Jon Holden to join IAM as a General Vice President

Unanimously selected by the IAM Executive Council, Holden will lead the union’s training and apprenticeship initiatives nationwide

SEATTLE, WA (March 31, 2026) — Jon Holden, a powerful leader in the Pacific Northwest labor movement, will join the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) as a General Vice President, effective April 1. Holden is stepping into this new role leading IAM’s training and apprenticeship work after more than a decade as President of IAM District 751, where he stewarded a member-led, fighting union that won a historic strike at Boeing in 2024.

“Jon is a visionary leader with an unparalleled commitment to building worker power,” said April Sims, President of the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO. “In his time leading IAM District 751, Jon has demonstrated what it means to fight hard for his members while cherishing solidarity with the broader labor movement. It’s been an honor to learn from and work alongside Jon and I wish him all the best as he steps into this new role.”

Holden first joined the Machinists when he got a job as a Materials Management Specialist at Boeing’s Everett facility in 1997. Elected President of IAM District 751 in March of 2014, Holden’s leadership focused on growing unity among District 751 members, building up the next generation of Machinists, and fostering solidarity with the broader PNW labor movement. Under his leadership, District 751 successfully passed the Membership Bill of Rights at the 2016 IAM International convention, putting decision-making power in the hands of the members. Through internal organizing, Holden and his team built a strong, unified membership heading into contract negotiations with Boeing in 2024.

Jon Holden speaks to Machinists during the strike authorization vote in July of 2024. Photo: IAM District 751.

In September 2024, more than 30,000 Machinists struck Boeing after months of negotiations, unwilling to accept the company’s subpar offer on wages, benefits, and more. For months, Holden and the District 751 negotiating team had bargained with Boeing, holding firm on member demands for double-digit raises, improved benefits, commitments on keeping work in Washington, and improvements to safety practices that union workers had long been pushing for. When Boeing failed to meet those demands, voting members chose to strike by more than 96%.

Workers walked out at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, September 13 and maintained round the clock picket lines for 53 days to secure a contract that set a new standard for the aerospace industry. It was the biggest strike of the year and a massive news story, dominating international headlines for six weeks. Ultimately, workers’ solidarity and steadfast commitment to their demands won roughly 40% raises over the life of the contract, a $12,000 signing bonus, improvements to the wage scale, better benefits, and more humane overtime practices. Crucially, Holden and the negotiating team secured a commitment from Boeing that any new commercial airplane program launched during the contract’s lifetime would be built by Machinists here in the PNW. It’s an unprecedented contract, providing a model for all workers who want a say in their working conditions.

“Through this strike and the resulting victory, frontline workers at Boeing have done their part to begin rebalancing the scales in favor of the middle class,” said Holden in a statement after contract ratification. “In doing so, we hope to inspire other workers in our industry and beyond to continue standing up for justice at work.”

Photo: IAM District 751

In the lead up to the strike, Holden spoke with The STAND, laying out how the battle for a fair contract at Boeing was bigger than just the Machinists he represented at the table.

“This fight is for our current members, and it’s for those that follow behind,” said Holden in August of 2024. “It’s for the engineers, it’s for the salaried, non-represented workers, it’s for the supply chain here in Washington state. We are fighting for everyone.”

That clear-eyed dedication to solidarity, to the good of all, and to building something better for generations to come is a hallmark of Holden’s leadership. While leading District 751, he has also served as President of the board of directors for the Machinists Institute, an innovative program focused on skills-building and workforce development to ensure Machinists are always ready to meet the needs of rapidly evolving industries. It’s that training model that caught the eye of IAM; Holden will now work to build out a national program.

“From the shop floor to leading one of our largest and most influential districts, Jon has always put members first,” said IAM International President Brian Bryant in a statement announcing Holden’s appointment. “What he has helped build with the Machinists Institute is a model for the future of our union—one that expands apprenticeship, training and real pathways into good union jobs. Now, we have the opportunity to take that model and replicate it across the IAM, creating more opportunities for working people and ensuring the IAM leads the way in developing the next generation of highly skilled workers.”

IAM District 751 will now begin the process to elect a new President & Directing Business Representative to serve the remainder of Holden’s term, which runs through 2028. As he prepares to depart for the International, Holden shared a final message for the fighting Machinists of District 751:

“None of us do this work alone. When we stand strong together and recognize that we are accountable to each other, there isn’t any hurdle that can stop us.”