Category: Members Journal
SMART Rail, Mechanical and Engineering (RME) Department spotlight: Kevin Downing (Local 363), General Committee 2 executive board member
Tell us about yourself and your career at Amtrak. Growing up as a young boy in the inner city of Washington, DC was very tough, but it built me into the man I am today. A memory at the precipice of my mind that I will never forget is losing my mother at the age […]
SMART Women’s Committee welcomes new members
The SMART Women’s Committee works to recruit, retain and promote women in our trade and ensure women have support networks that empower them to reach their fullest potential. This work is especially vital as SMART continues to strengthen and grow our union, and it requires al [...]
SMART Heroes hits five-year milestone
Members of the military preparing to leave the service often have difficulties transitioning to civilian jobs — they suffer a loss of community, have trouble relating to civilians who don’t understand military life and struggle with how to find a career, not just a job. Five [...]
SMART recognizes two loyal staff members
Jackie Bennet retired from the SMART International Association on February 1, 2023, concluding 36 years of service. A dedicated and passionate employee, Jackie began as a clerk, then supported various departments as a secretary and retired as the assistant office manager. Thr [...]
Women In Construction Week highlights SMART sisters, life-changing careers
SMART and the SMART Women’s Committee celebrated Women In Construction Week from March 5–11, 2023, putting a special focus on the life-changing careers in unionized sheet metal that are available to women across the United States and Canada. Along with two profile videos, SMA [...]
International Rep. Bob DiOrio retires
International Representative Bob DiOrio retired on December 31, 2022 — concluding nearly 40 years of service to our union. After starting his apprenticeship at Local 19 in Philadelphia in 1984 and becoming a journeyperson in 1988, DiOrio served on several of his local’s subsi [...]
Incoming SMART General President Michael Coleman brings experience, dedication to membership
Like retiring SMART General President Joseph Sellers, Michael Coleman has decades of experience in both the sheet metal trade and union leadership. He began his career as a SMART sheet metal worker in 1985, when he joined what was then Local 65 in Cleveland, Ohio (Local 65 me [...]
Local 71 SMART Army helps neighbor in need
When 64-year-old Orchard Park, N.Y. resident Chuckie Sonntag found himself in need of an entry ramp for his home, the SM Local 71 (Buffalo, N.Y.) SMART Army leapt into action — demonstrating the vital role unions play in American communities, on and off the job. Sonntag, who [...]