SMART partners with SMACNA, ITI to highlight skilled trades as gateway to prosperous, in-demand careers
To raise awareness for the abundance and evolution of trade careers, building trades unions and skilled trade associations, including SMART, the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA) and International Training Institute (ITI), have come together to launch the first national Careers In Trades Week, April 7-11, 2025. Activities throughout the week will increase awareness about the benefits of choosing careers in the skilled trades among job seekers and the American public, with the goal of filling thousands of positions that are essential to the country’s economic growth.
“Union apprenticeships aren’t just a career path — they’re a gateway to a stable, rewarding future,” said SMART General President Michael Coleman. “By investing in the next generation of trade workers, we’re building a skilled workforce that will power our industries and communities for decades to come.”
“Skilled professions play critical roles in building the world in which we live, work, and play — vital to the construction of chip plants, stadiums, healthcare facilities, factories, and data centers. It’s time that we provide a fresh look at how trade careers have evolved technologically and financially,” added SMACNA CEO Aaron Hilger. “With approximately 35,000 sheet metal workers due to retire, the time to raise awareness of the opportunities and benefits among young workers is now.”
Stellar pay. In-demand work. No college debt.
Gen Z has been called the “toolbelt generation” due to their growing interest in joining the trades. It’s understandable considering the trades pay well, eliminate college debt and meaningfully contribute to society. According to a recent survey that was published in Higher Ed Dive, about 9 in 10 Gen Z graduates said learning a skilled trade can be a better route to economic security than college (Thumbtack survey).
It’s worth it. BLS occupational outlook predicts about 663,000 construction job openings each year. The same statistics showed a median annual wage of $55,000 in 2023, higher than that of all occupations. Furthermore, the Department of Labor’s Registered Apprenticeship Program provides training and education for hundreds of thousands of workers in fields ranging from construction to manufacturing to public administration. Within the sheet metal industry, training and working with union contractors can offer even greater rewards, with apprentices earning up to $87,500 in their first year and as much as $120,000 to $200,000 in wages and benefits within four to five years of completing an apprenticeship program.
Plus: High school students opting for a technical education career track can avoid college debt, which currently averages $34,000 for a four-year bachelor’s degree. Instead, students can get paid for apprenticeships and enter the workforce with money in the bank and no college debt.
“A 23-year-old on track to make six figures this year says he’s living proof that college isn’t necessary”
The work is rewarding, too. Working alongside other trades, union sheet metal workers are responsible for constructing, maintaining and repairing homes, schools, hospitals, buildings and other vital structures we use every day, ensuring the quality of the air we breathe. The skilled trade professions work together to construct the buildings that are essential to fueling the economy, including chip factories, data centers, state-of-the-art healthcare facilities and nuclear power plants.
Parents see the difference: Backed by strong bipartisan support, career and technical education programs are flourishing, and careers in the trades are projected to experience faster-than-average job growth from 2023 to 2033. They also offer earning potential that exceeds the median wage across all occupations, according to the BLS.
These reasons — along with the job market, economy, and college debt — may be why 89% of parents with children currently enrolled in high school or college think it’s smart for young adults to consider pursuing a career in the trades, according to new research conducted independently by Wakefield Research. The same research revealed that 48% of kids have mentioned wanting to go into a trade, and 86% of those parents would be open to or encourage it.
“Year after year, we hear about the tens of thousands of workers who want to organize for the pay, job security and safety protections they deserve — but were unable to do so because of our nation’s broken labor law. The PRO Act is the common sense, bipartisan legislation we need to fix our damaged system and empower American workers, from sheet metal shops to railyards, on buses and freight locomotives, in classrooms, hospitals and beyond. We thank Reps. Bobby Scott and Brian Fitzpatrick in the House and Sen. Bernie Sanders in the Senate for reintroducing this legislation, and we call on any legislator who considers themselves a worker ally to add their support.”
Project 2025, a road map to expand executive power and drastically transform how Americans’ government works for them, dominated the 2024 United States presidential election. The 900-page document, created by the anti-labor Heritage Foundation, outlined various attacks on SMART members’ labor rights, from prohibiting project labor agreements to empowering individual states to ban the existence of labor unions.
Throughout the election, then-candidate Donald Trump denied any connection with Project 2025. But since taking office, SMART Local 137’s James Heinzman (New York City) told SMART News, his executive actions and several administrative appointees have closely followed the playbook.
“[Project 2025] was written by many people who actually served in Trump’s [first] administration, in his first term; Trump has subsequently appointed several of the authors of Project 2025 to unique positions in his second term, in his cabinet,” Heinzman explained. “If you are hiring the people who wrote the book to lead the agencies that they’re recommending changes for, they have every intent of following that playbook.”
Since taking office, President Trump has unleashed a number of executive actions that mirror the goals set out in Project 2025. Among the most impactful, Heinzman noted, are those related to the National Labor Relations Board and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Trump fired both the former general counsel of NLRB, the pro-worker Jennifer Abruzzo, and — in an unprecedented and potentially illegal move — NLRB Chair Gwynne Wilcox. Not only did this action deprive SMART members of an ally in Abruzzo; without Wilcox, the NLRB currently cannot reach quorum, meaning it essentially cannot perform its core duties. This hugely affects worker organizing, grievances filed by workers against their employers and more.
“The NLRB is the agency that resolves disputes between employers and their employees. Unions file claims, and so do employers — employers and unions can file claims, unfair labor practices, with the NLRB for hearing and adjudication,” Heinzman said. “Basically, [Trump has] taken that agency off the board, and that’s going to impact union members, union organizing campaigns; it’s going to be critical to our industry.”
Heinzman also highlighted Trump’s firing of two EEOC commissioners, again threatening the commission’s ability to pursue its mission: helping workers who believe they have been discriminated against in bringing action against their employers. That means such advocacy and action is potentially being shifted elsewhere.
“That’s going to hit their unions, it’s going to cost union members money,” he said. “It’s going to cost so much money to do this stuff, and the members are not benefiting from it.”
The administration has pursued other actions that impact the jobs and livelihoods of SMART members and families, such as the Department of Defense’s move to halt the use of project labor agreements on DOD construction projects. While President Trump has only been in office for a little more than one month, Heinzman suggested that such policies indicate a broader economic shift towards prioritizing the elite class.
“I argue that the middle class in this country, the people who work on a W-2 — which is our union men and women — pick up the tax burden. They are the people who are going to be hurt most by these policies.”
The important thing now, Heinzman added, is that SMART members get involved to protect our union.
“I think it’s critical to participate in the political process,” Heinzman said. “Have the discussions. Don’t take your news from one channel or the other. Read Project 2025. Educate yourselves.”
Whether it’s related to NLRB appointees who resolve grievances for sheet metal workers or transit funding that provides work for both sheet metal and TD members, SMART members have a role to play in the fights ahead — no matter who any of us voted for in 2024. We can’t and won’t be divided.
“I really strongly feel that many of us are the same. We’re all on the same team,” Heinzman concluded. “We should be comfortable to have a dialogue and discuss the issues, and be educated about it.”
Project labor agreements, or PLAs, represent one of the greatest achievements of the unionized construction industry, benefiting taxpayers, contractors, union members AND nonunion workers alike. PLAs have been lifting working families into the middle class for generations — extending union-won, family-sustaining pay and benefits to local communities while bringing complex jobs to completion on time (and saving taxpayers’ money by eliminating labor conflicts and skilled worker shortages).
In other words, project labor agreements create work for SMART members and their neighbors, ensuring the American people’s money is used efficiently on publicly funded projects.
But on February 7, 2025, President Trump’s secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, instructed the Department of Defense to order its contractors to halt the use of project labor agreements on large-scale construction projects.
The United States Department of Defense contracts out billions of dollars’ worth of construction work each year. In November of 2024 alone, the DOD awarded approximately $2.3 billion worth of design, engineering and construction contracts. Under project labor agreements — used on projects ranging from the construction of the Hoover Dam to NFL stadiums across the country — such large-scale jobs benefit SMART members and workers across our country.
Without them, contractors are free to bid for work without making guarantees around local hire, union-bargained pay and benefits or work stoppages.
“Project Labor Agreements (PLA) projects save taxpayers billions of dollars and can meet a community’s goals for local hire, special outreach to veterans, the formerly incarcerated, and others with barriers to employment,” the San Diego Building and Construction Trades Council, which includes SMART Local 206, remarked on Facebook after the announcement. (San Diego County is home to 115,000 active duty military personnel who keep Americans safe.)
“This hurts working people. This hurts our communities.”
As 2025 gets fully underway, bringing with it a new set of challenges across the United States and Canada, the SMART Education Department continues to offer classes to SMART members and officers — helping local unions better represent members, and strengthening our union.
Effective Communication attendees
The Education Department held its Effective Communication I class in Phoenix, Arizona, during the week of January 13, 2025. Effective Communication I is focused on improving and applying public speaking skills by giving participants the opportunity to write, research and deliver speeches in front of the class. Participants worked individually and in groups to build informational and persuasive speeches on topics picked at random.
Effective communication is vital for activists of all kinds in our union — whether speaking at a union meeting, testifying to the importance of project labor agreements in front of a city council or speaking to organizing workers coming off the shop floor, communicating impactfully and persuasively can concretely benefit SMART members.
“Over the course of the class, the participants made noticeable improvements in their public speaking comfort level and delivery,” SMART International Instructor Richard Mangelsdorf reported.
Organizing I participants
SMART members traveled to Dallas, Texas, approximately one month later to attend the Education Department’s Organizing I class during the week of February 10. The class, completely redesigned for 2025, focused on developing practical competency in the skills and process required to successfully facilitate “bottom-up” organizing campaigns: equipping organizers with the ability to help workers unionize their workplaces and join SMART.
Throughout the week, participants worked in small “local” teams in a comprehensive enactment that mimicked a bottom-up campaign. Each group worked as an organizing team and role-played the workers at two fictional companies — Alpha and Beta Sheet Metal — based on character backgrounds provided for the simulation.
Organizing will be crucial to our union in the months and years ahead, and attendees approached the class with an appropriate level of intensity.
“Participants were genuinely engaged in the simulation and were observed organizing each other after hours, on their own time,” Mangelsdorf remarked. “Everyone did a fantastic job working with their groups and playing their parts.”
“We’re seeing growth like we’ve never seen before,” said SMART Director of Organizing Jason Benson during a recent interview.
In more than 25 years of union membership, Benson couldn’t have dreamed of experiencing anything quite like the last five years. Domestic infrastructure investments and an explosion of megaprojects — thanks in large part to the labor-friendly laws and policies proffered by the Biden administration, plus corresponding governance in Canada — brought tens of thousands of new members into our union, he explained. Strong labor standards tied to megaprojects, particularly those in areas without a readily available supply of sheet metal workers, spurred local unions to organize, recruit and blitz at a frenzied place; some unions, like Local 110 in Kentucky, nearly doubled in size.
Now, Benson said, we need to stick to our core principles to maintain our momentum.
“We’ve seen tremendous growth,” Benson said. “I mean, it’s been referred to as generational growth. Nobody knows when we’ll have this opportunity again. So we want to take advantage of every opportunity that’s out there right now.”
Our path through uncertainty
A great deal of SMART’s recent organizing growth in the United States can be traced to the pro-union — and pro-organizing — policymaking of the Biden administration. Three signature laws, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction Act and CHIPS Act, invested heavily in our industries, with strong labor standards putting SMART members on resulting projects. A pro-worker National Labor Relations Board took steps to help unions like SMART organize, including issuing a memo banning captive audience meetings. And a new emphasis on indoor air quality, both at the federal government and in the private sector, put SMART production and sheet metal workers in high demand.
But we are now entering a period of uncertainty, Benson noted. Already we’ve seen federal decisions that prevent the NLRB from functioning property; the Department of Defense has halted project labor agreements on its construction work; funding streams related to the Inflation Reduction Act have come under threat; and, outside of the governmental arena, the inevitable end of work on currently ongoing megaprojects means local unions will have dozens — if not hundreds — of members brought in for specific jobs who now need work.
All that means, Benson said, is that our focus on organizing members and contractors is more important than ever.
“That’s where the efforts of maintaining our core work and our local unions [come in], the work that we traditionally have done that has built our union throughout the years, and we want to make sure we’re still capturing every bit of that available,” he said.
“We just have to make sure that we maintain the membership, maintain the work, maintain our contractors to make sure we have all available work hours to put people to work.”
Everybody is an organizer
Crucially, both organizing and retention happens well beyond the local union officer level.
Oftentimes, Benson said, we think of organizing as a task reserved for those with a specific title: organizer, business representative, steward. That couldn’t be farther from the truth: The core of SMART’s identity throughout our history is the principle that every engaged member is an organizer.
“Organizing is the lifeblood of any local union,” he explained, “[and] everybody that’s involved in our organization is an organizer one way or the other. Everybody came to the union through some form of organizing, whether it was a member-to-member relationship, or they saw an advertisement, or they scanned a QR code — or anything like that.”
To that end, an enormous range of options exist for members looking to help organize at their local union. Members can volunteer with the SMART Army and local union committees to conduct outreach. We can volunteer to assist with job actions, whether leafletting, picketing or supporting workers on strike. We can consistently spread the word among family and friends, community groups and churches. Most of all, we can stay engaged at the local union level.
“There’s a lot of things that a rank-and-file member can do to support the organizing,” Benson concluded. “No one gets to the union hall on their own. There’s something that prompted them to do that. And all of that falls under organizing.”
More than 420 SMART sisters and allies from 47 local unions and regional councils descended on New Orleans, Louisiana, from September 27–29 for the 2024 Tradeswomen Build Nations conference. Joined by approximately 5,000 fellow union sisters and supporters, these trailblazing women put the strength of the labor movement on full display — marching through the streets of New Orleans, spreading the word about good, union jobs and sending a resounding message of unity and solidarity.
“‘Superheroes are men,’ they say,” former Acting United States Labor Secretary Julie Su told attendees during Saturday’s plenary session. “Well, standing here in a room full of tradeswomen, I know women can be anything.”
Louise Medina, Annet Del Rosario, Vanessa Carman, Natasha Scott-Lawson
Plenary speakers highlight progress, commit to further growth
Plenary speakers addressed Tradeswomen Build Nations attendees on Saturday and Sunday morning, overviewing the enormous progress tradeswomen have made in North America — exemplified by the extraordinary growth of the TWBN conference itself — and making clear that union sisters have a crucial role to play in continuing to build our two nations.
North America’s Building Trades Unions President Sean McGarvey discussed NABTU’s commitment to bringing more women into the unionized building trades, and the historic role recent legislation has played in helping turbocharge that effort.
“Let the good jobs roll isn’t just a catchy slogan — sisters and allies, we’re in the business of changing lives,” he said. “Each and every one of you is living, breathing proof of [our] tremendous progress.”
Led by union tradeswomen, McGarvey said, the building trades are focusing on recruiting and retaining more women in our unions. That doesn’t only include efforts to reach out to women workers across North America — it means ensuring our sisters have correctly fitting PPE, pumping stations and cleaning facilities on the jobsite, as well as ongoing efforts to expand access to affordable, quality childcare.
“Sisters, we are meeting these challenges head-on,” he declared.
But we cannot talk about the progress the labor movement has made, McGarvey continued, without talking about the historic pro-union actions taken by the Biden-Harris administration — achievements that will benefit workers well into the second Trump administration. The infrastructure investments creating pathways for women in construction like never before. The clean energy jobs creating workforce demands from coast to coast. The investments in registered apprenticeship programs that make it easier for local unions to bring women into the trades.
Under Biden and Harris, NABTU affiliates collectively doubled their women membership, and the building trades realized the biggest net gain in members since 1952, McGarvey said. Now, we need to protect our gains and start organizing for the next election cycle.
“Our ability to make progress depends on leaders whose policies prioritize women and unions,” said McGarvey.
Former Acting Labor Sec. Julie Su
Former Acting Secretary Su’s tenure made her a historic leader of the U.S. Department of Labor, both as DOL deputy with former Secretary Marty Walsh and as a trailblazing pro-worker administrator herself. For unions in general, Su’s actions — implementing Biden’s executive order requiring project labor agreements on large federal projects, repealing the sham Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs scheme, restoring OSHA capacity and beyond — are still making a difference in the lives of SMART members everywhere.
During its first term, the Trump administration crushed worker organizing, rolled back worker protections and attempted to undermine union apprenticeships. Under the Biden-Harris administration, Su told TWBN, the attitude was very different, and it reflected the DOL’s stance towards anti-worker actions of any kind: “Not on our watch.”
“You can be anything that you want to be,” she concluded. “Superheroes are not just in comic books and the movies.”
Finally, in a conference first, President Joe Biden called in live to speak to sisters and allies about the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to union workers — and the continued progress tradeswomen stand to make with a Harris-Walz White House.
“When unions do well, studies show that ALL Americans do well,” Biden said.
Tradeswomen also heard from Dr. Christine Yu Moutier, chief medical officer of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention; LIUNA General President Brent Booker; BlackRock Managing Director Anne Ackerly; Micron Technology Vice President of Procurement (Indirect and Real Estate) Heather Baldwin; Accelerator for America President/ CEO Mary Ellen Wiederwohl; a video address from actress Kerry Washington and others.
Local 105 (Los Angeles, Calif.) Organizer Angie Flores introduced the TWBN emcees on Sunday, September 29.
GP Coleman details International maternity leave program during SMART caucus
SMART General President Michael Coleman, General Secretary-Treasurer John Daniel, the SMART Women’s Committee and others joined SMART sisters for the annual SMART TWBN caucus, where Coleman announced a truly groundbreaking piece of news: SMART’s new International maternity leave benefit, jointly funded by SMACNA.
“I can tell you that we already have our maternity leave program in place, ready to launch,” Coleman said. “We believe this will provide the opportunity to not have people choose between having a career and having children.”
General President Coleman (right) stands next to Women’s Committee Chair Shamaiah Turner
Coleman acknowledged the efforts of General President Emeritus Joseph Sellers, General Secretary- Treasurer Daniel and others in making this possible, specifically highlighting members of the Women’s Committee: “The work you do is incredible. You do it all on behalf of this organization and women in this trade.”
In 2019, the Women’s Committee proposed a resolution to double the union’s female membership by 2024. SMART Director of Special Projects Louise Medina reported that we have achieved that goal for journeyperson workers, doubling and retaining those members.
“We have made great progress in bringing more women into this trade,” Coleman said, vowing to continue that progress rather than stay content with what we’ve achieved.
Women’s Committee Chair Shamaiah Turner
We have the momentum, he continued, pointing out that SMART was the fourth-most represented trade at TWBN 2024. Now, we need to seize that momentum and grow our ranks, including in our apprenticeship programs. The women at TWBN, and in local unions across North America, are our trade’s best advocates, he said.
“When I hear the stories of where you’ve come from and now where you’re at — even though it’s a struggle, those are stories that can help others.”
He went on: “We’re brothers and sisters. We have to take care of each other like brothers and sisters.”
Coleman ended by fielding questions from attendees during an open mic session, providing attendees with information about women in leadership, his personal story, childcare resources and more.
Earlier in the caucus, Women’s Committee subcommittees reported back to attendees on efforts to increase women in SMART, communicate with sisters in and outside of our union, develop leaders within our union and more. Sisters and allies heard from Tiffany Boiman, then deputy director of the United States Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau, who outlined how the Biden-Harris DOL rejuvenated the bureau’s work to protect women and provide them with better access to fulfilling careers. Plus, the caucus gave members and allies the chance to network, bond and share their stories from across North America. Countless sisters shared that TWBN is a life-changing experience that they look forward to every year.
SMART sisters lead breakout sessions
Breakout sessions are an annual highlight of the Tradeswomen Build Nations conference — giving SMART sisters a chance to network, learn and build connections with their fellow tradesworkers. TWBN 2024 was no different in that regard, with SMART members both attending and helping lead a variety of breakouts.
Annet Del Rosario (left)
SMART Director of Special Projects Louise Medina and Local 66 member and International Training Institute (ITI) Recruitment and Retention Specialist Tammy Meyen joined three other sisters on the “Building a SISTERHOOD” breakout, which included a discussion on retention and its importance for bringing women into our trades. Different retention techniques can be used to build mentorship and support systems at the local and International level, and such techniques are crucial for growing union density — whether applied on the jobsite, in the hall or at the training center.
Affordable, accessible childcare is one of the most persistent barriers to the recruitment and retention of women in the trades. That being said, unions at the local and International level are working hard to develop solutions — from new maternity leave programs, like the one announced by General President Coleman during the SMART caucus, to lactation pods on jobsites, recently pioneered by SMART Local 66 in Seattle, to new childcare pilot programs across the country. SMART Northwest Regional Council member Tiffany Caulfield joined the “Childcare: Challenges and Solutions” breakout as a panelist.
Turner (second from right) participated in a union leadership breakout.
Women’s Committee Chair Shamaiah Turner took part in the “Union Leadership Structure and Why It’s Important” panel, an interactive session detailing leadership structures and opportunities at the local union and International level. And SMART Local 206 (San Diego, Calif.) member Annet Del Rosario, who also serves on the SMART International Women’s Committee, sat on the “LGBTQ in the Workforce” panel, an open workshop that welcomed LGBTQ+ union members and allies for a discussion on LGBTQ+ issues, success stories and how these members strengthen the labor movement. Panelists and attendees spoke frankly about the unconscionable harassment they have faced on jobsites, the importance of having true allies in the union hall, how they overcame obstacles in the trades and much more
“It doesn’t matter what trade we are — the higher [our numbers] are, the more our voices are heard,” Del Rosario declared. “We need to make a change — otherwise change won’t happen.”
As always, the conference was highlighted by Saturday’s TWBN banner parade, when the resounding echoes of marching feet, union chants and thousands upon thousands of tradeswomen joined the usual jazz soundtrack of New Orleans (including a band that marched alongside our sisters).
Last fall, I had the immense privilege of meeting many of you face-to-face for the first time.
In the leadup to Election Day 2024, I traveled to local unions in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, where I attended get-out-the-vote events, spoke to you at union meetings and got to hear, firsthand, about what’s important to you and your families.
“As long as we have each other’s back, we will continue our forward march to secure the rights and dignity of every worker in this great nation.”
The focus of many of our conversations was, unsurprisingly, the election. But looking back, I don’t find myself thinking about presidential candidates, legislative districts or policymaking. The theme that emerges stronger than any other is one simple fact: No matter who leads our nation, we remain brothers and sisters in this union.
“As long as we have each other’s back, we will continue our forward march to secure the rights and dignity of every worker in this great nation.”
At this point, it’s been months since Donald Trump won his reelection bid for president of the United States. As all of you know, SMART endorsed his opponent, former Vice President Kamala Harris, and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. These two candidates each had long records detailing the actions they have taken on behalf of SMART members and working families, and they had plans to build on the incredible victories we won under the Biden-Harris administration: securing union pensions, laws that created union jobs, two-person train crews and more.
Countless members across the U.S. — from California and Nevada to Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and beyond — mobilized to elect a bipartisan group of pro-worker champions. They knocked doors, wrote postcards, made calls, sent texts and talked to their fellow members about the importance of voting for those who support us. The stats show us that these efforts worked: Union members supported the Harris-Walz ticket by a double-digit margin. But the American people have spoken, and we need to respect our democratic institutions.
Let me be clear: Regardless of party, SMART will work with any elected leaders to advance the interests of members and their families. That has always been the case, and that won’t stop now.
I also want to make sure every single member always knows this: No matter what happens under a Trump-Vance administration, SMART will continue to fight tirelessly on behalf of every single member and their families. Regardless of where you live, who you voted for, your race, your gender identity, who you love, your religious belief, where you were born or anything else.
These days, elections sow division like never before — and I’m sure many of you experienced the painful aftereffects of that division firsthand. I know I did. But we can never, ever forget the defining principle of our union: solidarity. I have your back, and you have mine. You are my union family, and I am yours. I talked about that frequently in the leadup to this election, and I’ll continue to champion that principle, regardless of who occupies the White House.
Sisters and brothers, I don’t know what the future will bring. But I know that it’s more important than ever for all of us to stand together, united, as one union. As long as we have each other’s back, we will continue our forward march to secure the rights and dignity of every worker in this great nation.
Our union stands on an unbreakable foundation: solidarity. Time and again, we have shown that when we unite around our shared values, there are no limits to what we can achieve.
Solidarity goes beyond supporting each other in tough times. It is both a value system and a practice — the principle of having each other’s backs and actively standing together against injustice, from the jobsite to government halls. It embodies our belief that by working together — strategically, boldly and purposefully — we can create new opportunities, amplify our voices and enhance the quality of life for every SMART member and their families.
We are at a critical juncture for our union, our industries and our two nations. While challenges loom, immense opportunities for growth are present. In our industries, we are embracing new technologies and evolving standards. As a workforce, we are fostering unity and resilience to meet the challenges ahead. And as one unified union, SMART, our voice resonates louder and reaches further than ever before.
As General President Coleman often emphasizes, while administrative policies will influence our work, the essence of solidarity remains unwavering. Whether you fabricate HVAC systems, operate transit or work on the rails, whether you reside in Vancouver, Dallas or anywhere in between, our true strength lies in our unity. Together, we are invincible against any challenge.
“Solidarity goes beyond supporting each other in tough times. It is both a value system and a practice — the principle of having each other’s backs and actively standing together against injustice…”
Our future shines brightly because we will navigate it together. Whether it’s tackling workforce challenges, improving workplace safety for our bus operators, advancing rail safety or advocating for fair policies that support working families, we will act with strategy, vigor and resolve to build the future every member deserves. By prioritizing the safety and well-being of all our members and confronting exploitative forces head-on, we will transform our union and the industries and communities we serve.
At the time of writing, we and people across the United States are awaiting the start of President Trump’s second term. While we cannot predict the exact agenda of the new administration, we remain committed to working with any politician, regardless of party affiliation, to advance the interests of SMART members and their families. If past actions related to IRAPs, two-person railroad crews and our pension funds are any indication, we may face significant challenges ahead. That’s when it will be more important than ever to remember our values.
In SMART, an injury to one is an injury to all, and we act to keep all of us safe and secure — from confronting unsafe conditions at work, to taking a strike vote, to donating food to a fellow worker in need.
Today, I call on each of you to join this vital journey. Engage actively in your union, share your ideas and insights, and participate in local meetings, committees and initiatives. Make your voice heard on local politics that affect your job. Together, we will elevate SMART into an even stronger, more influential union; one that leads our industries and our two nations with unwavering resolve.
Let’s seize the opportunities before us and march forward together — as one union, one voice, one community.
As you all know, 2024 was an eventful year for SMART-TD. Upwards of 90% of our freight rail members now have paid sick leave, and two-person crews are now federally protected across the country. 2024 also saw SMART-TD work with rail carriers and other unions party to the National Agreement to bring down the out-of-pocket Health & Welfare costs for our covered members. As of January 2025, all SMART-TD rail members covered by the National H&W Plans will see a reduction of 10.2% in their monthly employee contributions! That puts an extra $31.67 per month back into the pockets of our members without making any concessions in bargaining.
Our Amtrak members recently ratified a monumental agreement. Amtrak workers have achieved historic gains, including the largest general wage increase in the company’s history and full retroactive pay dating back to July 1, 2022, which will also apply to short crew payments. Key highlights include 10 weeks of paid parental leave, the addition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a paid holiday, increased training pay and improved bereavement policies, all while maintaining the healthcare plan for current employees. This agreement not only enhances financial compensation but also improves Amtrak’s dedicated workforce’s overall working conditions.
Thanks to our organizing efforts, including internal organizing and education, we are organizing new properties and welcoming many new members into our union.
2024 was one of the most successful years SMART-TD has experienced with our short-line rail properties. Our Organizing Department has brought many new short-line properties into the SMART-TD family, like the Louisville & Indiana Railroad, among others. We have also dedicated resources to negotiating fair contracts for our members on these smaller properties, such as our Alabama Gulf Coast brothers and sisters, who ratified an agreement with their railroad featuring significantly higher general wage increases and more generous quality-of-life improvements than any agreement they have seen in recent memory. This union is dedicated to fighting just as hard for our members working on a short line with six members as we do for our brothers and sisters working for the Class I railroads, and it shows!
Our bus members have not only ratified agreements from coast to coast with substantial gains in pay, but we also have made significant progress addressing the growing problem of transit violence. In 2024, the Federal Transit Administration embraced our members’ urgency in addressing these issues. We are starting to see tangible steps being made by employers and legislators toward addressing our concerns instead of doing further studies.
SMART-TD continues to be the transportation union with the most to offer with our first-class job insurance (DIPP) and short-term disability insurance (VSTD), both of which are owned by you, the members! No other union has its own plans that allow members’ money to work directly for them and their benefits. With our Discipline Income Protection Program (DIPP) insurance, 2024 saw benefits increase and out-of-pocket costs to members go down! This is all made possible by the members-helping-members approach DIPP is known for.
As members of this union, we should be proud of our accomplishments in 2024, and we owe it to ourselves and to one another to continue our momentum in this new year. As your president, I want all of our sisters and brothers to know that our organization’s success depends heavily on open lines of communication, from the newest trainee to our International office and everyone in between. We must be a united front. If we accomplish this goal, the rest of our challenges become clear-cut, and our collective goals are much more attainable.
In solidarity,
Jeremy R. Ferguson President, Transportation Division
