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R. Thomas Buffenbarger Biography

R. Thomas Buffenbarger is the 13th International President in the 117-year history of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM). A journeyman tool and die maker from GE’s jet engine plant in Evendale, Ohio, Tom became the youngest International President in IAM history when he took the helm of the union at age 46.  First elected in 1997, Buffenbarger now leads more than 700,000 active and retired IAM members in Canada and the United States.

Buffenbarger is a member of the Executive Council of the AFL-CIO and was instrumental in launching the New Alliance, a program designed to increase the AFL-CIO’s impact at the grassroots level. In March 2001, he was appointed by President George Bush to serve on the Commission on the Future of the United States Aerospace Industry.

With duties spanning the globe as international president, Buffenbarger serves on the Executive Committee of the International Metalworkers Federation that represents 20 million workers in more than 100 countries and as president of its Aerospace Department. He is also a member of the US Treasury Department’s Advisory Committee to the International Monetary Fund.

Mr. Buffenbarger and his wife Linda have two children, Amy and Andrew. They live in Brookeville, Maryland.

Visit the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers website.