In the March issue of the SMART Transportation Division News, we celebrate the 100th birthday of former President Al Chesser, the very first elected president of the United Transportation Union. This is a remarkable achievement for a remarkable man! Brother Chesser’s history [...]
THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT You don’t need to be told how complex healthcare has become, especially with the changes involving the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This legislation has afforded millions of Americans a chance at securing health insurance that cover [...]
By Joe Nigro, SMART General President – Recent news reports have been bleak when it comes to the status of working families in the United States. While much of the news focuses on unemployment, and rightly so, there’s a relatively unknown, legal way that corporations are goin [...]
By John Previsich, SMART Transportation Division President – 2014 is shaping up to be a remarkable year in the history of our union. The SMART constitution is now finalized and we are moving forward with the ongoing effort to merge our two organizations into one. For those w [...]
Change is hard and for many it is difficult to accept. Change is not an event with an exact start and stop point; it’s a process. Each step you make, even if it’s a relatively small step, is still a step in the right direction, driving you closer to where you want to go. Some [...]
Throughout the past year, we have shared major portions of our history, as documented by labor historian Grace Palladino. She has provided an insightful and candid look at several major issues addressed by your union’s leadership since publication of an earlier history in 198 [...]
We are pleased, as your general president and transportation division president, to present the first SMART Constitution and ritual to our membership. This is a milestone for both the former Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association and the United Transportation Union, t [...]
(John Previsich’s column below was reprinted from the November 2013 SMART Transportation Division News. See page 4.) In this communication, my first to you as president of this great organization, I will begin by saying that I am honored by the opportunity to serve in t [...]
While a day of thanks has been observed in the United States and Canada since the days of our earliest European settlers, this year marks America’s 150th official Thanksgiving celebration. It was all begun, only 25 years before this union’s founding, by President Abraham Li [...]
One hundred twenty-five years ago, when this organization was founded, the original members came together for the same reason we are here today, justice in the workplace. The difference is that then there was no well-established organization to advocate on their behalf. They [...]
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