City of Long Beach, CA Approves Historic Project Labor Agreement

On April 8, the Long Beach (CA) city council unanimously approved a historic 5 year Project Labor Agreement. For the next five years, projects being built under city of Long Beach contracts that are worth more than $500,000 must be built under the PLA, along with requirements [...]

Welding Positions Open In the Southeast

Certified welders are always in demand, and SMART is expanding training opportunities to give members skills with a long-term payoff while helping our contractors win more work. But there are jobs open for qualified members right now. Four new nuclear reactors are currently b [...]

Colorado: Funding for Southwest Chief Rail Line In Jeopardy

Funding to save the Southwest Chief did not make it into the budget proposed by the Colorado legislature this week, Colorado State Legislative Director Carl Smith reports.  “We must now seek support from Gov. Hickenlooper and the Joint Budget Committee, which will review appr [...]

Certified Welders Are In Demand

The anticipated demand for skilled, certified welders in the U.S. in the next five years is staggering. The American Welding Society projects that by 2020 there will be a deficit of 290,000 skilled welders, which includes instructors, inspectors, and engineers. The opportunit [...]