Category: BE4ALL
The SMART Rapid Response Protocol: Why is this important?
SMART’s Rapid Response Protocol is intended to help union officers prepare for and respond to incidents of bias, discrimination and harassment. Why is this important? There are many reasons.
BE4ALL Canadian Labour Spotlight: Helen Jury Armstrong
Helen Jury Armstrong was a union activist, feminist and anti-war leader who rose to fame during the 1919 Winnipeg general strike. Born in 1875 to a father who worked as a tailor and was a member of the Knights of Labour, Helen “Ma” Armstrong spent her life advocat [...]Illinois sheet metal worker on how Local 219 “changed [his] life”
SMART Local 219 (Rockford, Illinois) sheet metal worker Josh Reynolds is a first-year apprentice who learned about the union from his friend, fellow member Isaiah Myers. After completing his pre-apprenticeship and starting his career at Local 219, he says the trade has alread [...]
Ontario sheet metal worker discusses the union difference
Local 473 (London, Ontario) member Patrick Gordon took a long, somewhat convoluted journey into the union sheet metal trade – one that brought him face-to-face with the exploitation and disregard that often afflicts nonunion workers, and demonstrated first-hand the union diff [...]
Local 44 sheet metal worker: “SMART was the best choice that I ever made for my family.”
Another entry from the Belonging and Excellence for All (BE4ALL) fall challenge: Bob Bomboy, a sheet metal worker member of SM Local 44 (Northeastern Pennsylvania) shares how he overcame career-change nerves and joined SMART! “I was a mechanical/architectural draftsman with a [...]
Northern California sheet metal worker shares member story
As part of the Belonging and Excellence for ALL (BE4ALL) Committee’s fall challenge, Anthony LaBeau, an eight-year member out of Local 104 (Northern California) recently shared how his life changed when he joined SMART: “I was 24, working dead-end restaurant jobs [...]
BE4ALL launches first Toolbox Talk
The Belonging and Excellence for ALL (BE4ALL) Committee launched its first-ever Toolbox Talk on January 19, 2023 — the initial step in an ongoing effort designed to educate, spread awareness and help strengthen SMART and the unionized sheet metal industry. Toolbox Talk #1, ti [...]
The significance of June: BE4ALL turns 18 (months)
June is an important month for SMART: It marks 18 months since the launch of the Belonging and Excellence for All (BE4ALL) effort. This represents a significant milestone for our organization. It underscores our commitment to creating environments where all workers feel se [...]