IAM members from across Alabama recently met in Huntsville for the IAM Union Alabama State Council meeting. The event brought together union leaders, community partners, and political candidates to address key issues affecting working families in the state.
The meeting began with a welcome from Huntsville City Council Member Michelle Watkins. Delegates participated in discussions on legislative priorities, organizing strategies, and political engagement. Topics included protecting service contract jobs, expanding manufacturing opportunities, supporting union rights, and ensuring representation for working people at both the state and federal levels.
“When working people in Alabama stand together, there is no force more powerful,” said IAM Union Alabama State Council President Rickie Langford. “This meeting was about uniting our voices and building our strength across the political aisles for the road ahead.”
Several political figures and labor advocates spoke at the council, including State Representatives Anthony Daniels and Laura Hall, Dr. Will Boyd (candidate for Governor of Alabama), U.S. Representative Brandon Moore (candidate for U.S. Senate), Loren Almeroth (IAM National Assistant Political & Legislative Director), Galen Bullock (EBS Executive Director), DeLane Adams (IAM Assistant Communications Director), Nicole Fears (IAM Human Rights Director), Frederick Ross (IAM Benefit Trust), Pam Evans (IAM W3 Education Representative), Helena Thornton (IAM Southern Territory International Representative), Pat Keahey (Keahey Law Firm), and Jacob Morrison (President of the North Alabama Area Labor Council, AFL-CIO).
Speakers discussed challenges and opportunities for Alabama workers, emphasizing the IAM’s ongoing commitment to advocating for labor rights throughout the state.
Delegates also received updates on the current government shutdown and the IAM’s work to secure back pay for federal contract workers affected by the situation in Washington, D.C.
The Alabama State Council remains an important part of shaping the IAM’s legislative agenda in Alabama. Delegates concluded the meeting with a renewed focus on political mobilization.
The Alabama State Council Executive Board includes Rickie Langford as President, Gavin Brunner as Secretary Treasurer, James Tate and Joe Cleveland as Vice Presidents for North Alabama, and Anthony Holton and Michelle Hunt as Vice Presidents for South Alabama.
