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On Monday, March 9, the Trump administration’s Department of Labor (DOL) issued new guidance regarding registered apprenticeship programs. SMART General President Michael Coleman gave the following statement in response:

“I’ve said since January 2025 that I’m committed to calling balls and strikes with this administration. Calling for one million new apprentices? That’s a strike. Getting to one million apprentices by lowering the standards and potentially damaging our union’s apprenticeship programs? That’s a ball, no question.

“Our union’s registered apprenticeship programs are the bedrock of the sheet metal industry — for workers, for union contractors and for our country. Through our strong registered apprenticeships, working Americans get trained at the highest standards, make a living while learning the trade, and build the infrastructure that our communities rely on. This has set the bar for our industry and our nation for generations.

“But this model depends on rigorous standards that apprenticeship programs must meet to avoid undermining our high-quality training — and the Department of Labor’s guidance puts those standards at risk. This guidance would encourage apprenticeship programs to focus on speed instead of skill development, create a 30-day ‘shot clock’ for the DOL to rubber stamp new programs in a rush, and increase flexibility for employers — potentially reducing the current emphasis on protecting workers and creating opportunity for all apprentices.   

“There’s a lot more to be said about this dangerous guidance. But I’ll get straight to the point: This is a threat to SMART members, our families, our apprenticeship programs and tradespeople everywhere. We urge the Department of Labor to change course, and we call on the president to stand up for our nation’s workers by strengthening the standards that protect them.”

On February 24, 2026, Senator Jon Husted of Ohio and Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington introduced the Railway Safety Act of 2026. SMART General President Michael Coleman issued the following statement in response:

“Rail safety isn’t a Red issue or a Blue issue. It’s about keeping our country and our members safe and secure.

“Over three years ago, the devastating Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, showed just how important it is for lawmakers to listen to rail workers. That disaster put local families, railroaders and an entire town at risk. The image of that chemical explosion shocked our country — except the SMART-TD members who had been demanding a change even before that day, and who have continued to call for real solutions ever since.

“With the bipartisan Railway Safety Act of 2026, Congress can answer that call and take concrete actions to keep Americans safe: new safety standards for hazardous materials, train length regulations, two-person crews and more. We thank Senators Husted and Cantwell for introducing this crucial bill, and we call on Congress to stand with our members and pass it into law. Because as SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson stated when the legislation was introduced, safety is not a political issue. It is a moral obligation.”

SMART General President Michael Coleman released the following statement after the shooting of Minnesota resident Alex Pretti on January 24, 2026:

“On Friday, January 23, tens of thousands of working people in Minnesota — including thousands of our union brothers and sisters — exercised their First Amendment right to take a stand against the conduct of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, including the shooting of Renee Good just weeks ago. They did what working people have done for generations in the fight for justice, equality and the American dream: They brought everything to a stop and said, enough is enough. No more chaos in our streets. No more shootings of civilians.

“The facts are clear about what happened the next day. Alex Jeffrey Pretti, our American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) union brother, was exercising his First Amendment right and his Second Amendment right, legally carrying a firearm while filming ICE officers. Brother Pretti was pepper sprayed, tackled and killed in the street. Multiple eyewitness videos appear to show that Pretti was not holding his weapon. What he was doing, in his last moments before he was shot multiple times in the back, was helping a woman who herself had been pepper sprayed.

“Our union is full of brothers and sisters just like Alex Pretti. Proud Americans who care deeply for our veterans, as Pretti did — he was a dedicated intensive-care unit nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital. Union members who aren’t afraid to stand up for what they believe in. Working people who practice their right to own and legally carry a firearm, just like 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 mourn Alex Pretti, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family, his loved ones, his AFGE brothers and sisters, and the working people of Minnesota. We urge SMART members to contact their members of Congress and call for the immediate end to this chaos and violence.”

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.

“For months, SMART members have been calling on Congress to stand up for working families and pass an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies. Yesterday, the House of Representatives heard our demand, passing a bill that would extend these subsidies for three years,” SMART General President Michael Coleman said. “The fact that representatives of both parties voted for this bill is proof that our issues aren’t Red or Blue — they’re just common sense. Both Republicans and Democrats recognized that these subsidies help the Americans who build and move our country get the care they need.

“The passage of this extension in the House is a huge win for SMART members; without these subsidies, SMART members would have seen their health care costs go up as insurance companies shifted the cost burden onto our strong benefit plans. Now, we need the Senate to pass and send this bill to the president’s desk. SMART applauds the worker allies who voted for this legislation, and we call on every senator who stands with working Americans to quickly pass this law.”

On December 11, 2025, a federal judge ordered the immediate release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia from immigration detention. SMART General President Michael Coleman released the following statement in response:

“In August, Kilmar Abrego Garcia saw his family for the first time in months, after he was first illegally deported to El Salvador, and then held in custody after he returned to the United States. Days after he reunited with his wife and children, Kilmar followed the law and attended a mandatory check-in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement — and he was immediately detained.

“He has not been with his family since.

“It is almost impossible to imagine what Kilmar, his wife, Jennifer, and his young children have experienced over these months.

“But today, after even more months of separation, Kilmar and his family have finally been given the chance to see each other again. We are thankful that this family will finally be reunited.

“The fight for Kilmar has always been about due process. It is one of the pillars that this great country was founded on. A pillar that actually DOES make America great. We fight for this due process every day for our members, and we will continue to fight for it and every right that our members deserve.”

On Monday, August 25, Kilmar Abrego Garcia attended a mandatory check-in with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement in Baltimore, where he was detained. In response, SMART General President Michael Coleman issued the following statement:

“On Monday morning, just days after he finally saw his family again, Kilmar followed the law by attending a mandatory check-in with ICE — and he was detained. According to his lawyers, ICE did not say why they are detaining Kilmar or where they are taking him.

“At SMART, we fight for the principle of due process every single day. We stand for the fundamental American value that all our members, and everyone in this country, are innocent until proven guilty. Let’s be very clear: Kilmar deserves his day in court. And if the government wants to send him to jail, they need to prove his guilt in court.  

“As of this morning, Kilmar has filed a lawsuit challenging his detention and deportation, ‘unless and until he [has] a fair trial in an immigration court, as well as his full appeal rights.’ We stand with Kilmar’s family and supporters in demanding he receive a fair trial and the chance to make his case in court.”

Following reports Friday that Kilmar Abrego Garcia has been freed from Putnam County Jail and is on his way to Maryland to be reunited with his family, SMART General President Michael Coleman issued the following statement.

“Kilmar Abrego Garcia, like every single SMART member and every person in this country, has a constitutional right to due process. We demanded that Kilmar be granted that right in March, when he was first illegally deported to El Salvador; in April, when the United States Supreme Court issued a decision that backed a federal judge’s order requiring the government to facilitate Kilmar’s return; and in June, when he arrived back in the U.S.

“Today, after months apart, Kilmar will finally have the chance to reunite with his family. We are grateful that Kilmar, his wife, Jennifer, and his children will be able to see each other soon. And we remain firm in our commitment to the rights of our members. As we said from the beginning, this isn’t about one man — it is about ensuring our constitutional rights are protected, for the sake of all SMART members and everyone in this country. We will always fight for due process for every single member of our union.

“We call for Kilmar’s rights to be protected as the legal process moves forward.”

Yesterday, the White House budget office encouraged federal agencies to use project labor agreements on construction jobs. The guidance includes potential exceptions to avoid the use of PLAs.

“Although it doesn’t contain the same protections as the Biden administration, this is a step in the right direction. Project labor agreements create jobs for SMART members and working people across our country,” SMART General President Michael Coleman said in response. “All of us at SMART appreciate and applaud yesterday’s guidance from the White House, and we look forward to keeping this conversation going. We encourage them to go further, for the sake of our members, our families and our neighbors.

“We will continue to do everything we can to keep creating jobs for SMART members and Americans nationwide, and we encourage all agencies to support the use of PLAs on all federally funded projects.”

Members can read the memo here.

The Department of Energy recently canceled $3.7 billion in awards for various energy projects, including a project in Mitchell, Indiana, that had employed Local 20 sheet metal workers.

“These major energy projects were creating jobs for SMART members and American construction workers. Now, after the Department of Energy’s announcement, those jobs have been taken away,” said SMART General President Michael Coleman. “That’s bad for our members, our families and our country. We’re urging the Department of Energy to reverse this decision and put American workers back on the job.”

Members can learn more here and here.

Following reporting by ABC News that Kilmar Abrego Garcia is being returned to the United States from El Salvador, SMART General President Michael Coleman released the following statement:

“Since March, our demand has not changed: Kilmar Abrego Garcia must be returned to the United States and receive his right to due process. This is a right granted to every person in our country.

“This fight isn’t about one man — it’s about ensuring our constitutional rights are protected, for the sake of all SMART members and everyone in this country. If one person’s right to due process is denied, all our rights are in danger.”