SMART Local 19 hosted United States Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo and Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su in Philadelphia in July. Local officers gave the agency leaders a tour of the union hall and JATC, discussing how a pro-worker economic agenda is creating good-paying, union clean-energy jobs.
Adeyemo and Su have been key allies for SMART members across the U.S., helping implement policies and funding from laws passed by the Biden-Harris administration in a way that puts union workers on jobsites from coast to coast. One of the recent examples: the Treasury Department’s final rules on the Inflation Reduction Act’s prevailing wage and registered apprenticeship requirements, which will help create work for SMART members on clean energy jobs.
“Investments in clean energy projects announced since the passage of the [Inflation Reduction Act] in 2022 are projected to create more than 270,000 jobs, and studies estimate that more than 1.5 million additional jobs will be created over the next decade,” the department said in a press release.
Union sheet metal workers will play a crucial role on those projects in cities like Philadelphia, where it is vital that schools, hospitals and other new and existing buildings are green and energy efficient.
Local 19 President/Business Manager Bryan Bush, center, is joined by US Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo, left, and Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su, right, while speaking at Local 19 in Philadelphia.
Such jobs demonstrate concretely that with strong labor standards in federal laws — and strong, pro-labor officials in positions of power — SMART members and their families benefit, said SMART General President Michael Coleman.
“There are laws that say good things to union members, and there are laws that do good things for union members,” he explained. “With the U.S. Treasury Department’s final rule on labor standards for Inflation Reduction Act tax credits, there is no doubt that the IRA is a law that concretely benefits SMART sheet metal workers.”
Union solidarity was on full display at the SMART Local 219 (Rockford, Ill.) union hall in August, where the local presented recipients with scholarships to help them continue their education.
“Our members are dedicated to supporting our own by investing $70,500 in scholarships for 47 family members enrolled full-time in college,” the local wrote on Facebook. “Each recipient received $1,500 to help pave the way for a brighter future.”
In fall 2024, CSX Railroad announced plans to change how the carrier moves freight between Chicago and the East Coast; a plan that would have forced more than 120 SMART-TD members to choose between relocation to either Buffalo, N.Y., or Willard, Ohio — or be laid off.
SMART-TD officers and Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown took action in response. And with the senator’s help, union railroad jobs stayed in Cleveland where they belong.
“[Senator Brown] said, ‘Hey look, your plan is very flawed and you’re definitely affecting Ohio workers in a negative way. And here we are [now], talking about creating more jobs for Ohioans,” said SMART-TD Ohio State Safety and Legislative Director Clyde Whitaker.
The fight for Cleveland railroaders started when CSX unveiled a plan to streamline its operations in Northern Ohio by reducing train stops and crew members at Collinwood Rail Yard. This streamlining predominantly depended on employees moving from Cleveland to Buffalo or Willard — 180 miles and 80 miles away from Cleveland, respectively.
“With the crews in Cleveland, there was a lot of panic and a lot of ‘what if,’” said Ryan Fries, SMART-TD Local 378 vice local chairperson. “‘Are we going to have to drive three and a half hours to work? Is my spouse going to have to change jobs?”
“Their whole plan was contingent on us moving, because they needed the manpower to go with their plan,” added SMART-TD General Committee GO-049 Assistant General Chairperson Eric Kosinski.
According to CSX, this was a positive development — one that would actually create jobs, Fries said. But, he added, phase three of CSX’s plan was essentially a full shutdown of Collinwood Yard. After a conversation with CSX Superintendent Darin Hershiser, Whitaker agreed.
“In the 24 years I’ve been here, whenever I hear that word [streamlined], that tells me you’re shutting the entire place down and we’ll get a barebones operation. Which, coincidentally, was their plan.”
That’s when SMART-TD reached out to Senator Brown, asking him to help broker a meeting between TD and CSX. Brown took action, issuing a public letter that called on CSX President and CEO Joseph Hinrichs “to meet with workers as soon as possible and reverse plans that would remove train stops and train crews from the Collinwood Rail Yard facility in Cleveland.”
“In the strongest possible terms, I urge you to reverse CSX’s strategy concerning Collinwood staffing,” Brown wrote. “CSX recorded more than $3.7 billion of profits last year. Instead of cutting positions at Collinwood, CSX should pursue safer and more reliable operations by investing in hiring in Cleveland and across your company’s rail network.”
The combined efforts of union labor and a pro-worker senator paid off: SMART-TD officers met with CSX and were able to devise a solution.
“We were actually able to implement a plan that created more jobs for the area,” Fries concluded.
Prior to this development, SMART and SMART-TD had already endorsed Senator Sherrod Brown in his reelection campaign this November. His immediate, strong and successful defense of the jobs of Local 378 members in Cleveland reaffirmed to our organization that our faith in him is well placed.
The spring 2024 Belonging and Excellence for All (BE4ALL) challenge asked SMART members to tell their union story, prompted by the question: Why are you proud to be a SMART member? For Paul Garner, a longtime Local 55 sheet metal worker out of Boise, Idaho, the answer boils down to our union’s tradition of mentorship and solidarity:
“My story begins in May of 1998. As an aimless young man, I applied for a shop clean-up job at a sheet metal shop. But it became an experience in guidance-by-exposure to the materials and parts the shop created. As well as gaining friendships with mentors (both gruff and patient), that guidance encouraged me to pursue this career. It occurred to me then that I admired their knowledge and would seek to be that source of knowledge and mentor the generations that followed me.
Paul Garner, right, with his brand-new BE4ALL champion jacket, presented by Local 55 Regional Manager Kolby Hanson.
“In my four-year apprenticeship, I gained more friendships with classmates of varying ages and backgrounds. But we were brought together in this program, and we bonded over a shared set of struggles. Learning to be good workers, having a good income for ourselves and our families, and gaining knowledge for our careers ahead. Back then, you could tell who would coast through easily, and who would have a harder time doing HVAC work. But the folks who were doing better helped those who weren’t getting the understanding as easily. And we all had different strengths to lend in that experience.
“So, 26 years later, I have mentored and taught. Bought tools, meals and drinks for young workers, shared travel expenses, beat up my body and learned what not to do, to keep myself able to return to work each day. I am sought after by different foremen to help guide their workforce. I am approached as a person that others want to learn from.
“In a decade, I will be able to retire with an income comparable to or better than my weekly income. My parents didn’t have that stability. And I have guided my kids to understand the true benefits of unions and the trades.”
Thank you, Brother Garner, for embodying the best of our union!
On behalf of myself, the SMART General Executive Council and all your brothers and sisters across this union, I want to wish you a happy Thanksgiving.
Today is a day to gather with loved ones and enjoy precious time with family and friends. As the essential workers who build the HVAC systems, roofs and building envelopes that keep Canadian society moving, we know well just how valuable these precious moments are.
It’s also a day to take stock of the things for which we are grateful. Our union is full of people from a wide variety of backgrounds, with our own belief systems and practices, and we all have unique traditions that we celebrate. But today, no matter what you choose to do, I hope you can remember the things we have in common.
Union members nationwide know that days like today — and the ability to spend them with loved ones — are rights that were fought for, tooth and nail. It was our forebearers’ undying solidarity and resolve that won these and other privileges for today’s Canadians. Each of us should be proud to be part of a collective labour movement that has bettered the lives of working-class people across every province and territory; I hope you all wear the title of trade unionist proudly, today and every day.
Brothers and sisters, it is our solidarity with one another that keeps our union strong. And by working together, we will continue to improve the lives of workers across Canada.
Again, happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy the holiday, and please stay safe.
More than 420 SMART sisters and allies from 47 local unions and regional councils descended on New Orleans, Louisiana, from September 27-29 for the 2024 Tradeswomen Build Nations Conference. Joined by approximately 5,000 fellow union sisters and supporters, these trailblazing women put the strength of the labor movement on full display — marching through the streets of New Orleans, spreading the word about good, union jobs and sending a resounding message of unity and solidarity as Election Day 2024 approaches.
“‘Superheroes are men,’ they say,” Acting United States Labor Secretary Julie Su told attendees during Saturday’s plenary session. “Well, standing here in a room full of tradeswomen, I know women can be anything.”
Louise Medina, Annet Del Rosario, Vanessa Carman, Natasha Scott-Lawson
Plenary speakers highlight progress, commit to further growth
Plenary speakers addressed Tradeswomen Build Nations attendees on Saturday and Sunday morning, overviewing the enormous progress tradeswomen have made in North America — exemplified by the extraordinary growth of the TWBN conference itself — and making clear that union sisters have a crucial role to play in continuing to build our two nations.
North America’s Building Trades Unions President Sean McGarvey discussed NABTU’s commitment to bringing more women into the unionized building trades, and the historic role recent legislation has played in helping turbocharge that effort.
“Let the good jobs roll isn’t just a catchy slogan — sisters and allies, we’re in the business of changing lives,” he said. “Each and every one of you is living, breathing proof of [our] tremendous progress.”
Led by union tradeswomen, McGarvey said, the building trades are focusing on recruiting and retaining more women in our unions. That doesn’t only include efforts to reach out to women workers across North America — it means ensuring our sisters have correctly fitting PPE, pumping stations and cleaning facilities on the jobsite, as well as ongoing efforts to expand access to affordable, quality childcare.
“Sisters, we are meeting these challenges head-on,” he declared.
But we cannot talk about the progress the labor movement has made, McGarvey continued, without talking about the historic pro-worker actions of the Biden-Harris administration. The infrastructure investments creating pathways for women in construction like never before. The clean energy jobs creating workforce demands from coast to coast. The investments in registered apprenticeship programs that make it easier for local unions to bring women into the trades. Those crucial policies from the current presidential administration are ones that we need to build on by electing Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, McGarvey said:
“We must make sure our progress isn’t rolled back by a tyrant dictator who doesn’t respect our Constitution or women’s rights.”
Under Biden and Harris, NABTU affiliates collectively doubled their women membership, and the building trades realized the biggest net gain in members since 1952. Now, it’s time to continue our growth.
“Our ability to make progress depends on leaders whose policies prioritize women and unions,” said McGarvey.
Acting Secretary Su has been a historic leader of the U.S. Department of Labor, both as DOL deputy with former Secretary Marty Walsh and as a trailblazing pro-worker administrator herself. For unions in general, Su’s actions — implementing Biden’s executive order requiring project labor agreements on large federal projects, repealing the sham Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs scheme, restoring OSHA capacity and beyond — are making a difference in the lives of SMART members everywhere.
Specific actions to help tradeswomen are, perhaps, even more impactful: for example, making sure gender-based violence, harassment and the like are treated as the workplace hazards that they are.
“Laws only hold if they are enforced,” Su said. “That’s what this DOL is doing.”
The last administration crushed worker organizing, rolled back worker protections and attempted to undermine union apprenticeships. Under this administration, Su told TWBN, the attitude is very different, and it reflects the DOL’s stance towards anti-worker actions of any kind: “Not on our watch.”
“You can be anything that you want to be,” she concluded. “Superheroes are not just in comic books and the movies.”
Finally, in a conference first, President Joe Biden called in live to speak to sisters and allies about the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to union workers — and the continued progress tradeswomen stand to make with a Harris-Walz White House.
“When unions do well, studies show that ALL Americans do well,” Biden said.
From project labor agreements on federal jobs to policies that protect pregnant workers, the president reminded TWBN attendees of the Biden-Harris administration’s historic pro-labor policymaking. And it’s only the beginning, he said — with Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the White House, workers stand to build on the foundation laid over the last several years.
“A woman can do anything a man can do,” Biden said. “That includes being president of the United States of America.”
Tradeswomen also heard from Dr. Christine Yu Moutier, chief medical officer of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention; LIUNA General President Brent Booker; BlackRock Managing Director Anne Ackerly; Micron Technology Vice President of Procurement (Indirect and Real Estate) Heather Baldwin; Accelerator for America President/CEO Mary Ellen Wiederwohl; a video address from actress Kery Washington and others.
Local 105 (Los Angeles, Calif.) Organizer Angie Flores introduces the TWBN emcees on Sunday, September 29.
GP Coleman details International maternity leave program during SMART caucus
SMART General President Michael Coleman, General Secretary-Treasurer John Daniel, the SMART Women’s Committee and others joined SMART sisters for the annual SMART TWBN Caucus, where Coleman announced a truly groundbreaking piece of news: SMART’s new International maternity leave benefit, jointly funded by SMACNA.
“I can tell you that we already have our maternity leave program in place, ready to launch,” Coleman said. “We believe this will provide the opportunity to not have people choose between having a career and having children.”
Coleman acknowledged the efforts of General President Emeritus Joseph Sellers, General Secretary-Treasurer Daniel and others in making this possible, specifically highlighting members of the Women’s Committee: “The work you do is incredible. You do it all on behalf of this organization and women in this trade.”
In 2019, the Women’s Committee proposed a resolution to double the union’s female membership by 2024. SMART Director of Special Projects Louise Medina reported that we have achieved that goal for journeyperson workers, doubling and retaining those members.
“We have made great progress in bringing more women into this trade,” Coleman said, vowing to continue that progress rather than stay content with what we’ve achieved.
Women’s Committee Chair Shamaiah Turner
We have the momentum, he continued, pointing out that SMART was the fourth-most represented trade at TWBN 2024. Now, we need to seize that momentum and grow our ranks, including in our apprenticeship programs. The women at TWBN, and in local unions across North America, are our trade’s best advocates, he said.
“When I hear the stories of where you’ve come from and now where you’re at — even though it’s a struggle, those are stories that can help others.”
He went on: “We’re brothers and sisters. We have to take care of each other like brothers and sisters.”
Coleman finished his remarks by touching on the upcoming November 2024 election, telling the sisters and allies in the room what they already know: The stakes in this election are inordinately high. On the one hand, we have a historically anti-worker president, who rolled back investments in OSHA and tried to weaken union apprenticeship programs. On the other hand, we have a pro-worker ticket dedicated to protecting and advancing women’s and workers’ rights.
“Please, if you can, talk to people; give them the facts,” he said.
Coleman ended by fielding questions from attendees during an open mic session, providing attendees with information about women in leadership, his personal story, childcare resources and more.
Earlier in the caucus, Women’s Committee subcommittees reported back to attendees on efforts to increase women in SMART, communicate with sisters in and outside of our union, develop leaders within SMART and more. Sisters and allies heard from Tiffany Boiman, deputy director of the United States Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau, who outlined how the Biden-Harris DOL has rejuvenated the bureau’s work to protect women and provide them with better access to fulfilling careers. Plus, the caucus gave members and allies the chance to network, bond and tell their stories. Countless sisters from across North America shared that TWBN is a life-changing experience that they look forward to every year.
SMART sisters lead breakout sessions
Breakout sessions are an annual highlight of the Tradeswomen Build Nations conference — giving SMART sisters a chance to network, learn and build connections with their fellow tradesworkers. TWBN 2024 was no different in that regard, with SMART members both attending and helping lead a variety of breakouts.
Annet Del Rosario (left)
SMART Director of Special Projects Louise Medina and Local 16 member and International Training Institute (ITI) Recruitment and Retention Specialist Tammy Meyen joined three other sisters on the “Building a SISTERHOOD” breakout, which included a discussion on retention and its importance for bringing women into our trades. Different retention techniques can be used to build mentorship and support systems at the local and International level, and such techniques are crucial for growing union density — whether applied on the jobsite, in the hall or at the training center.
Affordable, accessible childcare is one of the most persistent barriers to the recruitment and retention of women in the trades. That being said, unions at the local and International level are working hard to develop solutions — from new maternity leave programs, like the one announced by General President Coleman during the SMART caucus, to lactation pods on jobsites, recently pioneered by SMART Local 66 in Seattle, to new childcare pilot programs across the country. SMART Northwest Regional Council member Tiffany Caulfield joined the “Childcare: Challenges and Solutions” breakout as a panelist.
Turner (second from right) participated in a union leadership breakout.
Women’s Committee Chair Shamaiah Turner took part in the “Union Leadership Structure and Why It’s Important” panel, an interactive session detailing leadership structures and opportunities at the local union and international level. And SMART Local 206 (San Diego, Calif.) member Annet Del Rosario, who also sits on the SMART International Women’s Committee, sat on the LGBTQ in the Workforce panel, an open workshop that welcomed LGBTQ+ union members and allies for a discussion on LGBTQ+ issues, success stories and how these members strengthen the labor movement. Panelists and attendees spoke frankly about the unconscionable harassment they have faced on jobsites, the importance of having true allies in the union hall, how they overcame obstacles in the trades and much more.
“It doesn’t matter what trade we are — the higher [our numbers] are, the more our voices are heard,” Del Rosario declared. “We need to make a change — otherwise change won’t happen.”
As always, the conference was highlighted by Saturday’s TWBN banner parade, when the resounding echoes of marching feet, union chants and thousands upon thousands of tradeswomen joined the usual jazz soundtrack of New Orleans (including a band that marched alongside our sisters).
SMART-TD General Chairperson John Ellis of GC 875 and his team recently attended the InnoTrans 2024 conference in Berlin, Germany. As the largest transit conference in the world, the show brought together nearly 3,000 exhibitors from 59 countries, showcasing the latest innovations in transportation technology. The SMART-TD was joined by leaders from ATU and AFSCME.
The MTA delegation included Cliff Henke WSP SR. Vice President for Transit and Rail, Conan Cheung Metro COO, Mathew Dake Metro DCOO Vehicle Maintenance and Acquisitions, Jeff Shaffer ATU Local 1277 President, Maria Magallon SMART Chief Executive Manager, Fredrick Hines AFSCME Vice President, James Lindsay ATU International Vice President, Quintin Wormley SMART GO875 Vice General Chairperson and Local Chairperson 1565, Jim Avila AFSCME Executive Board Member, Julio Mejia SMART Secretary GO875 and Local Chairperson 1607, John Ellis SMART GO875 General Chairperson, Hector Guerrero Metro Senior Executive Officer Rail Operations, Jesus Montes Metro SR. EO. Vehicle Acquisition & Engineering
Ellis explains, “the visit was arranged by MTA CEO Stephanie Wiggins to gauge our interests and concerns with emerging transit technologies. We engaged in four days of intensive meetings with vendors and transportation technology experts, while examining the latest weapons detection systems for bus and rail; advanced security enclosures for bus and train Operators; and accident-avoidance systems for use in bus and light rail systems. We listened to vendor proposals and gave our feedback and concerns.
“We felt our visit was critically important to help us understand the role artificial intelligence (Al) and other new technologies will play in future transit systems. Knowing what’s out there will help us to propose engineering and procedural safeguards for our members.
One example of artificial intelligence in action, this system identifies and tracks hazards around transit vehicles and brings them to the attention of the Operator.
“The opportunity allows us to get involved with vendors at the beginning stages of procurement and provide critical input BEFORE vehicle systems are finalized. The opportunity to give early feedback represents a huge step forward in efforts to cooperatively design and implement enhanced safety and security systems for all our members.
Held every two years, InnoTrans 2024 filled the Berlin convention center. The show included 3,000 meters of track, hundreds of new vehicles, and countless experts and technical innovations from around the world.
“We would like to especially thank our ATU counterparts for working closely with us, offering ideas and support toward our common goal of safety and security for all. The cooperative approach shown by MTA marks the beginning of more joint efforts to bring the best technologies to SMART-TD members.”
This effort is part of a union-wide initiative to stop transit violence and ensure the safety of all workers.
Representatives Salud Carbajal (D-CA) and Mike Lawler (R-NY) introduced bipartisan legislation today that will extend hours of service protection to yardmasters across the nation. The bill, known as the Railroad Yardmaster Protection Act, which SMART-TD endorses, brings yardmaster hours in line with those of other rail employees.
The Federal bill follows our success earlier this year in Minnesota, where a similar SMART-TD championed bill was signed into law by Governor and Vice-Presidential candidate Tim Walz. The role our nation’s yardmasters play is now known at the highest levels of government.
“Yardmasters serve a critical role in our nation’s railroad network,” Congressman Carbajal explains on his website, where he and Congressman Lawler announced the bill. “They oversee the operations of a rail yard and manage the duties of various rail workers. They not only direct the activities of their fellow workers but also [direct] passenger and freight trains when they arrive and depart. But currently, there are no limitations to the number of hours a yardmaster can [be required to] work in a day, week, or month. This is not only dangerous for the well-being of the yardmasters but the safety of workers on the yard and train passengers.” Our support for this bill reinforces our commitment to the safety and well-being of all SMART-TD members.
“Yardmasters are one of the most overlooked crafts in the railroad industry,” said Chris Bartz, SMART-TD alternate vice president and an active yardmaster himself. “They are responsible for all train movements and activity within a rail yard. The Yardmaster coordinates and supervises many work groups, including dispatchers, Maintenance of Way, supervisors, customer service, and the general public.
“Many Yardmasters are responsible for the safe operation of multiple train yards simultaneously. Some positions manage five train yards simultaneously. Railroad Officers expect the Yardmasters to execute their duties with perfection. The workload and demands of the position cause the work environment to be continuously stressful.
“Yardmasters work 8-hour shifts but can be forced to work 16 consecutive hours if no relief is available. They can work 7 days a week, 365 days a year, without a mandated day off.
“It is deplete of reason that the Train Service employees are covered under hours of service laws that mandate rest periods, while the Yardmasters that supervise these employees can work extended hours and weeks on end.
“This legislation is desperately needed to improve the safety of our membership, and also the well-being of those working in all railyards and the general public.
“I am grateful to Representatives Carbajal and Lawler for having the foresight to see the necessity of introducing this critically important legislation.”
We extend our deepest appreciation to Reps. Carbajal and Lawler for their leadership and dedication to our cause. SMART-TD and our Legislative Department will continue to secure additional co-sponsors for this bill, uniting legislators who share our belief that the safety of transportation workers transcends any political affiliation. Together, we will continue to champion the rights and protections that Yardmasters and all rail workers deserve.
While many teenagers were figuring out what classes to take the next school year, Emilee Och was making plans to be a union welder. As a student in the School to Apprenticeship Program, her aspirations were complemented with training while she was still in high school, and she earned apprentice wages throughout the process.
The School to Apprenticeship Program, known also as an apprentice readiness program, or ARP, provides a pathway for high school seniors to get a head start on their careers in the trades. Och was a student at Apollo Career Center when she was introduced to the program by Eugene Frazier, now-retired training coordinator for Local 24 (central Ohio).
Elements of the School to Apprenticeship Program have dated back to the late 1980’s, and high school seniors were added to the program around 2013. The program was officially formulized in the state of Ohio in 2021, said Tony Stephens, training coordinator for Local 24 in Dayton.
As a student in the program, Och became a pre-apprentice at age 16, between her junior and senior year of high school, and she was a first-year apprentice during her senior year.
This summer, Och, 22, graduated from the apprentice program in Dayton, Ohio, and received an award recognizing her as the highest achieving apprentice, the Eugene Frazier II Award — named for the coordinator who introduced her to the program — along with perfect attendance. Och is the first woman to receive this recognition.
The program is the equivalent of high school students taking college classes for dual credit, she said.
“I knew I wanted to go union, for sure, but what I really liked is I could join right then and there and go to school at the same time,” Och added. From her home in Lima, Ohio, it was nearly a 90-minute drive, and she still managed to be the first apprentice since 2016 to achieve perfect attendance. “I was definitely keeping track of that, for sure. It was hard to make sure I was there every week, but I was pretty dedicated to it. I knew it would be worth it in the end, and it would be a good career for me.”
The School to Apprenticeship Program, and ARPs in general, ease high school students into adulthood with a varied schedule. Students attend school for two weeks, then work in the field for two weeks during the day while attending apprenticeship courses at Local 24’s training center in the evenings. The program allows them to retain their high school identities — playing football, participating in band and choir, attending senior trips — while jumpstarting their careers.
“It’s not full time. We have a much better retention with the School to Apprenticeship Program students than with any other program,” Stephens said. “We will retain 80%, if not more, in comparison to the 50% of apprentices we bring in by traditional means. It’s almost as constant as gravity. It’s been true since I was an apprentice.”
Och went from tinkering in the garage with her father as a child to working in the sheet metal shop at Smith-Boughan Mechanical in Lima. Her next goal is to become a foreperson.
“[The program] makes you feel more comfortable, helps you get the basics down so you know what you’re getting into,” she said. “It gives you a sense of responsibility. You have to be to work on time. You have to be prepared. It gives you a sense of commitment. I definitely think it was a good path for me, for sure.”
