SMART Rail, Mechanical and Engineering (RME) members working for Norfolk Southern, BNSF and CSX will soon receive ratification information ballots from the American Arbitration Association regarding tentative agreements reached with the respective carriers on August 22.
The ratification vote will run from Monday, September 9, through Thursday, October 3; members will have until 11:59pm on Thursday, October 3 to cast their vote for their respective tentative agreement. The votes will be counted and announced on Friday, October 4. Please take the time to read through the relevant ratification information carefully. If members have questions, they should not hesitate to contact their SMART representatives.
Your union, your family, your vote: What the facts say about your choice for the White House
Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz have had our backs their whole careers. Now it’s our turn to have theirs.
During her term as vice president, Kamala Harris:
Cast the tie-breaking vote in the Senate to guarantee pension security for over 1 million union members nationwide, including 1,600 retired sheet metal workers in Ohio that got back-pay and ended 40% cuts.
Worked across the aisle to pass the largest investment in our infrastructure in 70 years, with strong labor standards and prevailing wages that are creating good union jobs for thousands of SMART members.
Worked across the aisle to pass the CHIPS and Science Act, which is bringing billions of dollars in investment to microchip manufacturers back from overseas and putting SMART members to work from Vermont to Idaho.
Local 33 retiree talks about the life-changing impact of the American Rescue Plan.
Led the White House Task Force on Worker Organizing, a whole-of-government approach to empowering workers, promoting worker organizing and collective bargaining for workers employed by public and private-sector employers, and creating pathways to good union jobs.
Championed the expanded Child Tax Credit, included in the American Rescue Plan, which cut child poverty in half in just one year before it was killed by House Republicans.
Met with SMART members in Boston, Philadelphia and beyond, discussing directly with workers how pro-labor policy can benefit our union.
VP Harris at Local 19VP Harris at Local 17VP Harris with SMART member Will Griffin and family
During his terms as Governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz:
Expanded prevailing wages on state-supported clean energy projects and all projects funded by state bond issues, including funding for strong enforcement of prevailing wage laws.
Partnered with SMART Local 10 to pass a landmark indoor air quality bill with requirements that skilled, trained workers are hired and paid prevailing wage.
Passed the nation’s strongest Paid Family and Medical Leave law, providing paid sick and safe time if members or their families need it, at no cost to workers.
Banned union-busting captive audience meetings and passed the largest middle-class tax cut in state history.
Strengthened protections against wage theft in the construction industry.
Signed into law the largest increase to the Minnesota work compensation system’s permanent partial disability fund in state history.
Passed a universal free school breakfast and lunch program to feed the kids of working families.
Walz with Local 10Walz with SMART-TD Minn. SLD KatichWalz wears a Local 10 hat. Photo credit: Lorie Shaull
If Donald Trump is returned to the White House, we know what he and JD Vance plan to do. Their allies wrote Project 2025, a plan to hurt the building trades by:
Banning the use of project labor agreements on federally funded construction projects
Allowing nonunion contractors to run apprenticeship programs that provide inadequate training, no guarantee of employment, and strip parts of the trade while receiving the same tax status as union apprenticeships, but without any federal oversight.
Allowing nonunion contractors and subcontractors to misclassify workers with no penalty or requirement that they pay unemployment insurance or workers’ compensation, undercutting bids from union contractors.
Amending child labor laws to allow minors to work in construction and other dangerous fields. Many states have already loosened child labor protections, leading to a huge jump in cases of child exploitation.
Legalizing company unions for the first time in 90 years, giving employers another way to avoid collective bargaining, stop organizing drives and ignore real worker voices.
Rescinding the labor standards in the Inflation Reduction Act, CHIPS and Science Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that ensure work with public money creates good union jobs with safe worksites.
Make it easier for employers to get rid of unions in the middle of contracts.
Enable small businesses to violate OSHA worker safety laws.
A vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz will keep our union growing and keep them fighting for you. With four years in office, they plan to:
Build on the progress and investments we’ve made together, ensuring that the next phases of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, IRA, and CHIPS and Science act keep creating union jobs.
Make the Child Tax Credit permanent, saving you thousands in taxes to use on childcare and the everyday costs of raising a family, and restore the tax deduction for union dues and tools.
Lower prescription drug costs by empowering Medicare and Medicaid to negotiate the prices they pay on the medicine Americans need.
End unfair rent increases by capping yearly hikes at 5% for corporate landlords and give working families $25,000 toward buying their first home.
Solve our housing crisis by building 3 million new homes in the next 4 years.
Crack down on price gouging at the grocery store and the gas pump, and ban junk fees on credit cards, flights and tickets.
The facts are clear. Vote for your family, your job and your union. Vote Harris-Walz on November 5th.
Sheet metal and transportation workers exercised collective power to win laws and federal appointees who act in our interests
After extraordinary mobilization in recent years, union votes are translating directly to union jobs.
In 2020, SMART members voted to elect politicians to the United States House, Senate and the White House who pledged to prioritize union members and working-class families. In the years since, those politicians passed three job-creating laws — the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act — and President Joe Biden named a variety of pro-union appointees to federal positions in the Department of Labor (DOL), the Department of Transportation and beyond — making sure money from federal laws creates jobs for SMART members, both now and into the future
This is not the result of politicians rewarding SMART members for getting them elected. It is the consequence of members applying their collective power: first by voting in their interests, then by pushing legislators to make sure they kept their promises.
“It can’t be emphasized enough what a difference it makes when the people implementing funding and writing policy know that SMART workers are engaged in the political process,” said SMART General President Michael Coleman. “We have pro-union allies in federal offices that are making sure that new laws create jobs for our members.”
Funding from recently passed laws, coupled with federal appointees, leads directly to union sheet metal jobs
Some projects funded by federal legislation have already started bringing SMART members onto the jobsite. In Arizona, for example, SM Local 359 members are on the job building semiconductor manufacturing facilities for Intel — a project made possible in part by funding from the CHIPS and Science Act.
Other projects will break ground in the near future. The CHIPS Act is set to put East Coast SMART members to work for years to come: Thanks to a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the U.S. Department of Commerce and semiconductor manufacturer GlobalFoundries that includes approximately $1.5 billion in direct funding, Local 83 sheet metal workers will soon arrive on a new, PLA-covered chip plant in Malta, New York. And in Burlington, Vermont, retrofit work on an existing GlobalFoundries chip plant is expected to exceed $35 million in federal funding, making the job a PLA-covered one and bringing Local 17 members on site.
Pro-union laws are one thing, but the people implementing those laws play a vital role after legislation is passed — and the federal appointees who make key funding and policy decisions are benefiting SMART members and their families across the country. The most high-profile figures work within the DOL. Since their appointments, Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su and DOL Wage and Hour Division Administrator Jessica Looman have successfully enacted rulemaking that expands job opportunities and puts money in SMART members’ pockets.
The primary example: Su, Looman and fellow pro-worker officials finally updated the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts, strengthening prevailing wage regulations and raising pay standards for SMART members and building trades workers across America. The updated regulations restore the DOL’s definition of prevailing wage — making it equivalent to the wage paid to at least 30% of workers in local communities (rather than the weakened 50%) — strengthen enforcement and modernize DOL’s definition of “site of the work” to account for current industry practices.
This rule update is particularly crucial at a time when publicly funded projects are breaking ground at an unprecedented rate, explained Coleman.
“By updating Davis-Bacon prevailing wage regulations for the first time in more than 40 years, the Department of Labor is working to ensure that construction workers employed on public works projects are paid what they deserve, helping lift more workers into the middle class and boosting the economies in cities, towns and neighborhoods from coast to coast,” he said. “This is especially vital as projects funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act continue breaking ground — putting thousands of SMART members to work.”
Pro-union FRA notches slew of victories for SMART-TD members
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) of 2016–2020 made its name through anti-worker actions, most notably its attempt to pre-empt existing state laws that mandated two-person crews on freight trains. The post-2020 FRA, led by Administrator Amit Bose, has consistently prioritized the wellbeing of SMART-TD members — the workers who actually keep the trains moving, not the corporate CEOs who cast safety to the side in pursuit of shareholder profit.
In striking contrast to the previous administration, the current FRA announced a federal two-person crew rule in 2024, finally acting in the name of common sense, worker safety and SMART-TD railroad jobs. Following a public comment period that was extended multiple times, ultimately concluding in late 2022, the final ruling arrived in April 2024.
In late 2023, in the wake of high-profile rail safety incidents and two tragic trainee deaths, the FRA awarded SMART-TD more than $600,000 to develop and implement its own training program — providing union railroaders with education and programming designed with their safety in mind, not just efficiency and exorbitant profit-making.
Weeks later, the FRA again sided with railroaders over the carriers in its ruling on Union Pacific’s request for a variance to allow non-FRA-certified crews to run trains coming from Mexico to Port Laredo, Texas. FRA ruled that trains running from the border to Port Laredo must be operated by qualified and certified Union Pacific engineers and conductors, providing SMART-TD railroaders with the work they rightfully deserve.
Bose’s administration made another common-sense decision in favor of SMART-TD railroaders with the issuing of a final rule on emergency breathing apparatuses on trains carrying hazardous material. The rule requires railroads to provide emergency escape breathing apparatuses (EEBAs) for train crew members and other employees who could be exposed to an inhalation hazard in the event of a hazardous material, or hazmat, release. Railroads must also ensure that the equipment is maintained and in proper working condition and train their employees in its use.
And in a groundbreaking move that will put SMART-TD railroaders to work for years to come, the FRA awarded billions of dollars in funding — made available by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law — to two high-speed rail projects in California and Las Vegas, finally making high-speed rail a reality in the U.S. The crucial provision: The railroad, Brightline West, committed to using an organized workforce. The railroad will be built by union members, including SMART Railroad, Mechanical and Engineering workers, and the highspeed trains will be operated by SMART-TD crews.
“The skills our conductors, engineers and yardmasters possess were not an afterthought when the plans for this rail line came together,” SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson said when the projects were announced. “They are invaluable to this project and woven into the fabric of what will make this high-speed rail project a success.”
Department of Energy’s clean energy industrial policy creates years of work for SMART members
The need for a clean energy transition has been made abundantly clear in recent years, as temperatures increase, seasons disappear, floods destroy city streets and wildfire smoke chokes our children when they try to play outside. Thanks to the industrial policy of the current Department of Energy (DOE), that clean energy transition is creating jobs for SMART sheet metal members — today, tomorrow and well into the future.
Examples are everywhere. SMART Local 177 members have begun working on a Microvast battery plant in Clarksville, Tennessee, while Local 36 members in St. Louis, Missouri, are on the job building an ICL-IP America, Inc., battery materials manufacturing facility. Both projects received DOE funding from $2.8 billion worth of awards from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Meanwhile, the sheet metal workers at Local 7 (Lansing, Michigan), Local 20 (New Carlisle, Indiana) and Local 177 (Spring Hill, Tennessee) are directly benefiting from the Department of Energy’s $2.5 billion loan to Ultium Cells. The loan, facilitated by the DOE’s Loan Programs Office, is helping finance the construction of new lithium-ion battery cell manufacturing plants in Michigan, Indiana and Tennessee, as well as Ohio — facilities that have Local 7, 20 and 177 members already on site.
The DOE Loan Programs Office also played a crucial role in putting SMART Local 110 and Local 4 members to work in Glendale, Kentucky, and Stanton, Tennessee, respectively. Ford received a $9.2 billion loan that helped kickstart its BlueOval battery facilities in both locations, and the funding has already paid dividends for union sheet metal workers — generating work for current members, bringing new workers into the union, helping both locals grow and keeping retirees’ pensions healthy.
And on the West Coast, the recently announced California Hydrogen Hub — one of seven hydrogen hubs funded by DOE through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law — will leverage the state’s existing clean energy technology to produce hydrogen exclusively from renewable energy and biomass. Importantly, the hub has committed to requiring project labor agreements for all related projects, which will create an expected 220,000 jobs — including 130,000 construction jobs.
SMART’s convention, held every five years, represents the democratic process of our union: Members elect delegates to represent them at the convention; delegates then debate and vote on resolutions, amendments to the SMART Constitution and International leadership positions, guiding the direction of our organization for the next five years.
The theme of this year’s convention is “Challenge met — but we’re not done.” It’s an idea that reflects the fighting spirit of our union; our mission to secure a brighter tomorrow for members, families and working people across North America. It also invites us to look back at the battles we’ve fought — and won — since we last gathered in 2019.
The 2nd SMART General Convention arrived at a time when organized labor was against the ropes. The Trump administration’s proposed Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs (IRAPs) rule attacked our union sheet metal apprenticeship programs, threatening a historical pillar of our trade. The Trump Federal Railroad Administration discarded a proposed two-person crew regulation and attempted to pre-empt state two-person crew laws, undermining not just rail safety and SMART-TD railroad jobs but the democratic principles of our nation. Provincial governments attacked workers’ rights in Canada, and across the labor movement, unions struggled to reach the working class, leaving ordinary people without collective bargaining power — and threatening our future.
Brothers and sisters, we met those challenges.
We came together to defeat the proposed IRAPs rule. We elected pro-labor champions in 2020, winning a two-person freight crew regulation, funding for passenger rail and public transit and much more. We lobbied for and helped secure the passage of transformative pro-worker laws like the American Rescue Plan Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act — laws that saved union sheet metal workers’ pensions, put members on jobs from Arizona to upstate New York, provided funding opportunities for our training centers and beyond.
“I promise you, we will not rest until every SMART member — and every worker across the United States and Canada — has the pay, the benefits and the collective power we all deserve.”
And most importantly, we have changed the way we are perceived: Americans and Canadians realize the value of SMART representation, and across the country, we have organized at a furious pace, achieving incredible growth and strengthening our collective future.
Thanks to your efforts, we stand on a strong foundation, one forged by the hard work and selflessness of union members across North America. And now, we can look forward. Our job isn’t finished. We have more people to organize, more jobs to win, better contracts to negotiate, pro-union legislators to put in office.
I promise you, we will not rest until every SMART member — and every worker across the United States and Canada — has the pay, the benefits and the collective power we all deserve.
It is one of the greatest honors of my life to serve as your general secretary-treasurer. This trade, and this great union, have given me everything I have. I first picked up the tools in 1991, when I started in the Local 265 apprenticeship program in Carol Stream, Illinois. Since then, I’ve worked as a sheet metal fabricator, an installer, an instructor, an organizer, a business representative, financial secretary-treasurer and the president and business manager of my local.
At every step, I’ve been humbled to walk in the footsteps of the trade unionists who came before me; who passed along their knowledge and helped me serve my fellow members as best I could. That includes outgoing SMART General Secretary-Treasurer Joseph Powell. Joe has worked closely with me to ensure a seamless transition as he moves to a directorial role — and thanks in no small part to his hard work alongside General President Emeritus Joseph Sellers and General President Michael Coleman, our organization is well positioned for the future.
Five years ago, we faced a number of challenges. The Sheet Metal Workers’ National Pension Fund was still considered “endangered.” The SMART Transportation Division fought constantly against attacks like precision scheduled railroading, draconian attendance policies, anti-worker legislation and much more. Financially, the International and local unions alike found themselves making sacrifices to ensure our organization’s solvency.
We are living in extraordinary times, brothers and sisters — and if we take advantage, SMART and the labor movement will benefit for decades.
We are in a much different position today, and not by accident. The hard work of members at every level of this union helped push the National Pension Fund into the “Green Zone;” we recruited more new sheet metal workers than we lost in 2023; and in the face of untoward hostility from freight railroad carriers and anti-union government officials, the SMART Transportation Division managed to grow in the last year.
Financially, we are secure. We have met the challenge. But now, it’s time to put the pedal to the metal.
Megaprojects and pro-worker laws have combined with our core work to create unparalleled workforce demands — and opportunity — in the sheet metal industry. This is our time to grow; to organize, recruit and retain more than we ever have, and to secure our collective future for generations of SMART members to come.
The same goes for transportation workers. Our union has made incredible progress when it comes to rail safety, as well as funding for high-speed rail lines and major contract victories such as paid sick leave. We won’t let up now. I look forward to working with SMART-TD leaders and members to win further gains and secure more protections for our members.
We are living in extraordinary times, brothers and sisters — and if we take advantage, SMART and the labor movement will benefit for decades. Words cannot describe how proud I am to work for and alongside you in this pivotal moment, and I promise I will do everything in my power to help the 200,000-plus members of this union achieve the future we deserve.
As the president of the strongest labor union in the transportation industry, I can honestly tell you that unique and important issues come to my attention daily.
No issues are as pressing to the well-being of this union and its membership as safety, the strength of our contracts/agreements, the education of our local officers to serve you, and the overall health of this union as an organization.
Without a doubt, SMART-TD is at an important crossroads with all these core issues.
I have made no secret about my and this organization’s level of concern regarding the epidemic of violence against our bus and transit members. This disturbing, and frankly disgusting, trend has churned up from coast to coast. There is much to be done, but in 2024, SMART-TD and our Bus and Transit Assault Prevention and Safety (BTAPS) Committee have made significant strides to protect our men and women.
General Chairperson John Ellis and his GCA-875 team have led a charge in Los Angeles with two significant improvements on this front for thousands of members. First, they achieved an agreement with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority (LACMTA) to install full-coverage partitions to keep our members shielded from passengers on their bus. GCA-875 also accomplished a major victory when they successfully advocated for LACMTA’s board to create its own in-house security force focused on system safety. These two improvements will keep workers and riders alike significantly safer in years to come!
Building on this momentum, SMART-TD’s National Legislative Department has done an outstanding job of leveraging the union’s talent from across the country and harnessing it to further conversations on our issues in Washington, DC. The department hosted two events that have been tremendously successful. The first, in May, was Railroad Day on the Hill, and the second was this union’s first-ever Bus/Transit Day on the Hill on June 25.
Both brought local leaders from across the country to Capitol Hill to discuss the important legislative concerns held by SMART. The firsthand experiences our brothers and sisters shared with these officials and their staff were invaluable to our cause! Minds definitely changed in our direction as a result of the work we did. I want to thank all of the state legislative directors, general chairs, local officers and our BTAPS Committee for prioritizing these events and showing up with preparation and passion. Your efforts were more effective than you could know, and I appreciate each and every one of you!
As this union looks to the future, we are quickly approaching 2025 and the beginning of the next round of national negotiations for our Class I freight rail members. I would like to remind all our members that our union is dedicated to a bottom-up organizational model.
Our negotiating team and I, as president, aren’t able to advocate for quality-of-life improvements that we are not made aware of. It is my hope that each affected freight rail local throughout our union has distributed my personal request to all members to propose what they would want to see prioritized in our Section 6 notices. We are as strong as our collective members, and silence does no one any favors. We need to hear from you about the contract that you will work under for the next five years. Please participate by offering your proposals in any of the following ways:
In addition to our need to keep our members out of harm’s way and push for the best contracts we can get, we also focus on educating our officers at all levels. These efforts, through Regional and National Training Seminars, keep our local chairs/presidents/legislative reps and secretary & treasurers up to date and ready to defend.
I would be remiss if I didn’t take this opportunity to thank every officer and member who came to Cleveland in early July for our NTS. Your input was pivotal for your brothers and sisters, and the enthusiasm at this training was contagious!
Summer is a busy time for all of us and is always full of distractions. No matter what you have on your plate this summer, please be sure to concentrate on your safety and that of your coworkers.
We are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers. In the transportation industry, that could not be more true.
Jeremy R. Ferguson President, Transportation Division
In March, Canadian staff gathered at the Hilton Toronto to participate in the SMART MAP (Members Assistance Program) training. The Canadian Pension and Benet Steering Committee worked with the Sheet Metal Occupational Health Institute Trust (SMOHIT) to organize the SMART MAP class for Canada, which was held on March 26–28, 2024. The class had a tremendous turnout, with over 50 participants including business managers, financial secretary-treasurers, business representatives, organizers, training instructors and office staff from across Canada.
The training focused on providing staff with tools and strategies to help support members who may be experiencing addiction and/or mental health concerns. The training was well received, and attendees emphasized a desire for more education and training. A big thank you to Chris Carlough, director of wellness and mental health support, and the team from SMOHIT for providing real-life experiences so we can better assist our members in their time of need.
Canadian Council of Sheet Metal Workers & Roofers Convention
In May, the Canadian Council met in Saint John, New Brunswick, and elections were held. Congratulations to President Jason Pedersen (Local 276, Victoria), Vice President George McDonald (Local 56, Nova Scotia), Recording Secretary-Treasurer Mark Hall (Ontario Conference), and Members at Large TJ King (Local 297, West), Gerald Murphy (Local 512, East) and Bob Gougeon (Local 285, Ontario) on your elections.
Retirement recognition was given to Brother Art White, who dedicated many years of service to the members, his local and the council. We wish him all the best in his retirement. Brother Lawrence Coulis was recognized for his contributions, as he will not be standing for reelection at Local 562 (Kitchener, Ontario).
The SMART Steering Committee presented a variety of initiatives, including SMART MAP Canada and peer-to-peer programming, HearCANADA, a hearing aid program, SMART index funds for Canadian local investments, Hamilton Lane SMART Air and Energy Fund and the SMART Canada Life Insurance Program.
Showcasing our skills
This year’s sheet metal apprentice competition showcased the talents of 12 apprentices who were tasked with duplicating the World’s Largest Axe! Built in 1991 and rising 49 feet above the glorious Saint John River, this landmark is a gleaming symbol of the industrious lives and legacies of Canada’s lumberjacks. Congratulations to first-place and Congeniality Award winner Kevin Berkmortel of Local 473 (London), second-place winner Jamie Weir of Local 30 (Toronto), third-place winner Jacob Wiebe of Local 235 (Windsor) and fourth-place winner Colin Nam of Local 280 (Victoria, B.C.).
The roofing competition demonstrated the skill and technique of nine apprentices who were tasked with the practical application of two roofing techniques: single and two-ply. Congratulations to first-place winner Elias Taylor from Local 276 (Victoria), second-place winner Matthew Rector, Local 409 (Halifax) and third-place and Congeniality Award winner Liam Power, Local 437 (Saint John, New Brunswick).
Staff announcements
Brother Jack Wall, former business manager/financial secretary-treasurer of Local 56 and eighth general vice president, has been appointed International representative for Atlantic Canada, replacing retired International Representative Leonard Day. Brother Wall started his new position on January 1, 2024.
On May 1, 2024, Brother Patrick Gordon was appointed to the position of International representative for business development in Canada. This position will be key in leading nationwide campaigns with coalitions of International and local union staff, along with key partners in the architectural, roofing, HVAC and building envelope sectors. Emphasis will be placed on organizing, educating and promoting our trades to the public, our members and buyers of construction.
Raising our profile
SMART Canada has been working with a government relations firm, which has been paramount in establishing and creating networking opportunities with various MPs, MPPs and ministers. We have appeared before the Ontario Finance Committee to make recommendations for provincial oversight of compulsory certification of licensed trades, investing in the Infrastructure Health & Safety Association (IHSA), consultations on jobsite working conditions and equitable access to Skills Development Fund Training Streams. Together, we have developed government relations priorities centered around consumer protection, skilled trades and long-term care facilities. We have authored consumer alerts, as well as stories on fraud prevention and air quality. As the wildfires continue to burn across our country, we will continue to raise the issue of indoor air quality.
On April 30, 2024, SMART-TD GO 505 General Chairperson Anthony Simon was honored by New York State and Nassau County Democratic Committee Chair Jay Jacobs as Labor Leader of the Year at their annual spring dinner. Joined by members of his committee, Simon was recognized alongside other leaders at this highly attended event on Long Island.
In attendance were N.Y. State Attorney General Letitia James, N.Y. State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli as well as countless elected officials, business leaders and labor leaders from the New York region. Simon thanked his committee for their support over the years, as well as Chair Jay Jacobs and Vice Chair Tom Gary for their consistent loyalty to labor in New York. In a heartfelt speech, Brother Simon also praised his late wife, Ann, for all her support throughout his career.
When Joseph Powell first began working as SMART general secretary-treasurer following his election in 2019, our union – and our two nations – was in a vastly different position. Nationally, both the United States and Canada were in the midst of tenuous and chaotic political climates that tested working families across states, provinces and territories. And SMART faced a variety of challenges, including a pension that was still considered “endangered,” the Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs (IRAPs) scheme from the Trump administration, attacks on two-person crews and much more.
Today, we have met those challenges, with the Sheet Metal Workers’ National Pension Fund certified in the Green Zone, IRAPs soundly defeated, a federal two-person crew regulation and pro-union legislation at the federal and state levels. And on June 4, 2024, Powell informed the General Executive Council that he would not seek re-election for the office of general secretary-treasurer at the 3rd SMART General Convention in August.
“After 10 years of dedicated service, I have decided to step down as of June 30, 2024,” Powell said. “I will continue in my commitment to SMART and our members in a director capacity.”
“Joe has been a steadfast leader from day one; someone sheet metal and transportation workers know they can count on, from his days at Local 206 in San Diego, to his years serving our members across North America at the International,” added SMART General President Michael Coleman. “I have no doubt that he will continue that service as a director.”
GST John DanielFormer GST Joseph Powell
Daniel to bring decades of experience to Washington, DC
Following Powell’s announcement on June 4, the SMART General Executive Council appointed John Daniel, outgoing president and business manager of Local 265 (Carol Stream, Ill.) and current SMART general vice president, to assume the remainder of the general secretary-treasurer’s term. Powell worked closely with Daniel during the changeover to ensure a smooth transition.
“I know our union will be in good hands with John as general secretary-treasurer,” Coleman said. “Congratulations to him on this achievement.”
Daniel has loyally served SMART members for more than 30 years. Since entering the industry in 1991, he has been a sheet metal fabricator and installer, an instructor, organizer, business representative, financial secretary-treasurer and most recently the president/business manager for Local 265.
Daniel said his career path has provided him with a well-rounded perspective of the sheet metal industry and the challenges facing the unionized sector. Having an open mind and being an active listener, leveraging assets both financial and relational, employing technology to not only capture more work opportunities but to attract the next generation of tradesmen and women — these are only a few of his priorities.
“I have some big shoes to fill, but I’m excited to serve the members of our great union, in every craft, every trade and every industry, from Canada to the United States,” Daniel said. “This is a crucial time for our organization, and I’m ready to do the work.”
Working families across North America continue to bear the brunt of the climate crisis, from extreme heat and natural disasters to poor air quality caused by wildfire smoke. The Canadian government is pursuing aspirational green economy goals in response — and SMART Canada is working to take advantage, organizing and recruiting to make sure the provinces’ sustainable future is union made.
“Transitioning Canada’s workforce to net-zero and ensuring our members receive the skills required to lead the change — without losing jobs — is critical to our economy,” said SMART Director of Canadian Affairs Chris Paswisty.
To that end, SMART Canada recently targeted potential recruits across the nation with a digital advertising campaign. Students and guidance counselors received a video introducing them to the skilled trades, with a link to SMART’s Canadian website providing information on how to get involved. The video proclaims: “This is OUR time, so think green, think clean, think SMART” — emphasizing that a new focus on green industries provides bountiful career opportunities.
“We see the worsening effects of climate change every year,” Paswisty added. “Taking action isn’t just about the future of our planet and the world we leave behind for the next generation. This is about providing for our members, both today and tomorrow.”
The Canadian government’s current goal is to achieve net-zero carbon emissions, as a society, by the year 2050. Doing so will require a massive, nationwide effort — one that will rely largely on SMART’s skilled sheet metal workers and roofers. SMART Canada’s new apprenticeship web page underlines that fact, making clear that our green energy future will create plenty of jobs.
“Our sheet metal workers fabricate and install proper ventilation and air filtering systems, ensuring the overall health and energy efficiency of schools, offices, hospitals, factories, nuclear plants and homes,” said Paswisty. “Our architectural and roofing members play a crucial role in the building envelope, again helping structures operate efficiently, and they install green roofing that helps reduce greenhouse gases and improve air quality. Canada needs our members to complete the green transition.”
Union workers are being helped by political action. The Government of Canada’s 2023 federal budget featured a far-reaching focus on Canada’s green economy, including broadened investment in private-sector-led infrastructure, strong responses to the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act and much more. Perhaps most importantly, the budget tied green tax incentives to one of the strongest definitions of prevailing wage Canada has ever seen — one that incorporates union compensation, benefits and pension contributions, helping create good-paying union jobs as Canada transitions to sustainable energy.
In addition, Canada’s Building Trades Unions (CBTU) are taking steps to make sure today’s workers aren’t left behind. Funded by Employment and Social Development Canada’s Union Training and Innovation Program (UTIP) — which SMART Canada and the CBTU lobbied for extensively — CBTU’s “Building It Green” national training program aims to integrate climate literacy into already existing construction trades education and training, helping apprentices, journeypersons, inspectors and training instructors take on the pressing concerns of climate change. SMART Local 280 (Vancouver, B.C.) President and Training Coordinator Jud Martell helped develop the trade-specific curriculum for SMART members.
There’s no questioning the fact that the climate crisis is, in fact, a crisis, Paswisty added. But meeting the challenge head-on provides a way forward, both for our communities and for SMART members.
“We are ready to grow and meet the demand by welcoming Canadians into the skilled trades, and we will collaborate with the government to continue driving Canadians towards a career in the trades,” he concluded.
