Category: Front Page
2025 Timebooks Are On the Way
The 2025 SMART-TD timebooks will be shipped to each local’s secretary & treasurer the week of November 25th, arriving in time for distribution before the new year. These timebooks are essential tools for members to document work hours and build strong claims, helping to ensure fair treatment and hold management accountable for violations of our union agreements.
National Apprenticeship Week spotlight: Dee Lee
Dee Lee, a second-year Local 85 apprentice out of Atlanta, Ga., has already plunged head-first into life as a union sheet metal worker — from working in the field at Warner Bros. Studios to organizing multi-trade charity projects. Learn more in her SMART Women’s Committee National Apprenticeship Week spotlight:
SMART-TD announces 2025 Regional Training Seminars
SMART-TD wins better contracts and upholds our members’ rights because we train for the fight. We're excited to announce the 2025 Regional Training Seminar (RTS) schedule! Four sessions give an opportunity for union officers to sharpen their skills, deepen their knowledge and expand their personal networks from coast-to-coast. Stay tuned — registration for the Dallas session opens next week!
National Apprenticeship Week spotlight: Brandi Hartung
First-year Local 206 (San Diego, Calif.) apprentice Brandi Hartung has only just started her sheet metal career, but she already has a concrete goal of becoming a foreman one day. Read more in her SMART Women’s Committee National Apprenticeship Week 2024 spotlight.
Strike avoided: SMART-TD Local 1594 reaches tentative agreement with SEPTA. A victory for transit workers’ safety and dignity
SMART-TD Local 1594 has reached a tentative agreement with SEPTA, securing crucial safety upgrades, including bulletproof glass enclosures for operators, and a 5% wage increase for workers. This victory follows intense negotiations and solidarity with TWU Local 234, ensuring transit workers in Philadelphia are better protected and supported in their vital roles.
National Apprenticeship Week spotlight: Zenobia Clark
The SMART Women’s Committee is highlighting female apprentices as part of National Apprenticeship Week 2024. That includes third-year Local 85 (Atlanta, Ga.) apprentice Zenobia Clark, who says she loves her current job “because I can show my daughter my daily grit and endurance.”
Virginia and D.C. legislative boards merge
The SMART-TD Virginia and D.C. Boards have merged to enhance advocacy and safety for workers in both regions, streamlining operations and creating a unified voice at local, state, and federal levels. Led by Ronnie Hobbs, the merger aims to better represent SMART-TD members and advocate for legislative changes that protect workers' rights.
National Apprenticeship Week spotlight: Areesa Willie
Each year during National Apprenticeship Week, SMART highlights the life-changing power of a union apprenticeship — from stellar pay and benefits to lifelong solidarity and fulfilling career paths. As part of the SMART Women’s Committee’s National Apprenticeship Week spotlight series, Local 17 (Boston, Mass.) sister Areesa Willie, a fourth-year apprentice, talks about how much she enjoys learning new things in the sheet metal trade (and getting paid to do it).