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With roughly 340,000 passengers every weekday, the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) is the busiest commuter rail system in North America—one of only a few systems in the world that run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, year-round.
In 2015, its fourth straight year with increased ridership, the LIRR carried 87.65 million passengers into, out from, and around New York City and its vast eastern boroughs and suburbs. Little wonder, then, that adding LIRR capacity is a top priority effort for the LIRR’s operating agency, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).
SMART is working with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on rebuilding and expanding the complex web of transportation infrastructure that feeds New York City. SMART TD GCA 505 General Chairman Anthony Simon has been working with both sides of the aisle to implement the LIRR improvements and other projects within the Governor’s broad initiative.
Second- and third-track expansion in the works
With the city’s role as economic engine for the state and entire region, most Democratic and Republican political officials are on board with the aggressive LIRR plan.
A current $387 million project will add a second track to expand service on 18 miles of the LIRR main line’s east end. After that job is completed, the railroad will add 9.8 miles of third track on that same main line to further improve service between the suburbs of Long Island, Queens and Manhattan.
The increased capacity will provide drastic improvements in key areas: serving reverse commuters; relieving congestion; and feeding the ongoing East Side Access project to bring more service into Grand Central Station.
“This bold and aggressive plan is not only making the largest commuter railroad in the country better and more efficient, it is creating jobs and more work for our members and the members of other trade unions,” says Simon.
Political action builds strong relationships—and jobs
Simon has worked closely with the Governor’s office, MTA Chairman Tom Prendergast, local politicians and other labor leaders to ensure everybody benefits from this unprecedented capital plan at the MTA.
Working under project labor agreements (PLAs) with ambitious goals, union workers on Long Island will be busy thanks to the relationships SMART has built with leaders in the U.S. Congress and the powerful New York State Senate.
Intensive work with local politicians has generated strong support within communities of all sizes, who see the economic value of new jobs and the safer and more efficient railroad the projects will create.
SMART’s political action is well known to—and well respected by—key government officials, including U.S. Representative Peter King (R) and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
“Anthony Simon is direct and honest and as honorable as any one I have ever dealt with. He is always a man of his word and a true leader,” Congressman King said.
Governor Cuomo said, “New York is undertaking the nation’s most ambitious infrastructure plan to ensure that we have a transportation system that is built to meet the commuter demands of the 21st century and provide an enhanced travel experience for all.
“The men and women of the SMART Transportation Division on the LIRR, led by Anthony Simon, are invaluable assets as we work together toward a safer, more efficient transit system for all New Yorkers,” Cuomo added.
Unified SMART flexes muscle
Another positive aspect of the LIRR work is to be able to see how our united Union is working—members and officials, side by side and regardless of craft or work—to generate progress and increase work for SMART members and Union labor overall.
SMART SM Local 137 President and Business Manager Dante Dano and TD GCA 505’s General Chairman Simon have combined resources and formed a bond that is clearly benefitting members in the New York area compared with what might have been achieved operating separately. The LIRR projects are just the latest example of this increased strength in action.
Dano reflected on this joint effort by remarking that, “maintaining an open dialogue with political leaders and communicating the needs of working families, while working with other labor leaders toward a common goal, is the key to being effective. The relationships you build are vital, regardless of party or any of the positions you have taken.”

Earlier this week, I was joined by SMART Government Affairs Director Steve Dodd and General Vice President Gary Masino in a meeting with President Trump and Building Trades leaders at his first work day in the Oval Office. Throughout, we were regarded with respect and courtesy.
We met with the President to hold a frank and honest discussion about the issues that lie at the heart of what our members and working families have on their minds. Jobs, income security and the ability to get ahead in today’s economy. We commend the President for moving ahead on the issue of foreign trade deals as he promised during his campaign.
Our members know that we must get to work on rebuilding our American infrastructure. We look forward to working with the new administration as he turns his campaign promises into new jobs in order to do just that.
An investment in our infrastructure wouldn’t just benefit SMART members, it’s an investment in the middle class. It’s not solely roads and bridges—it includes our rail and transit networks, and upgrading schools, hospitals, universities, and energy assets, too.
While we have not always agreed with the President or the Republican Party, our union will support what’s best for our members and America’s working families. We’re ready to roll up our sleeves for our Union, the middle class, and the entire nation.

General President Sellers led a group of SMART leaders joining Sean McGarvey, president of the North America’s Building Trades Unions, Terry O’Sullivan, president of the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) and others in a day one meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House. The meeting was held to discuss revitalizing American jobs and giving American workers a fair playing field, as described by White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer.
Earlier in the day, the President signed an Executive Order withdrawing the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a deal staunchly opposed by American working families across the country and throughout the labor movement.

On the first day of the state’s new legislative session, Republican members of Kentucky’s House Economic Development and Workforce Investment Committee approved House Bill 1, a law requiring unions to negotiate for and represent people even when they refuse to pay dues.
The committee – called the Labor and Industry Committee until it was renamed by the new Republican majority– also approved a bill repealing the state prevailing wage law and preventing cities and counties from having their own prevailing wage standards for projects not involving state money.
Finally, the committee approved legislation that would require unions to collect annual authorization cards to deduct union dues directly from paychecks.
All three bills won along straight party lines with no Democrats in support.
Each bill contains an “emergency” clause, meaning they go into effect the moment they are signed by the governor.

This past Saturday was the 25^th Wreaths across America day, where 44,000 volunteers placed 245,000 wreaths at gravesites and memorials in Arlington Cemetery. This is also coordinated and carried out with wreath-laying ceremonies at 1,100 additional locations in all 50 states.

Thank you to our families that joined us by making donations and those who volunteered to honor our country’s heroes.

It was truly a day full of remembrance and emotion. No matter where the fallen may be buried, we will always #say their name. The mission, to:

Remember our fallen U.S. veterans

Honor those who serve

Teach your children the value of freedom.

Joe and Beth Sellers Rich and Marilyn McClees

As a second generation Sheet Metal Worker, Jim Paquette started in the trade working as an Apprentice shortly after his high school graduation in 1978. Completing a four year apprenticeship in 1982, he over the years has had the opportunity to work in most trade areas from shop fabrication to the installation of all types HVAC products as well siding and roof decking and served as a job site steward for several large industrial projects sites including job site foreman.
An avid motorcycle enthusiast he purchased his first Harley Davidson motorcycle just out of high school before entering work in the trade. He has ridden all along the west coast stretching from the Alaska border as far south as Cabo San Lucas Mexico attending the Sturgis Rally three times over the years after making four attempts. He continues to enjoy riding motorcycles whenever he has the opportunity.
Following successful completion of Labour Management Studies program at British Columbia Institute of Technologies, he was first elected to hold Local Union Office as a Business Representative in 1997 and attended the New Business Agents Class held that year at the National Labor College. He was re-elected as a Business Representative and in 2003 was nominated and elected to serve his local union membership as the Business Manager / Financial Secretary Treasurer and has been consistently re-elected afterwards.
In addition to his duties as Business Manager / Financial Secretary Treasurer for his home local union he also currently holds the position of President for both the Canadian Council of Sheet Metal Workers & Roofers and the Western Canadian Conference of Sheet Metal Workers & Roofers and also serves the British Columbia & Yukon Territory Building Construction Trades Council elected to the position of Financial Secretary Treasurer and is co-chair of the British Columbia Jurisdictional Assignment Plan of the Construction Industry.
He has served SMART whenever he has been asked to do so including being appointed Chairman for an International Trial Committee, and also continues to serves both the US and Canada as a Trustee of the SMART Local Union & Councils Pension Plan, and is also a member of the SMACNA / SMART Best Practices Task Force which seeks to improve labour relations between management and labour as well as improving work opportunities on both sides of the border.

On December 6, 2016, the National Carriers’ Conference Committee (NCCC) terminated negotiations with the SMART Mechanical-BMWED Bargaining Coalition and invoked mediation. Within its request for mediation services to the National Mediation Board (NMB), the NCCC alleged that the railroads “***have made every reasonable effort to reach an agreement***” but that it was “*** apparent the parties were far apart with little likelihood of reaching a settlement.”
The SMART Mechanical-BMWED Bargaining Coalition has been bargaining with the NCCC for approximately two years, and from the onset, the NCCC made it clear that drastic cuts to healthcare benefits, at least as much taken from the membership in the last round of National Bargaining, would be required to reach a “voluntary agreement.” The SMART Mechanical-BMWED Coalition presented a cost-saving measure for health insurance that required absolutely no changes to benefit levels, and would provide savings at least equal to the amount obtained by the Carriers through the benefit cuts recommended by Presidential Emergency Board (PEB) 243. To this point, the NCCC has stated that they are uninterested in our proposal even though they have conceded its value and continue to insist on slashing healthcare benefits as a way of obtaining “cost savings” and “mainstreaming” your healthcare benefits.
It is very disappointing that the railroads are uninterested in our solution. The railroads verified the savings of our proposal, yet they maintain that the savings are irrelevant to a voluntary settlement. Our proposal does not cost any railroad worker or the railroads any money and saves the National Plan substantial money which is a good thing for both our members and the railroads. The railroads refusal to engage on this issue shows their real interest is in cutting benefits that will take more money from our Brothers’ and Sisters’ pockets when they get sick and are most vulnerable economically. Our members do not need to pay any more. SMART members and other railroad workers already pay enough and they deserve their hard-earned benefits like every other hard-working American.”
The pace of national negotiations will now be subject to the NMB and the availability of the agency’s mediators’ services. No mediation sessions have been scheduled at this time. Updates on the status of national negotiations will be forthcoming as they develop.

Republicans in the Michigan House of Representatives passed a pair of anti-union bills this week that make it harder for workers and unions to picket and easier for employers to hire workers to permanently replace striking employees.
One bill would increase fines against picketers to $1,000 per person per day of a picket and $10,000 per day for an organization or union involved in the picket that is deemed to be an illegal mass picket. That bill passed on a mostly party-line vote of 57-50.
The other would repeal a law that requires employers to include information about an ongoing strike when they advertise to hire employees who will replace existing, but striking employees at a company. That bill passed on a vote of 59-48 on a mostly party line vote. Democrats said the bill is an attack on the right to peacefully protest and would allow companies to file complaints about picketers without showing any actual harm was done to their business.

These bills are also now in the hands of the Senate for their approval before being sent to Gov. Rick Snyder to sign into law.

Alarmed by the House Congressional Leadership’s plans to dismantle Medicare, the Alliance for Retired Americans today kicked off a grass roots campaign to block any attempts to cut or convert guaranteed, earned health benefits into a voucher or privatized scheme. Speaker Paul Ryan and Rep. Tom Price, whom President-elect Trump will nominate to be Secretary of Health and Human Services, both said that they were moving to “reform” Medicare in the next Congress. “Alliance members will use all the tools at our disposal to stop any plan to replace our guaranteed earned Medicare benefits with a system of ‘Coupon-care’ vouchers,” said Richard Fiesta, executive director of the Alliance.
Today the Alliance joined allies in delivering more than one million petitions against the Republican plan to cut and privatize Medicare to House Speaker Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Before delivering the petitions, Fiesta spoke at a Capitol Hill news conference with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Representatives Jan Schakowsky and Ted Deutch. Representatives from several other advocacy groups also spoke against cuts to Medicare.

Last month, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf signed PA HB 319 into law which will provide nearly 44,000 additional workers with with insurance in the event they lose their job or are unable to find new work opportunities.

The legislation will ensure that workers, especially those in the construction trades, will have access to the same unemployment funds other workers in year round industries do. Because of the Pennsylvania climate, workers employed in the state’s construction industry are more likely to rely on these funds to make it through the winter months.
The previous rule mandated that 49.5 percent of wages must be earned outside the highest quarter of earning for an individual to receive unemployment insurance. This percentage was prohibitively high and left many in the construction industry without unemployment protection.
The change made in this legislation, lowering that bar to 37 percent of wages earned outside the highest quarter, removes a significant barrier to receiving benefits and will allow Pennsylvania families and workers to receive what they have earned and paid into.