“The project peaked at over 500 [Local 20] sheet metal workers. It’s still hard to wrap my hands around that.” That’s Local 20 (Indiana) Business Manager Trent Todd, discussing a Stellantis engine plant megaproject in Kokomo, Ind. — the largest project in the local’s history [...]
“When Kilmar Abrego Garcia was mistakenly deported to El Salvador, he was denied his right to due process, and we at SMART are fighting to ensure he receives the treatment he is granted under law — just like we would, and we always will, fight for the rights of every single SMART member.”
As industry, politics and economic landscapes shift, SMART representatives are constantly called upon to adapt accordingly, ensuring union members are represented to the best of their abilities. It’s a daunting task — but thanks to the SMART Education Department, local union [...]
On Thursday, April 10, the United States Supreme Court issued a decision that backed a federal judge’s order requiring the government to facilitate the return of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia to the United States. Read SMART General President Michael Coleman's statement in response.
Following Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts’ decision to temporarily stay a federal district court order to return Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia to the United States by 11:59pm tonight, SMART General President Michael Coleman issued the following statement: “In court Fr [...]
When SMART Local 5 (East Tennessee and North Carolina) member Steven Ruger became an organizer in April 2023, the local had around 1,100 members — the majority in Tennessee. Today, thanks in large part to aggressive organizing conducted by Local 5 and spearheaded by Ruger, the local has more than 1,500 members, and the size of Local 5’s North Carolina membership has increased by more than 60%.
Following an April 4, 2025, press conference regarding the deportation of SMART Local 100 apprentice Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, General President Michael Coleman issued the following statement: “The principle of due process is one of the fundamental values our nation is fo [...]
On March 31, 2025, the Trump administration conceded in a court filing that it had mistakenly deported SMART apprentice Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a legally protected Maryland resident and father, to El Salvador “‘because of an administrative error,’” according to CNN. The administration is also arguing that because Abrego Garcia is now in Salvadoran custody, the government cannot return him to the United States.
In so-called “right-to-work” states like Florida — the home of commuter rail service Tri-Rail — union workers are often forced to overcome multiple obstacles during contract negotiations. On the one hand, they’re trying to make gains on pay, benefits and working conditions. O [...]
Thanks to the advocacy of SMART Local 435 and the North Florida Building and Construction Trades Council, locally hired apprentices will help build the new Jacksonville Jaguars stadium — a more than $1-billion project. “Jacksonville has not seen a project this size in decades [...]