Victories and Challenges Take Center Stage on First Day of SMART Annual Leadership Conference

With a strong focus on the victories achieved and the battles still to come, the 2025 SMART Leadership Conference kicked off this morning in New York City with a firm commitment to keep “Fighting for What Matters…Our Members.”

Opening Remarks Set a Powerful Tone for the Week 

Bringing together hundreds of Sheet Metal and Transportation Division leaders for three days of collaboration and education, speakers rallied attendees around the importance of standing with and for one another, no matter what. 
 
“Our fight has always been, and always will be, for the people who place their faith in us every single day,” explained SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson in his opening remarks. “In this Union, we fight for all the members all the time. Whether it’s in a bus, the cab of a locomotive, a bus garage, or in the Yardmasters tower — our members rise each day not just to do a job, but to stand with and for one another. This is what defines us.”

Welcoming new members into the fold is proof that SMART-TD sets the standard in the transportation industry.

“We are not just a rail union, not just a bus union — we are a Transportation Union,” explained President Ferguson. “No matter which side of the cab you’re on — or whether you’re driving a 40-foot bus or repairing track — there is a home for you here in SMART-TD.”

Attendees also heard from leaders from the conference’s host local unions, including the General Chairperson of GCA 505 Anthony Simon.  

Simon, a longtime fixture in the New York labor movement, discussed the fitting location for the 2025 Leadership Conference, connecting New York’s legendary resilience to the work SMART members and officers do every day.

“Here in New York, we know what it means to fight,” Simon said. “And I’m proud to say our members on the Long Island Rail Road stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our sheet metal brothers and sisters and all of labor in that fight, just as SMART leaders have done across North America.”  
 
“We are and always will be stronger together. One voice. If they come for one of us, they should come for all of us. There is no “I” in this team.”

Education Emphasized in TD General Session, Breakouts

Underscoring the union’s ongoing commitment to member education and engagement, the TD General Session emphasized the importance of useful digital tools, such as TD Connect and Microsoft 365, to create a new level of collaboration and information-sharing from General Chairmen to the locals in their jurisdiction.  
 
Led by SMART-TD Vice President Gary Crest and Director of Administration Matt Dolin, the discussion also focused on how General Chairpersons and State Legislative Directors can leverage members’ unique talents and strengths to foster, strength, unity, and improve communication to strengthen SMART-TD.

VP Crest reminded TD leaders to check their ego and leave it at the door.

“It’s all about the membership. It’s not about you.”

Afternoon breakout sessions furthered the emphasis on education, with discussions about Rules & Dispute Arbitration, Effective Lobbying, and Leading Successful Negotiations at the Bargaining Table.

Sheet Metal Members Fight the Same Battles 

During his remarks, SMART General President Michael Coleman addressed the circumstances our brothers and sisters find themselves in.

To put it simply, SMART and organized labor are facing constant attacks aimed at dividing us.

“Our solidarity doesn’t have divisions, and it doesn’t have borders,” Coleman declared. “But the fights are going to continue.”

President Coleman also referenced a recent op-ed written by Steve Forbes that accused SMART-TD of buying and paying for the hard-fought two-person crew (2-PC) rule.  

“See, people like Steve Forbes can’t imagine a world where working people have any power. They just can’t fathom that,” Coleman said.

Despite the barrage of attacks, President Coleman believes the future of the SMART union is bright.

“But let me tell you what gives me hope,” Coleman said. “This right here. This gathering of labor leaders. The solidarity we developed over the years. That is what this moment demands.”

General Secretary-Treasurer John Daniel used his remarks to speak directly to the officers in the room: discussing what leadership means, how we can work to continually better our union, and how important it is that we listen and learn to SMART member across North America — even as local officers work on members’ behalf.

“Let’s fight for what matters,” he said. ”Not just for our jobs. Let’s fight for our families. Let’s fight for our futures; our ability to look the next apprentice in the eye and say, we’ve got your back.

“I am here to fight with you,” he concluded. “We are here to fight together.”

In short, this year’s Annual Leadership Conference is off to a great start. Energy is high, and every leader in this union is building their skill set with the determination of representing and defending their members with the focus of living up to the theme of this year’s meeting: “Fighting For What Matters….Our Members.”