[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 12758]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      THE SERVICE OF ROD WEIGAND, GRAND LODGE REPRESENTATIVE, IAM

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. MARTIN HEINRICH

                             of new mexico

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, August 1, 2011

  Mr. HEINRICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a notable 
labor advocate in New Mexico's First Congressional District, Mr. Rod 
Weigand. Mr. Weigand has served for the past 7 years as Grand Lodge 
Representative for New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming as part of the 
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, or 
``IAM.''
  In his role, Mr. Weigand has conducted numerous campaigns in the 
Aerospace, Service Contract and Automotive sectors of industry. He was 
also instrumental in securing collective bargaining agreements in the 
Service Contract arena which included White Sands Missile Range and 
Kirtland Air Force Base. His 31 years of membership, dedication, and 
service to the Machinists Union have centered upon core values of 
organized labor: fair pay for an honest day's work, dignified treatment 
in the workplace, and equal opportunity for all. In recent years, those 
kinds of organized labor struggles have come under increasing attack. 
Yet the strength of the labor movement is visible in leaders like Mr. 
Weigand.
  Mr. Weigand's dedication to the well-being of working New Mexican 
machinists and aerospace workers resulted in many sacrifices in his own 
life. Yet his work has been instrumental in mentoring numerous union 
activists in hopes of maintaining a middle class America, while 
allowing for those less fortunate to realize their American dream. This 
great nation should continue to be the land of equal opportunity as it 
was intended by our forefathers.
  In New Mexico, when many other sectors recently struggled or lost 
jobs, our innovative industries grew in revenue and contributed to our 
national defense, energy independence, and economic vitality. Those 
sectors are helping our nation's ability to rise to the challenges of 
the 21st century and they're also providing high-skill high-wage jobs. 
I appreciate Mr. Weigand's leadership in those New Mexican sectors, 
including high technology manufacturing and aerospace.
  I am proud to honor Mr. Rod Weigand for his continued leadership in 
strengthening the manufacturing and aerospace industry in New Mexico 
and for promoting the well-being of its workers. The impact of leaders 
like Mr. Weigand and the Machinists and Aerospace Workers is critical 
to New Mexico's future. As a result, today's workers enjoy benefits far 
beyond what they had before and in the words of IAM, ``it doesn't cost 
to be a union member--it pays.'' I wish Mr. Weigand and his family our 
best in all of their future endeavors.

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