Melanie A. Stansbury

Albuquerque Indian School Act of 2025

in committee

Federal Facilities Protection and Oversight Act of 2025

in committee

Public Health Nursing Act

in committee

“Ms. STANSBURY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Gary Allen, who just retired as the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Western Territory General Vice President and was the President of Local Lodge No. 794 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Mr. Allen was first initiated into IAM Local Lodge No. 794 in 1979 upon his employment at the General Electric Aircraft Engine Plant. Following his father Ray's example. Mr. Allen involved himself in the IAM very early in his career at General Electric by being elected Area Steward in 1981. Only one year later, he was elected First Shift Steward, and by 1983, he was elected Chief Steward, overseeing the activities of all shop stewards on all shifts at General Electric. Mr. Allen also served as Local Lodge Auditor, Labor Relations Negotiating Committee member, Organizing Committee member, and as a delegate to then District Lodge 183. In 1985, at the age of 24, Mr. Allen became President and Directing Business Representative of Local Lodge 794, representing members at a variety of shops including General Electric, Greyhound, Fruehauf Trailers, and Arkansas Best Freight. He held this position until 1989, when he was appointed Special Representative for the Western Territory. In 1991, Mr. Allen became a Grand Lodge Representative, and in 1996, he was appointed as the Territorial Organizing Leader for the Western Territory, where he coordinated the organizing activities throughout the Western Territory. Mr. Allen was then moved to IAM Headquarters in 1997 as a Coordinator for Collective Bargaining and later that year was appointed Aerospace Coordinator in the newly-formed IAM Aerospace Department where he coordinated collective bargaining throughout North America with aerospace companies such as General Electric, RollsRoyce, Pratt & Whitney, Hamilton Sundstrand, and Raytheon among others. In 2003, Mr. Allen was appointed to serve as the Western Territory's Administrative Assistant, where he served in that capacity until 2009, when he was elected General Vice President of the Western Territory. Since 2012, Mr. Allen has represented the IAM as a trustee on the IAM National Pension Fund, the 6th largest multiemployer pension fund in the United States with approximately $8.4 billion in assets, providing over 80,000 retirees and beneficiaries with retirement security. Since 1991, Mr. Allen has also served his community as an Executive Board member for the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), becoming a Vice President of the Board in 2010. One thing is clear: Mr. Allen has dedicated his life to ensuring his fellow union members are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve both on and off the jobsite. His decades of knowledge and leadership will be missed not just at IAM, but across the union world as a whole. I wish him the best in his retirement. ____________________”

2025-07-17 · Labor