Tag: Spring 2025

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SMART, TOOTRiS partner to deliver childcare benefits to U.S. SM members

On January 16, 2025, SMART announced a transformative partnership with TOOTRiS, the nation’s leading provider of on-demand childcare services, to offer childcare benefits to members across the United States. This collaboration established SMART as the first building trades union in the country to adopt wrap-around childcare benefits for its members, with the benefit activating February 1, 2025, for participating sheet metal local unions.

“This partnership sets a new standard for addressing the real-life challenges faced by working families,” said SMART General President Michael Coleman. “We are proud to be the first building trades union in the country to provide access to childcare programs nationwide, ensuring that our members — especially apprentices and young families — have the support they need to thrive in their careers and at home.”

Members at participating sheet metal locals can find customizable care

Ordinarily, access to TOOTRiS’s program costs $24.99 per month. For SMART sheet metal members at participating local unions in the United States, the program cost is covered by funding from the SMART International, giving them real-time access to licensed childcare providers in urban and rural areas; search features tailored for special needs care and flexible scheduling; and multilingual support through TOOTRiS’s app and website. In addition to the platform, TOOTRiS’s concierge service offers members personalized assistance in helping to locate providers that meet their needs and work schedules, including very early hours, swing shifts and more. Providers are licensed and regularly reevaluated utilizing state licensing data to ensure they meet stringent quality standards, giving members peace of mind when searching for care.

In two locations, SMART has piloted a subsidy program for participating members. Participating Local 20 sheet metal workers at a hospital megaproject in Indiana are eligible to receive a monthly childcare subsidy, helping members with children take on the work as the local staffs the multi-billion-dollar job. And participating Local 3 production members at Lozier in Omaha also can receive a subsidy, helping provide much-needed childcare for existing members and serving as an incentive for unorganized members at the shop to join SMART.

SMART Local 206 in San Diego, California, began offering the program as a benefit to members nearly three years ago — “the whole reason being a lot of our members [were] calling in, saying they couldn’t get to work, apprentices especially, because they had childcare issues,” said Business Manager Dave Gauthier.

He added: “I was really impressed with the technology, the fact that it was a search engine that you could pretty much edit in any way you wanted,” filtering anything from scheduling needs to allergy information and proximity to work or home.

Eligibility requirements:

  • Available to members in good standing with children aged 0-12.
  • Local union must participate for its members to be eligible.

Please note: The benefit doesn’t cover the cost of childcare but gives members premium access to the most affordable options.

SMART FIRSTS
  • 1953: Local 28 (New York City) negotiates first-ever pension plan in a building trades labor contract.
  • 1961: SMART (then SMWIA) and SMACNA develop first sheet metal industry training manual.
  • 1963: SMART becomes first union to offer members accident insurance.

Childcare: key to building our nation

Infrastructure investments and a resurgence in domestic manufacturing have driven huge workforce demands in the United States in recent years. Along with ensuring indoor air quality in schools, hospitals and other buildings, SMART sheet metal workers have been at the forefront of many large infrastructure projects, including the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) modernization, the Dallas-Fort Worth terminal expansion, semiconductor fabrication projects by Micron, Intel and others, and many more.

The need for skilled workers continues to rise as projects break ground. However, childcare is frequently cited as one of the most significant barriers to both entering and staying in the building trades, with unpredictable schedules and mobile jobs making ordinary services less accessible. Additionally, childcare costs have surged over 50% in the past decade, and the shortage of providers has  securing care even more difficult. Apprentices and younger members, who are often in the early stages of building their careers and salaries, are particularly vulnerable.

SMART Local 16 (Portland, Ore.) Organizer Korri Stubenrauch detailed the impact of the childcare crisis on workers in the construction industry during Tradeswomen Build Nations 2023. Stubenrauch spoke from personal experience: Despite her love for her craft and dedication to her union, she had to briefly step away from her sheet metal career due to the challenges she faced finding adequate, affordable and accessible childcare.

“Together, let’s build a future where no parent in the trades has to choose between professional commitments and parental responsibilities,” Stubenrauch urged TWBN attendees at the time.

Now, through its partnership with TOOTRiS, SMART is poised to do just that. With the newly launched childcare benefit, U.S. members at participating locals gain access to over 200,000 licensed childcare providers nationwide via TOOTRiS’s state-of-the-art platform, including programs offering non-traditional hours, drop-in care and 24/7 availability. TOOTRiS technology — accessible via the TOOTRiS app or online — allows parents to search, compare and enroll in care based on real-time availability tailored to their needs. And perhaps most importantly, the concierge service offers prompt, personalized assistance, whether trying to find summer camp a year in advance or dealing with a childcare need at an unorthodox time.

“A big thing for us is the hours,” Gauthier explained. “I dropped my kids off at their daycare at six in the morning, and if [the daycare was] late to open up the doors, then I was late to work. And so the fact that there’s a lot of facilities out there that have flexible hours … most people aren’t aware of [that] unless they have a search engine like TOOTRiS.”

Local 17 members
Child of Local 265 member Mitch Geister

Growing our union

SMART’s new childcare benefit aims squarely to strengthen participation in the sheet metal trade, particularly among women and members with young families. This is crucial for the present and future of our union: We need to grow to take on the work hours demanded of us, bringing in the labor force of the future to support active and retired members.

“We’re recruiting a lot of women in the trades,” said Gauthier. “[There’s] a national labor shortage for people in the trades, and 50% of the people out there that are looking for work are women. So in order to bring women in, we have to give them options,” including maternity leave and accessible childcare.

“This partnership addresses a critical gap for families in the trades, enabling parents — especially women — to succeed in careers that were once out of reach due to a lack of childcare,” added Allison Grealis, Women in Manufacturing Association president and founder. “This is a step forward for support and inclusion in the workforce.”

Local 206 has already witnessed the material differences, both for existing members and when conducting outreach.

“The average age of an apprentice is close to 30 years old,” Gauthier said. “If the average age [is] in the thirties, and the average age of people having young children [is] in their late twenties or early thirties, and they’ve got to be at work every day and then school twice a month, those are hours and times that they’re going to need childcare.”

He continued: “So in recruiting, we go to outreach events and … we bring the TOOTRiS flyer and say, ‘Hey, if you have kids, we offer this childcare provider system that will give you an option to get better childcare, more affordable childcare.’”

Members or local union officers with questions about TOOTRiS should reach out to SMART Director of Special Projects Louise Medina. You can also view more details on SMART’s TOOTRiS landing page here.

I’ve talked a lot about the importance of solidarity recently. It’s our foundation, our core value and our strength; it’s the guiding principle that has carried us through generations of challenges, whether we’re at work, at the bargaining table or on the picket line.

Much of the conversation around our solidarity has been in response to political events in the United States. Recent developments, from the unprecedented firings at the U.S. National Labor Relations Board to the shifting policies on tariffs, have sent ripples through our industries. These decisions have real consequences for working people — our people.

But make no mistake, brothers and sisters: Our union solidarity spans all of North America, from Hawaii to Vancouver, Florida to St. John’s; whether we’re on the shop floor, the jobsite, the railroad or the bus terminal.

Amid all the noise encompassing our nations’ governments, I want to focus on the hard-working citizens of our two nations that make up our membership: We have far more in common than we have differences. Skilled SMART sheet metal workers perform top-notch craftsmanship on jobsites and in production shops across both of our two nations. Organizing in British Columbia, Ontario and everywhere in between strengthens our union in the states just like it does in the provinces, and vice versa. And political developments in Ottawa and Washington have ramifications for every single one of us.

“Our union solidarity spans all of North America, from Hawaii to Vancouver, Florida to St. John’s; whether we’re on the shop floor, the jobsite, the railroad or the bus terminal.”

As SMART members, we want the same thing, regardless of which country we call home: good, family-sustaining jobs, stellar pay, a retirement with dignity. And our union organizes across North America for those exact goals — recently, in both of our nations, winning extraordinary growth. Regardless of the political climate, no matter who holds power in Washington or Ottawa, we will continue to fight for the betterment of this union: no member left behind.

The history of SMART spans over 200 combined years of organizing, tradition, mentorship and solidarity. We’ve faced adversity, fought countless battles and secured life-changing victories for workers across North America. Every victory we’ve achieved stems from our unity and the principle that an injury to one is an injury to all.

I want to emphasize something, though. That collective power doesn’t simply appear when we pay our dues. We, the members, are the union. We need to be engaged, involved and ACTIVE in our locals. That’s how we organize new manufacturing plants and contractors, like Evergreen Sheet Metal in B.C. That’s how we secure local laws that bring in more work for members, like project labor agreements in Southern California. That’s how we develop new tools to help keep our SMART-TD bus members safe. All this is only possible when we proactively flex our collective strength.

We continue to see anti-worker entities, whether bad-faith employers or antagonistic governments, attempt to divide us. They want us to fight each other instead of fighting the rich and powerful. They want to pit Canadians versus Americans, railroaders versus sheet metal workers; they want workers against workers.

Brothers and sisters, we must reject that division and choose solidarity instead. Let’s stand together, not just in the face of political challenges, but for the future we believe in. When we are united across the United States and Canada, there’s nothing we can’t achieve.

In solidarity,

SMART General President Michael Coleman

“You get what you pay for.”

It’s an old saying that most of us have heard plenty of times. But it holds special relevance for union workers — because for us, it’s true in a profound way. We pay union dues, and what we get is something priceless: the solidarity that defines SMART membership.

As General President Coleman wrote, solidarity is the bedrock of our organization. At the International level, across the United States and every Canadian province, our unity gives us power: Together, we fight for jobs and fairness, transcending our border and winning real gains for SMART members and families. That’s true strength — the type that can never be broken, even as external pressures intensify.

What I want to highlight are the everyday investments SMART makes as a result of your continued solidarity. Our union dues are an investment in ourselves: in worker power, in collective bargaining, in strong contracts and in our families. They are also a reflection of our intentional focus — our collective commitment to building a stronger union, piece by piece. That manifests in specific, material ways. A few examples:

Union EAP is an example of a member assistance program specifically tailored to SMART members. This service, if adopted by your local union or your local healthcare plan, is available at no direct cost to the member. Union EAP connects members and their families with licensed clinicians, available 24/7/365. Each case is guided by a master’s-level clinician who works with the member and their insurance provider to build a personalized plan and help navigate life’s challenges.

“We pay union dues, and what we get is something priceless: the solidarity that defines SMART membership.”

In addition to mental well-being, one of our priorities at the International is empowering our local unions to better serve their members. That’s why we introduced the Voyager system — a fully supported union management software solution at no direct cost to local unions. Voyager helps streamline internal operations, provides digital dues receipts for members and allows locals to manage union affairs without unnecessary hurdles and expenses.

We have also heard — and acted on — the need to strengthen the future of the sheet metal trade. For too long, the lack of maternity leave in the sheet metal industry prevented women and new mothers from joining and staying in the craft. That’s why SMART and SMACNA launched a maternity leave benefit fund for sheet metal members: a reimbursement program for participating U.S. local unions’ health and welfare funds, providing for a combined total of 26 weeks of maternity leave. Another example of SMART leading where others have hesitated.

And most recently, SMART launched a childcare benefit program with TOOTRiS. Too many working families — especially in the trades — are forced to choose between career and care. Thanks to this new partnership, sheet metal members at participating U.S. local unions can more easily access flexible, high-quality childcare options that meet the unique demands of our work schedules.

Brothers and sisters, these programs and partnerships are more than benefits. They represent solidarity in action — and the result of our shared focus on building a better future. That’s what we pay for. That’s why we pay dues. That’s why our solidarity — and our intentional focus — are more important now than ever before.

We know challenges lie ahead. Economic forces beyond our control, from aggressive tariff disruptions to unpredictable market shifts, will test the foundations we have built. The potential ripple effects — from stock market volatility to pressures on pensions, healthcare funds and even renewed threats of healthcare taxation — remind us that we cannot afford to lose focus.

Union membership means looking out for one another — leveraging our individual power into something far greater, something that sustains SMART families today and tomorrow. When we remain focused, disciplined and united, there is nothing we cannot achieve.

In solidarity,

John Daniel
SMART General Secretary Treasurer

As we move forward in these changing times, one thing is clear: Standing together is our greatest strength. A hallmark of our union is that our members have always faced challenges head-on. While we continue to address evolving issues in our industry, we are also seeing progress, particularly when it comes to improving safety for our members.

A step forward in bus safety

A shining example of what we can accomplish through collaboration is unfolding in Philadelphia, Pa. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of SMART and BTAPS, a pilot project is underway that equips SEPTA bus operators with bulletproof, glare-resistant full enclosures. These enclosures are designed to enhance the safety of our operators, protecting them from potential threats while maintaining clear visibility for safe driving. This success underscores what we can achieve when our local leaders and the International work in unison to protect our members.

Our goal is to expand this life-saving initiative to all SEPTA buses and beyond, ensuring that bus operators across the country benefit from this enhanced safety. This project is not just a win for Philadelphia; it’s a model of what’s possible when we prioritize safety and work together to bring about real change.

Staying strong through education and unity

Our ability to advance and protect our members’ interests lies in knowledge and preparation. That’s why we are urging all local officers to take full advantage of the Regional Training Seminars being offered this year. These seminars provide valuable tools and information that empower our local officers to navigate the complexities of our industry while staying informed about our members’ rights and how to effectively fight for them.

The first seminar in Dallas, Texas, was a resounding success, with over 180 brothers and sisters in attendance. Three more opportunities remain this year. They are in Denver, Colo.; Anaheim, Calif.; and Atlanta, Ga. These events are more than just training sessions; they are platforms for building stronger lines of communication and fostering the solidarity that makes our union so effective.

Challenges remain, but so does our resolve

While we celebrate our wins, we remain aware of the challenges that persist. Discussions about privatizing Amtrak and the push for autonomous freight trains are ongoing concerns that we are closely monitoring. We also continue to address the impacts of decisions like the closure of critical Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) offices, which affect the services our members rely on.

However, instead of dwelling on these obstacles, we are focused on solutions. Through strategic planning and a unified approach, we can protect the future of our industry and safeguard the dignity and livelihoods of our members.

A call to action: Build on our momentum

We stand at a crossroads where we have a choice — to allow challenges to divide us or to come together and shape a stronger future. The victories we have achieved, like the SEPTA bus operator enclosures, show that collective action works. By building on this momentum, we can continue to secure meaningful wins for our members.

From the local level all the way to SMART General President Michael Coleman, our leadership is committed to this mission. In a world that continues to change, we know where we stand. When we are united in knowledge, strength and purpose, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish.

In solidarity,

Jeremy R. Ferguson
President, Transportation Division

Sisters and brothers,

My name is Jack Wall, and I’m honoured to have been appointed director of Canadian affairs for SMART in December 2024. It’s a responsibility I don’t take lightly, and I’m proud to follow in the footsteps of those who served before me. Like them, I’ll work hard every day to represent our members and do what’s best for our union.

We’re at an important moment — not just for SMART Canada, but for the broader labour movement across North America. This year has already brought significant political changes and new challenges. Ongoing tariffs continue to impact our sheet metal, roofing and production sectors here at home and for our SMART brothers and sisters in the United States. But beyond the headlines, your Canadian staff is pushing forward — advocating, organizing and working to strengthen the future of our locals from coast to coast. Despite the challenges we face, I firmly believe the future is bright for SMART members.

Years of advocacy at all levels of government have resulted in real, concrete wins — from funding grants to labour-friendly language in clean energy legislation. These achievements didn’t happen by chance — they’re the result of hard work, persistence and unity. Now, we need to build on that momentum. That means growing our capacity and continuing to invest in the future of our members.

Over the past year, and with the full support of SMART leadership, we’ve added key resources to help us make progress — both politically and publicly — across Canada. I’m pleased to welcome two new staff members to our dedicated team:

Bob Gougeon, former business manager and financial secretary-treasurer of Local 285 in Toronto, has joined as our new International representative for government affairs and megaprojects. Bob brings years of experience and a strong understanding of what our locals need on the ground.

Aidan Strickland, previously director of communications for Helmets to Hardhats Canada, is our new communications specialist. She will help raise SMART’s public profile and share the stories and successes of our members in a variety of forums.

Together, our Canadian team brings the knowledge, experience and energy we need to keep moving forward. I’m confident we’re stronger with them onboard — and that their work will make a meaningful difference for members from coast to coast to coast.

I also want to acknowledge the continued uncertainty caused by shifting tariff policies. I know the toll this takes on our industries, our locals and our families. But I also know that General President Michael Coleman has been clear: Canadian locals and members have his full support. His commitment to unity across borders — Canadian and American alike — remains one of our greatest strengths. I share that commitment, and I know it will carry us through whatever comes next.

As we look ahead to the rest of 2025 and beyond, we’ll stay proactive — whether it’s organizing in our communities or working with officials at every level of government to advance our cause. You have my word: I, along with the rest of the Canadian staff, will give everything we’ve got to secure a strong future for SMART members across this country.

In solidarity,

Jack Wall

Director of Canadian Affairs

After more than four years of tireless effort and advocacy, SMART-TD announced the successful passage of the Railroad Employee Equity and Fairness (REEF) Act in December 2024, with President Biden signing the bill into law in January 2025. This historic legislation permanently exempts Railroad Unemployment Insurance Benefits from sequestration, ending a 5.7% reduction that railroaders have unfairly borne for years. In simple terms, this bill ends the outdated tax of $50 every two weeks on railroaders drawing unemployment benefits from the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB).

The REEF Act rights a longstanding wrong that has disproportionately impacted railroad workers, particularly those who find themselves furloughed or medically unable to work. These workers, many of whom already face significant financial hardship when transitioning from regular railroad wages to the modest $450 every two weeks provided by the RRB, were subjected to sequestration that further reduced this already limited benefit.

“For most Americans, a $50 cut may seem insignificant, but to a railroader relying on a fixed benefit, it’s a financial crisis,” said SMART-TD National Safety and Legislative Director Greg Hynes. “After years of fighting this injustice, the REEF Act’s passage is proof that persistence pays off. The work we’ve done on Capitol Hill to secure this victory is worth every ounce of effort and all the shoe leather we left on the steps of the House and Senate buildings.”

The process to get this bill over the line was not easy. It took consistent advocacy, relentless lobbying and cooperation across political parties. SMART-TD’s Hynes and Jared Cassity, who collectively bring decades of experience from BNSF and CSX, respectively, led the charge, ensuring that Congress understood the gravity of the situation faced by railroad workers.

“We understand the struggle because we’ve lived it. We know how much that small cut impacts an out-of-work railroader’s ability to make ends meet,” said Deputy National Safety and Legislative Director Cassity. “This legislation is a direct result of the tireless advocacy of our members, who took the time to speak out, engage with lawmakers and apply pressure at every step

Cassity continued: “Railroad workers not only sell their labor, they sacrifice more than most to care for themselves and their families. It is through their hard work and efforts that railroad retirement is funded, which is why it is so rewarding to see the senseless reductions from sequestration finally lifted. In this process of advocating for REEF, our brothers and sisters have proven that they are willing to stand in solidarity to put up a fight. I couldn’t be prouder of our members for their tenacity to win back not just what was earned — but what is deserved.”

The REEF Act’s passage is a powerful reminder of what is possible when unions, lawmakers and working people come together to fight for fairness. Cassity and Hynes extended their deepest thanks, on behalf of SMART-TD, to all of the sponsors and cosponsors who supported this bill, as well as the thousands of TD members who stood united throughout the process.

“SMART-TD members have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with us every step of the way, from rallies to calls to congressional offices. This victory belongs to every one of our members who answered the call and fought to make sure their voices were heard,” said Hynes. “It is because of their engagement, their commitment and their perseverance that we’ve been able to secure this long-overdue relief.”

The labor movement and the fight for civil rights have always been inextricably connected. Unions like SMART are organizations made up of working-class people from all backgrounds, races, gender identities and places of origin, fighting for fairness at work and a life with dignity; just like the civil rights movement, union members band together to fight for justice and equality for all. 

SMART members from across North America demonstrated that in January, attending the AFL-CIO’s Martin Luther King Conference for Civil and Human Rights in Austin, Texas — building comradery with fellow trade unionists, engaging in a community service project and strategizing for a future that puts the working class first.

RISE Committee takes Austin  

The SMART RISE Committee (Representation, Integrity, Support, Empowerment), formed in late 2023, provides a space for celebrating the experiences and addressing the needs of underrepresented members of our union. The committee also supports our recruitment and retention efforts within underrepresented communities, helping SMART grow our market share in previously untapped areas.

It was only fitting, then, that the Martin Luther King Conference brought RISE Committee members to Austin to build power. Dr. King famously spoke about the importance of trade unionism in the fight for racial justice, proclaiming: “…the labor-hater and labor-baiter is virtually always a twin-headed creature spewing anti-Negro epithets from one mouth and anti-labor propaganda from the other mouth.”

“[We’re] building worker power and [learning about] the whole message of Dr. King — civil rights along with economic justice,” explained RISE Committee member and Local 71 Director of Membership Development Andre Mayes.

The conference kicked off on Thursday, January 9. The opening session, featuring AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler, Texas AFL-CIO President Rick Levy and Texas AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Leonard Aguilar, offered attendees words of resilience and motivation from a state that has been, politically, a bastion of anti-unionism.

Texas is the place, Levy said, where the government relentlessly union busts, attacks immigrant workers and tries to deprive people of their rights. It’s the place where the anti-union playbook of division has been constantly employed. But, Aguilar noted, we can fight that division: “The one thing we have in common across this land is our labor.” Levy echoed that sentiment, telling attendees what they already knew: We can defeat anti-worker attacks through our collective solidarity.

“Let’s commit ourselves together to the struggle for labor rights … civil rights … and to the fundamental ideal that there is no difference between those two fights,” he declared.

Shuler connected the themes emphasized by the two Texas labor leaders with the labor movement’s broader struggle. Anti-worker forces are conducting an all-out assault on everything SMART and fellow unions have fought for: worker safety laws and regulations, project labor agreements, Social Security and more, she said. Our greatest weapon in response is solidarity — symbolized, she noted, by the Service Employees International Union’s historic reaffiliation with the AFL-CIO, announced just one day prior.

“They want us to believe an immigrant worker making minimum wage is the source of our problems, not the CEO who handed himself more money than we will ever see in our lifetimes,” Shuler said. “They are terrified of what happens when we come together.”

SEIU President April Verrett then took the stage to hammer home the message that, together, we can fight to win economic justice for workers. Whether public sector service employees or construction workers, she said, “we can no longer be satisfied with the status quo,” adding: “It is going to take every single one of us to make a powerful, collective demand.”

Members also heard from AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond, SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Rocio Saenz, AFGE President Everett Kelley and AFT President Randi Weingarten during a Thursday afternoon session on “Bending the Arc: The Labor Movement’s Fight for Justice.” Speakers discussed how unions’ fight for power and safety in the workplace is by no means limited to jobsite advocacy: Unions promote the rights and dignity of working-class people on and off the job, from government employees taking care of our veterans to SMART production workers putting together HVAC systems for hospitals. Any attack on one of us is an attack on all, and we cannot let our movement be divided in the years to come.  

Growing solidarity, putting it into action

Friday brought SMART members and fellow unionists together for a day of theory and practice. After a morning spent in session, the afternoon put workers into action, packing books for local kids and sending letters to legislators.  

The day kicked off with the morning’s keynote speaker, Rep. Jasmine Crockett. The second-term United States representative fights hard for constituents in Texas’s 30th District — but, she noted, she works in Congress as an ally to ALL workers.

“I am here to be a representative of your voices. … Your presence here today tells me that you understand the importance of a movement … and what we can do united,” she declared.

Crockett has spent much of her career fighting against deregulation, attacks on worker safety and anti-union actors. She leaned on her experience to talk about the importance of focusing on the issues that matter to working people — at a time when some pundits were trying to blame the California wildfires on DEI programs, Crockett said, “this is your time to rise.” She urged attendees to mobilize, organize new and existing members, and make politicians uncomfortable as we work to prioritize working people:

“I want you beating down the doors of the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate.”

All photos Copyright Casey Chapman Ross

The labor movement spans every industry, with members ranging from sheet metal workers and freight railroaders to teachers, nurses, museum workers and beyond. What brings us together is our common fight for worker power and a just society — a fact highlighted during Friday morning’s panel, “Where Do We Go from Here? Advancing Dr. King’s Vision of a Unified Movement and the Guarantee of Economic Justice for All.”

Panelists Stacey Gates Davis, president of the Chicago Teachers Union; SEIU Texas President Elsa Flores; Brent Booker, general president of LIUNA; and Demond Drummer, director of strategy at The New School’s Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy, dove into a range of topics, from the radical labor action that helped end slavery, to the importance of building solidarity and coalitions across our movement, to the impact that the economy has on every other facet of our lives.

CTU President Stacy Davis Gates

Violence and social disruption are the result of an economy where 90% of economic growth goes to the richest 1%, Drummer said; we are living in a “call to action” moment for organized labor. Panelists reminded attendees that “labor issues” don’t exist in a silo — union organizing is also public safety organizing, racial justice organizing, immigrant justice organizing.

United States Representative Greg Casar — a pro-worker champion who has stood with SMART on the PRO Act, legislation related to heat protection and more — addressed the conference in the afternoon, talking about the importance of unity between pro-worker politicians and the labor movement. Last year alone, anti-worker legislators fought to take away water breaks on Texas construction jobsites. Together, Casar said, we need to fight back: “We are the labor movement, we are the civil rights movement.”

Organized labor made significant progress in recent years, electing members of Congress who don’t just say the right things but actually act on behalf of SMART members. Nevertheless, Casar warned, there still exists a corporate class that desires a secondary class of workers — people who work more and get paid less, people who will be scared to organize. That’s what we’re fighting against, he said. And make no mistake: When someone else’s rights are suppressed at work, that sets the stage for union workers’ rights to be stripped next.

RISE Committee members then spent the afternoon doing what the SMART Army does best: engaging in community action. The American Federation of Teachers’ “Reading Opens the World” initiative aims to bring books to those who need them most but can’t afford them, helping kids develop literacy and find joy in reading. Attendees at the 2025 Martin Luther King Conference — including the SMART RISE Committee — played their part, sorting, labeling and packing books to distribute to Texas kids before writing letters to U.S. senators in support of our brothers and sisters working public sector jobs.

Looking ahead: plenary sessions and workshops help members strategize

Saturday’s conference itinerary prompted members of the RISE Committee to engage with workers from across North America in plenary sessions and workshops: proactively strengthening the bonds of solidarity that are our foundation.

CWA President Claude Cummings

The morning kicked off with a speech from Communications Workers of America (CWA) President Claude Cummings. Gazing out from the podium, Cummings said: “We see the power of a unified labor movement working towards the dream of Dr. King.”

Now as in Dr. King’s day, he explained, pro-union sentiment is seen as a threat by those who want to profit off the backs of the working class. That’s why a unified labor movement is so imperative. The ruling class doesn’t prefer one union over another — they want to dissolve our entire movement.

“No one group is going to succeed while the others are denied justice, are denied the fruits of their labor, are denied basic human rights and dignity. That’s why we fight,” Cummings said, later adding: “We love our families and our country, and we want everyone in our communities to have the freedom to pursue their dreams and live their life.”

The morning concluded with another panel: “Rising Up: The Power of Solidarity and Forging a Winning Coalition.” Like much of the conference, the session focused on how issues that might appear to be separate — immigrants’ rights, reproductive freedom, collective bargaining protections, etc. — are closely tied together. And, panelists noted, a rigorous labor movement is crucial in order to take on these interconnected battles.

Following lunch, members spent the afternoon in breakout workshop sessions. As unions, we need to effectively tell our story of how working people can achieve economic justice and a good life through our movement. With that in mind, SMART members and Martin Luther King Conference attendees spent their chosen workshops focusing on storytelling exercises, solidarity mapping and developing action plans as they pertained to specific subject areas: defending collective bargaining, protecting LGBTQIA+ rights against legislative attacks, advancing the rights and protections of our immigrant union siblings and more.

Local 17 member Adrian Mobley attends an afternoon workshop at the 2025 MLK Civil and Human Rights Conference, Day 3.

The night ended with the annual AFL-CIO Civil and Human Rights Awards, honoring union members who have gone above and beyond in the fight for justice and human dignity. The evening program also paid tribute to labor legend Bill Lucy — founder of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, longtime AFSCME secretary-treasurer and a fighter for justice throughout his life, including the famous 1968 Memphis sanitation strike and the labor movement’s support of anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa.

RISE Committee meets to secure a greater future for SMART

The RISE Committee wrapped up its weekend in Austin with a committee meeting on Sunday, where members reflected on the conference and went into detail on how to put the committee’s action plan in motion. From International and local union staff to rank-and-file sheet metal workers, these SMART brothers and sisters are tasked with the important work of securing our union’s future by bringing in and retaining workers from all backgrounds. During their meeting, members strategized implementation of a SMART Future Leaders initiative, a RISE cookbook and more.

Committee members considered the conference an overall success.

“I wanted to see how people who have the same ideals or the same drive as us, how we all can come together,” said Dale Clark, Local 24 (Columbus, Ohio) member, International Training Institute OSHA specialist and RISE Committee chair. “And it’s a beautiful thing. It refocused me.”

SMART’s Ontario organizers held their first-quarter meeting on Tuesday, March 18, where they strategized for the months ahead and further developed their knowledge and skills.

“It was a highly productive session where we tackled key topics, including preparing for the open period, CRM training with Kris Harmon and Cecilia Locke, the Ontario blitz, area reports and more,” said SMART Canada International Representative for Business Development Patrick Gordon. “The discussions were insightful, setting a strong foundation for our upcoming initiatives.”

In early January, 2025, the world watched in horror as fires swept through Southern California, leaving unprecedented devastation and destruction in their wake. Entire neighborhoods were obliterated, with tens of thousands of buildings and homes wiped off the map.

SMART local unions, the International and members across North America responded with an awe-inspiring show of solidarity. At the IA level, General President Michael Coleman sent a letter requesting donations from local unions. SMART-TD bus members assisted in evacuating impacted neighborhoods and supported operators working when the fires broke out. And both TD locals and SM Local 105 immediately leapt into action, even as the fires were still burning.

“Local 105’s full-time officers quickly developed a plan on how to address the needs of our members in the affected burn areas and evacuation zones,” said Local 105 Business Manager/President Steve Hinson. “First, we put together a collection center in the hall and donated all the collected food goods, blankets, pillows, etc. to one of the donation centers in Pasadena. Then we identified our own members in the burn areas and reached out to each member to ask them what their needs may be since the fires broke out. Of the 70 members in the burn zones, there were 12 members that had some displacement from either lost power, missed work from evacuations and/or loss of property. Unfortunately, we had two retirees lose their homes due to the fires.”

Along with coordinating local support efforts, Local 105 worked with SMART Director of Special Projects Louise Medina to secure a Disaster Relief Fund grant to address the immediate needs of members. The financial support ended up being crucial.

“The members’ needs were so wide in range, the full-time officers of the local decided it would be best to give all 12 members a Costco gift card to help them replenish any goods they may have lost due to the power outages in the burn areas,” Hinson explained. “We also decided that for any member that lived in the burn areas, if they lost time from work due to evacuation orders, we would reimburse their lost wages with documentation of lost work hours.”

Hurricane Relief

“Words cannot express how much the financial assistance we received from you was appreciated for the devastation we suffered from Hurricane Milton, and Greg Blose for his immediate action. The damage to our home and loss of our vehicle was a big financial and mental burden for us. With your help, we have been able to get a vehicle and pretty much get our home back to normal. Again, thank you so very much for helping during this difficult time.” — Local 12 retiree testimonial

“We are very grateful to all of you for this support and help for our family as we recover from the damages suffered from the Hurricane Helene flooding. We weren’t expecting this, and we can’t thank you enough.” — Local 5 member testimonial

The local also decided it wasn’t enough to simply react to disaster. At 105’s February union meeting, the members voted to start a local disaster relief fund, allocating an initial $25,000 to the cause. As Hinson pointed out, members in Southern California know there will be fires, floods and earthquakes in the future: “We need to be prepared to act swiftly to make sure our brothers and sisters are taken care of in their time of need.”

Overall, the tragic fires demonstrated what SMART membership is all about: standing together for our union family.

“We received an overwhelming amount of support from SMART locals in both the United States and Canada,” Hinson said. “I would like to thank all our sister locals for their generous donations directly to Local 105 and to the SMART Disaster Relief Fund. I would also like to thank the full-time staff for making all the calls and reaching out to ensure our brothers and sisters are taken care of — and, of course, our members, who donated goods and time to help our communities.”

In so-called “right-to-work” states like Florida — the home of commuter rail service Tri-Rail — union workers are often forced to overcome multiple obstacles during contract negotiations. On the one hand, they’re trying to make gains on pay, benefits and working conditions. On the other, they need to surmount potential division between the workers who have signed up for the union and those who opt out of representation.  

But that wasn’t a problem at Tri-Rail’s Hialeah, Florida, facility during the most recent round of contract negotiations. The tireless work of SMART Mechanical Department Local Chairpersons Luis Roves and Raul Barnat ensured every single worker on the property signed up to be a member of SMART-MD — and when the time came to vote on a new contract, every single SMART-MD member cast a vote. The result: 100% ratification.

“Everyone was on the same page,” said SMART-MD General Committee 2 Directing General Chairperson John McCloskey, who negotiated the agreement alongside International Rep. Rob Shanahan. “We had one unified message, and that made it easy to negotiate as one voice and win the contract the members wanted.”

SMART-MD first organized and negotiated a contract at the Hialeah facility in 2015. At the time, 15 of the 28 Tri-Rail employees signed up for union representation.

Barnat and Roves

When ownership of Tri-Rail changed hands from Bombardier to Herzog Transit Services in 2019, SMART-MD ran another organizing campaign at the facility, with Roves and Barnet playing key roles. The two local chairpersons engaged every employee, including brand-new hires — explaining the union advantage and the importance of signing up with SMART-MD. Eventually, they established 100% union membership throughout the property.

“There is definitely a language barrier when I’m down in Miami,” said McCloskey, an Irish immigrant. An added difficulty for McCloskey and Shanahan: The vast majority of the Tri-Rail employees are of Cuban descent, mostly speaking English as a second language. “Luis and Raul are just so proactive. They kept it together in a right-to-work state. They fielded all the questions, all the concerns.”

The previous Tri-Rail contract was subject to renegotiation on July 1, 2024, with SMART-MD initiating discussions two months prior. With Roves and Barnat consistently in contact with Tri-Rail’s workforce, relaying their priorities to McCloskey and Shanahan, SMART-MD eventually reached a tentative agreement with the employer in February, with the unanimous, full-participation ratification vote taking place shortly after.

McCloskey paid tribute to Roves and Barnet’s industrious work on behalf of their fellow Tri-Rail employees, calling their effort a “great success.” He also noted how the negotiation process demonstrated our union’s values.

“At the end of the day, we serve our members no matter their background — we’re not going to let a language barrier get in the way,” he said. “That isn’t going to deter anyone in our organization from negotiating a good contract.”