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Canada’s unionized construction industry is expe­riencing significant victories for workers. From prevailing wage requirements on green infra­structure projects, to tax deductions for travellers, to new federal legislation designed to expedite nation-building projects, the future is bright for SMART members and the broader labour movement.

As Canada gears up for a wave of megaprojects from coast to coast, it is more important than ever to remain focused on organizing. Organizing victories ensure SMART has the capacity, skill and strength to meet the demands of high-profile, intensive projects, while protecting the wages, benefits and working conditions that members deserve.

Across the country, SMART locals are rising to this challenge by prioritizing organizing and expanding their reach. On the West Coast, Local 280 (Vancouver) has grown its membership by 35%, thanks to successful organizing campaigns involving 15 new companies. Their most notable victory was organizing a roofing company with over 50 members, marking a significant step forward for both the local and broader construction industries in B.C.

In Northern and Eastern Ontario, smaller locals are also ramping up their efforts. Local 504 (Sudbury) and Local 269 (Kingston) have hired full-time organizers for the first time, a sign of their commitment to signing nonunion companies and preparing for the influx of new projects.

Newly organized Local 562 member Brian Vos in the shop in Kitchener, Ontario

Meanwhile, in Southwestern Ontario, Local 562 (Kitchener) achieved a breakthrough after years of determined efforts, welcoming 56 new members who made the switch from the Christian Labour Association of Canada (CLAC). The turning point came when CLAC compared their current wages and benefits, which highlighted the clear advantage of SMART member­ship. Even with a recent $18/hour raise from CLAC, the workers realized they were still behind SMART’s collec­tive agreements. Ultimately, this move wasn’t just about higher wages; it was about joining a union that provides meaningful representation and long-term security.

But our largest organizing victory came in Windsor, where Local 235 mobilized 450 SMART travellers to support work on the NextStar Energy megaproject. At peak, the site had 950 union members working, a clear demonstration of SMART’s capacity to scale up orga­nized labour.

Looking ahead, more megaprojects are on the horizon. From the PowerCo (Volkswagen) battery plant to multiple hospital builds across the country, these proj­ects offer incredible opportunities for SMART members to develop their skills, secure steady employment and sustain rewarding careers in their local communities.

But seizing these opportunities requires organizing. It is only through continued organizing efforts that we can ensure all construction workers, regardless of their location in Canada, can reap the benefits of union repre­sentation. Better wages, safer worksites and stronger worker protections start with a commitment to grow our union. Together, we’re building more than infrastruc­ture; we’re building a stronger future for every SMART member across Canada.

The Spring 2025 Belonging and Excellence for All (BE4ALL) Challenge asked SMART members to answer the question: Why are you proud to be a SMART member? Dozens of members answered the call, with three selected in a raffle as the quarter’s winners. Read their submissions below.

Local 280 (Vancouver, British Columbia) Business Rep. Troy Clutchey went long in his answer:

“I am proud to be a union member, as I believe in the union movement all around. I am a third-generation sheet metal worker. I have benefitted from Local 280, as well as unions in general, since well before I was born.

“My grandfather came to British Columbia and joined Local 280 as a journeyman sheet metal worker in 1950. He told me that the journey rate was about $2.50/hour when he started here. This obviously would have had an influence on my mom’s upbringing, as she wasn’t born until 1953. My mom also understood and believed in the benefits of union.

“She met my dad many years later, and in 1974, at the suggestion of my grandfather, he too joined Local 280, obtaining his Red Seal in 1979. This led to my family having a good, full, enjoyable lifestyle. Born in 1983, the benefits and pride that came from union membership have been with me my whole life. My father’s membership in 280, and my mother’s union membership as an employee of the government provided so many great aspects to our life.

“In 2003 I started my pre-apprenticeship at SMART Local 280, and I have never looked back. I went through my apprenticeship, and I obtained my Red Seal certification in May 2008. The benefits that I have received are amazing. From the very beginning, everything from the ‘automatic savings’ to go through apprenticeship, to the registered program for training that entitled us to unemployment insurance benefits while in school, to the more affordable tuition costs, to having our own training centre with amazing instructors who are Red Seal certified tradesworkers.

“Move ahead a few more years, and I started a family of my own. With my wife being able to get benefits, and then us having two children together, the union has never stopped helping with our lives. Everything from psychology assessments, medical benefits, dental coverage, to glasses coverage and even wage indemnity coverages during times of need.

“The benefits are great, and so is knowing that everyone is together and looking out for one another. Safety conversations are much easier with everyone on the same page and a backing the size of a local union. We believe that we are setting the standards for industry all over the place.

“Knowing that even things like counselling and mental health services — not to mention addiction services and everything along those lines — are covered and organized through the union is amazing.

“For the last seven years, I have had the honour of serving as an elected business representative at Local 280. This work can be stressful and draining at times; however, the benefits and belief that I am helping as many people as I can join and benefit from the union makes it all worth it. Knowing that I might be able to get even one more person to join the union, grow and strengthen it, while obtaining some of the amazing benefits union membership affords the working class, is so fulfilling.

“I hope that the union, and all proper unions, can thrive for generations to come, as I truly believe that they bring out the best in everyone.”

Scott Raia, a member of SMART-TD Local 1626, said in his answer:

“My membership in this union has been the single most important step I have taken in my family’s financial life. It came right after my daughter was born. Finally, we were able to purchase a home, access quality medical care and think about the future. Every worker in this country should have those privileges. The men and women in this union have fought hard for generations to afford us the protections and security we enjoy as members. I owe this organization everything.”

Adrian Murcia, a member of SMART Local 565 (Wisconsin), discussed not just his union pride, but the support and happiness his membership gives him as well:

“I am very happy to belong to SMART. Ever since I was hired and joined the union, I have felt proud to belong to it. It was incredible to receive the bonus in the negotiation of the contract after just six months of joining Sub-Zero. With SMART, I feel supported in the resolution of any conflict that may arise, and SMART gives me the peace of mind that I have job stability. Additionally, and thanks to the strong negotiation of our salary, I have been able to make investments for my future.

“Thank you, SMART.”

Adrian Murcia, right, pictured wearing BE4ALL jacket with Local 565 Business Manager Jesse Buell

Congratulations, all!

SMART-TD Local 202 (Denver, Colo.) sister Tierney Gallegos started her journey as a union railroader just six years ago. But in that short time, she has emerged as a model of leadership, service and solidarity.

“Union leadership is a voluntary position, and not every position is filled with people determined to make a difference,” said Omar Ledesma, local chairperson and alternate safety and legislative representative in Colorado. “Sister Gallegos strives to make that difference. She wants people to know that railroaders still exist. We may not have the numbers we once had, but we are still present in our community and a leader among other unions.” 

A conductor for BNSF Railway and the vice president of Local 202 in Denver, Colorado, Sister Gallegos also serves as the secretary of the Local Committee of Adjustment (LCA) for the yard, a role that she was elected to in 2022, and has quickly become an indispensable force. 

She mobilized support for SMART-TD’s legislative priorities and broader labor initiatives. From state Senate and House hearings to street-level rallies, Gallegos ensures our members show up proud, powerful and ready to fight for positive change. 

Union influence creates a community-wide benefit 

Elected to her first four-year term as Vice President two years ago, Sister Gallegos hit the ground running. She assumed leadership of both the Charity Committee and the Ways and Means Committee, where she has redefined what it means to connect union strength with public good. Her efforts have brought Local 202 into collaboration with key organizations such as: 

  • Toys for Tots 
  • The Colorado Railroad Museum 
  • SMART-TD Colorado Legislative Board 
  • Women on the Tools Event 

For the third consecutive year, she successfully organized Local 202’s support for the National Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, forging a powerful partnership with the Bienvenidos Food Bank and a local post office to combat hunger and raise awareness. She has made it her mission to bring the message of SMART-TD into the broader community: if something needs to be fixed, the union will get organized and fix it. 

Our values lead to a brighter future 

Gallegos demonstrates what all SMART-TD members stand for: determination in the face of adversity, strength through unity, service to the community and a commit­ment to lifting one another when any of us has fallen. Her rise in prominence is a testament to her unshakeable dedication to these values. Great work, sister!

The SMART International leadership team is adding two new staff members, bolstering the International’s capacity in order to better serve members across North America.

Deyette
Bailey

Lance Deyette joined Darrell Roberts and Tom Wiant as an assistant to the general president (AGP) following the 2025 SMART Leadership Conference. Deyette is a long-standing member of SMART Local 66 in Washington — more than 34 years — and most recently served as president of the Northwest Regional Council, as well as a general vice president on the General Executive Council.

The International also established a new assistant to the general secretary-treasurer (AGST) position to support General Secretary-Treasurer John Daniel in his work. Aaron Bailey, a 28-year member of Local 66, began his position on June 21, following many years spent strengthening our union as an International organizer, Local 66 business representative and local union organizer.

For SMART members, solidar­ity is more than just a word or belief system. It’s action. It means having each other’s backs without question — extending a hand without expecting anything in return.

Local 55 (Boise, Idaho) member Petey Deligiannis detailed how union solidarity changed his life:

“As an apprentice, I was in a situation where I had no home, no food, no table to put it on even if I had. My mentor journeyman, Jerry Varccaro, noticed and gave me cash for food. This was the most kind thing somebody had ever done for me. Once I’d gotten my feet under me, I went to pay him back. I shouldn’t have been surprised, but he was speechless and wouldn’t take it. It meant more to him that I’d made good and was willing to pay him back.

Petey Deligiannis with his daughter

“Later that year he surprised me at Christmas, too. Because of him I was able to buy my daughter and brother Christmas gifts and a special meal. His kindness showed me what broth­erhood was about and is something I think of daily. I hope to continue this show of brotherhood and perpetuate that type of kindness.”

That’s union family!

So-called “right-to-work” laws force unions to represent and bargain on behalf of workers who don’t pay dues. Union dues are the funds that empower local unions to devote resources to bargaining better contracts, organizing more jobsites and workplaces, and better representing members. When local unions are forced to bargain on behalf of non-dues-paying members, both SMART members and nonunion workers suffer.

Know the facts:

• The average worker in “right-to-work” states makes approximately $8,989 less per year than workers in free bargaining states.

• “Right-to-work” laws damage retirement contributions, hurting members’ pensions.

• The workplace fatality rate in so-called right-to-work states is 37% higher compared with free bargaining states.

• Uninsured rates are 11.9% higher in so-called right-to-work states compared with free bargaining states.

State-by-state comparison:

The Economic Policy Institute compared the economic paths of Wisconsin and Minnesota from 2010 to 2018, which included the years in which Wisconsin passed a so-called right-to-work law and Act 10, which restricted the collective bargaining rights of public sector unions. During that time, job growth in Minnesota grew 11% compared to Wisconsin’s 7.9%. Minnesota’s wages increased by 9.7% compared to Wisconsin’s 6.4%. Household income grew 8.5% in Minnesota compared to Wisconsin’s 6.4%.

A collection of new crew room posters and flyers is available to help keep SMART-TD members informed and engaged. Printed flyers can be requested at no charge in various sizes — up to 11”x17”. Posters are laminated for use with dry-erase markers, making them easy to update and reuse. You also have the option to download and print them yourself. For more information, please reach out to your local officers.

If you’d like to request printed flyers or have an idea for a new addition, please reach out to SMART-TD Vice President James Sandoval at jsandoval@smart-union.org. You can also place an order yourself by filling out this form.

A collection of new crew room posters and flyers is available to help keep SMART-TD members informed and engaged. Printed flyers can be requested at no charge in various sizes — up to 11”x17”. Posters are laminated for use with dry-erase markers, making them easy to update and reuse. You also have the option to download and print them yourself. For more information, please reach out to your local officers.

If you’d like to request printed flyers or have an idea for a new addition, please reach out to SMART-TD Vice President James Sandoval at jsandoval@smart-union.org. You can also place an order yourself by filling out this form.

SMART-TD E-3 Committee responds to member requests

Members came to SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson with the idea of creating new flyers for union bulletin boards in crew rooms to share important information, and President Ferguson tasked the E-3 Committee with making that happen.

Launched in 2024, the E-3 Committee (which stands for empowerment, education and engagement) focuses on ways to help locals and keep members updated on impor­tant events, benefits and solidarity-building activities.

E-3 Committee members:

  • James Sandoval
  • Nicholas Greficz
  • Justin Schrock
  • Charles (Buddy) Piland
  • Hilary (Bill) Manoski
  • William (WW) Jackson
  • Matt Pietrzak

Knowledge is power, on and offline

Not all members are tech-savvy or avid social media users, and those who are among those groups made it clear that they prefer notices that are posted on bulletin boards.

Sandoval pointed out how this is proof that members’ ideas are incredibly valuable, since the idea is now being put into action.

“We found that a lot of our members weren’t aware of events and the value-added aspects that SMART-TD provides, including the Discipline Income Protection Plan (DIPP) and voluntary short and long-term disability insurance,” said Sandoval. “Some of the bulletin boards in the crew rooms hadn’t been updated in [over 20] years, and we were committed to fixing that.”

Flyers fill the gaps

Focused on important educational material, such as union “just cause” protections, the flyers also feature QR codes that take users directly to various SMART-TD-provided benefits.

“These QR codes encourage engagement amongst all of our brothers and sisters,” explained Sandoval. “With a simple tap on their smartphone, tablet or other device, our members have access to valuable information and benefits provided by their union at their fingertips.”

Many members also voiced concerns that they did not know where or when their local meetings took place, or who their local officers were if they had a problem.

The new flyers ensure that all members have access to these details, even if they don’t carry a smartphone or follow their local on social media.

Empowerment, education, engagement

The three-pronged approach of empowerment, educa­tion and engagement is crucial in the quest to build SMART-TD’s collective power. And the E-3 Committee is committed to pursuing that approach in the future, near and far.

“This committee is dedicated to strengthening our union by equipping our members with the tools to advo­cate for their rights,” said Sandoval. “Through fostering continuous learning and development and promoting active participation, we can forge a stronger union family capable of driving positive change.”



SMART members have an excellent opportunity to further their careers in the construction industry via Rowan University’s Bachelor of Arts in Con­struction Management program, which has been endorsed by North America’s Building Trades Unions and is specifically intended for members pur­suing career development in the building trades. This online program is designed for pre-apprentices, appren­tices and journeypersons looking to gain the leadership and technical skills needed to plan, execute, monitor and control the construction process.

Some of the perks:

  • Courses are entirely online, providing affordable, accessible learning that members can tailor to their schedules
  • Union apprenticeships and specialized training can fulfill general education and elective requirements, accelerating degree completion
  • The program includes three stackable certificates: Fundamentals of Construction Management, Project Management and Leadership (completing the full degree is not required)
  • A specialized tuition rate is available to all NABTU affiliated unions

As our industry continues to evolve, leadership devel­opment will be more crucial than ever — for members’ careers and for our union.

Learn more here.

When SMART Local 5 (East Tennessee and North Carolina) member Steven Ruger became an organizer in April 2023, the local had around 1,100 members — the majority in Tennessee — with 500 sheet metal workers needed to take on several approaching N.C.-based megaprojects.

“I wanted to become an organizer to help build and grow Local 5,” said Ruger, who first joined the trade in July 2011 with SMART Local 112 (Elmira, N.Y.) before moving to North Carolina years later. “To give others the opportunity I had and build solidarity in North Carolina.”

By all conventional measures, he’s succeeding. Today, thanks in large part to aggressive organizing conducted by Local 5 and spearheaded by Ruger, the local has more than 1,500 members, and the size of Local 5’s North Carolina membership has increased by more than 60%.

Megaprojects drive growth

Back in 2023, three megaprojects in Local 5’s jurisdiction — a Wolfspeed chip plant, a Toyota battery plant and a VinFast plant — put huge workforce demands on signatory contractors. That meant Ruger had to get straight to work once he started his new job as an organizer, training with now-retired International Organizer Kevin Mulcahy while simultaneously building a person-of-interest list for the local.

“Kevin and I researched nonunion fabrication shops in Charlotte, Raleigh and Greensboro, found where workers left these shops and placed yard signs at high-traffic intersections,” Ruger recalled.

In September 2023, the International put on an organizing blitz in Raleigh, North Carolina, to help staff the megaprojects, with organizers undergoing two days of training and two days of jobsite visits. There were four cars, with four organizers in each car, Ruger said — including one bilingual organizer per vehicle. He also had more than 500 palm cards printed, made up with a QR code that would direct users to a Local 5 landing page that explained megaprojects, pay scale, per diem, overtime and other facts about the union advantage.

Local 5 palm card
Steven Ruger

“We flooded jobsites, gas stations and supply houses with these cards,” Ruger said. “This was a huge success.”

The recruiting didn’t stop there. Ruger ran ads on Craigslist and Indeed, marketing the many perks of being a Local 5 sheet metal worker. The local has partnered with Guilford Technical Community College to help bring on two classes of 25 first-year sheet metal apprentices. And Ruger found great success stripping one of Local 5’s nonunion competitors, Environmental Air Systems.

“On a couple jobs, I stripped the foreman, and he brought his whole crew of 10-plus people with him,” he said.

Language isn’t a barrier to the union advantage

Ruger, Mulcahy and Local 5 knew that navigating potential Spanish-English language barriers would be key to any organizing success in the area. Along with the bilingual organizers brought in for the Raleigh blitz, Ruger worked with International Organizer Josh Garner and Strategic Research and Data Team Manager Kris Harmon to make sure the Local 5 landing page could be translated into Spanish. He even invested in translator ear buds in order to communicate with Spanish-speaking workers directly.

“I would meet these workers at Sheetz gas stations and our local union hall, explaining all the benefits of joining,” Ruger said. “I hired a few bilingual workers, and going forward they would help me relay information and assist with recruiting.”

Bad-faith employers often exploit language barriers to keep workers from organizing, collectively bargaining and speaking up about jobsite issues. That wasn’t the case at SMART signatory contractor Dynamic Systems, Inc. (DSI), which took on the Wolfspeed chip plant in Siler City, North Carolina. Thanks to their cooperation, all workers were put in a position to succeed — benefiting the employer as well.

“DSI worked with Local 5 and set up two orientations for workers, one in English and one in Spanish,” Ruger explained. “I would send all Spanish-speaking workers to the shop on Friday, and then DSI would report them to the jobsite for orientation in Spanish.”

The success achieved by Ruger and Local 5 marks a roadmap for SMART locals across North America. A wide variety of challenges lie ahead for our organization, from workforce demands to encroaching nonunion competition. But regardless of the nation, state or municipality of any given local, there’s at least one action we can always take: organize, organize, organize.