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A lot has changed in the many decades since sheet metal workers first organized in 1888. Back then, tin knock­ers were known for their snips and hammers; today, technological advancements like AutoCAD and artificial intelligence have not just shaped the way we work, but the world in which we live.

However, one thing has not changed: the pride that comes with being a skilled tradesperson. Being able to drive past a building and say, “I built that.”

That precise feeling is what Local 24 (central Ohio) member Roger Hoover drew upon when he titled his 2026 book, I Built That! And So Can You. Now available for purchase via Braughler Books, the 128-page book was called a “must read for students” by the Urbana Daily Citizen.

Working in the industry as an appren­tice, draftsman, foreman, estimator, field supervisor, project manager and instructor — Hoover’s book has plenty of insights for both current members and future sheet metal workers. It includes stories from throughout Hoover’s career, which spans from the years predating the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to the high-tech data centers that thousands of SMART sheet metal workers are helping build today. He has witnessed many innovations throughout his years in the trade — and he played a key role in more than a few.

Hoover has also played a part in helping our union and our industry expand. Starting in the 1990s, he partnered with SMACNA to deliver leadership classes across the United States and Canada, and he authored the Basic Sheet Metal Estimating Manual through the same partnership.

Today, with the publication of I Built That! And So Can You, he aims to keep spreading the gospel about working in the sheet metal industry, particularly to young people who may otherwise think the only road to job security is a college degree.  

In this episode, Roger speaks with Talking SMART about his career, some of his most memorable stories, what inspired him to write the book and more.

Talking SMART brings listeners the voice, stories and power of SMART union members across North America. Members are invited to send feedback and questions to info@smart-union.org. 

Return to the Talking SMART index page.

Talking SMART is a member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network — working people’s voices, broadcasting worldwide 24 hours a day.

We hear about anxiety, stress and burnout all the time, but loneliness — the feeling of being cut off or unseen, even when surrounded by others — has become one of the most serious public health challenges of our time, and it’s hitting working people hard. Loneliness impacts every element of a person’s life, from their happiness at home to their ability to do their job.

To help us understand the loneliness epidemic and what we can do about it, we’re joined by Dr. Michael Barnes, head of the Michael Barnes Family Institute and a member of SMART Local 15. Dr. Barnes works with SMART to assist members with mental health, substance abuse and peer support, including initiatives like the SMART MAP, and he is a leading expert in his field. In this episode, he discusses resources available to SMART members and the importance of putting solidarity into practice in order to help members feel less alone. SMART membership can be an antidote to loneliness, as long as we ALL work to make sure our brothers and sisters feel welcomed in our union.

“We can be the answer to loneliness for a lot of people, but we can also be the opposite of that,” Barnes said. “People do care, and it is our responsibility to self-assess. If we’re lonely, if we’re struggling, there are services. It’s a matter of having the courage to ask. … The other side of that is for individuals who don’t have risks to recognize that they don’t have to have a PHD to help someone.”

This season of Talking SMART focuses exclusively on mental health and the resources available to SMART members. Make sure to subscribe on your preferred podcast program.

Talking SMART brings listeners the voice, stories and power of SMART union members across North America. Members are invited to send feedback and questions to info@smart-union.org. 

Return to the Talking SMART index page.

Talking SMART is a member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network — working people’s voices, broadcasting worldwide 24 hours a day.

Even the strongest among us can fall: to exhaustion, to despair, to the weight of the fight. But in this union, we don’t leave any member behind.  

In the third episode of Talking SMART, we’re joined by Sheet Metal Occupational Health Institute Trust (SMOHIT) Administrator Aldo Zambetti and Jeremy Holburn of the SMOHIT Helpline, a 24/7 helpline that SMART members and families can call whenever they need support (1-877-884-6227). Brothers Zambetti and Holburn talk about the SMART Member Assistance Program (MAP), the resources available to members and local unions when it comes to mental health support, the importance of talking about your own experiences with mental health, and much more. 

“We spent so much time dealing with on-the-job safety, workplace safety [in the past], and we sort of stayed away from work-life balance, we stayed away from things that make us not so safe. When we’re dealing with emotions, and depression, and anxiety, and any time of mental situation or emotional situation that we might be going through, and how it affects us on the jobsite.”  

This season of Talking SMART focuses exclusively on mental health and the resources available to SMART members and their families. Make sure to subscribe on your preferred podcast program. 

Learn more about SMOHIT here: https://www.smohit.org/  

This season of Talking SMART focuses exclusively on mental health and the resources available to SMART members. Make sure to subscribe on your preferred podcast program.

Talking SMART brings listeners the voice, stories and power of SMART union members across North America. Members are invited to send feedback and questions to info@smart-union.org. 

Return to the Talking SMART index page.

Talking SMART is a member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network — working people’s voices, broadcasting worldwide 24 hours a day.

“You are not alone. You don’t need to walk alone. Your union is here — we have your back.”

In the second episode of this season of Talking SMART, we’re joined by SMART Director of Wellness and Mental Health Support Chris Carlough and Union EAP CEO Ben Cort. Together, their work helps ensure that SMART members and families across the United States and Canada don’t have to face life’s challenges alone.

Carlough and Cort discuss the problems they’ve found in other employee assistance programs, the high-quality services members have access to via Union EAP, directions on how members and families can make use of Union EAP, and much more. They also talk about confidentiality, the importance of mental health on the jobsite, and recovery.

As Cort said: “We don’t put a limit on, okay, here’s what we can do, here’s what we can’t do. Very simply put, if it’s getting in the way of our members’ ability to do their best work and live their best lives, we’re there for it.”

This season of Talking SMART focuses exclusively on mental health and the resources available to SMART members. Make sure to subscribe on your preferred podcast program.

Talking SMART brings listeners the voice, stories and power of SMART union members across North America. Members are invited to send feedback and questions to info@smart-union.org. 

Return to the Talking SMART index page.

Talking SMART is a member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network — working people’s voices, broadcasting worldwide 24 hours a day.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that construction is second only to mining when it comes to suicide rates in American professions. According to a 2020 survey, 83% of construction workers said they had struggled with mental health issues. And data from the National Survey on Drug Use conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration found that 12% of construction workers have an alcohol abuse disorder, compared with the national average of 7.5%.

For all those reasons — and as part of our union’s core values of solidarity and safety — SMART and the Sheet Metal Occupational Health Institute Trust (SMOHIT) started the SMART Members Assistance Program (MAP) approximately 10 years ago. Now, in addition to SMART MAP, members at participating local unions also have access to an employee assistance program called Union EAP, founded by SMART MAP consultant and subject matter expert Ben Cort.

“[Union EAP] is based on a premise that our members are asked to do way too much when they’re in a time of crisis: You make a phone call, and you basically end up getting a list back of a bunch of different places that you can call if you want to,” Cort said. “The idea that we had with this was much more of a concierge kind of mental health service. You call, you speak to a clinician, that clinician does a full assessment, understands what’s going on, and then builds an individualized and personal plan for you and for your family. And then we see you through all of it.”

Alongside SMART Director of Wellness and Mental Health Support Chris Carlough — and as part of his work with the SMOHIT helpline, which provides a resource for members to call when they are experiencing crisis or need a helpful ear — Cort has been taking phone calls from members for the last five or six years, helping direct them to resources and work their way through mental health crises. He said that aspect of his profession is “one of the most rewarding things in my entire career.”

Many employee assistance programs fall short of the standard SMART sets for member benefits. For instance, Carlough reported, “we have seen EAPs categorize hits on their website as contacts or in many cases ‘member engagement,’ which is quite the stretch. Also, the limited number of providers available through EAPs can be a challenge for our members.” According to the National Council of Mental Wellbeing, he noted, “the average wait time to access mental health support is about six weeks. If you’re looking for a specialist in a certain area or with specific attributes, wait times can stretch into months.”

Some perks of Union EAP, according to Carlough:

  • Every call is taken by a licensed clinician, 24/7/365.
  • Their primary key performance indicator (KPI) is increased utilization rates, versus website visits or other metrics.
  • Each case is led by a master’s-level clinician, who works with the member and their insurance and builds a personalized plan.

The work done by professionals throughout SMART and SMOHIT is all part of fostering a union-wide environment that helps SMART members feel comfortable talking about mental health and seeking help when they need it. The more we can provide those resources, Carlough maintained, the better we will be able to keep our fellow union workers healthy and safe.

“We don’t necessarily want to talk about it on the jobsite, but when we’re given a safe space to be able to talk a little bit about it, we have our members really opening up on how they’re feeling. How they’re dealing with divorce, for example, what they’re struggling with — whether it’s mental health, substance use,” he said. “We’ve had members express that they have suicidal ideations — and we [can support] them. We have these moments in these trainings [when] I really feel like our union is light years ahead of other building trades unions in this.”