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SMART production members manufacture some of the most important components of the 21st-century economy. From Ontario, Canada, to Faribault, Minnesota, to Springfield, Missouri, to Southern California, these workers manufacture everything from large-scale HVAC equipment to data center cooling towers. And across North America, SMART leaders work to represent these workers to the best of their ability.

For that reason, the SMART Education Department and the Production Workers Department held the annual Production Institute in Kansas City, Mo., during the week of June 1, 2026. The focus of the Production Institute, a progressive-format multi-year course, is to train union officials — including stewards — on how to effectively represent our production members.  

This year, there was a change to the previous format of the Institute. New 2026 participants were combined with the former first-year students from 2025 into a single, newly designed class that focused on grievance processing. The participants worked throughout the week to take several mock grievances from the initial report stage, through investigation, negotiation with the employer (role played by instructors) and ultimately to arbitration, where they participated in a mock arbitration. 

Students received points for resolving their grievance at the right point in time, and there were also peer rankings that helped determine the winners for the class. Congratulations to Brian McCord (Local 15, Central Florida), Alexis Montesdeoca (Local 555, Knoxville, Tenn.) and Ted Rothstein (Local 480, Faribault, Minn.) for being the top three point scorers in the class.  

The third-year class continued on with the format from 2025, preparing for and role-playing a mock grievance arbitration and collective bargaining sessions.

“Congratulations to the third-year class for graduating from the Production Institute!” said SMART Director of Education Eli Baccus. “Stay tuned for more changes for the Production Institute in 2027.”

Please note, the Production Institute is no longer invite only. Full-time union officials from any local and production stewards (with the approval of their local) can register for this class just like any other class offered by SMART’s Education Department. 

The SMART Education Department and Production Workers Department held the third annual Production Institute in Indianapolis, Ind., during the week of August 25, 2025 — bringing together union officials from across North America, including rank-and-file stewards, to train on how to effectively represent SMART production members.

The Production Institute is a three-year, progressive-format class, with attendees from last year advancing to the second round of courses. A new first-year class attended in 2025, along with the returning 2023 and 2024 groups. The first years studied the basics of labo(u)r history, steward training and collective bargaining. The second-year class was focused on a more in-depth investigation of organizing, steward training and collective bargaining. Finally, the third-year class prepared for and role-played a mock grievance arbitration and collective bargaining sessions.

“Each day, all three classes were brought together to talk about subjects like right to work and knowing your rights for the U.S. participants, while the Canadians discussed top-down organizing strategies in the production sector,” said SMART Director of Education Eli Baccus. “Congratulations to the third-year class for being the first-ever students to graduate from the Production Institute!”

The SMART Education Department and Production Workers Department held the third annual Production Institute in Indianapolis, Ind., during the week of August 25, 2025 — bringing together union officials from across North America, including rank-and-file stewards, to train on how to effectively represent SMART production members.

The Production Institute is a three-year, progressive-format class, with attendees from last year advancing to the second round of courses. A new first-year class attended in 2025, along with the returning 2023 and 2024 groups. The first years studied the basics of labo(u)r history, steward training and collective bargaining. The second-year class was focused on a more in-depth investigation of organizing, steward training and collective bargaining. Finally, the third-year class prepared for and role-played a mock grievance arbitration and collective bargaining sessions.

“Each day, all three classes were brought together to talk about subjects like right to work and knowing your rights for the U.S. participants, while the Canadians discussed top-down organizing strategies in the production sector,” said SMART Director of Education Eli Baccus. “Congratulations to the third-year class for being the first-ever students to graduate from the Production Institute!”