North Dakota
Hard Work and Hope Keep IAM Jobs Alive in Rural North Dakota – IAMAW
This article was featured in the IAM Summer 2024 Journal and written by IAM Communications Representative Angela Colaizzi.
Pembina is a rural town of 500 people in North Dakota just three miles south of the Canadian border. It is home to only one major employer in the region, the Motor Coach Industries (MCI) bus plant.
Jennifer Winkler, IAM Local W384 President, MCI electrician.
MCI has been operating in Pembina since 1963 and has provided family-supporting IAM union jobs to residents of its surrounding areas for decades. So when MCI’s parent company, New Flyer Inc., announced in May 2022 that it would be shuttering the Pembina plant and moving its work to their Crookston, Minn. and Winnipeg, Manitoba facilities, workers and community members were shocked, heartbroken and in disbelief.
“One or two of us left the same day they announced the closure,” said Jennifer Winkler, president of IAM Local W384, which represents the 175 members who work at MCI.
“It was shocking. We thought they were just reviewing the process here or making sure we were meeting our goals,” said Winkler. “We didn’t know the stand-up meeting was over a closure. So when they announced it, everybody was shocked. A few people were swearing, and others were crying.”
Local W384 members, who decided to continue working up until the last day in hopes that New Flyer would change its mind, asked the company what they could do to keep work in Pembina.
IAM District 5 Directing Business Representative Jeremy Pearson and Assistant Directing Business Representative Joe Schwartz were on the phone immediately with Winkler. The union had suspected the year prior that MCI was taking steps toward closing the plant and was prepared to fight it in every way possible, and at minimum, make sure that Local W384 members were taken care of up until the end.
IAM BRINGS THE FIGHT
The plant was set to close on June 8, 2023, a year after the announcement, and the union entered into effects bargaining with the company, but also jumped into action to try to change the company’s decision and keep jobs in Pembina.
“That was just the attitude most of us had, to continue to do our work well, and do what we needed to do,” said Winkler.
“These members have worked hard. They’ve never given up,” said Schwartz. “In every labor-management meeting we went into, we talked to about keeping the plant open. We asked them what the Machinists Union can do to keep the plant open.”
The plant manager gave hope to those who stayed that the company could reverse its decision.
“[The plant manager] always had that enthusiasm at our labor-management meetings that we could keep the plant open,” said Winkler. “He kept saying ‘I plan to retire from here. We have to do what it takes. You guys keep doing what you’re doing, and we can turn this around.’ I think that kept people working hard, hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst,” said Winkler.
Just a few days after the closure announcement, the IAM penned a letter to North Dakota’s congressional delegation asking for their assistance in saving MCI’s 175 IAM jobs.
The IAM Political and Legislative Department also raised the union’s concerns to North Dakota’s congressional delegation about the effect this plant closure would have on the area’s economy and surrounding communities.
Schwartz met with all of North Dakota’s legislators while at the IAM’s Legislative Conference. He had conversations with them about what could be done to give MCI incentives to stay in Pembina.
“One of the costs associated with this plant is that its energy comes from oil fuel that is very expensive,” said Schwartz. “They do have a natural gas line that is close by them,
and that’s one of the things that we’ve been pushing on legislators and local officials: to get that natural pipeline brought into Pembina so that the company could cut their costs as far as running the plant goes.”
The IAM Communications Department made sure the union’s efforts to fight the company’s plans were publicized in the press. The IAM launched a letter-writing campaign to North Dakota’s congressional delegation, asking for the legislators to push back against MCI’s decision and rethink devastating these North Dakotans and their families.
U.S. Sens. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) and John Hoeven (R-N.D.), along with U.S. Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.) joined the IAM’s fight and expressed their desire to work with MCI, IAM members in Pembina, and state and local officials to preserve these jobs and ensure the continued success of the Pembina facility, which MCI said is one of the company’s two facilities that “made goals” and “were profitable” during the first quarter of 2022.
HOPE FROM HARD WORK
The continued strong work ethic from Local W384 members, combined with pressure from the union and North Dakota’s legislators, held off closure in the short term. In April 2023, MCI announced the Pembina plant would operate until at least 2025.
Local W394 members kept up hope, and the IAM kept pushing for solutions that would keep the plant alive. The Midwest Territory offered to assist MCI in initiating a training program for Local W384 members, who have always worked on building diesel buses but would need to learn how to produce a new line of electric-powered coaches that were intended to be built in Crookston.
The company had invested millions in expanding its Crookston facility for the electric coach line, but that facility was proving to be incapable of fulfilling orders.
While IAM members in Pembina were continuing to exceed goals performing the highly specialized work to build custom coaches, the Crookston facility was failing to meet customer orders. MCI was having to move unfinished and incorrectly manufactured coaches from Crookston to Pembina for Local W384 members to fix and complete.
“At one point this facility that was going to close was the only facility that had met its production goals among all of MCI’s facilities,” said IAM District 5 Directing Business Representative Jeremy Pearson. “Even throughout all that turmoil, they were dedicated up here. They were going to continue to get their work done, produce high-quality buses, and show the company essentially what they’d be missing.”
Pearson contacted MCI’s largest customer, New Jersey Transit, to question if MCI would be capable of supplying the high-quality, custom motorcoaches they were accustomed to without the Pembina plant.
At last, in November 2023, MCI told the union that the plant would remain open indefinitely and that it was because of Local W384 members’ deep dedication and unmatched work ethic.
“It finally came across to the company that this is the plant we need to keep open,” said Schwartz. “This is our bottom line here. These folks know how to build a bus, and they continue with it to this day.”
The pride that Local W384 members take in building a valued and respectable product is what saved their jobs.
“In the end, that was one of the reasons the company gave for staying here,” said Pearson. “Because of the workforce and their dedication, MCI couldn’t leave here. They’d be losing too big of an asset.”
MAKING AMENDS
While the union had been garnering external pressure to keep the plant open in 2022, Schwartz and IAM Midwest Territory Grand Lodge Representative William LePinske had been negotiating with MCI about the implications of its decision to shut down in Pembina, a process called effects bargaining.
MCI had orders to meet before the impending shutdown and agreed to a retention bonus for Local W384 members who would stay long enough to complete the buses.
“The company had been adamant that the plant would be shut down,” said LePinske. “Our priority was ensuring that whether the plant stayed open a month longer or forever, these members were going to be paid for completing its final production orders and not just leaving, despite being told their jobs would be gone in June.”
LePinske negotiated a severance package with a definite payout on June 8, 2023, and even though MCI did reverse course, the company held up its end of the deal, and every employee got their retention bonus and severance pay on the agreed-upon day.
“This is an incredible story with a rare ending,” said IAM Midwest Territory General Vice President Sam Cicinelli. “All levels of our union were deployed in force and worked together. From the Local to the District, the Midwest Territory, and the International, this was a results-driven group of Fighting Machinists who never backed down. With the collective efforts of all involved, we were able to save 175 Machinists Union livelihoods.”
FARGO — Health officials say influenza cases are surging across North Dakota, hitting hospitals and clinics earlier and more aggressively than usual this season.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is tracking a rise in flu illnesses across the country, with roughly 8% of visits to health care providers labeled as flu-like illness, the highest in more than 25 years.
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DICKINSON — Property tax bills are arriving, and as inflation, taxes and property values continue to rise, many North Dakota homeowners are feeling the strain of higher household expenses.
Two state programs — the primary residence credit and the homestead property tax credit — aim to ease that burden by reducing, and in some cases eliminating, property taxes for eligible homeowners.
The primary residence credit provides a flat credit of up to $1,600 for qualifying homeowners, regardless of age or income. The homestead credit, meanwhile, reduces the taxable value of a home for seniors and individuals with disabilities, significantly lowering or eliminating their tax bill.
Eligible households may apply for both credits, further reducing the amount owed.
Primary residence credit: Who qualifies and how much is available
The primary residence credit was originally capped at $500 in 2023. In 2025, lawmakers increased the credit to $1,600 after Gov. Kelly Armstrong signed House Bill 1176 into law on May 3, 2025.
To qualify, a homeowner must own and occupy a home in North Dakota as their primary residence. Eligible properties include houses,
mobile homes
, townhomes, duplexes and condominiums. Homes held in trust also qualify. There are no age or income limits, and only one credit is allowed per household.
The credit may be applied up to the amount of property tax owed.
“We’re asking the public to take just a few minutes — please come to us, tell us who you are,” State Tax Commissioner Brian Kroshus said during a press briefing at the Capitol on Dec. 19. “That is the difference between applying the credit across the board and diluting it for everyone or having a larger credit amount of $1,600.”
Armstrong also highlighted the impact of the expanded credit in an
opinion column
.
“Since we more than tripled the credit to $1,600, the number of households paying no property taxes in 2025 has increased to 50,000,” he wrote.
Homestead property tax credit: Using health expenses to qualify
Unlike the primary residence credit, the homestead credit reduces the taxable value of a qualifying home.
To be eligible, applicants must be 65 or older or have a permanent or total disability, own and occupy the home as their primary residence, and have a household income of $70,000 or less. There is no age requirement for individuals with disabilities. Only one spouse may apply if a married couple lives together.
Households earning $40,000 or less may qualify for a 100% reduction in taxable value, up to $9,000. Those earning between $40,001 and $70,000 may qualify for a 50% reduction, up to $4,500.
Out-of-pocket medical expenses can be deducted when calculating household income. Eligible expenses include unreimbursed medical costs paid during the prior year for the homeowner, spouse or dependents. Subtracting those expenses may move applicants into a lower income tier or help them qualify.
Stark County Auditor and Treasurer
Karen Richard
said the credit has eliminated tax bills for many approved applicants.
“Out of the 725 approved homestead credit applications, there were 355 applicants who had a zero-dollar tax bill just from receiving the homestead credit,” Richard said.
She added that participation remains low.
“There are most likely many more seniors who qualify but do not realize the homestead credit exists,” Richard said. “Any way possible to get the word out could really help individuals living on fixed incomes.”
Applying for both credits
Some households qualify for both programs. The homestead credit is applied first, followed by the primary residence credit.
“By applying for and receiving both credits, an additional 149 applicants received a zero-dollar tax bill,” Richard said. “Out of 725 approved homestead applicants, 504 owed nothing for 2025 property taxes.”
It’s also important to note that either credit applies to special assessments, which may still result in a balance owed.
Applications for both credits must be submitted to a local assessor or county director of tax equalization between Jan. 1 and April 1 of the year the credit is requested. For 2026 taxes, the deadline is April 1, 2026.
Sarah Ruffin, who processes homestead and veterans credit applications for Stark County, encouraged seniors to seek assistance if needed.
“If you are over 65, own your home and earn under $70,000 per year, come talk to me about the homestead credit,” Ruffin said.
Homestead credit applications are available at
tax.nd.gov/homestead
.Primary residence credit applications must be completed online at
tax.nd.gov/prc
.
“The pen is mightier than the sword.”
As a professional writer with more than 10 years of experience, Kelly lives by these words. With a bachelor’s degree in communication, majoring in broadcasting and journalism, and a fiery passion for writing that began in childhood, she uses the power of words to make an impact in the community — informing, educating, and entertaining a wide range of audiences.
As a journalist, what Kelly loves most about her job is the ability to bring unique stories to the public and give people a voice that can be heard around the world. Whether through print or digital platforms, her goal is to share stories people enjoy reading while spreading valuable information that supports the welfare of southwest North Dakota and its people.
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