SMART Local 67 (San Antonio) members volunteered their time and expertise with Habitat for Humanity in early September, helping build homes for those in need. Great work, brothers and sisters!
Tag: SMART Army
Each year, Special Olympics Kentucky hosts the Big Brown Truck Pull to raise money for local athletes. Teams of 15 take turns pulling an 18-wheeler UPS cargo truck 12 feet; the teams with the fastest pull times win trophies in different categories, with awards also given for fundraising, team spirit and more.
SMART Local 110 showed up in force for the Paducah event, taking third place in the pull and second place in most money raised. Together with other teams and participants, SMART members helped provide funding for Special Olympics athletes to compete in basketball, bowling, softball, cheer leading and track and field year-round on the local, regional and state level, traveling to tournaments in Bowling Green, Richmond and Louisville.
That’s what our union stands for. Great work, Local 110!
In Washington, a team of volunteers led by the SMART Local 66 Women’s Committee regularly hosts workshops at Boys and Girls Clubs across Snohomish County — educating both participants and the counselors about how fun it can be to work with your hands.
“The kids get the opportunity to build something with their hands, and the parents and counselors get the opportunity to learn about who we are and why it’s awesome being a sheet metal worker,” explained Local 66 member and International Training Institute Recruitment and Retention Specialist Tammy Meyen.
Boys and Girls Clubs provide voluntary after-school programs for young people, offering kids safe spaces where they can have fun, meet mentors and find pathways to good, fulfilling lives. That mission aligns closely with SMART apprenticeship programs, which help equip members with pathways to rewarding careers — and lives — in the sheet metal trade.
Stephanie Hobbs, a journeyworker and Local 66 Women’s Committee Outreach and Recruitment lead, started organizing workshops with area Boys and Girls Clubs several months ago. Working closely with Boys and Girls Clubs of Snohomish County Director of Life and Workforce Readiness Jordyn Creager, the women’s committee has organized volunteers to host classes at the Everett (Cascade), Arlington, Marysville, Lake Stevens, Monroe, Tulalip and Sultan clubs, with plans to visit the remaining county clubs in 2026.
“During each class, we share a bit about who we are and what we do as a union,” Hobbs said, “explaining the work behind heating and air systems, roofing, siding and more. The kids then get hands-on experience making metal roses, with stems made from 3/8-inch all-thread, and petals and leaves cut from 24-gauge galvanized steel. They texture and shape the metal with ball-peen hammers, assemble their roses using nuts and washers, and add more depth by bending the petals with pliers to the shape they like.”
By giving local kids hands-on experience with the sheet metal trade — literally — Local 66 volunteers hope to change the lives of Boys and Girls Club attendees and benefit our union.
“The kids, ranging in age from 5 to 18, have shown incredible excitement and pride in their work. It’s been inspiring to see how much they enjoy learning about the trade and creating something they can take home,” Hobbs explained.
“None of this would be possible without the generous support of MacDonald-Miller Facility Solutions, who have provided all of the materials for every class,” she added. “I’m also deeply grateful to our Local 66 volunteers who continue to show up, give their time and go above and beyond for these events.”
Each year, the organization Fishing For Freedom hosts a no-entry-fee buddy fishing tournament in Truman Lake, Missouri, as a way of giving back to United States military veterans.
“Volunteer boaters share a wonderful day of camaraderie on a beautiful lake with America’s real-life heroes in an attempt to show them how much we appreciate the sacrifices they make that allow us to enjoy the freedoms of the greatest country in the world,” the Fishing For Freedom website reads.
The event is facilitated by donations from sponsors and by volunteers. And in 2025, organized labor stepped up to help make the event happen, with members of the SMART Army working the grill.
“I was blessed to spend a beautiful Sunday afternoon with my SMART union brothers from Local 2 and Local 36, feeding hungry veterans at this year’s Fishing For Freedom,” said Local 2 sister Pamela Blackmore.
SMART members often go underappreciated in North American society — and when we are recognized, it’s mostly for the jobs we do.
Not everyone knows what sheet metal workers are, or the vital role railroaders play in the national supply chain. But they do see members on jobsites building new schools and hospitals; in the cab of a freight train, transporting cargo across the country; at the wheel of a bus, bringing Americans wherever they need to be.
What they do not always see is the most powerful part of union membership: We take care of each other.
Sheet metal and Transportation Division members made that clear in late 2025, when the Buffalo, New York, SMART Army sprang into action to help a brother in need.
“I didn’t see the light”
Dave Garringer, a member of SMART-TD Local 1393, was working as a conductor for CSX Transportation when he made a stop in Rochester, New York, in May of 2023.
As Garringer stepped off the train, he felt the ground shift, and his foot folded “in a very odd way,” he told WNYLaborToday.com. Unfortunately, that was just the beginning for our TD brother — over time, the injury worsened, and in November of 2025, he had to get his left leg amputated below his knee.
Garringer began using a wheelchair, but his Buffalo, New York, home — built in 1890 — didn’t accommodate the wheelchair ramp Garringer needed to get in and out of his house.
“I didn’t see any light. My wife didn’t see any light at the end of the tunnel,” he said in an interview with SMART News.
That’s when the SMART Army got involved.
“We’re not in a tunnel anymore”
SMART-TD’s Dan Banks started spreading the word that a fellow SMART member needed help. Shortly after, Garringer said, Local 71 showed up.
“They didn’t know who I was,” he said. “But there they were in my front yard in the cold, doing something for me and my family out of the kindness of their hearts.”
Local 71, the SMART sheet metal local based out of Buffalo, has helped members with wheelchair-accessible ramps in the past, along with other SMART Army events aimed at supporting the community.
“I remember him saying this was the first time he felt hopeful in two years, so that kind of hit me right away and got me excited about [the project],” Local 71 Organizer Adam Kerr said. “[SMART] contacted us on October 30th, and then by November 14th we were completely done with the project.”
Kerr added: “The biggest value that you can get out of a union is that collective membership you can lean on. You’re not just coworkers, you’re brothers and sisters.”
Garringer said the display of solidarity has made a huge difference, both materially and otherwise.
“We’re not in a tunnel anymore, and we realized we’re not in this alone — we’re not in this by ourselves,” he said. “And that means a lot in a situation like this, where your whole life has been turned upside-down and it will never be the same.”
“This is what we do”
Garringer has been a proud member of SMART-TD for years. He told WNYLaborToday that he knew well the benefits of having union representation on the worksite and at the bargaining table, particularly when negotiating new contracts. But the wheelchair ramp went a step further.
“I’m very proud of my union, which is a wonderful thing,” he said. “They’re there to fight for you when your contract comes up, but when people need help — they are there.”
SMART-TD’s Banks joined the wheelchair effort, traveling from Cleveland to Buffalo, where he was one of several members interviewed by Buffalo ABC affiliate WKBW.
“This is what we do,” he told WKBW. “We’re a union. We take care of each other.”
On June 21, 2025, Local 5 hosted a SMART Army day of action at the Knoxville union hall, building 50 beds for kids in need and donating them to Sleep in Heavenly Peace of Knox County. The local also hosted its inaugural SMART Army Motorcycle Ride on June 14 to fund the build.
Great work, Local 5!
The SMART Southwest Gulf Coast Regional Council held its first-ever apprenticeship competition in spring 2025, bringing together hardworking apprentices from Local 54 (Waller, Texas), Local 68 (Dallas, Texas), Local 67 (San Antonio, Texas) and Local 214 (Baton Rouge, La.) to demonstrate their craftsmanship and dedication to our trade.
Milwaukee Tool donated toolboxes and tools for the contestants, with DeWalt also contributing tools.
The overall winner was Local 54, with apprentices Derek Long, Michael Jerry and Justin Woods taking the championship with their combined total score. Jason Delgado of Local 68 won first place in the HVAC category; Kade Lalonde (Local 214) took first in the Architectural category; and Zane Prejean (Local 214) won the Industrial category. Cooper Ross of Local 67 won the screw-off championship, receiving the prized championship belt.
“The competition was fierce, and our future looks bright with these talented young folks,” Local 54 wrote on Facebook.
SMART-TD Local 202 (Denver, Colo.) sister Tierney Gallegos started her journey as a union railroader just six years ago. But in that short time, she has emerged as a model of leadership, service and solidarity.
“Union leadership is a voluntary position, and not every position is filled with people determined to make a difference,” said Omar Ledesma, local chairperson and alternate safety and legislative representative in Colorado. “Sister Gallegos strives to make that difference. She wants people to know that railroaders still exist. We may not have the numbers we once had, but we are still present in our community and a leader among other unions.”
A conductor for BNSF Railway and the vice president of Local 202 in Denver, Colorado, Sister Gallegos also serves as the secretary of the Local Committee of Adjustment (LCA) for the yard, a role that she was elected to in 2022, and has quickly become an indispensable force.
She mobilized support for SMART-TD’s legislative priorities and broader labor initiatives. From state Senate and House hearings to street-level rallies, Gallegos ensures our members show up proud, powerful and ready to fight for positive change.
Union influence creates a community-wide benefit
Elected to her first four-year term as Vice President two years ago, Sister Gallegos hit the ground running. She assumed leadership of both the Charity Committee and the Ways and Means Committee, where she has redefined what it means to connect union strength with public good. Her efforts have brought Local 202 into collaboration with key organizations such as:
- Toys for Tots
- The Colorado Railroad Museum
- SMART-TD Colorado Legislative Board
- Women on the Tools Event
For the third consecutive year, she successfully organized Local 202’s support for the National Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, forging a powerful partnership with the Bienvenidos Food Bank and a local post office to combat hunger and raise awareness. She has made it her mission to bring the message of SMART-TD into the broader community: if something needs to be fixed, the union will get organized and fix it.
Our values lead to a brighter future
Gallegos demonstrates what all SMART-TD members stand for: determination in the face of adversity, strength through unity, service to the community and a commitment to lifting one another when any of us has fallen. Her rise in prominence is a testament to her unshakeable dedication to these values. Great work, sister!
The Saturday before Easter, Local 17 apprentice Leiara Gonzalez-Guerra spearheaded a SMART Army event with fellow members and local officers to deliver food from a local food bank to homebound seniors in Brockton, Mass. That’s solidarity in action — great work, sister!
In May, SMART-TD Local 854 teamed up with the International Longshoremen’s Association Local 970 for a charity golf tournament. The two unions helped raise money for PORTCO, Inc., a Virginia nonprofit that helps veterans and people with disabilities find employment opportunities.
Great work, Local 854!