Author: lpoling

Home>Articles by: lpoling

SMART members and labor unions across the world have been fighting for workers’ rights throughout their history. Case in point: The Janu­ary–February 2000 issue of the Members’ Journal, which covered sheet metal workers’ participation in now-famous rallies at the World Trade Organization’s 1999 meetings in Seattle.

“Hundreds of sheet metal workers and their fami­lies from Local 66, Seattle; Local 16, Portland, Oregon; Local 280, British Columbia, Canada; and France constructively and peacefully demonstrated labor’s concerns about the practices and policies of the World Trade Organization during a massive Labor Rally and March in Seattle, Washington, November 30, 1999,” the Journal reported. “Prominent union leaders from the United States and around the world spoke at the Labor Rally, outlining some of the anti-worker practices and policies of the World Trade Organization, which in reality is a comprehensive system of corporate-managed trade.”

SMART members are continuing this legacy — fighting for policies that prioritize workers — to this day.

The Tennessee Valley Authority recently made headlines and prompted hundreds of SMART members to write letters to their senators. Why? Reports that the Trump administration was con­sidering privatizing the public power utility.

Privatization would have an extremely negative impact on working families and SMART members in the region. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) creates good, union jobs for SMART members and working people every year, putting sheet metal workers on the job during construction projects and employing members and our neighbors year-round who operate one of the most successful public power utilities in the world. Privatizing or dismantling the TVA would have put those jobs at risk — and raised electricity prices for members and families in the region.

SMART members on the job at the TVA

What is public power?

The TVA is unique in the United States. Created as part of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal — at a time when investor-owned utilities were refusing to invest in the South, then the poorest part of the country — it is a power provider owned by the federal govern­ment. That means its purpose for existing is to provide reliable, affordable power to the Americans that it serves, not to make money for shareholders or Wall Street. While private, for-profit corporations’ obligation is to those shareholders, the TVA answers to the American people.

Some facts about the TVA:

  • For more than nine decades, the TVA has provided good service and affordable electricity to tens of millions of people across seven states in the South.
  • The TVA does not receive any tax dollars; in delivering energy to millions of Americans and 800,000 busi­nesses, the provider is self-funded.
  • The TVA is the nation’s largest provider of public power.

The problem with private utilities

Working Americans everywhere deserve to be able to keep the lights on. In 2026, it’s hard to imagine the cost of electricity or gas rising more than the rate of inflation, which is already squeezing American families. But that’s exactly what has been happening.

Private power companies — also known as investor-owned utilities — provide 70% of the electricity in the United States, according to the American Prospect, which also reported in February 2025: “These private utilities have increased residential electricity rates over the past three years at a rate 49 percent higher than inflation. Over the same period, publicly owned utilities have increased their rates 44 percent less than inflation.”

It’s worth repeating: Private utilities raised their prices even higher than needed to keep up with inflation. Public power providers, which exist not to make profit but to provide power for the American people, didn’t even come close to matching inflation with their rate increases.

SMART members power the power

The TVA is one of the largest employers across the Tennessee Valley — including the contractors that help the authority continually grow and evolve to serve its customers. Construction projects at the TVA include not only those related to upgrading power plants and other facilities — such as a Clean Air Project expansion that put members of SMART Locals 177, 4, 5, 33, 40, 46, 48, 73, 88, 214 and 218 on the job — but also those focused on managing the Tennessee River. Plus, there’s the day-to-day work of ensuring the TVA continues to function. All told, the TVA supports tens of thousands of union jobs.

The authority benefits unions and local communities in other ways, too. In August 2025, North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU), the TVA and the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development announced the creation of the Forever Family Apprentice Partnership. This initiative will provide former foster youth with career pathways to the union construction and energy industries — helping Americans find fulfilling careers and strengthening unions like SMART.

Protect the TVA

The TVA is run as a government corporation by a nine-member board of directors, nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. Congress and the White House have rarely interfered with the board throughout its history.

In early 2025, President Trump fired three board members, leaving just three out of nine to govern the TVA. At the time, the Atlantic reported that President Trump pressured the remaining TVA board members to fire its CEO, Don Moul, or risk being replaced — with some on the board concerned that the president was looking to advance the privatization of the TVA.

Privatization would have threatened union jobs and the affordable energy prices that working families rely on, which is why SMART worked to make sure that didn’t happen. Union officers and staff engaged politi­cians at all levels, and members sent hundreds of letters to their senators, urging them to protect the public power utility.

In October, when the president nominated new members to the board, each nominee committed to keeping the TVA a public utility during U.S. Senate committee hearings. Those commitments are great news for SMART members, year-round TVA employees and people and businesses in the Tennessee Valley.

While full confirmation of the nominees is still pending at the time of writing, SMART will continue working to make sure the TVA stays public, protecting the millions of jobs and the affordable electricity that the utility provides. From the federal government to statehouses, from legislative allies to on-the-ground action, SMART will keep fighting for members and working families.

On November 4, 2025, voters went to the polls across the United States to choose new leaders and decide on critical issues. Candidates who stand with SMART members won big in races nationwide, such as Local 12-endorsed Pitts­burgh Mayor Corey O’Connor, Local 36 member and St. Paul, Mo., Alderman Kevin Brugmann and newly elected Tama City Councilmember Chris Smith (SMART-TD Iowa safety and legislative director). But our union really flexed its muscles in New Jersey. Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill won decisively in the state’s election for governor, pledging after her victory to work to cut costs for working families and lower the state’s high property tax burden — priorities which will benefit thousands of SMART members.

SMART members were front and center in the campaign. Local 22 in Kenilworth lent their union hall for the get-out-the-vote effort, launching labor walks in Union County where Governor-elect Sherrill won with over 66% of the vote. She stopped by the union hall on the Saturday before the election to speak with union volunteers and Local 22 Business Manager Jim O’Reilly, recording a video for members before her next event.

Sabol with volunteers
Johnnie Whittington, second from left

“As governor, I’m going to stand with sheet metal workers as we fight hard to upgrade our schools [and] provide the skilled union workers that we need,” Sherrill said in the video.

Governor-elect Sherrill has been a champion of rail safety and full funding for New Jersey’s rail and bus transportation system during her time in Congress, in close collaboration with SMART-TD’s New Jersey Safety and Legislative Director Ron Sabol. Sabol has long been a powerhouse in New Jersey politics, and 2025 was no different: In Mercer County, where he serves as secretary-treasurer of the Central Labor Council, the AFL-CIO had an overwhelming 550 volun­teers knocking doors on Election Day. (Sherrill also appointed Sabol to her transition team after winning the election.)

Reacting to the outcome, Sabol said, “The people of New Jersey sent a message on Tuesday: We want a strong pro-worker government to work with us on fixing the problems in our state. Labor candidates won up and down the ballot, and we’ll continue the hard work of making New Jersey safer and more affordable.”

In addition to the governor’s race, there is now a larger pro-union majority in the New Jersey Assembly than any year since 1973. That means oppor­tunity for policies to bring down costs, ensure public money is spent on construc­tion projects that create good jobs, and for investments in public safety and affordable housing — making life better for everyone while creating work opportunities for SMART members.

Another Jersey legend, Bruce Springsteen, once lamented, “Sometimes it’s hard to remember that this place belongs to us, that this is our hometown.” From Montclair to the Pine Barrens, SMART members made it plain on Election Day that this place belongs to the men and women who go to work every day to build it.

From October 1 to November 12, 2025, the United States government shut down.

What does that actually mean? In theory, it’s simple. Congress must pass what are called appropriations bills in order to fund government agencies. These bills pay our military servicemembers and air traffic controllers, and they provide Americans with the services we pay for with our taxes. When Congress can’t agree on federal funding levels and refuses to compromise, the government shuts down.

All the while, the rich get richer. Business for some went on as usual during the 2025 shutdown, with the government bailing out Argentina’s economy to the tune of billions of dollars.

There is no reason for members of Congress, no matter their political party, to close the government. That was especially true for the 2025 shutdown, which primarily came down to one simple, common-sense issue: the cost of health care. During negotiations in the weeks before the shutdown, the expiration of Affordable Care Act tax credits became the main sticking point. The credits expire January 1, 2026, leading to an increase in the cost of health care for millions of Americans; when open enroll­ment began November 1, 2025, many families saw health care premiums double. (Note: Information in this article is current as of December 1, 2025.) Refusing to extend this lifeline to families who are working hard and still can’t afford necessities is a dark moment in American politics.

Union allies in Congress fought hard to extend the tax credits, but congressional leadership refused to include extension of those credits in any bill to keep the govern­ment open. Here’s how this affects SMART members: Faced with less funding, insurance companies would shift costs to high-quality plans like the ones SMART members enjoy. Expenses would rise for 179 million Americans who rely on job-based insurance, and American families could see their costs rise by as much as $2,000 a year.

But rather than stick up for SMART members and working Americans, Congress refused to make a deal. The result: a 43-day government shutdown, with health care tax credits still set to expire at the time of writing.

And who pays the price during a shutdown? Not members of Congress; they continue to get paid. Working people — including law enforcement and air traffic controllers — have to work without pay. Others get furloughed. While not completely closed, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) did not process new Violation Reports during the 2025 shutdown, putting the safety of both the public and rail workers at risk.

And in the middle of this particular shutdown, the federal government made things worse by canceling billions of dollars’ worth of funding for construction proj­ects. The Department of Energy alone cut $7.56 billion from 223 clean energy projects, including the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub and California’s ARCHES Hub — projects that would have created more than 138,000 construction jobs under project labor agreements.

“Working people should not pay the price for dysfunc­tion in Washington,” said SMART General President Michael Coleman at the time. “Our industries and our nation cannot operate under this kind of chaos.”

To recap: While the government was shut down and essential law enforcement and air traffic employees worked without pay, federal agencies canceled funding for job-creating construction projects. While the government scrambled to find funding to pay military servicemembers and provide food stamps to people at home, the Treasury Department helped facilitate around $40 billion in aid to Argentina.

That’s not a government working for the people.

On Tuesday, October 28, SMART Transportation Division President Jeremy Ferguson, along with a delegation of national, general committee and local leaders, joined Norfolk Southern (NS) new hires at the company’s McDonough Training Center. The impromptu town hall brought together 97 fourth- and fifth-week trainees with the union that will have their backs every step of their careers. 

The event was made possible thanks to brothers Kelvin Hill and Greg Glenn. Both men are longtime NS employees and fixtures in the Atlanta area and Local 1245. Leading by example, Hill and Glenn go above and beyond to make sure new hires understand not just their job duties, but also the lifestyle, expectations that come with a railroad career and the support that’s a hallmark of their membership in SMART-TD. 

Brother Hill serves as a local chairperson and local safety and legislative representative, while Brother Glenn serves as a local chairperson and 2nd vice president of his General Committee. Together, the two have a long-standing agreement with Norfolk Southern to meet privately with every class of new trainees during their fifth week of instruction.  

Merger agreement creates stability for trainees 

When recent news of the proposed Union Pacific/Norfolk Southern merger sparked understandable anxiety among the trainees, Hill and Glenn saw an opportunity. With SMART-TD’s Regional Training Seminar (RTS) taking place nearby in Atlanta this week, they reached out to arrange a special visit. Their goal was simple: to get answers for our new brothers and sisters straight from the top. 

“Over the past few weeks, a lot of these men and women have been worried about what’s next for them,” Hill told SMART News. “Greg and I knew that if we could get our leadership in the room, (the people who are actually at the negotiating table), it could give these new brothers and sisters the clarity and confidence they deserve.” 

Their initiative quickly grew into a unionwide show of solidarity. Joining the session were President Jeremy Ferguson, Vice President Brent Leonard, NS General Chairpersons Tommy Gholson (GCA 898) and Nick Greficz (GCA 687), several vice general chairpersons, a few local chairpersons and other local officers who were in town for the RTS training. 

By the time the Q&A began the room was filled with experience, leadership and genuine care for the next generation of railroaders. 

“This went way beyond what I imagined,” Hill said. “These brothers and sisters haven’t even been to their home terminal yet. They haven’t been to a single local meeting and haven’t paid one dollar in union dues. And there they were, sitting in a private meeting with the president of the entire union, hearing directly from the leaders who can answer questions about the exact terminals they’ll be working in. It was absolutely next level.” 

Turning uncertainty into empowerment 

President Ferguson addressed the trainees directly, answering questions about SMART-TD’s historic “Jobs for Life” agreement, a deal he personally fought to secure with Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern. Should the merger go through, the agreement guarantees job security for union members from now until the day they choose to retire. 

“I’m proud that we’ve made real progress toward giving you something no generation before you has had. That’s true job security,” Ferguson told the group. “But with that gift comes responsibility. You’ve got a career ahead of you and right now, your focus should be on learning how to stay safe doing it. Learn the rules, build good work habits and keep your awareness sharp. We’ve helped make sure you’ve got jobs for life — now it’s up to you to make sure you’re not cutting that life short.” 

He also reminded the trainees that the work SMART-TD does nationally is possible because members stay active locally.

“When you get to your terminals, get involved in your local. Ask questions. Be informed. You’re part of something much bigger than just a job.  You’re part of a movement.” 

Assistant Director of Organizing Andy Goeckner also took the opportunity to congratulate the trainees on their progress and to welcome them into the SMART-TD family. 

“You don’t have jobs anymore,” Goeckner told them. “You all have careers. And in addition to that, you have a family in SMART-TD that’s here to make sure you never lose it. The future of this industry depends on people like you. And our job is to make sure that future is secure, safe and strong.” 

The event also received support from Jason Myers, who oversees the McDonough Training Center for Norfolk Southern. Myers helped Brothers Hill and Glenn make the meeting possible. 

As the meeting concluded, the sense of unity in the room was undeniable. What began as a simple idea by Brothers Hill and Glenn had evolved into a powerful moment of connection between SMART-TD’s leadership and its newest members.

Welcome to the SMART-TD family 

“This is what unionism looks like,” Hill said. “From the president of the whole organization down to the newest trainee, everyone in that room was pulling in the same direction.” 

The men and women who attended that session are stepping into their railroad careers with a rare advantage. Thanks to the Jobs for Life agreement, their path is more stable than those who came before them. But as President Ferguson and the leadership team reminded them, stability doesn’t mean complacency. It means responsibility. 

It means learning the craft, working safely and honoring the generations who fought to make this progress possible. It means carrying the SMART-TD legacy forward, stronger than ever. 

Amber Czech was a Minnesota tradeswoman who was killed at work in November. While not a SMART member, this tragedy is reverberating across the trades community and far beyond. Read the SMART Women’s Committee’s statement:

Amber Czech was 20 years old. A welder. A daughter. A young woman who showed up for her shift at 6 a.m. on a Tuesday, hoping to build a career and make a living. She never made it home.

She was murdered at work. According to police charging documents, the colleague now charged in her death told investigators he “had been planning it for some time and didn’t like her.”

Because he did not like her.

There is no version of this tragedy that is acceptable. And while the full details remain under investigation, tradeswomen across North America recognize the pattern far too well. Violence like this rarely comes out of nowhere. It often follows a buildup that women in the trades know by heart: harassment shrugged off, bullying tolerated, intimidation minimized, warning signs dismissed, fear of backlash, comments ignored, jokes explained away, the stares of resentment, and behaviors everyone chooses not to see until they can no longer look away.

Right now, this tragedy is reverberating across the trades community and far beyond. So many tradeswomen and gender-diverse workers are carrying the weight of this news. For many, it has hit close to home. It reminds us of the comments we have tried to ignore, the jokes we have had to call out, the bullying we have pushed through, the jobs some left and the incidents that could not be escaped.

Tradeswomen everywhere are exhausted. Exhausted from explaining why women’s committees’ matter. Why women’s groups matter. Why the fight for safe, respectful job sites is not theoretical. It is survival. Tired of repeating the same reasons, the same statistics, the same lived experiences that all echo the same theme.

Yet even in that exhaustion, our voices keep rising. Stronger. Louder. More unified. We will not stop.

If Amber did not tell anyone she felt unsafe, that silence is something every tradeswoman understands. Fear often keeps workers from reporting. Fear of repercussion, fear of being dismissed, fear of nothing changing. And if she did speak up, it would not be the first time a woman’s concerns were minimized or quietly set aside. The investigation is ongoing, but what we already know reflects issues that women in the trades have been naming for decades.

This is why bystander silence is NOT an option. We cannot be people who “didn’t see anything.” We must create workplaces where concerns are raised safely, heard clearly, and acted on immediately.

To those impacted by this terrible news, you are not alone. Our community stands with you. We grieve with Amber’s family, with her co-workers, with every tradeswoman who saw herself in this story, and with every parent who already worried about the safety of their apprentice daughter. We share your grief. We share your anger. And we refuse to be silent.

We call on employers, contractors, supervisors and every person on a job site to confront the culture that allowed this to happen. Violence is not “part of the job” or “job site humor.” Intimidation and dismissal are not “just the trades.”

Amber deserved a full life and a long career. She deserved protection, respect and a workplace that valued her humanity. She deserved better.

We will honor her by pushing harder, demanding more and refusing to let her name fade. Exhausted or not, we will keep fighting to build a culture within an industry that was not built with us in mind.

Support and resources for SMART members

For SMART members who are struggling, need support or want to understand where to turn:

Code of Excellence

A SMART program that sets expectations for professional behavior, conduct, safety and respect on every job site. Members can access it through SMART’s website by visiting Resources → For Members → Code of Excellence.

Membership Assistance Program (MAP)

Confidential, free, 24/7 support for SMART members.

Mental health, substance use, suicide prevention and peer-support mentors.

MAP helpline: 1-877-884-6227.                                      

Rapid Response Protocol

The SMART Rapid Response Protocol is designed to help local leadership respond to incidents of bias, discrimination, and harassment. Members can speak with their local officers about the protocol and view it here. If you are a victim or a bystander of an incident, you can also fill out an incident form on the beforall.org website. If the situation is a life-threatening emergency, call 911.

In solidarity,

The SMART International Women’s Committee, BE4ALL and RISE Committee

The SMART Education Department and Production Workers Department held the third annual Production Institute in Indianapolis, Ind., during the week of August 25, 2025 — bringing together union officials from across North America, including rank-and-file stewards, to train on how to effectively represent SMART production members.

The Production Institute is a three-year, progressive-format class, with attendees from last year advancing to the second round of courses. A new first-year class attended in 2025, along with the returning 2023 and 2024 groups. The first years studied the basics of labo(u)r history, steward training and collective bargaining. The second-year class was focused on a more in-depth investigation of organizing, steward training and collective bargaining. Finally, the third-year class prepared for and role-played a mock grievance arbitration and collective bargaining sessions.

“Each day, all three classes were brought together to talk about subjects like right to work and knowing your rights for the U.S. participants, while the Canadians discussed top-down organizing strategies in the production sector,” said SMART Director of Education Eli Baccus. “Congratulations to the third-year class for being the first-ever students to graduate from the Production Institute!”

SMART mourns the passing of recently retired General Vice President and Local 27 (Southern New Jersey) President and Business Manager Thomas DeBartolo — a lifelong labor leader, brother and dear friend to all who knew him. DeBartolo spent his life working to improve the lives of SMART members and working families, both in New Jersey and across North America, and he was unani­mously recognized within our union as a great leader and an even better friend.

DeBartolo was a second-generation Local 27 sheet metal worker. After attending Rutgers University — graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism and urban communications — DeBartolo began his four-year apprenticeship, becoming a journeyperson in 1989. DeBartolo served his local union in various capacities during his time with the tools, including shop steward, foreman and general foreman for union contractors. In 1999, he was elected to the Executive Board of his local, where he sat for almost five years, and he was appointed as a full-time organizer in 2002 — signing multiple sheet metal shops to Local 27 in a two-year period.

In 2004, DeBartolo was elected a business agent of Local 27, a position he held until 2021. During his time as an agent, he was also a trustee on various funds and aided in negotiating multiple collective bargaining agreements. DeBartolo became president and business manager of Local 27 in March 2021.

DeBartolo, fourth from right
DeBartolo, second from right
DeBartolo, second from left

In addition to his local union service, DeBartolo was elected president of the Monmouth & Ocean Counties Building and Construction Trades Council in 2010.

Prior to becoming president of the council, he was its secretary-treasurer from 2006–2010. In 2024, DeBartolo was elected president of the Metropolitan Association of Presidents & Business Representatives. He became a member of the SMART General Executive Council the same year.

DeBartolo’s labor leadership was recognized through the years by organizations such as the Monmouth County Workforce Investment Board, Monmouth County Democrats, Ocean County Democrats and the New Jersey Alliance for Action. In 2023, he was honored as Labor Person of the Year by the Middlesex & Somerset Counties AFL-CIO Labor Council.

DeBartolo and his wife, Suzanne, were married for more than 25 years; along with Suzanne, DeBartolo is survived by his mother-in-law, Gail; his children, Olivia DeBartolo, Tyler Quarantiello and Tyler’s wife, Caitlin; his grandchildren, Peyton and Knox; and his brother, John DeBartolo, and John’s wife, Carol.

SMART members across the United States and Canada showed out in force on Labor/Labour Day 2025, demonstrating the strength of our union and our movement. Not all locals pictured!

After two years of hard work, Local 537 (Hamilton, Ontario) Organizer Tim Last achieved a major milestone. He accomplished not only a personal career goal but an important goal for the organization — under the leadership of Business Manager David Har­rison — by organizing Landon Mechanical, the area’s largest nonunion competitor. The company has a significant market share, with 13 jobs on the go and six more about to start.

When Last first began orga­nizing Landon Mechanical, his persistence and consistency started to make an impact. Over time, small groups of workers began leaving the contractor to join Local 537, enticed by the employer-paid pension and benefits package. Even a few forepersons made the switch.

It didn’t take long for manage­ment to notice the steady loss of employees.

Dino Zante (left), longtime Landon employee,
with Matt Orsini (right), a Local 285 traveler hired
after Landon became a signatory contractor

“If they kept losing their labour force, they would have trouble fulfilling their contracts,” Last recalled.

Crews were stretched so thin that eventually, Landon Mechanical was left with a choice: keep fighting or partner with Local 537 to stabilize their workforce and secure their future.

Last’s pitch to management was simple: “By joining Local 537, you get the labour force you need to not only stay alive and keep thriving, but to grow.”

Since certifying the company of roughly 48 members, Local 537 has already added 25 more members to the company, a huge accomplishment for a local that is already operating at full employment.

Looking back on the organizing campaign, Last sees it as more than just a win for one company.

“I’m very confident this success will inspire other nonunion companies to stop thinking of us as the big bad union,” he said, “and instead see that partnering with us helps their companies grow and be successful.”

In other words, it’s a win-win-win: “The contractor wins by getting skilled labour and opening new markets. We help keep them competitive through subsidized labour. Their employees win with the union package. And our local wins by gaining market shares and strengthening our labour pool for the future.”

But getting there wasn’t always easy. The two-year campaign came with its share of challenges, with Last never knowing just how close he was to a breakthrough. During those tough stretches, he leaned on the Ontario group of organizers, a close-knit group that stays in touch to celebrate victories and offer encouragement when faced with setbacks. That same spirit of collaboration was extended to Local 537 from other Ontario sister locals, who worked alongside Last to support Landon jobs across the greater Toronto area.

This success comes at a time of major growth for Local 537, which has added nearly 200 new members over the past year, including those from Landon Mechanical. Many of those members are now working on a major hospital infrastructure project, while the local has already started supplying members to a battery sepa­rator manufacturing facility.

That’s the union difference!