and Local Lodge President at Local 1322, he was elected Assistant General Chair in 2008. His record of strong, member-focused leadership led to his election as President of District 141 in 2015.

As President of the IAM’s largest and most active district, Klemm oversees more than a dozen contracts, including major agreements at United and American Airlines. He is widely recognized for his innovative “organizing through negotiation” strategy, which has driven some of the fastest membership growth in decades.

Under his leadership, District 141 helped establish $35 an hour as a new industry standard for airline workers and made outsourcing significantly harder across the industry. His work has secured more than $15.4 billion in wage improvements for IAM members, while strengthening job security, safety, healthcare, and pensions for tens of thousands of airline employees nationwide.