Fourth of July 2025: General President Coleman’s message to members

Brothers, sisters and friends,

I’d like to wish all of you and your families a very happy Fourth of July. Today is a day to celebrate the birth of our nation and the ideals that define our country — freedom, democracy, solidarity — and I hope every one of you is able to relax and enjoy a well-earned day with loved ones.

For many of us, today is a day for potlucks, barbecues, grilling, fireworks; for others, it may just be a day to relax with friends. For still more of us, especially our brothers and sisters in the Transportation Division, this is a day spent working, and for that, all of us are grateful beyond words.

For me, today is also about history.

July 4 marks the day that a brave group of people decided to break free from tyranny and empire in the name of liberty and democracy.

July 4 marks the beginning of a long journey for our nation, one that would enshrine principles like free speech and freedom of association — priceless for everyone living in this country, but especially for union members.

July 4 set the foundation for the many forward steps that our country has taken since, as together, trailblazing Americans have worked to make a more perfect union. That includes people like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln — and also Eugene Debs, the women of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, leaders like Susan B. Anthony, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Cesar Chavez, our SMART forefathers and so many more.

And, of course, it includes all of you, the hardworking SMART members who continue to build and move our country.

I truly believe that every day, SMART members from coast to coast are making the American dream a reality, doing their part to turn the words written on July 4, 1776, into everyday life. Of course, we do that by building schools and hospitals, transporting passengers and freight, and helping provide clean air and safe communities for our neighbors. But we also do it by fighting for the principles of our union. The principle of solidarity. Of looking out for each other. Of collective power. Of fighting for the working people of America.

Those are our values as SMART members. And they are our American values as well.

So this Independence Day, as you celebrate with friends and family, I hope you take time to reflect on our core values as union members. Those same principles are what make our country the greatest in the world.

I’d like to close by paying tribute to the generations of Americans who have given the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Your bravery and selflessness will never be forgotten.

Once again, happy Fourth of July — please stay safe, and enjoy the holiday.

In solidarity,

Michael Coleman

General President