Joseph J. Nigro is retiring as General President of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers (SMART), effective April 30. He is stepping down in order to fully focus on recovering from a series of recent surgeries.
The SMART General Executive Council on March 12 unanimously voted to name General Secretary-Treasurer Joseph Sellers, Jr. to fill the position of General President and Chief of Staff Richard McClees to fill the position of General Secretary-Treasurer.
Nigro, a career sheet metal worker from Local Union 17 in Boston, served as General President since July, 2011. In a letter to union leaders across the U.S. and Canada, he explained that, “I have committed my heart and mind to accomplishing the goals we have set, but my health has taken me in a direction I did not anticipate. Unfortunately, I have been unable to recover to a level I expect of myself as your General President—the level of effort the members deserve.”
Noting the succession plan put in place during his tenure, Nigro added, “Joseph Sellers, Jr. and Richard McClees possess the leadership and management skills that will benefit the union for generations to come. I leave with a great deal of confidence, ready to improve my health and enjoy my family and friends for many more years.”
“I am grateful to our members for the steadfast support they have given me in merging our two great organizations,” Nigro said. “I have every confidence we have collectively built a team of International and Local Union leaders who can get the job done for the membership.”
Author: paul
Sheet Metal Local 105 members in Los Angeles, CA are profiled in this video by Kelly Candaele, author of “A League of Their Own.” These members are working on the Wilshire Grand Tower which will be the largest skyscraper west of the Mississippi when it is opened in 2017. These members, working for ACCO Engineered Systems, talk about what it takes to be a skilled sheet metal worker and the value they bring to the jobsite. Click here to view the video.
Across the country, Republican legislators are pushing legislation to repeal or drastically alter prevailing wage requirements for publicly funded construction projects. The effort is being coordinated by the all-powerful right-wing lobby ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) and its coalition of hard core right wing anti-union collaborators.
We Party Patriots reported on a recent piece from the Center for Media and Democracy some details about ALEC’s allies. It found that some of the major ALEC backers behind this effort are the State Policy Network, the Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC), the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the Michigan-based Mackinac Center for Public Policy, and the Wisconsin-based MacIver Institute for Public Policy.
CMD focuses on the coordinated efforts of these organizations to push anti-worker legislation in states that were former union strongholds. Labeling the midwest as “ground zero for the assault on wages,” they notes that the GOP’s victories in recent elections have provided the opportunity for the right to push its agenda in the region.
PR Watch breaks down the relationships between the organizations and politicians and how they have affected new legislation. To read more about ALEC, big business, and the return of the robber barons visit PRWatch.org.
An icon among airports worldwide, St. Louis’s Lambert International Airport rose to international prominence in the twentieth century, thanks to its association with Charles Lindbergh and his Spirit of St. Louis, as well as its position as the hub of Trans World Airlines (TWA). One other important feature of this airport—recognizable for years to the millions of travelers who visit St. Louis by air—has been its iconic terminal and signature copper roof. Designed by Minoru Yamasaki in the 1950s, the building and its copper roof inspired the design of other terminals, such as some at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City and Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport in France.
Tragedy struck in April 2011, as a category E3 tornado hit the St. Louis metropolitan area with 135 mile per hour winds. The tornado left a trail of destruction along its path, including extensive damage to the airport’s iconic terminal that left the copper roof in tatters.
Due to budget constraints that have been a reality for public transportation authorities nationwide, St. Louis airport officials found it more economical to replace rather than repair the cooper roof. They selected Missouri Builders Services, Inc. from Jefferson City to perform the roof replacement.
The roof was torn down to the concrete decking, then a new vented nail base was installed with the metal on top. The roof and flashings material made up approximately 125,000 square feet total, covering approximately 77,000 square feet of roof. The roof was constructed of .0216 CopperPlus by Heyco Metals. There was an extended lead time because the panels required a 30” coil, and Heyco only stocks 24” coils in the USA. The 30” coils had to be shipped over from Germany to complete the project. The entire roof system is vented through perforated stainless steel venting at the center parapets and perimeter walls. Missouri Builders Service, Inc., employed an average of 17 sheet metal workers throughout this project.Sheet Metal Local 36 and the contractor Kozney Wagner performed the work, honoring the St. Louis Agency of Training & Employment’s goal of using apprentices, women, minorities, and city residents on this project.
Heyco Metals’ CopperPlus features two outer layers of 100% copper bonded to a core of stainless steel. The resulting product offers the increased strength and reduced thermal properties of stainless steel. It can be soldered just like copper, only more easily. The lower thermal conductivity allows a worker to quickly soft-solder it, using smaller, cooler irons.
The product, which was first introduced in the 1960s, can be cut to any desired length and formed into virtually any shape. Much stronger than copper at a thinner gauge, it is widely used in tornado-prone areas across the Midwest.
According to Sheet Metal Local 36 Business Manager David Zimmermann, “The new skin will have the shine of raw copper like it did back when the terminal was built in the 1950s. The roof will slowly transform in color over the course of time, while always staying true to its historic origins that make it a unique landmark for travelers coming to the Midwest.”
Several Sheet Metal Local 91 members volunteered on Saturday, February 7, installing duct work and a furnace for a Bethany for Children and Families home. Bethany has provided voluntary, not-for-profit services to children and families in western Illinois and eastern Iowa since 1899, when it was founded and incorporated as the Union Mission. During its early years, Bethany was predominantly a custodial facility that concentrated on the needs of children who were homeless or whose parents could not or would not raise them. Since then, Bethany has grown to offer foster care and child welfare services, while developing and fostering ties with communities in the Quad Cities area. More recently, Bethany has moved beyond the provision of child welfare and adoption services to preemptively addressing problems and situations that impact children, youth, and families.
Those representing Local 91 were: Steve Eggers, Mike Douglas, Justin Burbridge, Mark Woodruff, Tony Phares, Jr., Greg Douglas, and Ken Diericx.
Illinois attorney general Lisa Madigan has weighed in on right to work “for less” legislation that is being pushed by Governor Bruce Rauner allowing local governments to create “Right-to-Work” zones wile banning prevailing wages for residents working in those “zones.”
In her opinion on the “right-to-work issue,” Madigan argues that proposed “empowerment zones” violate federal labor law and could only be accomplished on a state rather than municipal level.
In her other opinion, Madigan notes that the Illinois Supreme Court has ruled that even for home rule local governments the prevailing wage must be obeyed on a state level.
When Rauner attempted to stop the collection of automatic dues through executive order he simultaneously launched a lawsuit, asking that the dues be placed in escrow until legal proceedings were complete. That plan hit a major stumbling block Madigan found that the Governor’s scheme was illegal. Even the GOP comptroller, Leslie Munger (a Rauner appointee) sided with the Attorney General’s office. Showing his utter disdain for the system of checks and balances that keep him from operating like a dictator, Rauner attempted to direct the agencies himself to stop collecting the fees.
Much of Illinois’ 2014 election was focused on getting the state into better fiscal shape. The multibillionaire Rauner used his business background as a hedge fund manager to promote himself as the person for the job. So far, he has only focused on demonizing unions and working families instead.
Both chambers of the legislature are controlled by Democrats and most elected Republicans in Illinois have aligned with labor in the past.
Sheet Metal Local 31 members Chris Favale and Chris Hernandez worked on Metro-North Engine # 207, which was in a collision that happened in the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s (MTA) new state of the art Harmon Yard.
Metro-North Managers John Militano and Dan Miller made the decision not to outsource this heavy repair work and approached Local 31 President Kevin Wansor about having repairs done in house at the facility.
The nose was provided by Amtrak. Our two members cut out the affected section and repaired the underlying damage. They then cut the new nose to fit it directly into place. They then repaired and replaced the damaged parts of the cow catcher as needed and prepared the engine for delivery to Metro-North’s White Plains facility to be painted. All of this work, including the painting, was completed within three weeks.
General Chairman John McCloskey stated “the pride our members have in their work is second to none, this kind of work isn’t the exception but the rule when it comes to Local 31 members, they step up every day and prevent the outsourcing of work”.
As an organization, we are known for digging deep into our pockets and reaching out to those less fortunate and in need when a tragedy strikes.
Michigan State Legislative Director Jerry L. Gibson and his family have been dealing with a tough issue of their own and Assistant State Legislative Director Don Silseth is asking SMART members to consider participating in the first Kelsey Gibson Benefit golf outing, dinner and auction.
Gibson’s daughter, Kelsey, was involved in a horrific car accident in January 2013. She was 21 at the time. Her life hung in the balance for weeks, but she endured.
Kelsey remains in a wheelchair and receives near daily therapy. She is totally dependent on others, yet Silseth says she is 100 percent cognizant.
There has been encouraging research in treatments that could be of great benefit to Kelsey, however, the estimated $160,000 to $220,000 cost is not covered by insurance.
A group of union brothers and sisters from within this organization and others have formed a committee to assist the Gibson family, Silseth said.
The committee is seeking golf participants as well as sponsors, and donations are appreciated. For complete details, visit www.FBOKelseyGibson.com. There are participant registration forms and sponsorship information.
The Kelsey Gibson Benefit will be held Saturday, June 20, at The Pines Gold Course in Wyoming, Mich.
“It is my hope that we can line the fairways with SMART union signs from across the United States and Canada. With strong fraternal support, we can begin to move this treatment from hopes and dreams to reality,” Silseth said.
“I am proud and fortunate to have Jerry Gibson as a fellow member of SMART Transportation Division Local 313 (Grand Rapids, Mich.). He is all union, all the time, and he never gives up on our issues. If you ever asked Jerry for help, I’m sure you received it. He won’t ask this of you, but I will. Please help if you can.”
The House is expected to pass a resolution today on March 19th that would block the National Labor Relations Board from implementing its new rule speeding up the union election process. The legislation, S.J. Res. 8, passed the Senate on a near-party-line vote and President Barack Obama has already indicated that he will veto it. The bill is one of several means by which anti-union business groups and conservative Republicans are hoping to block implementation of the new rules.
Noteworthy changes contained in the NLRB’s rule include:
The new 21st century practice of allowing election petitions to be filed electronically with the NLRB;
Holding the pre-election hearing eight days after the notice of hearing is served on the employer;
Requiring employers to provide a detailed statement that identifies all of the issues the employer wishes to litigat
e before the election at least one day before the pre-election hearing;
Prohibiting the regional director from hearing issues that the employer did not include in its initial position statement;
Eliminating the parties’ right to submit a written briefing before or after the pre-election hearing without the regional director’s prior permission;
Allowing NLRB representation elections to proceed immediately after the regional director sets the election date;
Ensuring employers provide the union with electronic lists of complete employee contact information (including email addresses and phone numbers) within two business days of when the election is set;
Congress is unlikely to override a presidential veto, but business groups like the Chamber of Commerce and Associated Builders and Contractors have filed suit in several federal courts. Decisions in those cases are pending in Washington, D.C. and in front of a Texas judge. The new NLRB rules are set to go into effect in April. Under these new rules, a union election can occur as quickly as 11 days after an election petition is filed.
On Tuesday March 10, 2015 at 9:45 p.m., the employees working for Bombardier (Tri Rail Facilities) in Miami and West Palm Beach, FL overwhelmingly had their voices heard with a 26-4 vote to accept union representation through a NLRB election. The organizations observer during the election process, Richard Arroyo, showed support for all of his co-workers and SMART by wearing his Union by Choice shirt for all to see as they walked in the voting room. His co-workers responded in solidarity with an outcome that gave pride to everyone that was involved in the campaign.
This campaign, headed up by General Chairman, Joe Fraley proves that working together, SMART will be successful, even in right to work (for less) states. Multiple departments within SMART provided assistance to the Railroad, Mechanical and Engineering Department during this fruitful campaign and deserve acknowledgement and recognition stated Joe Fraley:
Local Union 32: Ernesto Navarrete, Organizer and Danny Villarruel, Business Manager
SMART Transportation Division: Andres Trujillo, State Legislative Director (FL) and Andy D’Egidio, Local Chairman
IA staff: International Rep, Charlie Fraley and SMART Director of Organizing, James White
Others: Bargaining Committee member from Sun Rail (Orlando) Nelson Benitez and observers, Richard Arroyo and Jean Flambert.
“Seeing this campaign through from beginning to end, with so much positive support from the employees, members and departments, makes me proud to be part of SMART. Special thanks to LU-32 Organizer, Ernesto Navarrete, he was with us every time we hand billed, held informational meetings and performed house calls.”
The very next day, General Chairman, John McCloskey had another NLRB election where once again, SMART was victorious (25-4) on the River Line in New Jersey with employees that also work for Bombardier. This campaign was also assisted by Danny O’Connell, SMART Transportation Division State Legislative Director (NJ), proving once again that working together will yield success.
John McCloskey and Joe Fraley made a commitment to their members during the General Convention last August that they would focus on Organizing and growing the membership. Since that time, the department has added over 85 new members in Miami, Orlando, West Palm, FL, New Castle, DE and Camden, NJ as well as having several active campaigns in progress.