SMART is the first building trades union to offer nationwide childcare benefits, setting a historic precedent for working families.
On January 16, 2025, SMART announced a transformative partnership with TOOTRiS, the nation’s leading provider of on-demand childcare services, to offer childcare benefits to members across the United States. This pioneering collaboration establishes SMART as the first building trades union in the country to adopt wrap-around childcare benefits for its members, with the benefit activating February 1, 2025, for participating sheet metal local unions.
“This partnership sets a new standard for addressing the real-life challenges faced by working families,” said SMART General President Michael Coleman. “We are proud to be the first building trades union in the country to provide access to childcare programs nationwide, ensuring that our members — especially apprentices and young families — have the support they need to thrive in their careers and at home.”
More information is available to SMART members here.
Eligibility requirements:
Available to members in good standing with children aged 0-12.
Local union must participate for its members to be eligible.
Please note: The benefit doesn’t cover the cost of childcare but gives members premium access to the most affordable options.
SMART members: If your local union chooses to participate, please keep an eye out for an upcoming email with instructions on how to claim your benefit.
Childcare: key to building our nation
Infrastructure investments and a resurgence in domestic manufacturing have driven huge workforce demands in the United States in recent years. Along with ensuring indoor air quality in schools, hospitals and other buildings, SMART members have been at the forefront of many large infrastructure projects, including the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) modernization, the Dallas-Fort Worth Terminal Expansion, semiconductor fabrication projects by Micron, TSMC, Intel and others, and many more.
The need for skilled workers continues to rise as projects break ground. However, childcare is frequently cited as one of the most significant barriers to both entering and staying in the building trades, with unpredictable schedules and mobile jobs making ordinary services less accessible. Additionally, childcare costs have surged over 50% in the past decade, and the shortage of providers has made securing care even more difficult. Apprentices and younger members, who are often in the early stages of building their careers and salaries, are particularly vulnerable.
SMART Local 16 (Portland, Ore.) member and Organizer Korri Bus detailed the impact of the childcare crisis on workers in the construction industry during Tradeswomen Build Nations 2023. Bus spoke from personal experience: Despite her love of her craft and dedication to her union, she had to step away from her sheet metal career due to the challenges she faced finding adequate, affordable and accessible childcare.
“Together, let’s build a future where no parent in the trades has to choose between professional commitments and parental responsibilities,” Bus urged TWBN attendees at the time.
Now, through its partnership with TOOTRiS, SMART is poised to do just that. With the newly announced childcare benefit, U.S. members in participating locals gain access to over 200,000 licensed childcare providers nationwide via TOOTRiS’s state-of-the-art platform, including programs offering non-traditional hours, drop-in care and 24/7 availability. TOOTRiS technology — accessible via the TOOTRiS app or online — allows parents to search, compare and enroll in care based on real-time availability tailored to their needs.
Local 17 membersChild of Local 265 member Mitch Geister
Growing our union
SMART’s new childcare benefit aims squarely to strengthen participation in the sheet metal trade, particularly among women and young families.
“TOOTRiS is proud to partner with SMART to tackle the childcare crisis head-on,” said Alessandra Lezama, TOOTRiS CEO and member of the ReadyNation CEO Task Force on Early Childhood. “Parents in the trade industry are the backbone of progress. By providing real-time access to quality childcare solutions, TOOTRiS will empower parents to thrive in their careers while ensuring their children — the future of our economy and country — have the foundation they need to succeed. Together, we’re building stronger families, industries and communities.”
“This partnership addresses a critical gap for families in the trades, enabling parents — especially women — to succeed in careers that were once out of reach due to a lack of childcare,” added Allison Grealis, Women in Manufacturing Association President and Founder). “This is a step forward for support and inclusion in the workforce.”
SMART hosted a webinar with representatives from TOOTRiS and local unions throughout the United States on Wednesday, January 15. Information on the benefit, member resources and more will continue to be shared.
On January 13, 2025, SMART Railroad, Mechanical and Engineering Department (SMART-MD) members ratified the national agreement with the National Carriers’ Conference Committee (NCCC)-represented railroads.
Annual general wage increases effective July 1 of each calendar year, totaling 17.5% (over 18.75% when compounded);
Paid vacation days for new-hire employees;
Accelerated qualification and accrual of paid vacation for tenured employees;
Various improvements to health and welfare benefits, including the extension of health and welfare coverage for surviving dependents, male sterilization procedures (i.e., vasectomy), as well as substantial increases for vision frame allowances (from $115 to $250 every two years) and an orthodontia lifetime maximum benefit increase from $1,000 to $2,500 per covered individual;
An optional high-deductible health plan with lower monthly cost-share contribution that will be available in 2026;
Increased opt out payment of $200 per month for employees who select not to have health insurance.
“The ratification of this agreement demonstrates SMART-MD’s commitment to negotiating for the improvements members have said they need: better pay and benefits, flexibility and increased quality of life,” said SMART General President Michael Coleman. “Almost as important is the fact that these negotiations were conducted in a timely, good-faith manner. I want to thank SMART-MD negotiators for their leadership and SMART-MD members for their engagement in this process.”
“I am glad the members ratified the national agreement,” SMART General Committee 2 Directing General Chairperson John McCloskey added. “It is one of the best negotiated agreements in my career and will provide meaningful improvements to the members, in record time. We hope that future rounds of national negotiations proceed more sensibly and result in fairer agreements such as this.”
CPKC, Union Pacific Railroad and Alton Southern did not participate in national negotiations this round and remain the only other freight rail properties that have not reached tentative agreements with SMART-MD.
I want to wish you and your families a very happy holiday season.
Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or practice your own tradition, this is a meaningful time. I hope all of you are able to spend these days with loved ones.
The end of the year is an opportunity to reflect on the past and look forward to the future.
The labor movement has been resurgent in recent years, with working people organizing like they haven’t in decades and union approval ratings close to all-time highs. That includes in our industries: More than ever, Americans and Canadians realize just how crucial SMART members are to our two nations. They understand the importance of the workers who manufacture and install HVAC systems and who help maintain the quality of the air we breathe. They finally recognize the essential work performed by freight railroaders and public transit operators. And they see the true value of our collective power: We are the workers fighting to raise the standard of living for our neighbors and communities.
With that foundation, we made history over the last 12 months.
We put members to work on megaprojects across the United States and Canada. We negotiated strong contracts across industries and trades. We fabricated HVAC systems for hospitals, chip plants and more. We won a nationwide two-person train crew rule. And we grew as a union, bringing in tens of thousands of new SMART members.
The truth is this, sisters and brothers: Our two nations simply don’t work without sheet metal and transportation workers, whether we’re helping build new schools or bringing freight from coast to coast. I want to thank you for all that you do — every single day.
The holiday season means different things to different people. But at its core, I believe it’s about our common humanity. As union members, that is one of our core values; the idea that every working person deserves safety, fair pay, a secure retirement and a life with dignity, and that we will organize together to win those rights.
That principle — our solidarity — will guide us in the future. As we close out 2024 and head into 2025, we will continue to stand united, to organize and to have each other’s backs.
Again, happy holidays from me, my family and the SMART General Executive Council. Enjoy the season, and please stay safe.
The strength of our union lies in the fact that every SMART member has each other’s back. From sheet metal workers on the same jobsite, to production workers at the same manufacturing company, to railroaders working in the same state, to the fact that we are all members of the same union, across the United States and Canada.
That principle was on display in December 2024, when the Recruitment and Retention, Roofing and Building Enclosure, and Production Workers and Sign Councils met in Cathedral City, California. Dubbed the “Three Pack Attack,” the council meetings convened sheet metal and transportation leaders from all over North America to focus on both holistic challenges and specific industry landscapes. Whether overviewing rail safety from a recruitment lens or strategizing ways to use the picket line to our advantage, the goal remained the same: growing and strengthening our fighting union.
“I certainly think we’re going to have our challenges,” said SMART General Secretary-Treasurer John Daniel during the Recruitment and Retention Council meeting. “But with every new challenge comes an opportunity for growth.”
Securing our future: Recruitment and Retention Council maps challenges, opportunities ahead
After President Chuck Greer (Local 12, Pittsburgh, Pa.) brought Recruitment and Retention Council delegates to order, Local 105 Business Manager Steve Hinson welcomed attendees to Southern California on Monday, December 2. Hinson talked about the importance of recruitment and retention to Local 105 and our union’s efforts to expand market share.
General Secretary-Treasurer Daniel then took the podium, where he looked back on the 2024 election results and touched on our union’s response — plus the outlook moving forward. During President Trump’s first term in office, Daniel explained, SMART’s apprenticeship programs and pension plans came under direct attack. Trump also appointed a number of anti-union staffers to key positions in the Department of Labor, National Labor Relations Board, OSHA and more, all of which impacted SMART’s ability to organize and retain new workers.
That said, Daniel continued, SMART will work with any candidate to advance the interests of union members. Regardless of the political climate, it’s our union’s job to ensure sheet metal and transportation workers are represented as effectively as possible — and moving forward, maintaining consistent communication with members in response to any anti-union developments will be key.
“We need to make sure we’re present on the jobsite, present in the shops,” Daniel said.
Jason Benson
SMART Director of Organizing Jason Benson delivered a detailed presentation on SMART’s sheet metal organizing and attrition numbers since 2019, giving attendees key insights into the importance of retention strategies that accompany our aggressive recruitment. Retention rates grew each of the last five years, in parallel with SMART’s overall membership increase. Still, Benson challenged the council to come up with new ways to keep members in our union.
“We’ve done a fantastic job bringing people in,” he said. “We have a great opportunity to grow SMART to be much bigger than what we are now. … We can all be better, and we will be better.”
Council Trustee Shamaiah Turner (Local 17, Boston) and Council Vice President (Production) Stephanie Bottke (Local 480, Faribault, Minn.) conducted an interactive workshop on succession planning at the local union level. Succession planning is crucial to SMART’s success — not just for strategic continuity, but also when it comes to membership engagement, preserving connections with local communities and more. During the session, attendees talked about leadership development, successes and challenges in helping members step up to be leaders, resources and more.
After lunch, Local 28 (New York City) member and Nontraditional Employment for Women President Leah Rambo took the podium alongside Nicholas Beadle, chief of staff for Workforce and Policy at the U.S. Department of Labor, and Tammi Fleming, infrastructure investment equity fellow at the DOL, to discuss building infrastructure with an equitable workforce.
Organized labor is in an opportunity moment, the presenters told attendees; one where we can use infrastructure construction demands to increase union membership and recruit more women, people of color and other underrepresented populations — securing greater industry strength and market share in the process. Now, it’s up to us to take on current impediments, from discrimination and harassment to structural barriers, and to leverage funding opportunities to revamp our recruitment processes, confront obstacles like childcare and transportation access, and seize this moment of growth.
The challenges confronting SMART Transportation Division locals can differ vastly from those facing sheet metal unions. However, many of the strategies SMART-TD has deployed to successfully take on these challenges have a universal application. Jerry Gibson, chief of staff of the Transportation Department, highlighted innovative steps the TD organizing department has taken in the last several years.
Jerry GibsonBus VP James Sandoval
Externally, the Transportation Division has organized eight new rail properties and one new bus property since 2019. But the real focus has been on internal organizing: educating and engaging members, improving communication (especially with members who are upset) and — perhaps most importantly — reaching out to those transportation workers who have left our union. By doing that, Gibson said, SMART-TD has greatly improved the number of transportation workers we have welcomed back into our ranks.
SMART-TD Trainer Chad Yokoyama then took center stage to highlight the risks of rail hazmat transportation. Every day, railroaders carry hundreds of thousands of gallons of hazardous materials across the United States — making Yokoyama’s session relevant not only to railroaders, but Americans everywhere. The risks of transporting hazmat and the consequent need for adequate safety and training make it a recruitment issue, he explained: Members need to feel protected when they’re on trains with potentially dangerous chemicals.
Council Vice President Shannon Kilgar of Local 30 (Toronto, Ontario) concluded the day, paying tribute to the Recruitment and Retention Council delegates who came together across cities, states, provinces and countries for one purpose: furthering the interests of SMART.
“Our success moving forward is of the upmost importance to our members,” Kilgar said.
Roofing and Building Enclosure Council meets to expand market share
SMART General Secretary-Treasurer Daniel, president of the SMART Roofing and Building Enclosure Council, called the council to order on day two of the Three-Pack Attack, with officers and members working to increase industry knowledge and to capture, maintain and protect market share.
After council Secretary-Treasurer Michael LaFleur, business manager of Local 63 (Western Mass.), reported back to attendees on the body’s finances and the 2024 MetalCon conference in Atlanta — which was attended by officers of the council — Assistants to the General President Darrell Roberts and Tom Wiant took the podium to update delegates on various initiatives that are either underway or ready to be introduced from the International, including the new maternity leave benefit fund.
AGPs Darrell Roberts and Tom Wiant
Roberts and Wiant reminded officers that these initiatives were the brainchildren of SMART members — similar officer engagement and proactivity will be needed moving forward. Finally, they updated attendees on the status of resolutions proposed by the council during the 2024 SMART General Convention.
SMART Director of Governmental Affairs Steve Dodd addressed the council next, recapping the results of the 2024 election and urging officers to continue engaging in the political process. Regardless of who is in office, Dodd explained, SMART will continue to fight for members in the political arena — and make sure to keep members informed on policy actions in government, both good and bad.
“Nothing is more meaningful than being part of a struggle for democracy,” he said. “When we fight, we do some good things.”
Steve Dodd addresses the council
Local 105 offered a multifaceted presentation on how the local has secured and maintained market share in the architectural sheet metal industry. Business Agent Ruben Richards overviewed Local 105’s history in the architectural sector — both declines and regrowth in market share — and discussed the current landscape in Riverside County, with more than 30 architectural companies signed to Local 105 (including multi-signatory companies with other unions). Richards emphasized the importance of training for the future and securing contractor buy-in to invest today in growth tomorrow.
Attendees then heard from signatory contractor Best Contracting’s Vice President of Operations, Alana Bowman. Best Contracting serves as a one-stop shop for building envelope systems in Southern California and is signatory to various trade unions; the contractor has performed work on projects like the Los Angeles Football Club soccer stadium, LAX, Crypto Arena, the Rose Bowl and others.
Performing all scopes of the envelope system under one contractor — and with one unified effort — could help locals and contractors protect and expand market share in the architectural sheet metal sector. But key to any possibility of success, Bowman advised, is maintaining a strong relationship between workers, their local unions and the employer, and pursuing effective communication at all times.
The moral of the story told by Southern California industry representatives is one of unified, forward-thinking strategy. That point was hammered home by Local 105 JATC Coordinator Ralph Aguiar, who touched on the success Local 105 has found by joining with trade partners and using brand-new technology to appeal to a new generation of architectural sheet metal workers. Local 105 is putting together architectural/CAD training for apprentices: training the future workforce to capture and maintain market share in the long term.
The presentation was well-received by attendees.
“The opportunities we have in the architectural sector of our industry are huge — let’s take advantage of it,” Funds Director Dan McCallum encouraged leaders in the room.
“We have to get outside the pond we swim in on a daily basis,” added General Secretary-Treasurer Daniel, noting the importance of such council meetings for pursuing innovative strategies related to training, technology and more in the architectural sector. “That’s what our members elect us to do.”
Joe Manso offers an overview of Canadian affairs
In the afternoon, Local 30 (Toronto) Business Rep. Joe Manso, Canadian vice president of the council, gave a summary of the challenges and opportunities in Canada’s roofing and architectural sheet metal sectors, focusing particularly on training, market share and the industry landscape at large. There are a variety of unique institutions attempting to encroach on SMART Canada’s market share, Manso said. Training and organizing can help SMART locals defend against them.
Mike Powers of Local 265 ended the day by describing and demonstrating a powerful tool SMART sheet metal locals can use to protect their work hours: letters of assignment. Written letters of assignment from contractors that provide concrete information about jobsite responsibilities can help SMART locals guard their jurisdiction, ensure union members are performing sheet metal work, and enhance transparency and trust in the local’s relationship with the contractor.
Production Workers and Sign Council plans to build power — on and off the shop floor
The SMART Production Workers and Sign Council closed out the Three-Pack Attack on Wednesday, December 4, and Thursday, December 5, helping local leaders increase knowledge to improve representation and worker power in the production and sign industries.
After Council President Derek Evans (Local 540, Mississauga, Ontario) called delegates to order, attendees got to work with an interactive presentation on picketing and information-based tactics to leverage in organizing, collective bargaining and beyond. SMART House Counsel Luke Rebecchi, Paul More of McCracken, Stemermen & Holsberry LLP, and Eric Comartin, counsel with the Ontario Sheet Metal Workers and Roofers Conference, offered a relatively comprehensive overview of relevant sections of labor/labour law.
Council President Derek Evans stands at the podium
That included the foundational laws that guide and protect labor relations in the United States, such as the First Amendment, Railway Labor Act, National Labor Relations Act and Taft Hartley Act. The Taft Hartley Act, More explained, outlawed some of the most effective tactics unions had previously used to advocate for their workers, namely “secondary” tactics. And there have been no major changes in federal labor law, he continued, since 1959 — despite repeated attempts, including the Protecting the Right to Organize Act. That means labor law is interpreted, implemented and enforced by the National Labor Relations Board, at the administrative level. It also means that employers seeking to disrupt the labor movement (and stop SMART locals from organizing) rely primarily on state law.
Comartin outlined the sources of Canadian labour law, which derived from militant worker action in the 1930s and 40s. In Canada, labour law is governed primarily at the provincial level, rather than federally. However, the federal 1982 Charter of Rights and Freedoms includes an enshrined right to freedom of association, which is one of the major differences between Canada and the U.S. That freedom has been interpreted as the right to strike, and it essentially prohibits provincial right-to-work laws (though some reactionary provincial governments are attempting to use certain mechanisms to pass such anti-worker legislation anyway).
The rest of the nearly two-day legal session focused on strikes, lockouts, picketing and secondary actions in both the United States and Canada. Along with the peculiarities that differentiate labor law from labour law — for example, the fact that in some Canadian jurisdictions, employers are not allowed to bring in scabs — the three lawyers talked about these actions’ potential impact, rules that must be followed in such scenarios, the different categories of picketing, and important considerations to be made around timing, picketing sites, planning and more.
On Thursday, December 5, the Production Workers and Sign Council put their education into practice, picketing two jobsites. Attendees then returned to finish the council meeting, receiving a rundown on what unions can expect — both obstacles and opportunities — from the incoming second Trump administration.
The Three-Pack Attack ended with another demonstration of what SMART solidarity means in action: On each of the three days of council meetings, attendees raised money for Autism Spectrum Athletics — a Southern California charity, founded by Local 105 member Manny Zapata, that gives kids with autism the chance to play sports with others. On the final day, the councils presented their more-than-$40,000 donation to Zapata — an astounding gift.
Overall, all three council meetings sent delegates back to their home locals equipped with new knowledge, skills and relationships that will benefit members across North America.
“This is how we grow stronger and keep fighting for the interests of the membership,” Evans concluded.
The SMART Education Department held its New Business Managers class in St. Louis, Mo., during the week of November 18, 2024. The new business and regional managers built comradery throughout the week as they worked on different group exercises focused on managing their local unions.
As part of the course, participants created strategic action plans that prioritized improvements in the areas of personal leadership, union representation, growth, resources, trust funds and community relationships. New business and regional managers also created a strategic action plan for their local and presented it to the class.
“The class will meet online in six months to see how everyone is proceeding with their plans,” said International Instructor Richard Mangelsdorf. “Well done, everyone!”
I want to wish all of you and your families a very happy Thanksgiving, from myself, General Secretary-Treasurer John Daniel and the entire SMART General Executive Council.
Today is a day to gather with those we hold dear. From the essential workers who manufacture, build and install the HVAC systems that keep our air clean and healthy, to the railroaders and transit operators who literally keep our supply chain moving — and who, even today, are transporting passengers and freight where they need to be — we know just how valuable these moments are.
Everyone has their different traditions on days like today. Many of us gather to eat turkey and stuffing with family and friends; others may practice different observations. But no matter what you choose to do, I hope you keep in mind a spirit of fellowship, unity and our common humanity.
For me, Thanksgiving is especially welcome in the wake of election season. Politics can so often feel divisive, and these days, elections are used by the rich and powerful to try and pit us against one another. Today and every day, please remember one thing: As union members, we are each other’s family. We have each other’s backs. No matter what’s taking place in the political arena, our solidarity is by far the most important principle we can uphold.
Organized labor has changed history time and again, and we did it through our unbreakable unity. All of us should be proud to be trade unionists; to be part of a collective movement to better the lives of working-class people from coast to coast.
I want to thank each one of you for the invaluable contributions you make to our union, our labor movement and our nation.
Again, happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy the holiday, and please stay safe.
Each year during National Apprenticeship Week, SMART celebrates the life-changing power of a union apprenticeship — from stellar pay and benefits to lifelong solidarity and fulfilling career paths.
Dee Lee, a second-year Local 85 apprentice out of Atlanta, Ga., has already plunged head-first into life as a union sheet metal worker — from working in the field at Warner Bros. Studios to organizing multi-trade charity projects. Learn more in her SMART Women’s Committee National Apprenticeship Week spotlight:
Are you active in trade-related activities?
I am very active in trade-related activities. I have gone to career fairs and organizing events with my local organizer, I have volunteered, and I even hosted my own SMART Army event, the Unions Unite project. Unions Unite is the new, annual, all-local volunteer event I organized in Atlanta involving multiple union trades, the Georgia Building Trades Commission, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance. We all came together to install a new courtesy dock at the Blockhouse Boat Ramp in Cartersville, Ga.
What’s one tool you can’t live without?
The one tool I can’t live without is my notebook and pen! It helps me stay organized and keep track of the things I need to keep track of.
What do you find frustrating about your job/trade?
I’d say the most frustrating part is coworkers that are stuck in their ways, or stuck in “the old ways.” It makes it hard to be a woman sometimes. It feels a lot like I have to work twice as hard to earn half as much respect.
What’s the coolest job you’ve worked on?
The coolest job I was on was my first jobsite in the field, Warner Bros Studios. It was really cool to see the studios and the campus, and find out how much I already knew before I got out there.
Each year during National Apprenticeship Week, SMART celebrates the life-changing power of a union apprenticeship — from stellar pay and benefits to lifelong solidarity and fulfilling career paths.
First-year Local 206 (San Diego, Calif.) apprentice Brandi Hartung has only just started her sheet metal career, but she already has a concrete goal of becoming a foreman one day. Read more in her SMART Women’s Committee National Apprenticeship Week 2024 spotlight.
What unique strengths do you bring to your trade?
Problem solving and adaptability.
What do you love to do when you are not at work?
Spend time with my family and go for walks at the park.
What are your goals in the future?
My goals are to be a foreman one day.
What do you find frustrating about your job/trade?
The math and trying to figure out bend allowances.
What’s the coolest job you’ve worked on?
Soldering mechanical pads.
Why sheet metal?
I was interested in getting into the trades; my friend was already doing sheet metal, so he told me about it. It sounded like a good trade to get into, so I joined!
Best advice you’ve gotten as an apprentice?
Be open to learning something new every day.
What do you think about Tradeswomen Build Nations?
I love seeing more women in the trades and programs that help with our solidarity.
Each year during National Apprenticeship Week, SMART celebrates the life-changing power of a union apprenticeship — from stellar pay and benefits to lifelong solidarity and fulfilling career paths.
The SMART Women’s Committee is highlighting female apprentices as part of National Apprenticeship Week 2024. That includes third-year Local 85 (Atlanta, Ga.) apprentice Zenobia Clark, who says she loves her current job “because I can show my daughter my daily grit and endurance.”
What do you love to do when you are not at work?
Nature trips, writing, spiritual pursuits and family.
Best advice you got as an apprentice?
Learn all that you can.
Best advice you have for an apprentice?
Be aware and steady.
What’s the coolest job you’ve worked on?
The one I work on now is the coolest, because I can show my daughter my daily grit and endurance.
What surprised you about your trade?
The endurance and adaptability necessary.
What do you think about Tradeswomen Build Nations?
I love to see women there that go through the exact same situations as me. I feel stronger for the year after experiencing this support.
Each year during National Apprenticeship Week, SMART celebrates the life-changing power of a union apprenticeship — from stellar pay and benefits to lifelong solidarity and fulfilling career paths.
As part of the SMART Women’s Committee’s National Apprenticeship Week spotlight series, Local 17 (Boston, Mass.) sister Areesa Willie, a fourth-year apprentice, talks about how much she enjoys learning new things in the sheet metal trade (and getting paid to do it).
What unique strengths do you bring to your trade?
I try my best to bring positivity to my jobsite. I like to keep spirits up at work. I’m not perfect at it and sometimes I need a little uplifting myself, but I want everyone I work with to realize they matter and what they do inside and outside of work matters. I’m also sober, and I am very open about that. I want anyone that needs help for themselves or a friend/family member to feel comfortable asking for help. We all deserve to be happy, healthy and free.
What do you love to do when you are not at work?
Spending time with my daughter is my favorite thing to do; hiking, getting lunch or coffee with friends, cozying up under the covers and watching a good movie, spending time with my animals and reading.
What are your goals in the future?
I want to learn and understand my trade fully. My goal is to become a mechanic and help others learn and aspire to do things the right way. I also want to be a representative of recovery for my union. I want to help others get the help that they need with no judgements, no stigma.
What do you find surprising about your job/trade?
I was surprised that I was actually not terrible at it and how much I enjoy learning new things about it. I didn’t realize that I would be so passionate about it.
