Effective January 1, 2022, SASMI will offer two new COVID-related benefits: a Vaccination Benefit and an Interference with Work Benefit
Vaccination Benefit
To encourage all participants to receive a vaccination to protect against COVID-19, members ($200) and their covered eligible dependents (spouse and/or children $100) may be eligible for a vaccination benefit.
Interference with Work Benefit
If a member became ill and could not work due to significant side effects from a first, second and/or booster vaccination for COVID-19, he or she may be eligible to receive a benefit. Up to 24 hours of wages at his or her home local union wage rate per vaccination.
How to Apply for Both Benefits:
If eligible, members need to complete the application on the member portal via SASMI’s website. A separate application will be required for each benefit. A separate application is required for each of the member’s dependents. Each application must include a copy of his or her individual vaccination card (front and back), manufacturer information, vaccine lot number and a vaccination card ID (number on the back right corner of the card).
Finally, members will need to consent that SASMI can verify their status with the CDC and that SASMI can verify dependent eligibility with their local health fund (Vaccination Benefit ONLY). Receipt of the Vaccination Benefit does not limit a participant’s eligibility for other active benefits under the plan and is not considered when calculating severance or HCRA benefits. However, the Interference with Work Benefit will be included when calculating severance or HCRA benefits as well as the 200% rule.
From left: SMART Transportation Division Minnesota State Legislative Director Nick Katich, Michigan SLD Don Roach, Amtrak employee Stefan Schweitzer, then-FRA Deputy Administrator Amit Bose, TD Local State Legislative Director L68 (Chicago, Ill.) member Keisha Hamb-Grover and Illinois State Legislative Director Bob Guy stand at Chicago’s Union Station on Oct. 13.
Amit Bose, who has been serving the Biden administration as acting administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) since February 2021, was confirmed Jan. 12 by the U.S. Senate to become full administrator. This was a bipartisan vote, 68–29.
Bose’s nomination by President Joe Biden had been put on hold by Republican U.S. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida after it had cleared the U.S. Senate’s Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on Oct. 20, 2021.
“We are pleased and excited to continue our collaboration with Administrator Bose and the FRA as we press ahead on important safety issues such as regulating freight crew size,” SMART Transportation Division President Jeremy Ferguson said. “Our National Legislative Department and other members of our legislative team have had numerous conversations with Administrator Bose while serving in an acting capacity. We look to build upon the positive relationship that’s been established and on the progress that has been made already, and we congratulate him on his overdue confirmation.”
“We’ve had productive dialogue from the start with Administrator Bose — rail safety is back on the table.”
– SMART TD National Legislative Director Gregory Hynes
During his tenure, Bose already has shown that rail labor’s input will be sought, rather than disregarded by the FRA. Under the Biden administration, the FRA has publicly announced that it plans to reopen the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding the regulation of a minimum freight crew size.
Amit Bose
Bose was a guest during the October call of SMART TD state legislative directors and made it clear that the agency will prioritize cooperative efforts between labor and the federal government, such as the Confidential Close Call Reporting System (C3RS), the newly rechartered Rail Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC) and Fatality Analysis of Maintenance-of-way Employees and Signalmen group.
“The lines of communication between labor and FRA have been open ever since his nomination,” National Legislative Director Gregory Hynes said. “We’ve had productive dialogue from the start with Administrator Bose — rail safety is back on the table.”
Bose has years of experience serving in the public sector. He has served two stints as FRA deputy administrator and has served as FRA chief counsel, U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) associate general counsel and USDOT deputy assistant secretary for governmental affairs, including with former Federal Railroad Administrator and SMART TD Illinois State Legislative Director Joe Szabo of Local 1290 (Chicago).
In addition to living along the Northeast Corridor in West Windsor, N.J., and working for New Jersey Transit, Bose helped establish and later served on the Northeast Corridor Commission. He also participated in structuring the commission’s cost allocation policy, helped the USDOT deliver a $2.5 billion Railroad Rehabilitation and Infrastructure Financing (RRIF) loan to Amtrak for its next generation of Acela rail cars, and worked on the environmental review of a number of projects.
Fred Creager, a 41-year member from SM Local 17 in Boston enjoying the New England outdoor life. According to Creager, “I am having a great time enjoying retirement and the fall run at the cape cod canal.
SMART TD Local 446 member Jeff Hicks with a whitetail he bagged in Wyoming.
Don Tannucilli, a member from SMART TD Local 60, caught this 4lb 13oz small mouth bass on Lake Ontario in New York on October 10, 2021.
As I reflect upon the end of 2021, I would be remiss to not mention how appreciative I am of each SMART member’s dedication and perseverance during a continued uphill battle with COVID-19. Over the last 22 months of this pandemic, our members have stood on the frontlines, building hospitals, infrastructure and transportation projects. We have seen job site conditions improve with more inspections, and we must not go backwards. As I write this article, the Omicron variant is spreading faster than the previous strains. We must remain vigilant, continue to social distance, wear our masks and, when eligible, sign up and receive our booster shots
I am encouraged by the progress Canada is making to improve working conditions for all Canadians. Some of the potential changes that have been implemented or may be introduced in the future are as follows:
Worker Mobility Tax Credit
Skilled trades workers have always had to travel for work — that’s why we’re called journeypeople. But sometimes mobility creates a barrier for workers to go to where the work is. We need government support to address the longstanding issue of financial barriers to labour mobility through the implementation of a tax deduction for skilled trades workers for travel-related expenses when not covered by their employer.
Today, salespeople, professionals and Canadians in other industries can receive a tax deduction for the cost of their travel, meals and accommodations when traveling for work. The same option is denied to skilled trades workers who work on job sites that are in different regions or provinces from their primary residence.
The Income Tax Act, in its current form, is an inequitable tax policy. Today, salespeople, professionals and Canadians in other industries can receive a tax deduction for the cost of their travel, meals and accommodations when traveling for work. The same option is denied to skilled trades workers who work on job sites that are in different regions or provinces from their primary residence. For example, someone selling rebar or conduit for the construction of a new building can travel and deduct from income the cost of their travel, meals and accommodations, while the same option is unjustly denied to skilled workers who work hard to construct the buildings. Skilled trades workers should not be punished financially due to their choice of occupation. The government of Canada has a responsibility to ensure a system of tax fairness is in place for all Canadians.
While some project budgets allow for workers’ travel costs to be paid for, many do not. Instead, they require workers to pay out of pocket, often costing them thousands of dollars. With families to support, temporary relocation costs can prove too burdensome for workers, contributing to increased reliance on programs like Employment Insurance (EI) and exacerbating labour shortages in certain regions.
Depending on private and public investments, at different times certain regions will have more employment opportunities than others. These conditions lead to a necessity for skilled trades workers to temporarily relocate or travel long distances for projects to meet the needs of the market. As projects are completed, workers will then return to their permanent residence. For example, as work winds down on several major projects in Newfoundland and Labrador, such as the Muskrat Falls project, workers in Canada’s Building Trades Unions (CBTU) will have to travel outside of the province for work. While these workers will help meet labour shortages in regions such as Ontario and British Columbia, it means that they will likely incur out-ofpocket expenses as they temporarily relocate for work. These costs can add up and pose a burden for workers who are trying to support their family back home.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, the government of Canada is supporting more Canadians than ever before through EI and programs like the Canada Recovery Benefit. If implemented, a skilled workforce mobility tax deduction would result in savings for both the government and for skilled trades workers. By allowing skilled trades workers to deduct travel costs associated with work from their income, they won’t need to utilize programs like EI, and they will contribute to the Canadian economy through tax revenue from their employment.
As 2022 gets underway, the CBTU continue to strongly advocate for the inclusion of a skilled trades workforce mobility tax deduction in the 2022 budget. We’re proud of the work done on this issue including — a CBTU first — being included in mandate letters from both Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland and Minister of Labour Seamus O’Regan. While we celebrate this victory, the battle is not yet won. We need to work together to ensure this is contained in Budget 2022. Visit https://buildingtrades.ca/advocacy/labour-mobility for more information, to send a letter and to stay tuned for updates.
Business Manager/FST Gerard Murphy and President Barry Simon of Local 512, Federal Minister of Labour Seamus O’Regan and Director of Canadian Affairs Chris Paswisty attending the Newfoundland & Labrador Building Trades Convention
National Child Care Program
In Budget 2021, the Canadian government unveiled its Early Learning and Child Care Plan, committing $30 billion over the next five years and $8.3 billion ongoing. The government is committed to working with provinces and territories to build a Canada-wide, community-based system of quality child care. This news was welcomed by CBTU, as child care has been a long-standing issue for families employed in the construction sector across Canada. To ensure the development of an accessible child care program that supports Canada’s skilled trades workforce, CBTU conducted focus groups in fall 2021 with parents who work in the unionized construction sector and their spouses. The focus groups were aimed at gathering information on their experiences and realities of working in the construction industry and managing child care.
In developing child care programs, Canada’s Building Trades Unions are calling for provincial governments to incorporate the following recommendations to ensure equitable access to child care for all families, including those who work outside normal work hours. Tradespeople and their families need:
Early and late hours of care— To accommodate the nature of construction jobs that often consist of early start times and late pickups, we require earlier drop-off and later pickup hours given our workers usually do not work the standard 9–5 schedule of parents in other industries.
Shorter waitlists — Like workers in other industries, skilled trades people have struggled with being on long waitlists for child care. Parents need to be able to enroll their children promptly, especially when unexpected job opportunities arise or when workers are required to travel to a new location for work. It is undeniable that additional child care spaces are needed.
Flexible child care options — Many child care centers require enrollment commitments over long periods, forcing families to pay for a child care spot whether they are there or not. In the construction industry, work is cyclical and can be weather-dependent, shifts vary from job site to job site, shifts are often long and there can be periods when no work is available locally. It is often not feasible for skilled trades workers to sign a long-term commitment for a child care spot. Having the flexibility to make choices that are best suited to each individual family’s needs and requirements was deemed very important to members who participated in the focus groups.
Quality drop-in child care arrangements — Quality of child care — whether short- or long-term — is of utmost importance to families. Parents need to feel comfortable where they leave their children.
Raise the age limit — The age limit for the child care program needs to be raised. Many of the agreements with the provinces specify that they plan to provide children under five or six years old with $10-per-day child care, but parents also require child care for children under 12 (or the age that corresponds with provincial guidelines for children staying home alone) before and after school to accommodate their work schedules and the nature of shift work in the construction industry.
We have been building momentum as we strive for a better Canada and a brighter future. Please continue to stay active, get involved and stay safe!
In solidarity
I remain, fraternally yours,
Chris Paswisty Director of Canadian Affairs
This page is devoted to news for members belonging to the local unions and general committees under the Railroad, Mechanical and Engineering Department.
SMART Members rally for fair contract in Chicago
On November 12, SMART Mechanical Department members joined with Transportation Division officers and members, as well as other rail unions in downtown Chicago, in a show of solidarity against Metra, a commuter rail company whose lines are serviced by union workers, including those at Local 256. Faced with depressed wages, stalled contract negotiations and a rapidly approaching benefits cliff, workers gathered for a day of speeches and collaborative discussion, elevating the chilly and overcast streets in front of Metra’s headquarters to an exciting new pitch.
The rally highlighted SMART’s strong union solidarity, with turnout from SMART Locals 73, 265 and 484 lending their support to their brothers, sisters and siblings working for Metra. Brother Jeff Hillery, an organizer from Local 73, described feeling “very inspired to see how well organized” it was. “I saw the labor movement alive and well with everyone coming together,” he explained.
As Local 484 Chairperson Mike Gallardo remarked, “To see construction members come out to a railroad rally was heartwarming and showed Metra union solidarity.”
The rally comes after more than two years of stalling by Metra to work towards a new contract, as well as austerity brought on by a pandemic that has lasted almost as long. Members working for Metra have been hit particularly hard by the unclear outlook and often-unsafe conditions presented by COVID-19 and have been adapting and persevering to keep the trains running safely, smoothly and reliably for Chicago-area residents during ebbs and flows in demand.
In September, out of finances previously described to workers as “insolvent”, Metra managed to give a 10% raise to its CEO’s salary, in addition to a splurge on CEO benefits, which effectively raises his total compensation by 21.4%. In January 2022, his salary is expected to rise even further. These increases were voted on and approved by Metra’s Board of Directors, while apparently ignoring the demands of SMART members and other rail workers who work the lines daily.
“The wage gap is getting larger every year — and not in workers’ favor,” stressed Brother Jason Dahlman, president of Local 256. “We showed Metra that unions will not stand for this, every union that stood together stood together as ONE.”
Local 256 Chairperson Charlie Demes echoed this sentiment: “Union solidarity has never been stronger, and the Metra board witnessed that.”
Despite Metra’s maneuvers, the workers in Chicago were successful: On November 23, not long after the rally, a tentative agreement was reached. While the contract still awaits a vote at the time of publishing, it promises a 17% increase to salaries over seven years, applied retroactively starting in 2019, and keeps the current cost-sharing scheme for benefits in place. Just as significantly, this agreement gives form to the power of workers acting together: SMART members know they can always count on their greatest resource — solidarity — in their pursuit of better working conditions and protections. As Brother Rick Flores, Local 256 financial secretary-treasurer, reflected, “To see the way the coalition stuck together is the true definition of union, and it was great to be a part of it.”
Get to know Mark Romine
Local Chairperson, Local 525 (Altoona, Pa.)
Brother Mark Romine is the local chairperson of SM Local 525 in Altoona, Pa. A native of Port Matilda, Pa., Brother Romine has been a SMART member for 17 years, working as a pipefitter for Norfolk Southern Railway at the Juanita Locomotive Shop. He is dedicated to the union and committed to SMART’s values. He is proud to be a member of an organization that supports working men and women all over the country.
Outside of work, Brother Romine is a bladesmith and has made custom knives for 10 years. He also spends a great deal of time outdoors, regularly fly fishing and camping with family and friends. Brother Romine and his wife Kelly also enjoy the quality time they spend with their nieces and nephew.
On October 5, 2021, SMART Local 218 celebrated the career and life of longtime member Renato Favero. Brother Favero, also known as “Notto” or “Not,” was presented with his 80-year membership plaque for good standing by General President Joseph Sellers, Jr., International Representative Paul Hayes and Business Manager Edmund Robison at a pin ceremony, alongside several colleagues.
Brother Favero’s career began at the tender age of 17 in the spring of 1941. In May, having not yet graduated from high school, Renato took the advice of his classmate’s father and applied for a job at Henson Robinson Company in Springfield, Ill. He was asked to report to work on the following Monday; however, Renato politely declined, explaining that he was still attending school. Mr. Robinson went on to petition Lanphier High School to allow the freckle-faced Italian boy to begin working early. After reviewing his grades, the high school agreed, saying, “there’s no reason he can’t go to work on Monday.” His starting wage was 37 and a half cents per hour, and union dues were five dollars for three months.
Brother Favero was not at Henson Robinson Company long before he was drafted into World War II. Renato attempted to enlist in the Marines with his buddy George. However, after telling his mother, she replied, “No you’re not! The war only kills kids your age.” Once drafted, he served as an Army combat engineer in England, France, Belgium, Holland, Denmark and Germany. After returning home from the war on March 17, 1946, Brother Favero returned to working sheet metal at Barker Lubin and Metal Air. Ed Pruitt offered him a journeyman’s position, and Renato agreed to attend an apprenticeship class offered to veterans, in the shop located at Lanphier High School, for six months. After six months, he was making 52 cents per hour under the supervision of journeymen on the job.
Brother Favero recalls doing everything by hand before the Pittsburgh machine, air hammers and the duct mate came along. “Creating 100 pounds of fittings was hard work,” he explained. His specialty was layout, and he was said to nest his fitting so tightly together that his scrap looked like the ribboned scrap created by a plasma cutter.
Renato Antonio Favero is the proud son of Fortunato Favero, an Italian coal miner who came to the United States in 1900. Renato was the 10th child (of 11) born to his mother, Pasqua Favero. Renato married his wife Rita nearly 75 years ago, and they had nine children of their own.
Paul Favero recalls his mother’s excitement when his father, Renato, was grossing $100 per week. “We’re rich!”, she told Paul. Brother Favero noted that his wages boomed in the late 1950s and 1960s.
The bulk of his career was spent at Metal Air and E.L. Pruitt Company. There he served as a shop foreman and later as superintendent. His most-memorable jobs include the Attorney General’s Building, the White Oaks Mall and the IDOT building. He served as a trustee for the local for 25 years and retired on September 1st, 1985, after 44 years in the trade.
Today, Renato Favero is 98 years old. He is an active member of the Springfield Retirees’ Club and a revered member of SMART Local 218. He has served his family, country and local well, and we are proud to call him our brother. Congratulations on achieving 80 years of service.
SMART Local Union 40 (Hartford, Conn.) member Joe de la Cruz, from New London, has been honored with the Joseph J. Nigro SMART Army Service award for the sheet metal sector for his work to kickstart a national campaign to bring nose strips to thousands of volunteer mask makers cross the United States and Canada at a time when masks were in short supply.
At the start of the pandemic, the Hillery Company, a custom metal fabrication shop located in Groton, began posting messages on its Facebook page announcing that the company would donate the nose strips to anyone looking to make masks. “Hillery was asked by a local nurse to make the aluminum strips used on N95 masks so they could sew them in the cotton masks being made by volunteers around the country,” said de la Cruz in a message posted to the company’s Facebook page on April 6. “I posted a picture showing a small box of strips on March 24th and it went viral.”
“We received requests from hospitals and small sewing groups from every state and Canada,” he added. With thousands of requests totaling more than 800,000 nose pieces in less than a month, requests quickly outstripped the company’s capacity to fulfill and ship all the orders. De la Cruz reached out to Local 40 leadership for help. The response was immediate – union locals and union sheet metal contractors from across North America joined the effort he started and crowd-sourced mass production of the small metal pieces with 17 million pieces shipped to over 27,000 individuals who requested them. Brother De la Cruz, also a Connecticut State Representative, has displayed the epitome of what being a union member and being a SMART member is. For his important contribution at a critical time, he has been awarded the Joseph J. Nigro SMART Army Service award.
Charlotte Area Transit Systems (CATS) bus operator and retired Local 1715 GCA TMD Vice Chairperson Debra Franklin has been honored with the SMART TD Joseph J. Nigro SMART Army Service Award for her work collecting and handing out toiletries to the homeless population in Charlotte, N.C. since November 2016.
According to a previous profile on her work, “I just noticed that when I went into the public bathrooms that women were washing up in the bathroom,” Franklin said. “I noticed that they were using the bathroom pump soap. So I started collecting toiletries and handing them out or leaving them bags of toiletries by their things in the bathrooms. I would also get other bus drivers to tell me where these women were or I’d walk the streets looking for them.”
As a bus operator, Franklin saw the living conditions of many of the homeless in her city, so she decided she needed to be part of the solution for them.
Franklin has even bigger goals in mind. She is looking to renovating retired buses into mobile shower and laundry facilities. She points to instances where one person converted an old bus in San Francisco into a shower bus and a St. Louis resident who turned a bus into laundry facilities for the homeless in that city. Franklin is working to combine the two ideas and create a shower bus with laundry facilities — pointing out that it’s not enough for people to be clean, they need their clothes to be clean if they are going get on their feet and become independent. Her online fundraising effort estimates a $200,000 cost to acquire and convert the two buses. SMART TD North Carolina State Legislative Director Ron Ingerick has also been helping Franklin. He’s made SMART TD Carolina locals across the United States aware of her cause and has solicited toiletries. “Debra is a vital member of our union,” said Ingerick. “She is a doer, who no matter the task, will move heaven and earth to get the job done.”
On November 18, 2021, the General President’s Maintenance Committee for Canada’s (GPMC) charity committee, consisting of Sheldon McKenna of the International Union Operating Engineers and Leonard Day from The International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART), had the opportunity to recognize Lloyd Grainger for his efforts and work he does within his community.
Lloyd is a sheet metal worker with SMART Local 8 (Edmonton, Alberta) and has been working on plant maintenance and shutdowns for over 32 years in the Fort McMurray area.
This recognition is also associated with the Edmonton Christmas Bureau, to which a $5,000 donation was made on behalf of the GPMC and Lloyd. The GPMC charity committee also gave Lloyd two checks for $5,000 each for two charities of Lloyd’s choice.
SMART SM Local 10 (Maplewood, Minn.) held a series of suicide prevention workshops in the fall 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, with similar figures in the transportation industry.
Rather than being a once-a-year subject, suicide in our industries requires our attention all year long. One of the ways we do this is with Construction Working Minds, making a one-hour training available to members.
Construction Working Minds was established to increase industry awareness, 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.
“We all know the traditional tools in our toolbox,” said Local 10 Business Manager Matt Fairbanks. “This program delivers our members new tools in the box around mental wellness/suicide prevention to build our local network and ensure that not only are we all there for each other, but also that each member knows their brothers and sisters have their back.”
