Workers across North America are increasingly turning toward unionization, prompting the IAM to coordinate specialized training for leaders who initiate contact with potential members.

The Basic Training for Organizers (BTO), launched in 2023, educates representatives on IAM organizing best practices and principles, aiding them in these crucial first steps. Recently, rank and file members from across IAM District 75 gathered in Daleville, Ala., at IAM Local 2003 for this training. 

To date, the program has trained nearly 150 leaders, many of whom are now responsible for new staff members who are cross-utilized as organizers.

“Empowering leaders through IAM’s Basic Training for Organizers is vital in our journey toward strengthening unionization efforts across North America,” said IAM Organizing Director Mike Evans. “We are not just training organizers, we are cultivating champions of workers’ rights and advocates for a stronger, united membership.”

The IAM is one of the fastest growing unions in the labor movement, seeing success in new fields such as healthcare, professional services, and retail. The IAM was the first to organize retail workers at an Apple Store in Maryland, and has seen over 1,000 healthcare professionals become new IAM members at Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center.