Retired International President Robert “Bob” Martinez Jr. has been inducted into the Texas AFL-CIO’s Labor Hall of Fame, recognizing his more than 43 years of leadership and service to workers in Texas, the United States, Canada, and globally.
Martinez began his union involvement in 1980 as an aircraft assembler at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Fort Worth and became a member of IAM Local 776A. Reflecting on his career during his induction speech at the Texas AFL-CIO COPE Convention, Martinez said, “When I first walked through the doors at General Dynamics as a member of IAM Local 776A, fresh out of the United States Navy, I wasn’t thinking about titles or awards. I was thinking about earning a living, taking care of my family, and standing shoulder to shoulder with the men and women next to me on the job.”
Martinez made history in 2016 when he became the IAM’s 14th International President—the first Latino to lead the IAM and any major U.S. labor union.
At the ceremony, Jody Bennett, IAM Resident General Vice President and longtime member of IAM District 776, introduced Martinez by noting his impact: “Bob’s story is a labor story. It’s a Texas story. And it’s an American story. Like so many of our members, he didn’t set out to lead a union—he set out to earn a living, protect his coworkers, and make things better than he found them.”
IAM International President Brian Bryant described Martinez as “a leader whose commitment to working people helped shape the modern IAM and strengthened the labor movement around the world,” adding that “this recognition reflects the impact he made not just in Texas, but the countless lives he changed along the way.”
During his time as International President from 2016 until his retirement in 2024, Martinez led initiatives that expanded organizing into new sectors and developed programs supporting members’ needs. He focused on increasing opportunities for women and underrepresented groups within union leadership roles while maintaining financial stability for IAM.
Martinez also played roles outside of IAM; he was part of several national councils including serving on the AFL-CIO Executive Council and chairing its Industrial Union Council. He represented aerospace workers worldwide as IndustriALL’s global aerospace chairman and advocated for domestic manufacturing policies through appointments such as serving on the U.S. President’s Export Council.
In accepting this honor surrounded by family and colleagues, Martinez remarked on his enduring connection to his roots: “For decades—whether I was in Washington, D.C., or wherever this work took me—everyone knew one thing about me: I represented Texas. I was a Navy veteran. I was a union machinist. And I carried the grit, the values, and the pride of Texas working people with me everywhere I went.”
He retired in 2024 after guiding efforts during significant events like navigating challenges posed by COVID-19 while working to protect union jobs.
