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On April 4, 2022, members from across SMART gathered in Washington, D.C. to hear from SM Local 40 (Hartford, Conn.) Regional Manager John Nimmons about important indoor air quality (IAQ) legislation for sheet metal workers in Connecticut — based on an earlier legislative effort championed by SM Local 25 (Northern N.J.) Business Manager Joe Demark — that demonstrates how vital it is for SMART members to advocate in their local governments.

As of late spring 2022, multiple Connecticut State Senate bills, the most prominent being the Act Improving Indoor Air Quality in Public Schools (SB 423), are making their way through the legislative process with the backing of a labor coalition comprising SMART, the Connecticut Education Association (CEA), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the United Auto Workers (UAW) and more. Despite a deeply divided political climate, SB 423 garnered overwhelming bipartisan support, with Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont allocating $90 million in his proposed budget to IAQ. Importantly, Nimmons noted, “We got the language in [the bills] that we wanted, that will bring the work to us.”

“When we are involved in the legislative process from the start, we can ensure that the most qualified technicians — SMART members — are the people making sure our schools and buildings are up to par in terms of IAQ.”

The legislative journey started in February 2021, when Jeremy Zeedyk from NEMI met with Nimmons to talk about IAQ bills they hoped to pass. After forming a task force containing SMART, SMACNA, the Testing, Adjusting and Balancing Bureau (TABB), the UAW, various education and health commissioners, the state department of labor and more, Nimmons and several task force partners created a subcommittee, the Coalition for Healthy Air in Schools, which included contractors, teachers, school nurses and others. In weekly meetings, aided by labor lobbyists in Hartford and the state building trades, the worker-powered subcommittee hammered out the details of a bill that would meet the needs of all parties. “These are all the little coalitions that we had going along, and we used each one of them to pull [the bill together],” Nimmons said. “We didn’t get here overnight.”

In some ways, this legislation was years in the making: SMART members supported the candidacy of the retired teacher-turned-state senator who is now championing the bill. Additionally, it took working with a variety of parties — from the state commissioner of labor to the local vocational teachers union — to make sure every detail of the bill met high labor standards: using Connecticut OSHA requirements, providing adequate IAQ reporting procedures and whistleblower protections, and expanding the standards of existing schools to also apply to new construction.

The impact the bills will have on SMART members is tremendous: They will be the workers called upon to retrofit and construct facilities to meet improved IAQ standards. “This will dramatically change the work hours for my local,” Nimmons explained.

General President Joseph Sellers addresses the SMART South East District Council in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. in early May, outlining the IAQ work opportunities included in the recently passed infrastructure legislation.

The Connecticut IAQ bills are closely modeled on legislation currently in the pipeline in New Jersey — which, similarly to Connecticut, could never have found forward progress without the efforts of SMART, particularly Local 25 Business Manager Joe Demark and NEMI Director of Training Chris Ruch. Currently, Demark is working to push the bill through the New Jersey Assembly, following prior collaboration with former N.J. Senate President Steve Sweeney. And while the bill has yet to become law, Demark, Ruch and John Hamilton, chief operating officer of TABB, are striving to make sure the legislation includes strong language that will benefit SMART members. As Demark noted, lawmakers — even those with a blue-collar background — don’t always have the knowledge or experience to guarantee that HVAC and IAQ work goes to technicians with the right levels of expertise. It’s crucial that SMART sheet metal workers make their presence felt throughout the legislative process for the benefit of local unions – and the local communities whose lives will be impacted.

“Government officials and communities across North America are beginning to realize how important indoor air quality is for keeping our kids, families, friends and neighbors safe and healthy,” SMART General President Joseph Sellers explained. “When we are involved in the legislative process from the start, we can ensure that the most qualified technicians — SMART members — are the people making sure our schools and buildings are up to par in terms of IAQ.”

“This is going to mean a lot of work hours for our people,” Demark added.

SMART has been instrumental in working to pass IAQ legislation across the country. In Nevada, Assembly Bill 257 requires all public and charter schools in the state to assess and upgrade (if needed) their HVAC and filtration systems once federal money already allocated for this purpose becomes available at the state level. “With fire and life safety, and now with indoor air quality, members will have more opportunities to branch out into other aspects of being a sheet metal worker to increase hours and market share,” SMART Local 88’s (Las Vegas) business manager at the time, Jeff Proffitt, said in June 2021, when the bill passed. In California, meanwhile, AB 841 — signed into law in 2020 — will direct more than $600 million in energy efficiency funding to test, adjust and repair HVAC systems in public schools. The best part for SMART members: The legislation requires the work be performed by a TABB-certified technician to receive funding.

Whether in New Jersey, Connecticut, California, Nevada or beyond, IAQ legislation is emerging as a potentially bipartisan issue with robust benefits for local communities — and stellar work opportunities for SMART members. To begin lobbying for IAQ bills in your state, contact your local union leadership or director of government affairs.

Local 19 retiree Keith Gilmer

Thanks to the strong support of his SMART pension, retired SM Local 19 (Southeastern Pa.) member Keith Gilmer has been able to spend plenty of time pursuing one of his passions: the outdoors.

“As a member, I was able to retire at the age of 55, and enjoy a few more years of good health than a lot of friends I know,” he explained. “I have been fortunate enough to make several hunting trips, and on my most recent one, I traveled to Newfoundland on a moose hunt.” Gilmer joined Mountaintop Outfitters — including the owner of the company, Art — for a successful trip: “I harvested a nice bull with a 40-and-a-half-inch spread … Previously I harvested, along with other bulls, a woodland caribou that is currently in the Boone and Crockett world record books.”

Because he was able to retire at 55 years old, Gilmer has the opportunity to devote a great number of years to exploring the natural world. It’s not something he takes for granted. “Thanks to groups like the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance, along with our local unions, we get to enjoy parts of our ‘golden years’ outdoors,” he added. “Thank you for your past support, as well as the days and years to come.”

SMART TD LEADS PROTEST OUTSIDE OF BNSF SHAREHOLDER MEETING IN OMAHA

On April 30, 2022, while Berk­shire Hathaway shareholders sat in comfort and national cable-news networks dei­fied wealth hoarder Warren Buffett and his executive cronies at the company’s live-streamed annual meeting, BNSF railroad workers, as always, were out in the elements doing the hard work — this time, protesting against BNSF’s anti-worker “Hi-Viz” attendance policy. (Buffet is the CEO and chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, which acquired BNSF in 2009.)

Protesters gathered in the early-morning hours — some as early as 4 a.m., when parking garages opened — and split up evenly to protest in five different areas outside of the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Neb., where the meeting took place. Doors opened to share­holders at 7 a.m., and the picketers wanted to be outside as the attendees arrived. They were joined by two LED video billboard trucks slamming Buffett, BNSF CEO Katie Farmer and Hi-Viz.

“We want change and won’t be going away or backing down.”

Carrying signs that read “They use us and abuse us,” “Fair wages, fair treatment” and “Railroaders’ lives matter,” members of the SMART Transportation Division, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), their respective auxiliaries and other members of rail labor mobilized in the rain outside CHI Health Center, bringing the voice of working people to the so-called “Woodstock for Capitalists.”

“We had a great turnout despite the weather. We were able to cross paths with I’d say around 90% of the participants that were walking into the building,” SMART TD Alternate National Legislative Director Jared Cassity said of the approximately 60 protesters present.

“The crowd was fired up — it was divide and conquer. A very lively crowd,” said Vice President Chad Adams, who joined in the two-hour protest.

Also mobilizing our members were General Chairpersons Mike LaPresta (GO 001); Scott Swiatek (GO 009); and Luke Edington (GO 953).

“It was great seeing spouses and family involved in today’s protest, showing their support,” TD Auxiliary President Kathryn Seegmiller said. “We want change and won’t be going away or backing down.”

Cassity echoed this sentiment: “It was great to see labor standing in solidarity, members shoulder-to-shoulder and fighting for what’s right for the membership. We’re taking the fight to the railroads, and we’re not going to back down. The shareholders that were present at the meeting were there discussing the progress that they have made off of the backs of our members, and it’s important that they understand that we won’t back down and we won’t go away until the right thing has been done.”

According to the Informational Protest — Omaha NE 2022 Facebook page, the picketers regrouped later that afternoon and were joined by more supporters who could not make the morning session; another display of continuing solidarity.

Adams said that the April 30th movement is just the beginning.

“The group was talking about getting back together at the UP shareholders meeting next month — one thing builds another, just keep the pressure on and that’s what we can do,” he said.

In early June, SMART Local 16 (Portland, Ore.) journey-worker Lisa Davis was named one of the winners of the June NABTU Tradeswomen Heroes Award, which “honors two apprentices and two journey-level workers in the United States and Canada that set an exemplary example both on and off the jobsite.”

“Sister Davis is leading the industry as the first female HVACR Education Specialist for SMART International Training Institute [ITI],” read the press release announcing Lisa’s win. “Sister Davis’s passion for moving the industry’s direction to increase safety, diversity, equity, and inclusion standards in the workplace is nothing short of what she has been able to accomplish to reach those goals.”

In 2005, Lisa graduated from the University of California, Davis, solely committed to one goal: becoming a surgeon. Having graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology, Lisa moved to Oregon to attend Oregon Health and Science University — but she soon realized a life in medicine wasn’t her calling.

Sister Davis is leading the industry as the first female HVACR Education Specialist for the International Training Institute.

The next three years found Lisa exploring what that calling might be. She worked as a barista, in an operating room and on a farm in Hawaii. After those disparate and exciting experiences, though, it was ultimately something much simpler — a job working as a mechanic in a bowling alley — that changed her life. It was there that she realized working with her hands with mechanical tools, rather than a scalpel, was her ticket to happiness.

Following that epiphany, Lisa sought out Oregon Tradeswomen and completed the organization’s training before she was accepted into the apprenticeship at Sheet Metal Workers Local 16 in Portland. There she completed a building trades apprenticeship and service program. A passionate advocate for education, recruitment, retention and diversity, Lisa worked her way up to become Local 16’s first female instructor. She also helped form a diversity committee and served on the ground floor of the local’s mentoring program, both of which continue to this day.

In 2019, Lisa furthered her role as a mentor by joining the ITI as a heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVACR) service and testing, adjusting and balancing (TAB) specialist. She also serves on SMART’s International Women’s Committee, where she helped craft resolutions and amendments leading up to the union’s 2019 national convention.

“Sister Davis continues to elevate all members by devoting her extra time to actively working with her peers to create and implement DEI and safety language within government laws, initiating mentoring programs, training and educating members, and simply ’Doing the Right Thing,’” the press release concluded. “[Her] commitment, dedication, and hard work have proven that opportunity is a viable pathway for members to reach their fullest potential. Sister Davis is a true HERO for all members of SMART.”

Michael Harris, a longtime staffer at the International Training Institute (ITI), has taken the reins as its administrator. A second-generation sheet metal worker, Harris got his first taste of the industry at age 16, when he spent the summer working in a sheet metal shop.

Initially opting for college, Harris later changed course and worked in a custom fabrication shop alongside his father before joining the SMART Local 20 (Indianapolis, Ind.) apprenticeship program in 1991. During the fourth year of his apprenticeship, Harris began teaching part time at the Local 20 training center, moving to full-time teaching in 1997. By 2000, Harris took over as director of training for the statewide training trust.

In 2005, Harris joined the ITI staff as a welding assessor, and in 2009 he took on the role of program administrator, overseeing programming and instructor training and managing field staff. After the retirement of James Page in 2020, Harris assumed many of the responsibilities of ITI administrator in an acting capacity, assisting Funds Administrator Daniel McCallum in running the day-to-day operations of the organization. Effective Jan. 1, Harris officially accepted the role of ITI administrator.

 “Mike has been instrumental in the success of ITI over the years,” McCallum said. “His knowledge and experience have made my job as funds administrator far easier. He is absolutely the best person for the job.”

Harris hopes to continue to build on ITI’s success, adding new instructional offerings and developing programs for the sheet metal workers of tomorrow.

“I’m excited to take on this new role at ITI,” Harris said. “I genuinely believe that the ITI trains the best and the brightest. Our instructors are top notch, our programs are among the most advanced and dynamic in the industry. And our staff is second to none.”

Since November 2019, SMART members in the Railroad, Mechanical and Engineering Department on Class 1 freight railroads have been engaged in intense negotiations with the National Carriers’ Conference Committee (NCCC), a coalition of employers representing the railroads. Throughout that entire time, the NCCC has continued its assault on labor by seeking agreements which are both unfair to workers and bad for the industry.

The NCCC’s wage proposals would result in an actual reduction in employee earnings in “real wages” (adjusted for inflation). The carriers have proposed such measures as increases to the amount of work that is contracted out and changes to the 40-hour work week, all while demanding that workers pay more for H&W coverage. Despite posting record profits during the pandemic, employers refuse to admit that it is the workers who have risked their lives to keep trains running. And after the experience of the pandemic, the carriers still refuse to agree to paid sick leave. Apparently, management doesn’t see the link between their higher earnings and the harder work performed by our members.

One thing is clear: Our members are prepared to seek the protections, wages and respect they deserve.

Unlike many at SMART, those working on the railroad negotiate with employers (the carriers) under the Railway Labor Act (RLA), a law enacted in 1926 to settle labor disputes using arbitration and mediation instead of the more familiar collective bargaining model under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). Because of the particular structure of bargaining under the RLA, parties often end up negotiating through the National Mediation Board (NMB), an independent federal agency that helps resolve contract issues. Repeated failures to reach an agreement can even result in negotiations being pushed to an emergency board established by the president of the United States.

After 18 months of unsuccessful bargaining, SMART’s coalition requested mediation from the NMB in June 2021. After several sessions of both mediation and “super mediation” – in which no productive dialogue occurred and carriers only offered deals that would substantially diminish any increase in compensation while simultaneously refusing the unions’ proposals – the NMB finally released the parties on June 17, starting a 30-day cooling off period.

On July 15, in order to avert a shutdown of the rail industry, President Biden established a Presidential Emergency Board (PEB), an entity that is tasked with investigating rail disputes and issuing non-binding recommendations. Under the RLA, if a PEB concludes and the parties do not accept its recommendations within 30 days, the parties may then exercise “non-violent self-help” (strike or lockout). Ultimately, however, Congress has the final authority to impose a resolution, and it has done so in the past in order to avoid such an outcome.

While this process is complicated, we are hopeful that it will provide the framework for an agreement that is beneficial to workers. One thing is clear: Our members are prepared to seek the protections, wages and respect they deserve.

Have you ever left a concert, sporting event or jobsite with a high-pitched ringing in your ears? This is called tinnitus. Virtually everyone will experience some tinnitus from time to time throughout their life. Although it is usually the result of being around loud noises, that’s not always the case, and not everyone experiences tinnitus the same way. For example, tinnitus has been described as ringing, roaring, clicking, hissing or buzzing in the ears that only you can hear.

What causes tinnitus?

Exposure to loud sounds, or long-term exposure to moderately loud sounds, can lead to tinnitus. The loud sounds damage the inner ear’s ability to send clear signals to the brain, which causes mix-ups that your brain interprets as a ringing sound.

Tinnitus can also be caused by certain medications, like aspirin, NSAIDS, loop diuretics and some chemotherapy and cardiac medications. However, the tinnitus usually stops when the use of the medication is over.

Lastly, sometimes the cause is simply unknown. And although most people will experience temporary tinnitus, there are some people who may develop permanent tinnitus.

How to treat tinnitus

While there is no permanent cure for tinnitus, there are several treatments that can lessen its effects. In mild cases, using a sound generator can help mask tinnitus — especially when you’re trying to sleep or in very quiet situations where tinnitus can become more noticeable. If the tinnitus is more severe, hearing aids can also help.

Many hearing aid models today are built specifically to combat the effects of tinnitus by helping you hear better and by counteracting the tinnitus with sounds and tones meant to mask it. In some extreme cases, counseling can even reduce the psychological effects of tinnitus and provide strategies for dealing with it.

If you are experiencing tinnitus, SMART encourages you to talk to a hearing healthcare provider today. As a SMART member, you can save 30–60% on hearing aids through TruHearing®. Call TruHearing at 1-877-760-1437 to get started.

In 2021, SMART, SMACNA and ITI came together to launch Belonging and Excellence for ALL (BE4All). BE4All is a bold, multi-year effort to transform the sheet metal industry, and to do this in two ways:

1) By creating work environments and jobsites that are welcoming to ALL workers and contractors;

2) by helping workers and contractors achieve the highest standards of performance and excellence with respect to their trades or crafts.

To make this vision a reality, BE4All has adopted several strategies. One is the use of micro-affirmations. Micro-affirmations are small — but important — ways that we can acknowledge the humanity, dignity and worth of others.

Below are nine micro-affirmations that we encourage you to practice as often as possible, and with as many people as possible. These practices can be used in the workplace, and we can also practice them in our personal lives.

1. Name recognition. Asking a person for their name, and then remembering and repeating the name later (whether it’s five minutes or five days), is one of the most powerful ways that we can signal to another person “I see you.” “You matter.”

2. Life events. Inquire about important events in people’s lives. These include birthdays, anniversaries and important holidays. Record these dates in your calendar. Then, when the dates arrive, take a moment to acknowledge them by sending a card, email or text. Or simply say to the person, “Happy Birthday!”

3. Feedback and affirmation. Take time to give other people feedback (positive or otherwise). But remember, for feedback to be effective, it needs to be specific and genuine. It’s also important that you have enough of a relationship with the other person that they’ll be open to receiving what you have to say.

4. Shout outs and public recognition. It’s great to praise people in private. But it’s even better to give public recognition. It can be as simple as saying: “Joe, that was incredible work you did yesterday.” Or, “Melissa, thank you for everything you’re doing to make us a stronger team.”

5. The daily greeting. Pause, every day, to simply say, “Good morning!” and ask another person, “How are you?”

6. Interacting versus transacting. But it’s not enough to ask another person, “How are you?” We must then take time to truly listen/hear how the other person is doing, and be willing to share our own response to this question.

7. Inviting feedback. We mentioned the importance of giving feedback to others. Another way to practice micro-affirmations is to invite another person to give us feedback. This can be as simple as saying, “Joye, would you be willing to share three things I do well? And three areas where you think I can do better?”

8. Life goals. Take time to learn about another person’s life goals, whether it be work or personal. These goals may include going back to school or seeking a higher position. Then look for ways to support these goals. This can be in the form of sharing an important resource or piece of information, or connecting the person with someone you know who can help them in their pursuit.

9. Presence and attention. Finally, be 100% present for other people. Simply put, this means giving another person our non-rushed and undivided attention when interacting with them. One powerful way to do this is to silence your cell phone during conversations (individual or group). And to avoid looking at or touching your phone throughout conversation.

Pictured in the governor’s office, left to right: Senator Carolyn McGinn (R); Mike Scheerer, LR Local 94; Troy Fansher, Local 1503; Governor Laura Kelly (seated); Nick Davis, Local 527; Ty Dragoo, SLD Kansas; Chad Henton, ASLD Kansas; Kyle Brooks, Local 1503.

In late April, members of the SMART Transportation Division joined Kansas legislators and Gov. Laura Kelly at the state capitol, where Gov. Kelly officially proclaimed April 28th “A Day of Honor and Remembrance for Railroad Workers” in the state of Kansas. Along with witnessing Kelly sign the proclamation, Legislative Representative Mike Scheerer of TD Local 94 (Kansas City), Troy Fansher of TD Local 1503 (Marysville), Nick Davis of TD Local 527 (Coffeyville), Kansas State Legislative Director (SLD) Ty Dragoo, Alternate SLD Chad Henton and Kyle Brooks of TD Local 1503 joined the governor to discuss the vital role railroaders play in the state and in the nation at-large — as well as honor, recognize and remember the ultimate sacrifice some railroaders have made.

“Today reflects our ongoing relationship with Kansas’ government and the recognition that rail labor is vital to the state, and that we are appreciated,” Dragoo said. “It is a proud day for Kansas’ SMART Legislative Board.”

Dragoo also noted that Gov. Kelly has been a steadfast champion of SMART TD members and all of railroad labor throughout her time in state government. “She has proposed the two-person crew regulation and has been a steadfast wall of support when legislation is directed to harm our jobs,” he explained. “She has been there on every issue; she includes us in policy discussions, and we always have a seat in Kansas.”

The text of the proclamation is below:

WHEREAS, since the first railroad was chartered to carry freight and passengers in the United States in 1827, this nation’s railroads have been vital to the national economy and defense; and

WHEREAS, it is estimated that each American freight rail job supports 9 jobs elsewhere in the U.S. economy; and

WHEREAS, over one-fourth of all freight movement in ton-miles annually in this country occurs by rail, including many of the goods upon which Kansas residents and businesses rely; and

WHEREAS, thousands of passengers arrive, depart, and travel through Kansas on Amtrak passenger trains annually; and

WHEREAS, the rail lines crossing Kansas provide a vital transcontinental link facilitating the movement of this freight and these passengers; and

WHEREAS, the safe and efficient movement of the trains transporting this freight and these passengers through Kansas is due foremost to the dedication, professionalism, and knowledge of those employees who are directly involved in train movements, including Train and Crew Dispatchers, Maintenance of Way personnel, Signal Maintainers, Mechanical personnel, and fully staffed two-person Train crews;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, LAURA KELLY, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF KANSAS, do hereby proclaim the day of April 28, 2022, as A DAY IN HONOR OF RAILROAD WORKERS.

Jim Trimby (left) and Neal Dahlman.

After 37 years of dues-paying SMART membership, Jim Trimby has decided it is time to put his hammer away. He is humbled that it is finally time for him to reap the benefits of his many years of service

Trimby came to the trade by way of his family. His father, Homer, was a member of SMART Local 50/265 in Carol Stream, Ill., for 50 years, serving as a business agent for the last 10; his grandfather, Ray, began his career at Local 50 in 1940, and his uncle, Ike, joined Local 50 after serving in World War II. Jim also has a twin brother retired from Local 265.

During Homer’s elected term, he signed up a shop in 1989, Dahlman Sheet Metal. Coincidentally, Jim worked his last day at Dahlman Sheet Metal, at a jobsite with the Dahlman owner’s son, Neal, where Jim had previously worked in 2008 installing a stack. Having worked his last day, the end of Jim’s career also signifies the end of the Trimby generation of sheet metal workers, with a total of 80 years spent actively working in the industry.

In addition to being a strong union member, a mentor and a great asset to our trade, Jim also served as a paratrooper in the Armed Forces. Local 265 wishes him a happy retirement and hopes to see him at the local’s retirement club events.