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Big and exciting developments are underway in Canada’s unionized construction industry, signaling strong growth, major investments and new opportunities across the country.

One standout moment reflecting this momentum was the welcoming of General President Michael Coleman and General Secretary-Treasurer John Daniel to our Canadian Convention, where they had the opportunity to meet with local leaders and witness our talented appren­tices showcase their craft during the highly antici­pated skills competition.

SMART Canada is also celebrating the recent mobilization of over 450 members to support Local 235 in Windsor for the Stellantis electric vehicle battery plant megaproject, one of the largest green energy projects in the country. At the project’s peak, more than 950 SMART members were on site, demonstrating our union’s capacity to rapidly scale up a skilled workforce to meet the industry’s demand. Our signatory contractor, Lancaster, was particularly impressed with the efficiency and impact of the mobilization, which showcased SMART’s reputation as a reliable partner in delivering complex and high-profile projects.

We are building on this megaproject momentum as Canada’s newly elected prime minister, Mark Carney, successfully passed Bill C-5, An Act to enact the Free Trade and Labour Mobility Act and the Building Canada Act. This legislation will provide the regulatory reform that Canada’s Building Trades Unions have been advocating for to expedite the construction of major projects. Projects deemed in the national interest will have a reduced approval time, from five years to two years, enabling thousands of SMART members to access jobsites more quickly and provide long-term job stability and economic benefits to our members and their families.

As the nation continues to prioritize sustainability and nation-building projects, there will be an increased focus on green energy projects, which SMART is fully prepared to support with a skilled, job-ready workforce. Through a recent $8.9 million investment in federal funding, more than 2,000 SMART members will be able to upgrade their skills through training curricula and online learning tools focused on the future of clean technology. This funding announcement is a sign that Canada’s federal government sees SMART workers as key to building Canada’s future.

Another key invest­ment in the skilled trades, and in SMART specifi­cally, is the Government of Ontario’s funding of over $1 million to build a training centre in Thunder Bay at Local 397. This invest­ment will support the construction of a dedicated facility for sheet metal workers and roofers, with the capacity to train and upskill 760 individuals over a five-year period through pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeships.

This investment is a testament to SMART’s strong and collaborative relationships with all levels of govern­ment, reflecting the recognition that labour unions play a critical role in expanding career opportunities, driving economic growth and delivering state-of-the-art training. Together, we are helping to create a stronger skilled trades workforce across Canada.

As we continue to strengthen our relationships with provincial and federal governments, we are growing in capacity, preparing for increased work opportunities and building a stronger, more secure future together.

In solidarity,

Jack Wall

Director of Canadian Affairs

On June 30, 2025, Brother Greg Hynes, director of the SMART-TD National Safety and Legislative Department, officially retired. While his departure left large shoes to fill, the legacy he leaves behind is one that will guide and inspire our mission for generations to come.

Brother Hynes’s decades-long commitment to SMART-TD was not just a job, it was a calling. That calling not only changed the lives of TD members, it reshaped the landscape of labor advocacy across the country.

“It’s one thing to be a railroader and complain about the conditions. It’s another thing to stand up and do something about it. That’s what I did, and it’s been the greatest honor of my life,” Hynes said.

A lifelong unionist

Greg Hynes’ journey in railroading began not just with a job but with a legacy. A fifth-generation railroader born in Winslow, Arizona, Brother Hynes hired out with Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway in Los Angeles in 1995 before transferring to Phoenix in 1997. It didn’t take long for Greg to make his mark in union leadership. By 2003, he was elected legislative representative for Local 1081 in Glendale. One year later, he became Arizona’s assistant state legislative director and ascended to state director by 2009, a position he held with distinction until he was called to serve on a national scale. 

Building a national legacy: from the locomotive cab to the nation’s capital

Hynes’s contributions to SMART-TD and rail labor are monumental. After chairing the UTU Rail Safety Task Force in 2009, he was elected alternate national legislative director in 2014 and took over as national legislative director in 2019, a role to which he was re-elected in 2024. Under his leadership, the Safety and Legislative Department transformed into one of the most effective engines for labor advocacy in the nation. 

He wasn’t just present in Washington, DC; he wore out the steps of the Capitol. Whether walking the halls of Congress or visiting statehouses across the country, Brother Hynes made it his mission to ensure that the voices of SMART-TD members (rail and bus alike) were heard, respected, and protected. 

Perhaps no achievement shines brighter than his role in the landmark 2024 federal rulemaking mandating two-person freight crews across the United States. While many claimed credit, those who know the story understand that Greg Hynes was the unstoppable force behind that victory. 

His fingerprints are also all over the push for paid sick leave for rail workers, a victory realized for 90% of the industry in no small part because of Greg’s tenacity. He was instrumental in championing the 2024 REEF Act, guaranteeing equitable treatment for railroaders receiving Railroad Retirement Board benefits.

These were not just policy wins. They were quality-of-life wins for his brothers and sisters. 

Forging new traditions in labor advocacy

Hynes didn’t follow tradition; he created new ones. He redefined Railroad Day on the Hill from an industry event into the most powerful lobbying effort for rail labor, giving members direct access and influence in shaping policy. He also pioneered Bus and Transit Safety Day on the Hill, which immediately bore fruit in the form of stronger assault prevention regulations out of the FTA. The next event is already scheduled for this fall, a testament to the momentum Greg built. 

From the Federal Railroad Administration’s RSAC to the SOFA Working Group and the Department of Transportation’s Advisory Committee on Human Trafficking, Greg’s influence radiated throughout the national transportation policy landscape. 

Part of Greg’s lasting impact on this union will undoubtedly be the example he set for those brothers and sisters that will take up the mantle. Brother Jared Cassity, who served as Greg’s Deputy Director starting in 2019, said: “It has been an absolute honor and privilege to work alongside Greg for the past five years. I am grateful to him for his willingness to accept me into the office, to pass along his knowledge, and for being a good friend. There is no one I would have rather learned the intricacies of DC with than him. He has been a warrior for SMART-TD and for all working families, leaving a legacy that is sure to live on. His presence will be missed, but I congratulate him on a retirement well earned. Hopefully, there are many stages in his future.”

Cassity took over Hynes’s position as director on July 1, with former SMART-TD Michigan Safety and Legislative Director Don Roach moving into the deputy director position. More about Cassity and Roach will appear in the next issue of the Members’ Journal.

Beyond the tracks and the Hill: a renaissance man

Greg Hynes is more than a labor leader; he’s a renaissance man. A talented actor and musician, Greg has been featured in multiple plays, working as an actor in productions all across Arizona. As an actor, Brother Hynes saw the same kind of success we witnessed him have as a Safety and Legislative director. Hynes starred in off-Broadway productions of Steven Sondheim’s Into the Woods and Assassins, along with many other plays. He once took the stage as Colonel Jessup in A Few Good Men, channeling Jack Nicholson with grit and charisma. It wasn’t just the railroads that couldn’t handle the truth Hynes was bringing to that production. In his theater career, he was nominated for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor multiple times, and won awards for Best Production as well as Best Director. 

Before he ever wore the blue collar of the rails, he was known as Mr. Wonderful, pounding out rhythms on his drums, belting out vocals, and filling clubs with the raw energy of punk rock. He was a fixture in bands such as the Teds, Jodie Foster’s Army, the Skeletones, and the legendary Mighty Sphincter. 

Greg found success with all of his bands in the thriving punk scene of Phoenix in the 80’s and 90’s, but with the Mighty Sphincters, he hit it big. They opened shows for Social Distortion and The Dead Kennedys and have influenced the likes of Alice Cooper, Marilyn Manson, White Zombie and GWAR.  

To many outside our union, Greg is known as the guy who stole the show with hard-hitting, relentless rhythms at a concert or a scene-stealing performance on the theater stage. To us at SMART-TD, he’s known simply as the best damn Safety and Legislative Director in rail labor history. 

To those who worked closely with him, Greg’s greatest legacy is one of professionalism and humble leadership, an idea that Safety & Legislative Department Chief of Staff Jenny Miller emphasized to SMART News. 

“Greg’s humility and kindness stood out in Washington. Even as one of the most influential lobbyists on the Hill, he never considered himself to be above anyone else,” explained Miller, who served in her role during Brother Hynes’ tenure and beyond. “Whether interacting with the lowest member of the office staff or a sitting U.S. Senator, Greg treated both with the same level of respect. That’s a special quality of his that I personally admire and one that will be missed by everyone who’s had the honor of working with him. Even though Greg accomplished more in this role than anyone in the history of SMART-TD, I’ll always think of him first and foremost as my friend.” 

An icon in work boots and windbreakers

Brother Hynes’ unconventional approach has made him unforgettable. Take, for example, the October 2024 TD Board of Directors meeting in Houston, Texas. Officers were asked to wear sports coats in a rare dress code moment for SMART-TD. Hynes, a proud son of Arizona, walked in confidently wearing a Phoenix Suns windbreaker. When questioned on it, his answer was as classic as it was logical: “I don’t understand the problem. This is a jacket, and basketball is a sport.” 

That’s Greg in a nutshell: clever, principled and impossible to pigeonhole. 

A legacy that will echo for generations

As he stepped into retirement, SMART-TD saluted Greg Hynes for a career of relentless advocacy, fearless leadership and boundless originality. He reimagined what this union could be and then worked hard enough to make it real. His humor, drive and sincerity made him not only a powerful advocate but a beloved brother to us all. 

As President Jeremy Ferguson put it, “Greg Hynes accomplished what few have done in our union’s history. He secured landmark legislative victories and set a new standard for rail and transit safety. His work has directly improved the lives of our members and their families for generations to come. Two things are certain. Greg will absolutely be missed around here, and he will never be forgotten in this union or anywhere else he goes.” 

During the 2025 North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) Legislative Conference, SMART officers and IA staff gathered for a reception to honor the local unions who donated the most, per capita, to the SMART Political Action League (PAL) in 2024, as well as hear from congressional allies Angie Craig and Brian Fitzpatrick. Rep. Craig, a longtime ally of SMART members in Minnesota, illustrated the impact collective bargaining made on her and her family, as well as her commitment to apprenticeship programs.

“The fight you’re putting up to make sure your members have jobs, have work, is incredible,” she said.

Rep. Fitzpatrick is a longtime pro-labor Republican who supports legislation like the PRO Act, the National Apprenticeship Act and has called on the president to rescind executive orders attacking collective bargaining. Fitzpatrick thanked SMART for our union’s support of pro-union candidates across party lines, and promised to keep fighting for our priorities.

The top 31 local unions in PAL donations, per member, in 2024: 

  1. Local 137 (New York, N.Y.) 
  2. Local 66 (Seattle, Wash.) 
  3. Local 71 (Buffalo, N.Y.) 
  4. Local 265 (DuPage County, Ill.) 
  5. Local 293 (Honolulu, Hawaii) 
  6. Local 112 (Elmira, N.Y.) 
  7. Local 17 (Eastern Mass.) 
  8. Local 25 (Northern N.J.) 
  9. Local 22 (Union, Morris, Somerset, Sussex Counties, N.J.) 
  10. Local 40 (Hartford, Conn.) 
  11. Local 36 (St. Louis, Mo.) 
  12. Local 27 (South N.J.) 
  13. Local 435 (Jacksonville, Fla.) 
  14. Local 206 (San Diego, Calif.) 
  15. Local 49 (Albuquerque, N.M.) 
  16. Local 399 (Charleston, S.C.) 
  17. Local 80 (Detroit, Mich.) 
  18. Local 88 (Las Vegas, Nev.) 
  19. Local 256 (Chicago, Ill.) 
  20. Local 44 (Northeastern Pa.) 
  21. Local 20 (Indianapolis, Ind.) 
  22. Local 33 (Northern Ohio) 
  23. Local 63 (Western Mass.) 
  24. Local 218 (Springfield, Ill.) 
  25. Local 105 (Los Angeles, Calif.) 
  26. Local 104 (San Francisco, Calif.) 
  27. Local 38 (Westchester and Rockland Counties, N.Y.) 
  28. Local 12 (Southwestern Pa.) 
  29. Local 15 (Central Fla.) 
  30. 441 (Mobile, Ala.) 
  31. Local 7 (Lansing, Mich.) 

Pictures of the top 31 locals (who were present at the reception) can be viewed and downloaded here.

After decades of service to International staff, elected leadership and SMART members, Kath­leen Griffith, executive assistant to the general secretary-treasurer, retired in spring 2025.

Kathleen Griffith, second from left, pictured during GST John Daniel’s swearing-in ceremony

Griffith started her career with SMART, at that time the Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association, in 1987, with the title of secretary I in the bargaining unit. Over the years, she became secretary III, IV then V, and then was promoted to staff — secretary to Mary Lou Jackson, office manager, in 1989.

In 1993, she became executive assistant to the GST, a position she held for more than 30 years. Griffith served under General Secretary-Treasurers Larry Cassidy, Michael Sullivan, Ted Zolotopolski, Thomas Kelly, Joseph Nigro, Joseph Sellers, Jr., Joseph Powell and John Daniel — demonstrating the utmost professionalism, knowledge and expertise at every step of the way.

SMART staff, leaders and members benefited from Griffith’s work for decades. Thank you for your years of service, Kathleen!

SMART Canada reps were proud to attend the Skills Canada National Competition in spring 2025, showcasing the top student and apprentice talent across the country. Skills Canada inspires youth to explore careers in the skilled trades through hands-on experiences and strong industry connections.

The SMART sheet metal project, a replica of the world’s largest coffee pot, was a fan favourite and showcased the precision, talent and pride that go into the sheet metal trade every day. SMART brothers Mackenzie (Local 409, Halifax) and Raine (Local 296, Saskatchewan) competed in the competitions — a true testament to the next generation of talent coming up through the ranks.

SMART union leaders often need to communicate important information to a wide variety of people — politicians, business owners, fellow workers and reporters, to name a few — when fighting to better the lives of SMART members. That’s why the SMART Education Department held its Effective Communication II class in Pittsburgh, Pa., during the week of June 3, 2025, bringing together participants from across North America to enhance their skill sets.

The class focused on improving communication skills by dissecting branding and messaging techniques, practicing lobbying tactics, creating pitches for news stories, framing and reframing talking points, and making spontaneous arguments through debate. On each of the three days of the class, participants honed their lobbying skills with exercises that asked attendees to role play as random organizations that sometimes challenged their beliefs, helping local leaders understand the other side of the argument. Groups were mixed for every exercise, and a point system was in place.

“Congratulations to Christina Bayaniyan (first place) and Jon Davis (second place) for being recognized by their peers as the top two participants in the class!” said SMART Director of Education Eli Baccus.

New policies around federal funding are hitting home for sheet metal workers in San Diego, where cuts to funding from the National Institutes of Health led to the pausing of two huge construction projects and dozens of sheet metal workers losing out on pending jobs, according to local officers. With the funding cuts hitting right when other projects were winding down, Local 206 members are experiencing high unemployment numbers for the first time in years.

“It was like a perfect storm. We had some of the biggest jobs we’ve ever had in San Diego: the airport expansion, the Gaylord Pacific Resort down in Chula Vista, at the bay front, and some other really big pharmaceutical jobs,” said Local 206 Business Manager Dave Gauthier. “So a lot of that was trickling down and slowing down, and then with the NIH funding cutting, we lost, on just two jobs alone, over 100,000 work hours.”

Under President Trump, billions of dollars have been terminated in NIH grants nationwide, including at institutions like University of California San Diego. SMART members may not think of themselves as being affected by the NIH, but that funding is often used for construction that requires sheet metal workers, especially in labs and hospitals. A new lab and a hospital expansion project were the jobs that Local 206 members were slated to take on before the NIH funding cuts hit.

Now, after years of 100% employment, 19% of Local 206 members are out of work.

“Over five years, we haven’t had any mass layoffs. We’ve been organizing like crazy — we’ve grown our membership by close to 30% in the last five years. For a lot of our members who have joined in the last five years, they’ve never seen a layoff. They’ve never received that check,” Gauthier said. “I’d say that the Trump administration and all their funding cuts … is affecting our members.”

“I think our members that are now on the out of work list for the first time, or the first time in a long time, are starting to realize the affect that this administration is having even on a construction worker here in San Diego that’s trying to feed his or her family,” he added.

The negative impacts of federal policies show the importance of local politics, according to Local 206 Business Representative Dom Luyo. Over the years, the local has worked tirelessly to secure project labor agreements with cities and school districts throughout San Diego County. This has put union sheet metal workers on an enormous range of jobs, and it offers a road map for Local 206 moving forward. Even as work slows — whether resulting from federal funding freezes, shifting tariff policies that spook some investors and developers, or other factors — Luyo encouraged fellow SMART members unionwide to build relationships with pro-labor candidates at the local level.

“Getting local politicians on your side will help regulate local rules for your membership,” he said. “I think we’ve done a great job doing that collectively, not just the sheet metal workers but with all the other building trades unions together: working to get the right politicians in place to help us secure more work from more labor-friendly candidates.”

As the spending legislation known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill” made its way through the United States House and Senate in spring and summer of 2025, SMART had a constant presence in the offices of both Democratic and Republican lawmakers. SMART’s Governmental Affairs staff met repeatedly with representatives and senators, explaining how provisions in the legislation that cut tax credits, infrastructure funding, clean energy funding, Medicaid funding and more would negatively impact SMART members’ work opportunities and health care coverage.

“Cutting the waste and fraud, nobody’s against that. But these cuts go way deeper than that,” said SMART General President Michael Coleman in a video message to members explaining the bill. “These cuts are actually going to have an impact on our plans and our members. We’re all for cutting waste in the federal government, but they’re going to have to end up cutting programs that are essential for regular, working people.”

Unfortunately, in a move that says a lot about how politics works in today’s day and age, representatives and senators moved forward with a bill that included those cuts.

While some of the worst elements of the bill — including the most extreme energy tax credit cuts and an AI provision that threatened SMART-TD bus operators — were removed due to the collective work of SMART members nationwide and the labor movement, Congress pushed through cuts to Medicaid that will cause working families to suffer and raise the costs of health care plans for SMART members and families, cuts to tax credits that will lead to canceled projects and lost work hours for sheet metal workers, and more. And on July 4, President Trump signed the bill into law.

“Members will lose work. Costs will go up. And that just doesn’t make sense,” Coleman said in a video on tax credits cut by the bill.

Across the construction sector, the bill threatens millions of jobs and work hours, which translates to billions of dollars in lost annual wages and benefits. Members may not feel the consequences immediately. But in the years to come, construction workers and their families, alongside working people everywhere, will lose out on important jobs.

“Simply put, it is the equivalent of terminating more than 1,000 Keystone XL pipeline projects,” said North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) President Sean McGarvey in a statement.

The legislation signed by President Trump included a tax exemption on overtime earnings. However, despite advocacy and proposed fixes, the bill does not extend this benefit to employees covered by the Railway Labor Act — AKA, railroaders.

“Our members sacrifice holidays, family time and weekends to keep this country running. Excluding them from a policy aimed at easing the burden on working Americans is more than disheartening,” said SMART-TD National Legislative Director Jared Cassity. “But we’re not walking away from this. We’ll keep pushing until our voices are heard.”

The cuts to Medicaid are simply devastating across the board. They don’t take effect right away, but once they do, they will hurt blue-collar workers and their families.

“The biggest impact will be on families that are fighting to keep their healthcare. Right now, the CBO scores that 16 million people will lose their healthcare coverage, which inevitably is going to lead to preventable deaths in the future,” said Coleman in another video to members. “And for members who don’t think cuts to Medicaid are going to have an impact on them, I can tell you that history has proven that any cuts to Medicaid lead to an increase in the costs of the health plans that we fund and that we fight for every single day.”

SMART will continue to advocate for members and working families, at the federal level and in states and cities across the United States. But make no mistake: The bill signed into law in July will hurt workers for years to come.

While the 2025 spending bill passed in early July included a number of harmful pieces for SMART members, one provision that would have been particularly damaging to bus operators is no longer included.

Free rein on regulating artificial intelligence

The original legislation contained a measure that would have prohibited states from regulating artificial intelli­gence (AI) for a period of 10 years, including automated driver systems.

Automation is already a growing threat, but this would have given big tech companies even more leeway to operate unchecked and with limited accountability.

Bottom line: Including this provision would have made a bad situation worse.

TD members directly at risk

SMART-TD bus drivers and operators would have been directly impacted by this dangerous proposal, with their jobs and livelihoods at serious risk.

There is no substitute for a human operator, and this proposal would have opened the door to replace skilled workers with unregulated technology that can’t func­tion with the precise skill and expertise that’s needed to perform this work, especially in the event of an emergency.

It is incredibly disappointing that legislators did not stand up for their constituents and stop this harmful bill from becoming law; however, it’s a crucial victory that the Senate took the important step of removing the AI provision before it moved any further through the legislative process.

What’s next

In a video released in early July, SMART General President Michael Coleman thanked members who took the time to reach out to their lawmakers to let them know how this bill will impact them and their families.

“I want to thank President Ferguson, his entire team and all of you that engaged to get that harmful provision out of the spending bill,” General President Coleman said in his video message to members. “This would have hurt all SMART members — threatening to replace skilled workers with machines and robotics.”

SMART will continue fighting to ensure that members and their jobs are protected from the threats posed by AI. And on the road ahead, one thing is certain: Whether at the local or federal level, it is vital that we keep speaking up and contacting elected officials. Members’ input and collective strength can make a difference, and the fight is just beginning.

Former local union organizer and SMART International Instructor Eli Baccus has begun his tenure as director of the SMART Education Department — another step in a career dedicated to advancing the interests of union workers across North America.

SMART Education Department Director Eli Baccus on the picket line during his time as an organizer with Local 33, pictured wearing a Local 33 hat with an inflatable Scabby the Rat behidn him.
SMART Education Department Director Eli Baccus speaks to a police officer while holding hand bills and a megaphone during his time as an organizer with Local 33.

“Eli’s extensive experience, dedication and passion for labor education make him exceptionally well-suited for this role,” said SMART General President Michael Coleman. “I am confident that under his leadership, our Education Department will continue to thrive, equipping our members with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed.”

“I am honored to work with the International’s staff to help General President Coleman implement his vision of SMART as a union that is focused on benefiting the lives of the members,” Baccus said. “I am humbled by the opportunity to serve our membership in this position and will strive to ensure SMART’s local union officials are getting the best training possible.”

Baccus joined the SMART Education Department as an International instructor in April 2024. Before then, he served as the director of organizing and partnership development at Local 33 (Northern Ohio) — a role he held since July 2015, and one in which he demonstrated strong leadership and a commitment to labor education.

“His tenure there was marked by a renewed focus on growth, engagement and strategic partnerships,” Coleman said.

Before his time at Local 33, Baccus spent five years as a labor attorney at the law firm Widman and Franklin, where he represented unions across Ohio, advocating for workers’ rights and fair labor practices.

As SMART’s new education director, Baccus said he plans to deliver engaging, relevant and fun programming that meets the immediate and long-term needs of our organization.

“Class content will be driven through a collaborative process between the Education Department and other International departments to ensure we are providing the skill training that new officials need to improve members’ lives,” he explained. “We will be creating experiences for union officials that allow them to immediately apply class content in near real-world scenarios in a meaningful way.”

“Learning does not have to be boring,” Baccus added. “In fact, it will be more impactful if class participants enjoy the experience.”

Learn more about the SMART Education Department in the SMART Member Portal.