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Whether explaining HVAC systems to aspiring sheet metal technicians, talking to policymakers about project labor agreements or explaining the benefits of union membership to workers on a jobsite, communication is a key skill for SMART union leaders. That’s why the SMART Education Department held its most recent edition of the Effective Communications class in Houston, Texas, during the week of March 2, 2026: helping union leaders become strong communicators and, in turn, more impactful advocates for SMART members.

Education Department staff redesigned the class for 2026, combining elements of the previous Effective Communications I and II classes into a single five-day course.

“Throughout the week, participants worked to deliver four different types of speeches: introductory, informational, persuasive and reframed persuasive,” explained SMART Director of Education Eli Baccus. “They then used the skills gained in public speaking as an individual and applied them to a group settings, participating in Spontaneous Argument Debates (also known as SPAR Debates).” 

A points system was in place for the class, encouraging attendees to put what they learned into practice. Participants were able to gain points for the timing of their speeches, how much they improved over the course of their speeches, for winning a debate as a team, and for their participation in the team debates. 

“Participants engaged well and worked hard, many spending time outside class hours to improve their speeches,” Baccus added. “The participants with the highest scores for the week were Fernando Robles, Local 28 (first place) and Chaz Tedesco, Local 9 (second place). Great job everyone!” 

For the third time in five months, the SMART Education Department brought local leaders together to strengthen the foundation of our union: collective bargaining. From February 2-6, 2026, union representatives gathered in Austin, Texas, to further build the teamwork skills needed to negotiate the contracts that members deserve.

The class, developed by the Education Department in conjunction with the Jurisdiction, Canadian Affairs and Production Departments, divided the class into fictional “locals,” with each participant in the group taking on the role of either chair, observer, recorder or numbers person. Attendees spent the week researching employers, developing proposals using member surveys to determine priorities and main issues, and learning their Myers-Briggs (core personality) and Thomas-Kilmann (core conflict mode) types and seeing how they applied to the bargaining process.

The course ended with groups bargaining against one another to get the best contract possible. Each group spent half the bargaining time as a fictional local union, and the other half as a fictional employer association.

“In the ‘employer association” role, they took on the role of a real-life employer with a fictional storyline, personality and ‘pet proposal’ to fight for at the table,” said SMART International Instructor Andre Mayes. “The research, proposals and final contracts were all peer-reviewed in a competition format.”

“Congratulations to the winner, ‘Local 1,’ comprised of Daniel Loftis (Local 2), Dustin Truitt (Local 2), Mike Thorne (Local 4), Dean Lee (Local 206) and Domingo Luyo (Local 206),” Mayes added.

The next iteration of the Collective Bargaining class will take place in 2027.

According to recent studies, the vast majority of Americans — over two-thirds — view unions favorably. Working people know that unions like SMART can change lives with higher pay, protections at work, stronger health care, a pension and a good life for members and their families.

The same studies show that more than 50 million workers in the United States said they would vote to unionize their workplace in 2025 if they got the chance. But due to a variety of factors, from hostile employers to broken labor law, they were unable to get that opportunity.

That’s why it’s more important than ever that SMART organizes to help those workers join our union. And it’s why the SMART Education Department held its Bottom-Up Organizing Class in Austin, Texas, during the week of January 5th, 2026. Using comprehensive role-play that mimicked a worker-led organizing campaign over the duration of the week, the class focused on developing practical competency in the process and skills required to successfully facilitate victorious unionization drives.

Participants worked in small “local” teams; each local worked as both an organizing team and role-played as workers at two fictional companies — Coleman Sheet Metal and Daniel Sheet Metal & Fabrication — based on character backgrounds provided for the simulation. From initial contact to a mock union election at the end of the week, attendees dedicated their days in Austin to developing the skills that will help SMART continue to grow.

“Participants were really engaged in the simulation and were observed organizing each other outside of class time,” said International Instructor Richard Mangelsdorf. “Everyone did a fantastic job working with their groups and playing their parts. The fictional Local 5 — Chris Weist (Local 12), Paul Conners (Local 17), Ryan Miller (Local 66), Brian Legge (Local 100) and Kenny “Math” Montejano (Local 105) — was the top “local” in the class, based on highest election win percentage. Well done everyone!”

The SMART Education Department, in collaboration with the Organizing Department, held its Organizing III class during the week of October 6–10, 2025, in St. Louis. This redesigned class focused on the “top-down” organizing strategy, with a specific emphasis on developing organizing campaigns targeting nonunion contractors.

Expanding SMART’s signatory contractor base is one of the best methods local unions have to keep members employed. For that reason, it’s more important than ever for organizers to strengthen their ability to identify, build relationships with and ultimately sign new employers.  

The primary subject of the October class centered around what contractors need to succeed and how our locals are built to fulfil that primary need: a flexible labor force. Participants delved deep into a contractor’s mindset to understand the challenges of running a construction company, learning how to reframe common employer objections to unionization as benefits for both workers and contractors. Attendees also roleplayed interactions with the gatekeeper, delivered a custom-built elevator pitch and practiced both first meetings and subsequent meetings with the contractors.

Throughout the week, participants learned to find nonunion contractors in their local’s jurisdiction using Standard Industrial Codes (SICs) and turned their lists into maps and routes using Google Maps. There were nearly 20 exercises during the course; after mock exercises, participants debriefed with critical feedback to their peers.

A point system was in place, with organizers grouped into fiction local unions and evaluated by their fellow participants. “Local 111” — Phil Berg (Local 23), Cesar Carrillo (Local 26) and Yadriel Carrasquillo (Local 68) — took third place. “Local 444” — Adam Kerr (Local 71), Doug Meyers (Local 103) and Aaron Leslie (Local 104) — was ranked second place. “Local 333” — Dustin Hysmith (Local 16), Hallie Jennerman (International organizer/Local 18) and Jay Jones (Local 265) — was recognized by peers as the top group in the class.

“Congratulations to Jay Jones, the highest point winner in the top group, for winning the coveted ‘Coffee is for Closers’ coffee cup!” said SMART Director of Education Eli Baccus. “We hope this class spurs participants’ top-down organizing efforts, and that more contractors are brought in for more member jobs.”

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.

“The content of the class was developed in collaboration with the Jurisdiction, Production Workers and Canadian Affairs Departments,” explained SMART International Instructor Andre Mayes. “Content focused on helping a local’s negotiations committee work together better through understanding how to divide up the workload based on individual personality styles and then utilizing their individual strengths collectively to achieve a better outcome.”

Topics included bargaining power, good-faith bargaining, contract costing, proposal development, tactics to avoid impasse, utilizing the National Joint Adjustment Board and more. International Organizer Frank Greer facilitated the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Thomas-Kilmann Instrument Assessment to help the participants and groups better understand their own strengths and weaknesses on the negotiation committees. 

“Congratulations to ‘Local 3’ — Joe Valdez (Local 55), Sean VanPelt (Local 55), Brian Walter (Local 55) and Owin Baxter (Local 280) — for being recognized by their peers as the top team in the class,” Mayes said.

During the week of November 17, 2025, new local union leaders gathered in St. Louis, Mo., for the SMART Education Department’s New Business Managers class.

Members elect business managers to steward their local unions and fight on their behalf across an incredibly wide range of areas, from bargaining to community coalition building and well beyond. For that reason, the class — extended to five days for 2025 — focused on management of a local union by looking at all its parts and functions: leadership, staff, representation, resources, trust funds, organizing and community relationships.

In addition to the Education Department staff, SMART House Counsel Luke Rebecchi, Chief International Representative Dave Bernett, International Representative Chris Griffey and Communications Director Paul Pimmentel taught attendees about topics within their departments’ purview.  

“Each of the five days of the class, participants created strategic action plans based on the topics covered in the training, and at the end of the week presented their top priorities and next steps,” said SMART Director of Education Eli Baccus. “Groups worked together throughout the week, and a point system was in place. Congratulations to Mike Owen of the Central States Regional Production Council, Jeff Hunley of Local 24, Anthony Fodiatis of Local 137 and Steve Davis of Local 280 for being recognized by their peers as the top group in the class!”

Bargaining collectively is one of the pillars of our union — the reason SMART members win stellar pay, family-supporting benefits and protections on the job. That’s why local leaders attended the SMART Education Department’s newly revised Collective Bargaining class from October 20 – 24 in Houston, Texas.

“This class focuses on helping a local’s negotiations committee work together better through understanding how to divide up the workload based on their individual personality styles, and then utilizing their individual strengths collectively to get a better outcome,” said SMART Education Director Eli Baccus.

The content of the class was developed in collaboration with the SMART Jurisdiction, Production Workers and Canadian Affairs Departments. Topics include bargaining power, good-faith bargaining, contract costing, proposal development, tactics to avoid impasse, utilizing the National Joint Adjustment Board and more. In addition, International Organizer Frank Greer facilitated the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Thomas-Kilmann Instrument Assessment to help participants and groups better understand their own strengths and weaknesses on the negotiation committees.

The class included participant feedback and evaluation, with attendees grouped in fictional local unions and scored by their classmates based on their performance.

“Congratulations to ‘Local 2’ — Anthony Silvestri (Local 292), Bryan Johnson (Local 66), Dave Angelo (Local 80), Dave Hartsuck (Local 80) and Wayne Petty (Local 66) — for being recognized by their peers as the top team in the class,” Baccus said.

The Education Department, in collaboration with the Organizing Department, held its Organizing III class during the week of October 6–10, 2025, in St. Louis. This redesigned class focused on the “top-down” organizing strategy, with a specific emphasis on developing organizing campaigns targeting nonunion contractors.

Expanding SMART’s signatory contractor base is one of the best methods local unions have to keep members employed. For that reason, it’s more important than ever for organizers to strengthen their ability to identify, build relationships with and ultimately sign new employers.  

The primary subject of the October class centered around what contractors need to succeed and how our locals are built to fulfil that primary need: a flexible labor force. Participants delved deep into a contractor’s mindset to understand the challenges of running a construction company, learning how to reframe common employer objections to unionization as benefits for both workers and contractors. Attendees also roleplayed interactions with the gatekeeper, delivered a custom-built elevator pitch and practiced both first meetings and subsequent meetings with the contractors.

Throughout the week, participants learned to find nonunion contractors in their local’s jurisdiction using Standard Industrial Codes (SICs) and turned their lists into maps and routes using Google Maps. There were nearly 20 exercises during the course; after mock exercises, participants debriefed with critical feedback to their peers.

A point system was in place, with organizers grouped into fiction local unions and evaluated by their fellow participants. “Local 111” — Phil Berg (Local 23), Cesar Carrillo (Local 26) and Yadriel Carrasquillo (Local 68) — took third place. “Local 444” — Adam Kerr (Local 71), Doug Meyers (Local 103) and Aaron Leslie (Local 104) — was ranked second place. “Local 333” — Dustin Hysmith (Local 16), Hallie Jennerman (International organizer/Local 18) and Jay Jones (Local 265) — was recognized by their peers as the top group in the class.

“Congratulations to Jay Jones, the highest point winner in the top group, for winning the coveted ‘Coffee is for Closers’ coffee cup!” said SMART Director of Education Eli Baccus. “We hope this class spurs participants’ top-down organizing efforts, and that more contractors are brought in for more member jobs.”

The SMART Education Department held its New Representatives I class in St. Louis, Mo., during the week of September 15, 2025. The class, completely revamped for 2025, provided officers with the chance to develop their skills across a range of areas — ultimately benefiting SMART members.

Topics included researching labo(u)r laws, practicing conflict resolution, differentiating grievances from complaints, practicing full and fair investigations, engaging in mock member charge trials, claiming work at a pre-job meeting, and preventing a decertification attempt. The course also delved into representatives’ responsibilities under the SMART Constitution and Ritual.

Along with Education Department staff, guest presenters included Dale Clark from the International Training Institute, who covered Bias and Belonging; Chris Carlough, director of Wellness and Mental Health Support, who presented on self-care; Luke Rebecchi, SMART house counsel, who overviewed trials and fiduciary responsibility; and Tim Miller and Jason Kirchevel from the SMART Jurisdiction Department, who covered jurisdictional disputes and pre-jobs.

On each of the five days of the class, participants honed their representational skills with role-play exercises. Attendees alternated between acting as representatives of a local union and as members working at a fictitious company, which helped them to understand different sides of a given scenario.

“Groups worked together throughout the week, and a point system was in place,” said SMART International Instructor Richard Mangelsdorf. “Congratulations to Jeremiah Hale (Local 20, Indiana), Tom Blotzke (Local 26, Reno, Nev.), Paul Shymske (Local 33, Northern Ohio), Curtis Cantrell (Local 68, Dallas), Jordan Chechitelli (Local 105, Southern California) and Mel Price (Local 312, Salt Lake City) for being recognized by their peers as the top group in the class!”

SMART union leaders often need to communicate important information to a wide variety of people — politicians, business owners, fellow workers and reporters, to name a few — when fighting to better the lives of SMART members. That’s why the SMART Education Department held its Effective Communication II class in Pittsburgh, Pa., during the week of June 3, 2025, bringing together participants from across North America to enhance their skill sets.

The class focused on improving communication skills by dissecting branding and messaging techniques, practicing lobbying tactics, creating pitches for news stories, framing and reframing talking points, and making spontaneous arguments through debate. On each of the three days of the class, participants honed their lobbying skills with exercises that asked attendees to role play as random organizations that sometimes challenged their beliefs, helping local leaders understand the other side of the argument. Groups were mixed for every exercise, and a point system was in place.

“Congratulations to Christina Bayaniyan (first place) and Jon Davis (second place) for being recognized by their peers as the top two participants in the class!” said SMART Director of Education Eli Baccus.