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The SMART Army was out in full force in Dearborn Heights Michigan the week of November 1st, 2021.  Upon hearing of a need by some very worthy recipients, SMART Local 80 Detroit apprentices answered that call.

Jaime Wencel, a young unwed mother, died shortly after giving birth to her fifth child.  Amid those terrible circumstances, Jaime’s parents, Debbie and Tom Wencel, stepped in to raise her 5 children, Cara (13), Paige (10), Jenna (8), Cayden (6) and Nina (4).

Debbie and Tom, who is a retired Local 1401 Drywall Finisher, have spent much of their lives volunteering and giving back to their community.  Tom is a member of the Dearborn Heights City Council, and his daughter Jaime worked many hours for his campaign to help him get elected.  They live in a modest two bedroom home, and suddenly had a need to add on a second floor addition to provide Jaime’s children with the adequate space to grow.

Many local companies and individuals have stepped up to help the Wencel Family and the Charity now  simply known as “Jaime’s Kids”.  Building materials and labor have been donated from multiple local supply houses and contractors as well as over 100 volunteers that have donated their time and talents to starting the second floor addition project.

It was brought to the attention of the SMART Local 80’s Apprenticeship Training director, Matt ORourk, that there was a need to have the metal panel roof installed over the porches on both the front and the side of the house.  The material had been donated and was on-site, but the estimates for installation by a local contractor was steep. SMART Local 80 generously donated their time and skill to get the job done.  Led by Local 80 Training Center Instructor Sam Velez, a crew of apprentices showed up to volunteer to install the panels.

List of SMART members who attended:

Richard Davidson, Drake Wonifeil, Dan Hines, Jacob Ciner, Alex Bastien, Michael Lopez, Quinn Gattori, Travis Harper, Alan Dickson, Hunter Brotherton, Daniel Bleyaert, Joshua Gibbons, Sam Velez (Instructor), Bob Wenzell (Organizer 292), David Hartsuck (Organizer 80)

In September 2021, Langley Meals on Wheels contacted SMART Army Canada Local 280 to assist them with obtaining a donation of 3 stainless-steel prep tables for their new facility. Langley Meals on Wheels is a charitable, non-profit society providing affordable menu plans and social meal programs throughout the community. It is anticipated that the new facility will double the number of meals per day and community reach. The new facilities cafe, run by Langley Meals on Wheels staff and volunteers, will be open to the public by December 2021.

After a site visit, business representative Jeff Lind and organizer Steve Davis realized they could do much more in helping such a great organization. They saw an opportunity for SMART Army Local 280 and SMACNA to help the community as well as promote the Sheet Metal trade. Among the many community partners, Langley Meals on Wheels has a strong relationship with School District 35 and its community partners such as Encompass. Through the trade discovery programs and job fairs within the School District 35, the Local is pursuing the next generation of Sheet Metal Workers as they graduate high school. Encompass is a community partner that focusses on youth and provides access and resources to job opportunities.

In April 2021, we met with Steve Dodd and Greg Hynes to talk about the first 100 days of the Biden administration. We have brought them back for this Talking SMART episode to talk about the first year of the administration and, more specifically, its impact on SMART members. 

Steve Dodd

Brother Dodd is SMART’s Director of Governmental Affairs. He spoke with us about the many actions the Biden administration has already taken to support working families, including positive impacts of the passage of the American Rescue Plan on COBRA, unemployment benefits, multiemployer pensions, and funding for school HVAC retrofits.

He also discussed the PRO Act and what it means for SMART members to have so many labor friendly people now appointed to top positions in the Biden administration.

“This president has done something that all presidents have always talked about but never were able to accomplish,” said Dodd. “This Bipartisan Infrastructure bill, and now its implementation, means a great deal to not only sheet metal workers but all workers, whether they’re union or nonunion, across the United States.”

Greg Hynes

Brother Hynes is a fifth-generation railroader and SMART TD’s National Legislative Director. He discussed how the Biden Administration, in contrast to the previous administration, now very much has an open door for labor and actively seeks input from unions on issues of concern to working families.

“The most obvious are the appointments and the people that President Biden has surrounded himself with,” said Hynes. “He’s actually put competent people in charge of these agencies. And they are all very labor friendly, I mean, it comes from the top down.”

Greg also touched on how the American Rescue Plan included funding to rehire furloughed Amtrak workers, the significance of new leadership at the Federal Rail Administration which is now re-prioritizing rail safety over corporate profits, and what it really means when politicians or rail carriers say we need to just “cut back on regulations.”

In addition, listen for the open mic segment with SMART General President Joseph Sellers at the end of this episode. He responds to multiple questions that have come in from SMART members asking about what steps the Biden-Harris administration has taken to address the multiemployer pension crisis.

Return to Talking SMART index page.

Talking SMART is a member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network — working people’s voices, broadcasting worldwide 24 hours a day.

Washington, DC—Today the White House Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment released a report with nearly 70 recommendations to aid worker organizing and collective bargaining. In response, SMART issued the following statement.

“President Biden is living up to his commitment to deliver for working people. This report outlines significant actions the administration must take to advance worker voice and empowerment to ensure our federal government and its resources serve as a model. These actions will significantly help our union members and the communities they serve by making sure our tax dollars support American-made goods produced by workers in America and promoting utilization of registered apprenticeship programs, community benefit agreements, project labor agreements, local hire provisions and other responsible contracting and work conditions in federal programs. Further, the federal government is committed to eliminating barriers to union eligibility for federal grants and contracts, fixing longstanding misclassification issues, and increasing worker voice in decisions by ensuring unions have a seat at federal advisory tables. We stand ready to work with the federal government to quickly implement the recommendations laid out in the report so workers and our communities immediately reap the benefits of better goods and services and improved pay, benefits and working conditions.”

Washington, DC—Today, President Biden signed an executive order on Project Labor Agreements (PLAs). In response, SMART issued the following statement.

“SMART commends President Biden for signing this executive order. It will help ensure that our federal tax dollars spur middle-class job creation and directly benefit our communities as well as both union and non-union workers. Project Labor Agreements are a tried-and-true way of building our nation’s infrastructure so that projects are completed on time and on budget and workers are paid good wages. When these agreements include provisions to utilize registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs with strong diversity and inclusion language, they serve as gateways for local residents, women, people of color and transitioning veterans to gain access to a quality career. PLAs are a gold standard, and this executive order serves as a model that should be widely adopted by our federal, state and local governments.”

 

Washington, DC—Today the White House Council on Environmental Quality announced the launch of a coalition of states and local governments to strengthen building performance standards. In response, SMART issued the following statement.

“SMART commends the Biden administration’s strong commitment to making sure our buildings serve as a vehicle to address the climate crisis and create good middle class, family friendly union jobs. For decades, SMART members and our training programs have set the standard for the work that will be required. SMART sheet metal workers are highly skilled and trained to achieve safe indoor air quality and ensure HVAC systems operate properly to improve building energy efficiency and safety.  We stand ready to support our local, state and federal law makers to develop, adopt and implement building performance policies with strong workforce standards to create union jobs and achieve environmental sustainability.”

Washington, DC—Today the White House Council on Environmental Quality announced the launch of a coalition of states and local governments to strengthen building performance standards. In response, SMART issued the following statement.

“SMART commends the Biden administration’s strong commitment to making sure our buildings serve as a vehicle to address the climate crisis and create good middle class, family friendly union jobs. For decades, SMART members and our training programs have set the standard for the work that will be required. SMART sheet metal workers are highly skilled and trained to achieve safe indoor air quality and ensure HVAC systems operate properly to improve building energy efficiency and safety.  We stand ready to support our local, state and federal law makers to develop, adopt and implement building performance policies with strong workforce standards to create union jobs and achieve environmental sustainability.”

 

Washington, DC—Today marks the first year of the Biden-Harris administration. In response, SMART issued the following statement.

“Our union proudly endorsed Joe Biden for President because he promised to be the most pro-union president in history, and he has delivered on that promise. In his first year, he stood with SMART union members by appointing pro-labor candidates to important posts in his administration and swiftly removed anti-union staff at the Department of Labor and National Labor Relations Board. He saved current and retired union member pensions with the passage of the American Rescue Plan. The legislation ensured that full benefits are paid for the next 30 years, without any benefit reductions or any repayment obligation. Further, this historic legislation rebooted our economy by maintaining and creating jobs for SMART members to improve indoor air quality in our public schools and buildings.

President Biden established a Made in America Office to ensure our federal procurement and American taxpayers’ dollars support American workers. He also passed the historic Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act which will create good, union jobs and put SMART members to work improving indoor air quality in our schools and in commercial and residential buildings. It also makes long-overdue railroad safety improvements and will help school districts across the country buy clean, American-made, zero emission buses that will drive demand for the products and services provided by SMART sheet metal workers.

President Biden has demonstrated his unwavering support for union members through numerous executive orders that repealed union busting executive orders and reversed an anti-worker IRAP initiative supported by Trump, reinstated federal diversity and inclusion training, established a Task Force to empower workers and increase union density and established a $15 minimum wage for federal contractors.

These actions are historic and a victory for workers. Moving forward, we will continue to work with the Biden administration and Congress to deliver on the entirely of President Biden’s agenda to further boost the economy, advance racial equity and rebuild the middle class. This includes quickly passing the Build Back Better Act, voting rights legislation, establishing two-person crew requirements, and expanding worker organizing and labor protections.”

In September 2021, Langley Meals on Wheels contacted SMART Army Canada Local 280 to assist them with obtaining a donation of 3 stainless-steel prep tables for their new facility. Langley Meals on Wheels is a charitable, non-profit society providing affordable menu plans and social meal programs throughout the community. It is anticipated that the new facility will double the number of meals per day and community reach. The new facilities cafe, run by Langley Meals on Wheels staff and volunteers, will be open to the public by December 2021.

After a site visit, business representative Jeff Lind and organizer Steve Davis realized they could do much more in helping such a great organization. They saw an opportunity for SMART Army Local 280 and SMACNA to help the community as well as promote the Sheet Metal trade. Among the many community partners, Langley Meals on Wheels has a strong relationship with School District 35 and its community partners such as Encompass. Through the trade discovery programs and job fairs within the School District 35, the Local is pursuing the next generation of Sheet Metal Workers as they graduate high school. Encompass is a community partner that focusses on youth and provides access and resources to job opportunities.

SMART SM Local 10 held a series of suicide prevention workshops for members through the Construction Working Minds Program. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (CDC) men in construction die by suicide at a rate four times higher than the general adult population along with similar figures in the transportation industry.

Rather than being a once-a-year subject, suicide in our industries require our attention all year long. One of the ways we do this is with Construction Working Minds with a one-hour training available to members.

Construction Working Minds was established to increase industry awareness and provide valuable resources and create a network that seeks to let people know that suicide affects everyone and all of us have a shared responsibility to prevent it.  According to Local 10 Business Manager Matt Fairbanks, “We all know the traditional tools in our tool box, this program delivers our members new tools in the box around Mental Wellness/Suicide Prevention to build our local network and ensuring that not only are we all there for each other, but also that each member knows their brothers and sisters have their back.”