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The following are machinists members that started out in the Sioux City area some moved on to other areas of the labor movement. All are/were members of Siouxland Lodge 1426 through out their labor history.
 Meet Dick Sturgeon // Meet Bob Nash  
Meet Eric Waldon  // Meet Milt Jenkins // Meet Jim Althause

George J. Kourpias
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers
International President 1989 - 1997

George Kourpias and his wife June

05/01/03
FAIR TAXES FOR ALL COALITION
ACCELERATES BATTLE AGAINST
BUSH TAX CUTS

AT THE AUGUST 2002 IOWA FEDERATION OF LABOR CONVENTION IN WATERLOO, IOWA, BROTHER KOURPIAS WAS INDUCTED INTO THE IOWA LABOR HALL OF FAME.

ON BEHALF OF THE MEMBERS OF SIOUXLAND LODGE 1426, THANK YOU GEORGE, FOR YOUR DEDICATION AND DEVOTION TO THE LABOR MOVEMENT AND THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MACHINISTS AND AEROSPACE WORKERS, AFL-CIO.

FROM THE AFL-CIO (IN PART) TO GEORGE ON HIS RETIREMENT

Brother Kourpias was born in Sioux City, Iowa on June 10, 1932. Throughout his life, he has been devoted to the highest goals of the trade union movement, and he has been a committed leader and an eloquent advocate for the cause of dignity, justice and democracy for working people and their families everywhere.
Brother Kourpias has been a leader in his union since first going to work as a young machinist in Sioux City, Iowa, in 1952, where be brought to his job the high trade union ideals and principles instilled by his family. Within a year, he was an officer of his local union, and he soon became active as an officer of his local central labor council and the Iowa State AFL-CIO. During his career, he served as an IAM district president, a Grand Lodge Representative, and a national vice president. George Kourpias was elected president of the IAM in 1989, and he was elected to the AFL-CIO Executive Council in the same year. As a vice president of the federation, he has participated in all of the federations' key policymaking committees, including his service as chair of the older and retired workers committee and the international affairs committee.
Throughout his career, George Kourpias has led his union in organizing and collective bargaining, but he has always stressed the importance of the active participation by union members in their communities and in every aspect of the legislative and political process. In his union, in the federation and in his service on key state and federal advisory panels, including the national  Advisory Council on Social Security, he has been a creative, strong and vigorous leader. As an innovator building and strengthening the labor movement's older and retired worker programs, and in his service as an officer of the National Council of Senior Citizens, he has also encouraged the valuable and energetic participation of retirees in support of the goals of all working families.

FROM LABOR NEWS, INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MACHINISTS AND AEROSPACE WORKERS.
SEPTEMBER 6, 1995

Joined IAM Local 1637 while working at Wincharger, subsidiary of Zenith Corp., Sioux City, Iowa.
Served his local as union steward, financial secretary, trustee and recording secretary.
Elected president of the Woodbury (IA) County Labor Council.
Elected president of the Iowa State Council of Machinists.
Elected vice president of Iowa State Federation of Labor.
Elected president of IAM District 162 in 1956.
appointed Grand Lodge Representative in 1964 -- duties included interpretation of the IAM Constitution, IAM Older Workers and Retired Members program, served as board member of the national Council of Senior Citizens.
Elected General Vice President  1983 -- IAM Headquarters Resident Vice President.
Elected IAM President 1989.
Elected to AFL-CIO Executive Council, 1990; served on economic policy committee; public relations committee; older workers committee.
Appointed in 1990, by U.S. Dept. of Labor, to serve on its National Advisory Commission of Work-Based Learning.
Vice President, National Council of Senior Citizens.
Member, Democratic National Committee.
Chairman, Aerospace Conference of the International Metalworkers Federation.
Member, Advisory Council on Social Security.
Appointed in 1993, by President Clinton, to serve as a member of Overseas private Investment Corporation (OPIC). First ever union official to serve on that board.
Re-elected, IAM President, 1993.

Retired, 1997-------------NOT!!!!!!!!!!! Brother Kourpias is now the President of the Alliance for Retired Americans. 
Visit their site at http://www.retiredamericans.org

FROM THE ALLIANCE FOR RETIRED AMERICANS.
JANUARY 2001

George J. Kourpias brings a lifelong commitment to the causes of workers and retirees in his role as President of the Alliance for Retired Americans. In his previous positions -- as President of the National Council of Senior Citizens (NCSC) and as President of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) -- Kourpias worked to promote and mobilize programs and legislation that significantly improved the quality of life for all Americans.

Kourpias, who vigorously opposes any privatization scheme that would permit investment of Social Security funds into the stock market through individual retirement accounts, served as one of the 13 members of the Social Security Advisory Commission appointed by President Clinton. After two years of study and debate, he was one of six members of the panel who endorsed a common sense approach to "fine tuning" the Social Security system to make it solvent for the next 75 years.

As Alliance President, Kourpias is continuing to fight efforts to privatize the nation's retirement program. "The welfare of older men and women is a serious issue for all Americans," notes Kourpias, "unfortunately, most workers do not have the investment skills necessary to insure a safe, secure investment for the future. The good news is that Social Security has always provided that security and should do it for the foreseeable future."

Other key objectives of the Alliance, under Kourpias' leadership, include: the enactment of a prescription drug benefit under Medicare and the preservation of the traditional fee-for-service Medicare program under which all seniors get the same set of comprehensive benefits.

Kourpias, who served as NCSC President from 1998 through 2000, began his long involvement with the organization in 1966. One of his first assignments after being appointed to the national field staff of the IAM was to mobilize the union's older workers and retirees into an effective, cohesive force to help advance pro-worker, pro-senior programs and legislation.

Kourpias, 68, is a native of Sioux City, Iowa where he first joined the IAM in 1952. he served his union in a variety of appointed and elected positions, culminating with this election to International President in 1989. He was subsequently re-elected in 1993. In addition to serving on the Social Security Advisory Commission, Kourpias was appointed by President Clinton to the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, the first union official ever to serve on that body. He also serves on the boards of Northwest Airlines and Allegheny Technologies, Inc.

 Meet Dick Sturgeon // Meet Bob Nash  
Meet Eric Waldon  // Meet Milt Jenkins // Meet Jim Althause

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of Siouxland Lodge 1426 IAMAW
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