Sheet Metal News
Fighting for prevailing wage in the shop: Massachusetts union leader explains the offsite fabrication loophole
The SMART Northeast Regional Council is fighting to close the offsite fabrication loophole on prevailing wage projects in Mass., which currently enables bad-faith employers to pay shop workers less than what they deserve.
General President Coleman’s statement on the shooting of Alex Pretti
"This cannot stand. We cannot have government agents killing people in the street. We cannot have people afraid to go to work because of what’s happening outside their doors. We cannot sit back and let government agencies dictate the everyday lives of working people without facing any consequences."
“We take care of each other:” SMART Army builds custom wheelchair ramp for TD brother
After SMART-TD member Dave Garringer suffered a life-threatening injury on the job, he "didn't see any light" at the end of the tunnel. That's when the Local 71 SMART Army showed up to build a custom wheelchair ramp for their brother in need; now, "we're not in a tunnel anymore," Garringer said.
Veterans helping veterans: SMART members help build new VA Medical Center in Kentucky
In Kentucky, SMART Local 110 members and military veterans are working on a project that means something extra: a massive new Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center that will provide health care for those who served.
House passes bill to stop health care price spike for SMART members — General President Coleman responds
On January 8, the United States House of Representatives voted to pass a clean extension of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax subsidies, which would stop a huge price hike in health care costs for working Americans. Read SMART General President Michael Coleman's statement in response.
GP Coleman’s 2025 holiday message to members
"I want to wish you and your families a very happy holiday season. No matter what you celebrate — Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or your own tradition — this is a special time of year. I hope each and every one of you gets the chance to enjoy time with family and friends: observing your family traditions, cherishing the ability to see loved ones, and reflecting on the things we all value as working people."
Michigan sheet metal worker details impact of canceled project
“Semiconductor plant project creates hundreds of jobs for SMART sheet metal workers in Michigan.” That would have — and should have — been the headline about a megaproject in the Flint area, one that looked set to change the lives of entire communities. But all that evaporated when political chaos got in the way. Local 7 member Mike Carpenter explains the impact in a recent interview.
SMART leaders train to bargain better contracts in Atlanta
The cohesion and collaboration of a local union’s negotiating committee is crucial for bargaining strong contracts that provide the pay, benefits and living standards that SMART members demand. That was the focus of the Education Department’s newly revised Collective Bargaining class, taught for the second time in 2025 from December 8–12 in Atlanta, Georgia.