The IAM began with 19 men in a railroad yard in Atlanta, Georgia in 1888. At the time, those trade union machinists earned 20 to 25 cents for a 10 hour day. 135 years later, the IAM remains an organization comprised of – and working for – working people across the US, Canada, Puerto Rico and Guam. IAM Headquarters are located in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. District Lodges are located regionally, including three large districts here in California. Underneath the District Lodges are Local Lodges, operated on a more localized level. IAM members run every level of the union – all the way up to the Grand Lodge (Headquarters) in this transparent, democratic organization.