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SMART Local 206 (San Diego, Calif.) sheet metal workers are currently on the job at the IQHQ Research and Development District in downtown San Diego: a large, mixed-use, life science development that spans eight acres and six city blocks. Once completed, it will be California’s largest commercial waterfront site, featuring mid-rise buildings, a 17-story tower, shops, restaurants, a public paseo, roof decks and green spaces.

“Work like this is a testament to our members’ skill, expertise and commitment to safety,” said Local 206 Business Manager/Financial Secretary-Treasurer Dave Gauthier. “We are proud to play such a vital role shaping the future of San Diego.”

Four Local 206 signatory contractors are currently on the job. CMF, Inc. workers are performing portions of the architectural work. Local 206 members at California Sheet Metal, meanwhile, will staff the project for one year, with a scope that spans four of the eight areas of work and requires 12,170 shop hours and 14,326 field hours, with 2,700 linear feet of railing and 8,380 square feet of trellis.

Local 206 signatory contractor A.O. Reed was brought on early in the project phase to create unique detailing and constructability ideas to accommodate the project’s scope. The development — which A.O. Reed says is taking place on “arguably the last undeveloped land on the San Diego waterfront” — is estimated to be completed in early 2024.

Block 2B of the IQHQ project includes the 17-story lab/office building with retail spaces at the ground level and second floors. The laboratory spaces require the installation of lab exhaust risers: the largest duct that workers at A.O. Reed have fabricated in the company’s 109-year history. The duct measures 248 by 118 inches and runs from the rooftop on level 18 to level 1. The size and complexity of the duct setting — which necessitated the use of a crane — saw the A.O. Reed BIM team working hand-in-hand with the engineer to pre-plan each step of the process, showcasing the depth and detail of the sheet metal trade as Local 206 members work to ensure the large system operates as efficiently and flawlessly as possible.

Members working for ACCO Engineered systems will spend a total of 16 months on the job — 44,000 work hours in the field, 8,000 work hours in the shop. They have already installed two 264- by 78-inch lab exhaust duct risers with subduct connections, using a tower crane to drop the riser pieces down the shaft and into place. Local 206 workers pre-assembled the supply air duct over the air handling units — sized 204 by 66 inches — on the ground. ACCO employees also built 62- by 15- by 6-foot outside-air plenums, which connected to the curtain wall system out of a gas station panel.

Local 47 (Ottawa, Ontario) sheet metal worker Stuart Simpson started his tradesperson career at a nonunion sheet metal shop. Unlike many nonunion contractors, though, his employer ended up actively encouraging Simpson and his coworkers to join SMART – resulting in a “truly life-changing” shift that Simpson says has transformed the trajectory of his career, leading him to become Local 47’s training coordinator. Read more in his BE4ALL member story:  

“I got into sheet metal at a local shop in 1996. I became a registered apprentice and went through my five-year apprenticeship, attended three intakes at our local college (eight weeks each time), wrote my certificate of qualification and became a licensed journeyperson in 2002.

“I joined SMART back in 2011 – before becoming a union member, I worked for a nonunion shop. We normally worked long hours, usually for straight time, and we were paid time and a half when it was available. My employer at the time decided that we should all join the union because of the benefits SMART membership provided. It was a good employer that wanted to give its employees a better future. We were provided with a good pension plan and great benefits, as well as a nice wage increase! My employer did the best it could to provide good benefits and a pension; however, joining the union was an amazing decision. I am truly grateful for that. I was fortunate to work for that company for 19.5 years before it closed its doors.

“Once I became a union member, I started attending union meetings and learned more about what the union has done and could do for its members. By attending more union functions, I got to know the officers of the union, and when my union reached out looking for an instructor to assist with safety training, I submitted my name. Thankfully they liked what I had to offer, and I became one of the safety trainers. Shortly after I also became the part-time training coordinator, and after a few years they brought me on full time to serve as the permanent training coordinator.

“Over the last five years our local has expanded its safety training, brought in two more instructors, and most recently we were awarded our TDA (training delivery agent) status, which will allow us to start teaching the 308A Red Seal sheet metal and the 449A Red Seal roofer programs in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. I am so grateful to be a part of SMART, for the education it has provided me, as well as the many skill upgrade opportunities I’ve been able to access. Honestly, joining the union was transformational for me, not only from a financial position, but also because the things I’ve learned and the courses I’ve attended have truly changed my life. When I meet new apprentices, I tell them to take every opportunity to grow their skills, as learning is a lifelong journey. Thank you SMART for all you have done and continue to do for us!”

SMART Local 12 (southwestern Pennsylvania) retiree George MacGregor says that the decision he made to join the union – a decision more than 50 years old – has changed his life for the better, with his union pension providing him “dignity and grace” in his golden years. Read more in his BE4ALL member story:   

“My story started back in 1969. I was working a minimum wage job and was married to my wife at the time. Her father was a union sheet metal worker, a foreman for a union company – and he asked me if I would like to work like him, in the union. So, I decided to go and see if I could work for the union.

“I got in as a permit worker, and I worked on permit for about six months before getting laid off. At that point, I decided to take the test to get in. Out of about 200 applicants, I scored 19th place. Several weeks later, I got a call and was asked if I would like an apprenticeship – so with no hesitation, I said yes.

“The main reasons I became a sheet metal worker were: 1. I wanted to get a better job. 2. I liked working with my hands. 3. I had a future in the union. 4. And there was also the fact that there was a pension in the future. My life was changed for the better, and now I have earned a pension and also earned a decent amount with my social security, so I can stay retired with dignity and grace. I want to thank the SMART International and Local 12 for my pension.”

SMART Local 219 (Rockford, Illinois) sheet metal worker Josh Reynolds is a first-year apprentice who learned about the union from his friend, fellow member Isaiah Myers. After completing his pre-apprenticeship and starting his career at Local 219, he says the trade has already “changed my life for the better.” Read his BE4ALL “How I became a SMART member” submission:

“My buddy Isaiah Myers told me about Local 219, and I’d been trying to get into the field for a while prior. I came from website development and design and jumped straight into the sheet metal field – I haven’t looked back since, and I’ve loved every minute of it. I was lucky enough to get a spot as a pre-apprentice; I proved – through hard work and dedication – that I could be taught well, and landed an apprenticeship as a first year (which I currently am). This journey changed my life for the better simply by introducing me to this trade!”

America’s Work Force Union Podcast (AWFP) put the spotlight on union sheet metal workers’ mental health during Suicide Prevention Week, bringing on SMART Members Assistance Program (MAP) Coordinator Chris Carlough to discuss how SMART is working to equip members with the tools they need to support one another, whether with substance use or mental health issues. 

“We’ve been doing it nationwide, local by local, since the year before the pandemic,” Carlough said. “[That’s when] we started to really connect with our members and build this peer network.” 

Chris Carlough discusses SMART and SMOHIT’s mental health efforts on SMART News.

Carlough has been a SMART member for nearly 40 years, working as an organizer, education director and now, for the last year and half, as a mental health advocate for SMART members and families. As he told AWFP host Ed “Flash” Ferenc: “I’m an alcoholic, I’m a drug addict, I’ve been in recovery for most of my adult life … I had a lot of people that came and helped me when I was young, I’m actually coming up on 20 years back in the program. So yeah, it’s pretty personal to me, and when I have the opportunity to help people, I try to be that person who helped me so many years ago.” 

SMART’s emphasis on mental health training dates back to Carlough’s time as education director, he said. At the time, there was a need to guide local union leaders through the enormity of the job that they take on when they win election. Jurisdiction, finding and securing work, organizing and the like are all huge parts of the role – but, Carlough explained, local leaders also may find themselves taking phone calls that they’re not accustomed to from members in crisis.  

“If you don’t have any experience in that, what do you do? We wanted to put together some training around that, so we did around 10 years ago. And it didn’t matter how much we were talking about it, the people that we were training wanted more.” 

In the trades, Carlough explained, there often exists a stigma around being vulnerable about mental health – leading many members to struggle with opening up to union brothers and sisters, friends and even family. It’s an issue that affects workers from a wide range of paths, including but certainly not limited to new members who enter the trade with their own past traumas and pain; members who experience isolation and loneliness when travelling for work; members who experience injury on the job and may need to take medication; and many more. 

That makes peer-led training and mentoring vital for members across North America, Carlough said. SMART and SMOHIT have been providing awareness training and education for leaders, instructors, apprenticeship coordinators, organizers and others for years – but the pivot to training rank-and-file members was crucial. Members struggling with substance use or mental health issues, he noted, may not feel comfortable reaching out to their apprentice coordinator or business agent. But they might be willing to talk to – or be approached by – a fellow rank-and-file brother or sister.  

“We’re trying to train as many members as we can – people that have trust and credibility, and who care,” he said. 

As part of the SMART MAP peer training program, instructors train members on early intervention – spotting the signs of a problem and getting people the help they need – as well as navigating logistical details, such as insurance information, and how to follow up with a member in recovery, provide support after treatment and more.  

Overall, Carlough says, members’ response to the new focus on peer training has been “kind of glorious.” Taking care of one another is a core tenet of our union and the labor movement – adding a more specialized skill set and training has only bolstered the ability for members to give each other the support they need. Whether it’s providing more knowledge about which entities and treatment centers to trust, or simply teaching techniques on effective listening, the SMART MAP is helping members strengthen the bonds of solidarity that tie us together – and members have been eager to participate.  

“It’s in our DNA – it’s always been a ‘looking out for your brother and sister’ movement,” Carlough said. “At the center of our hearts, we have that responsibility and that desire to look out for each other.”

It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that SMART announces the death of Chief International Representative Scott Parks, who passed away on September 6, 2023, surrounded by his family. All of us at SMART send our condolences to Scott’s loved ones during this difficult time.

Scott Parks was born in Indianapolis, where he would become a member of SMART Local 20 in 1990, completing his apprenticeship and becoming a journeyperson in August 1996. Scott immediately involved himself in his local union: He served on various steering committees for the local’s 1996 and 1999 contracts, as well as in the Local 20 Youth-to-Youth Program. He was elected business representative in 2001; nine years later, in July 2010, he was elected to serve as the local’s business manager and financial secretary-treasurer. At the local, with a jurisdiction spanning Indiana and portions of Kentucky, Illinois and Michigan, his duties included responsibility for the supervision and direction of 13 business agents and one organizer.

In 2019, Scott became a general vice president on the SMART General Executive Council. He was also an AFL-CIO delegate, president of the Indiana State Building Trades and secretary-treasurer of the Great Lakes State Council. He served as chairman of Local 20’s Dad’s Day committee, as well as on the boards of the Central Indiana Building Trades Council, East Central (Muncie) Building Trades Council and the Central Indiana Labor Council. Most importantly, Scott committed himself fully to the membership, both of Local 20 and across North America.

“Our union has lost a true leader in the sheet metal industry,” said SMART General President Michael Coleman. “Scott’s unwavering commitment to our members, and his friendship, will never be forgotten.”

Local 473 (London, Ontario) member Patrick Gordon took a long, somewhat convoluted journey into the union sheet metal trade – one that brought him face-to-face with the exploitation and disregard that often afflicts nonunion workers, and demonstrated first-hand the union difference. That makes his current job as an organizer even better, he says: “I feel blessed that my job now is to go and talk to nonunion workers about how great it is to join SMART.” Read more from Gordon’s BE4ALL “How I became a SMART member” submission:

“After I graduated high school, I didn’t know what I wanted for a career. I went to an unemployment centre in my small town; they suggested a trade, and I chose sheet metal. I was sent to work for a nonunion company – after working there for three years and not being signed up for an apprenticeship (as required by law), I was let go from that job due to circumstances beyond my control. Little did I know: That was a blessing in disguise.

“I couldn’t find any jobs in the small community I lived in. A friend of mine was living in a larger neighbouring city and already working as an apprentice in the United Association of Plumbers and Pipe Fitters. He suggested I join the sheet metal workers union – I exclaimed that I didn’t even know such a thing existed! I was so excited to start a new career in a union, where I would be protected from unjust discharge among other great things.

“Unfortunately, I had another setback due to a contractor. However, this time a brother stuck up for me and had my back, and made sure the business manager knew that the contractor was in the wrong. That was a huge moment for me: to see someone pick me up when I was down and have a brother have my back. I definitely knew that this was the career for me; not only that, but that I belonged to an organization that would always look out for my best interests.

“This past spring, I received my 15-year pin as a member of SMART. I have served as an executive board member for nine and a half years, and I’ve been working as an organizer for five and a half years. I am so proud to be a SMART member, I am so grateful for the opportunities this organization has provided for me and my family, and I feel blessed that my job now is to go and talk to nonunion workers about how great it is to join SMART.”

Another entry from the Belonging and Excellence for All (BE4ALL) fall challenge: Bob Bomboy, a sheet metal worker member of SM Local 44 (Northeastern Pennsylvania) shares how he overcame career-change nerves and joined SMART!

“I was a mechanical/architectural draftsman with an associate’s degree in architectural engineering before becoming a sheet metal worker. As a draftsman, the pay scale wasn’t what I wanted, so I started to look for a part-time job on the Internet. I came across a union sketcher opportunity. So, I got in contact with the union organizer. I met up with him, and we discussed the career and all the perks to being a union worker. I told him it would take me a few days to think about it because I was nervous about leaving my career after seven years. But I discussed it with my family and decided to take the opportunity.

“I started my apprenticeship and also started sketching for a local contractor. I was strictly a sketcher for the first couple years of my apprenticeship, using 3D software and 2D software to sketch our projects. I also went to job sites to do 3D scans of point clouds and shoot layouts for hanger points to insert them into our models at the office. When things got slow in the office, I was sent out into the field to install duct work, GRDs and set equipment. I also would work in the shop, fabricating ductwork, to learn more about the craft.

“I finally finished my apprenticeship and became a journeyperson. All of the hard work and training has paid off. It was the best choice that I ever made for my family.”

As part of the Belonging and Excellence for ALL (BE4ALL) Committee’s fall challenge, Anthony LaBeau, an eight-year member out of Local 104 (Northern California) recently shared how his life changed when he joined SMART:

Northern California sheet metal worker Anthony LaBeau

“I was 24, working dead-end restaurant jobs for six years when I first heard about any trade unions. I went home and researched anything I could find about the trades. I narrowed it down to pipe fitters and sheet metal, and my decision was made after I attended a trade fair where I met the sheet metal workers and we made mini tool trays. I was instantly intrigued and had this feeling that I was born to do this. After I went through the application process, I was called into action as a service technician and immediately started work installing and servicing residential equipment in track and custom homes.

“It was a bit of a culture shock coming from a completely different industry, but my union family put me at ease. I had no construction skills, no college education, and not a dollar to my name when I started, but the promise of on-the-job training, raises every six months, benefits, and a great retirement was all I needed to continue on this path. Once I fully learned about everything this trade consists of, I decided to pursue further education and become a building trades sheet metal worker.

“I made a lot of quality friends on the jobs and in the classes I’ve attended in the last eight years and am scheduled to be a journeyperson next month. Since starting in 2015 I’ve been able to support a family of my own and live comfortably while doing it. If I had never attended that workshop or met another sheet metal union member, I may never be where I am today. Building America with the quality craftsmanship that we learn and providing for my wife and two kids brings me the most pride and give me the greatest sense of fulfillment.”

One year ago today, President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law, rewarding the efforts of the SMART members and union workers who pushed Congress to pass legislation that invested in America’s green energy economy.

“The Inflation Reduction Act is one of the most important pieces of legislation passed in recent memory – both for the workers of today, and for future generations,” said SMART General President Michael Coleman. “Since the IRA was passed, clean energy projects have been announced or advanced in 44 states, creating more than 170,000 new jobs and putting SMART members to work in Nevada, Michigan, Ohio, North Carolina, Georgia and beyond.  

“In the wake of the tragic fires that have devastated Maui just this last week, we know that investing in America’s green energy economy and combatting climate catastrophe is more crucial than ever. SMART members have been working the jobs of our clean energy future for generations: cutting emissions by transporting passengers on public transit, maximizing energy efficiency in buildings, constructing manufacturing facilities using sustainable building practices, and ensuring the quality of the air we breathe. With the IRA’s emphasis on the crafts in which our members make their living – and our country’s much-needed focus on making sure future generations are able to live happily on a healthy planet – we look forward to building the economy of our nation’s future.”