IAM Canada – Canadian IAM Representatives Join Hundreds of Workers at 2026 Women’s & Young Workers Conference in Chicago
The Canadian Office joined hundreds of IAM members from across Canada and the United States in Chicago for the 2026 IAM Women’s & Young Workers Conference, bringing together workers, activists and emerging leaders for several days of learning, connection, solidarity and action.
Held September 19–23 at the Palmer House Hilton, this year’s conference carried the theme “Emerging Leaders Building the Labor Movement of the Future.” The conference also marked the 30th anniversary of the IAM Women’s Department, which was established in Chicago in 1996.
Hundreds of IAM members came together from different workplaces, industries, locals and communities, sharing experiences and building connections around a common commitment to strengthening the labour movement.
Learning, Connecting and Building Leadership
Throughout the conference, attendees took part in panels, presentations, workshops, speeches and discussions focused on leadership, organizing, activism, solidarity and the issues facing workers today.
The sessions provided opportunities for members to hear from experienced IAM leaders and labour activists, exchange ideas and learn from the experiences of workers across North America.
The conference also put a strong focus on developing the next generation of union leaders. Through discussions and educational sessions, women and young workers had the opportunity to build skills, share their perspectives and explore how they can continue contributing to their locals, workplaces and communities.
Workers Take Their Voice to the Streets
On Monday, September 21, conference attendees also stepped outside the conference room and joined a Workers vs. Billionaires rally in Chicago to make their voices heard.
The rally brought together workers and labour leaders at Congress Plaza Garden, where attendees stood together around issues affecting working people and the importance of workers having a strong voice in their communities and economy.
The event featured speakers from across the labour movement, including IAM International President Brian Bryant, IAM Resident General Vice President Jody Bennett, IAM Midwest Territory General Vice President Sam Cicinelli, and IAM Women’s & Young Workers Department Director Dee Colbert.
From powerful presentations and thoughtful discussions to the excitement of meeting new people and standing together at the rally, the conference showcased the energy that comes from workers coming together.
Different workplaces. Different communities. One IAM.
IAM Canada – IAM Union Speaks Out in Ottawa Against Airport Privatization
The IAM Union is continuing to speak out against the federal government’s plans to bring private investment into the operation of Canada’s largest airports.
On September 22, Dave Flowers, President and Directing General Chairperson of IAM District 140, attended a press conference in Ottawa on behalf of the IAM Union to raise concerns about the impact of airport privatization on workers, travelers and communities across Canada.
The federal government has announced plans to seek private investment through long-term concessions to operate Canada’s four largest airports: Toronto Pearson, Vancouver International, Montréal-Trudeau and Calgary International. The government has said it will retain ownership of the land and assets while bringing in private capital and expertise to support airport operations and growth.
For the IAM Union, Canada’s airports are critical public infrastructure that should continue to serve the public interest.
“We represent tens of thousands of workers in airports and across the aviation industry in this country. We know airports and we know flying,” said Dave Flowers during the press conference.
Flowers emphasized that Canadian airports were built through public investment and that any shift toward private control raises concerns about affordability, accessibility, labour standards, regional connectivity, public oversight and safety.
“We need to make sure that Canada’s airports operate for a long-term public good rather than short-term private financial gain,” he said.
The IAM Union represents workers across Canada’s aviation sector who play an essential role in keeping the traveling public safe and keeping Canada’s air transportation system moving.
Watch Dave Flowers speak at the Ottawa press conference.
Sign the petition
The IAM Union has launched a national House of Commons petition calling on the Government of Canada to reject any proposal to privatize, sell or transfer ownership or control of Canadian airports to private, for-profit interests.
The IAM Union will continue advocating for an aviation system that protects workers, travellers, communities and the public interest.
IAM Union: Working Families Will Pay the Price for U.S.-Canada Trade War
Brian Bryant, International President of the 600,000-member IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) and IAM Union Canadian Territory General Vice President David Chartrand issued the following statement in response to the collapse of U.S. and Canadian trade talks, coupled with steep tariff increases:
“As a result of President Trump’s decision to impose a 50% tariff on numerous Canadian goods—and further threats by administration officials to ‘ban’ Canadian goods—Prime Minister Carney announced that Canada will match the incoming U.S. tariffs ‘dollar for dollar.’ These new targeted counter tariffs are concentrated in sectors such as steel and aluminum, appliances, agricultural equipment, and pulp and paper —all industries that directly affect IAM members and their jobs.
“This administration’s decision to continue escalating attacks against Canada, and the resulting trade war that will ensue, is deeply harmful to working families on both sides of the border—with no winners. The threat to thousands of workers’ jobs will not help address the affordability crisis, nor will it ensure domestic manufacturing increases for the benefit of workers on either side of the border.
“This administration must, now more than ever, listen to labor and working people to develop a trade policy that centers U.S. and Canadian workers and brings the parties back from destructive brinksmanship.”
The IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) is one of North America’s largest and most diverse industrial trade unions, representing approximately 600,000 active and retired members in the aerospace, defense, airlines, railroad, transit, healthcare, automotive, and other industries across the United States and Canada.
