Following an April 4, 2025, press conference regarding the deportation of SMART Local 100 apprentice Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, General President Michael Coleman issued the following statement:
“The principle of due process is one of the fundamental values our nation is founded upon. Every single person in America has the right to due process, the right to face one’s accusers — the guarantee that no one shall be ‘deprived of life, liberty or property, without due process of law.’
“When Kilmar Abrego Garcia was mistakenly deported to El Salvador, he was denied his right to due process, and we at SMART are fighting to ensure he receives the treatment he is granted under law — just like we would, and we always will, fight for the rights of every single SMART member. We continue to call on the United States government to return Abrego Garcia to the United States and be granted due process, and we encourage every American who believes in the rule of law to do the same.”
On March 31, 2025, the Trump administration conceded in a court filing that it had mistakenly deported Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a legally protected Maryland resident and father, to El Salvador “‘because of an administrative error,’” according to CNN. The administration is also arguing that because Abrego Garcia is now in Salvadoran custody, the government cannot return him to the United States.
Abrego Garcia is a SMART Local 100 first-year apprentice who currently works full-time to support his young family. SMART General President Michael Coleman issued the following statement in response:
“Kilmar, our Local 100 brother, is a resident of Maryland and a sheet metal apprentice who works full-time to support his wife and five-year-old son, who has autism and a hearing impairment. He came to the United States as a teenager 15 years ago, and it is my understanding that he was legally authorized to live and work in this country and had fully complied with his responsibilities under the law. He did not have a criminal record and is, in fact, an example of the hard work that SMART members pride themselves on. And yet, the Trump Administration still — aware of his protected status — deported him to El Salvador, leaving his wife to discover that information from photographs in a news release.
“In his pursuit of the life promised by the American dream, Brother Kilmar was literally helping to build this great country. What did he get in return? Arrest and deportation to a nation whose prisons face outcry from human rights organizations. SMART condemns his treatment in the strongest possible terms, and we demand his rightful return.”
The International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART) issued the following statement in response to President Trump’s March 27, 2025, executive order, which seeks to eliminate collective bargaining rights for approximately 700,000 federal employees — including those serving in critical roles at federal shipyards:
“Collective bargaining is not just a cornerstone of the labor movement — it is a fundamental American freedom. President Trump’s executive order is a stunning and deeply troubling assault on that freedom, and it represents a direct threat to the livelihoods and dignity of working people across this nation.
“This order targets the rights of hundreds of thousands of federal workers who serve our country every day — from caring for our veterans and staffing our hospitals to protecting frontline workers during national emergencies. These dedicated public servants, many of whom are military veterans themselves, deserve respect and security — not political attacks designed to strip them of their voice on the job.
“Collective bargaining has empowered generations of SMART members to earn fair pay, strong benefits, and safe working conditions. Through these rights, we have helped build and sustain the very infrastructure that makes America strong. That legacy is now under siege.
“Make no mistake: This executive order is not only an attack on federal workers — it is an attack on every working American who believes in fairness, democracy and the right to be heard.”
“SMART stands in unwavering solidarity with our brothers and sisters across the labor movement,” said SMART General President Michael Coleman. “We will fight back against any effort to silence workers and dismantle the collective power that has built — and continues to build — our great nation.”
In so-called “right-to-work” states like Florida — the home of commuter rail service Tri-Rail — union workers are often forced to overcome multiple obstacles during contract negotiations. On the one hand, they’re trying to make gains on pay, benefits and working conditions. On the other, they need to surmount potential division between the workers who have signed up for the union and those who opt out of representation.
But that wasn’t a problem at Tri-Rail’s Hialeah, Florida, facility during the most recent round of contract negotiations. The tireless work of SMART Mechanical Department Local Chairpersons Luis Roves and Raul Barnat ensured every single worker on the property signed up to be a member of SMART-MD — and when the time came to vote on a new contract, every single SMART-MD member cast a vote. The result: 100% ratification.
“Everyone was on the same page,” said SMART-MD General Committee 2 Directing General Chairperson John McCloskey, who negotiated the agreement alongside International Rep. Rob Shanahan. “We had one unified message, and that made it easy to negotiate as one voice and win the contract the members wanted.”
SMART-MD first organized and negotiated a contract at the Hialeah facility in 2015. At the time, 15 of the 28 Tri-Rail employees signed up for union representation.
Barnat and Roves
When ownership of Tri-Rail changed hands from Bombardier to Herzog Transit Services in 2019, SMART-MD ran another organizing campaign at the facility, with Roves and Barnet playing key roles. The two local chairpersons engaged every employee, including brand-new hires — explaining the union advantage and the importance of signing up with SMART-MD. Eventually, they established 100% union membership throughout the property.
“There is definitely a language barrier when I’m down in Miami,” said McCloskey, an Irish immigrant. An added difficulty for McCloskey and Shanahan: The vast majority of the Tri-Rail employees are of Cuban descent, mostly speaking English as a second language. “Luis and Raul are just so proactive. They kept it together in a right-to-work state. They fielded all the questions, all the concerns.”
The previous Tri-Rail contract was subject to renegotiation on July 1, 2024, with SMART-MD initiating discussions two months prior. With Roves and Barnat consistently in contact with Tri-Rail’s workforce, relaying their priorities to McCloskey and Shanahan, SMART-MD eventually reached a tentative agreement with the employer in February, with the unanimous, full-participation ratification vote taking place shortly after.
McCloskey paid tribute to Roves and Barnet’s industrious work on behalf of their fellow Tri-Rail employees, calling their effort a “great success.” He also noted how the negotiation process demonstrated our union’s values.
“At the end of the day, we serve our members no matter their background — we’re not going to let a language barrier get in the way,” he said. “That isn’t going to deter anyone in our organization from negotiating a good contract.”
Thanks to the advocacy of SMART Local 435 and the North Florida Building and Construction Trades Council, locally hired apprentices will help build the new Jacksonville Jaguars stadium — a more than $1-billion project.
“Jacksonville has not seen a project this size in decades,” Local 435 wrote on Facebook in June 2024. “There will be over 10,000 construction workers on this stadium renovation. We thank Mayor Donna Deegan, the Jacksonville City Council and the Jacksonville Jaguars for working with us on passing amendments to ensure local contractors and registered apprentices will help build the Stadium of the Future.”
Lance Fout, Local 435 and building trades workers lobbied for pro-worker provisions on the new Jaguars stadium.
The Jaguars and the city of Jacksonville will split the cost of the stadium project, which includes a $300 million community benefits agreement along with the stadium renovation costs. Crucially, that funding includes workforce development money that will put SMART apprentices and local union members on the job.
Originally, the stadium legislation didn’t include language guaranteeing the hiring of local workers or apprentices. Local 435 Business Manager Lance Fout highlighted that fact in a June 2024 interview with Action News Jacksonville.
“You know, when we drive by some of these big major projects we see a lot of out-of-town license plates. We want to see Florida license plates. We want to see Duval County license plates,” he said.
Together with fellow union building trades workers, Fout and Local 435 held several rallies, urging the city council to include apprenticeship and local hire requirements in the stadium deal, and turned out more than 100 union members to attend a town hall meeting with Mayor Deegan and Jaguars President Mark Lamping. Their actions paid off: Local hire and apprenticeship guarantees are in the final deal.
It’s another demonstration of the importance of SMART solidarity and collective action at the local level.
“This is a first in Jacksonville, and hopefully a trend we can continue,” Fout concluded.
The International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART) issued the following statement from General President Michael Coleman in response to announced tariffs impacting members across North America:
“For generations, the United States and Canada have benefited directly from the hard work of SMART members across North America. Union sheet metal workers and roofers in both nations have built strong, cooperative economies that support communities on either side of the border — working hand-in-hand to assure the mutual progress of American and Canadian families.
“For that reason, SMART strongly opposes the imposition of blanket tariffs that threaten jobs, raise costs and disrupt the long-standing economic partnership between the United States and Canada. These tariffs will harm SMART members, jeopardize industries that depend on our integrated supply chains and damage cross-border trade.
“We need trade policies that strengthen North American industries, protect union jobs and reinforce the shared success of the United States and Canada. What we are getting instead are policies that weaken the U.S.-Canada relationship, threatening the industries that put union members to work.
“Union workers across North America want the same things: good, family-sustaining jobs, stellar pay, a retirement with dignity. We will continue to work directly with our two governments to advocate for solutions that recognize the value of a strong, fair and balanced trading relationship between our two countries.
“Most importantly, we will not be divided. We are union brothers and sisters, regardless of what state, province or nation we call home. SMART members across North America will always stand together in solidarity, and we call on our federal governments to negotiate fair trade policies that put workers first.”
Former local union organizer and SMART International Instructor Eli Baccus has been named director of the SMART Education Department — another step in a career dedicated to advancing the interests of union workers across North America.
“Eli’s extensive experience, dedication and passion for labor education make him exceptionally well-suited for this role,” said SMART General President Michael Coleman. “I am confident that under his leadership, our Education Department will continue to thrive, equipping our members with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed.”
“I am honored to work with the International’s staff to help General President Coleman implement his vision of SMART as a union that is focused on benefiting the lives of the members,” Baccus said. “I am humbled by the opportunity to serve our membership in this position and will strive to ensure SMART’s local union officials are getting the best training possible.”
Baccus joined the SMART Education Department as an International instructor in April 2024. Before then, he served as the director of organizing and partnership development at Local 33 (Northern Ohio) — a role he held since July 2015, and one in which he demonstrated strong leadership and a commitment to labor education.
“His tenure there was marked by a renewed focus on growth, engagement and strategic partnerships,” Coleman said.
Before his time at Local 33, Baccus spent five years as a labor attorney at the law firm Widman and Franklin, where he represented unions across Ohio, advocating for workers’ rights and fair labor practices.
As SMART’s new education director, Baccus said he plans to deliver engaging, relevant and fun programming that meets the immediate and long-term needs of our organization.
“Class content will be driven through a collaborative process between the Education Department and other International departments to ensure we are providing the skill training that new officials need to improve members’ lives,” he explained. “We will be creating experiences for union officials that allow them to immediately apply class content in near real-world scenarios in a meaningful way.”
“Learning does not have to be boring,” Baccus added. “In fact, it will be more impactful if class participants enjoy the experience.”
SMART partners with SMACNA, ITI to highlight skilled trades as gateway to prosperous, in-demand careers
To raise awareness for the abundance and evolution of trade careers, building trades unions and skilled trade associations, including SMART, the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA) and International Training Institute (ITI), have come together to launch the first national Careers In Trades Week, April 7-11, 2025. Activities throughout the week will increase awareness about the benefits of choosing careers in the skilled trades among job seekers and the American public, with the goal of filling thousands of positions that are essential to the country’s economic growth.
“Union apprenticeships aren’t just a career path — they’re a gateway to a stable, rewarding future,” said SMART General President Michael Coleman. “By investing in the next generation of trade workers, we’re building a skilled workforce that will power our industries and communities for decades to come.”
“Skilled professions play critical roles in building the world in which we live, work, and play — vital to the construction of chip plants, stadiums, healthcare facilities, factories, and data centers. It’s time that we provide a fresh look at how trade careers have evolved technologically and financially,” added SMACNA CEO Aaron Hilger. “With approximately 35,000 sheet metal workers due to retire, the time to raise awareness of the opportunities and benefits among young workers is now.”
Stellar pay. In-demand work. No college debt.
Gen Z has been called the “toolbelt generation” due to their growing interest in joining the trades. It’s understandable considering the trades pay well, eliminate college debt and meaningfully contribute to society. According to a recent survey that was published in Higher Ed Dive, about 9 in 10 Gen Z graduates said learning a skilled trade can be a better route to economic security than college (Thumbtack survey).
It’s worth it. BLS occupational outlook predicts about 663,000 construction job openings each year. The same statistics showed a median annual wage of $55,000 in 2023, higher than that of all occupations. Furthermore, the Department of Labor’s Registered Apprenticeship Program provides training and education for hundreds of thousands of workers in fields ranging from construction to manufacturing to public administration. Within the sheet metal industry, training and working with union contractors can offer even greater rewards, with apprentices earning up to $87,500 in their first year and as much as $120,000 to $200,000 in wages and benefits within four to five years of completing an apprenticeship program.
Plus: High school students opting for a technical education career track can avoid college debt, which currently averages $34,000 for a four-year bachelor’s degree. Instead, students can get paid for apprenticeships and enter the workforce with money in the bank and no college debt.
“A 23-year-old on track to make six figures this year says he’s living proof that college isn’t necessary”
The work is rewarding, too. Working alongside other trades, union sheet metal workers are responsible for constructing, maintaining and repairing homes, schools, hospitals, buildings and other vital structures we use every day, ensuring the quality of the air we breathe. The skilled trade professions work together to construct the buildings that are essential to fueling the economy, including chip factories, data centers, state-of-the-art healthcare facilities and nuclear power plants.
Parents see the difference: Backed by strong bipartisan support, career and technical education programs are flourishing, and careers in the trades are projected to experience faster-than-average job growth from 2023 to 2033. They also offer earning potential that exceeds the median wage across all occupations, according to the BLS.
These reasons — along with the job market, economy, and college debt — may be why 89% of parents with children currently enrolled in high school or college think it’s smart for young adults to consider pursuing a career in the trades, according to new research conducted independently by Wakefield Research. The same research revealed that 48% of kids have mentioned wanting to go into a trade, and 86% of those parents would be open to or encourage it.
“Year after year, we hear about the tens of thousands of workers who want to organize for the pay, job security and safety protections they deserve — but were unable to do so because of our nation’s broken labor law. The PRO Act is the common sense, bipartisan legislation we need to fix our damaged system and empower American workers, from sheet metal shops to railyards, on buses and freight locomotives, in classrooms, hospitals and beyond. We thank Reps. Bobby Scott and Brian Fitzpatrick in the House and Sen. Bernie Sanders in the Senate for reintroducing this legislation, and we call on any legislator who considers themselves a worker ally to add their support.”
Project 2025, a road map to expand executive power and drastically transform how Americans’ government works for them, dominated the 2024 United States presidential election. The 900-page document, created by the anti-labor Heritage Foundation, outlined various attacks on SMART members’ labor rights, from prohibiting project labor agreements to empowering individual states to ban the existence of labor unions.
Throughout the election, then-candidate Donald Trump denied any connection with Project 2025. But since taking office, SMART Local 137’s James Heinzman (New York City) told SMART News, his executive actions and several administrative appointees have closely followed the playbook.
“[Project 2025] was written by many people who actually served in Trump’s [first] administration, in his first term; Trump has subsequently appointed several of the authors of Project 2025 to unique positions in his second term, in his cabinet,” Heinzman explained. “If you are hiring the people who wrote the book to lead the agencies that they’re recommending changes for, they have every intent of following that playbook.”
Since taking office, President Trump has unleashed a number of executive actions that mirror the goals set out in Project 2025. Among the most impactful, Heinzman noted, are those related to the National Labor Relations Board and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Trump fired both the former general counsel of NLRB, the pro-worker Jennifer Abruzzo, and — in an unprecedented and potentially illegal move — NLRB Chair Gwynne Wilcox. Not only did this action deprive SMART members of an ally in Abruzzo; without Wilcox, the NLRB currently cannot reach quorum, meaning it essentially cannot perform its core duties. This hugely affects worker organizing, grievances filed by workers against their employers and more.
“The NLRB is the agency that resolves disputes between employers and their employees. Unions file claims, and so do employers — employers and unions can file claims, unfair labor practices, with the NLRB for hearing and adjudication,” Heinzman said. “Basically, [Trump has] taken that agency off the board, and that’s going to impact union members, union organizing campaigns; it’s going to be critical to our industry.”
Heinzman also highlighted Trump’s firing of two EEOC commissioners, again threatening the commission’s ability to pursue its mission: helping workers who believe they have been discriminated against in bringing action against their employers. That means such advocacy and action is potentially being shifted elsewhere.
“That’s going to hit their unions, it’s going to cost union members money,” he said. “It’s going to cost so much money to do this stuff, and the members are not benefiting from it.”
The administration has pursued other actions that impact the jobs and livelihoods of SMART members and families, such as the Department of Defense’s move to halt the use of project labor agreements on DOD construction projects. While President Trump has only been in office for a little more than one month, Heinzman suggested that such policies indicate a broader economic shift towards prioritizing the elite class.
“I argue that the middle class in this country, the people who work on a W-2 — which is our union men and women — pick up the tax burden. They are the people who are going to be hurt most by these policies.”
The important thing now, Heinzman added, is that SMART members get involved to protect our union.
“I think it’s critical to participate in the political process,” Heinzman said. “Have the discussions. Don’t take your news from one channel or the other. Read Project 2025. Educate yourselves.”
Whether it’s related to NLRB appointees who resolve grievances for sheet metal workers or transit funding that provides work for both sheet metal and TD members, SMART members have a role to play in the fights ahead — no matter who any of us voted for in 2024. We can’t and won’t be divided.
“I really strongly feel that many of us are the same. We’re all on the same team,” Heinzman concluded. “We should be comfortable to have a dialogue and discuss the issues, and be educated about it.”
