Sheet Metal News - SMART Union

Recognizing our women railroaders

November 16, 2023 The railroad industry has a handful of trade magazines that do a very thorough job of covering what is going on in the world of government regulations as well as technology and industry trends. One thing that these magazines do with regularity is to put out lists they bill as [...]

SMART-TD members provide fuel for UAW strikers’ fires

October 30, 2023 SMART Army members from Local 278 (Jackson, Mich.) and Local 1438 (Lincoln Park, Mich.) delivered two cords of firewood to our United Auto Workers (UAW) brothers and sisters in UAW Local 1248 in front of the Mopar Parts Distribution Center in Romulus, Mich. SMART-TD President [...]

Department of Labor updates prevailing wage regulations in win for SMART members and building trades workers

October 16, 2023 On August 8, United States Vice President Kamala Harris and Acting Secretary of the Department of Labor (DOL) Julie Su announced the publication of a rule that updates the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts, strengthening prevailing wage regulations and raising pay standards for SM [...]

Ontario sheet metal worker shares how SMART and a pro-labor contractor changed his life

October 9, 2023 Local 47 (Ottawa, Ontario) sheet metal worker Stuart Simpson started his tradesperson career at a nonunion sheet metal shop. Unlike many nonunion contractors, though, his employer ended up actively encouraging Simpson and his coworkers to join SMART – resulting in a “truly li [...]

Union pension provides “dignity and grace” for Local 12 retiree

October 2, 2023 SMART Local 12 (southwestern Pennsylvania) retiree George MacGregor says that the decision he made to join the union – a decision more than 50 years old – has changed his life for the better.

A conversation about the BE4ALL initiative

September 27, 2023 In this Talking SMART special episode, SMART General President Michael Coleman, SMACNA President Anthony Kocurek and returning guest host Dushaw Hockett discuss the Belonging and Excellence for All initiative, also known as BE4ALL.

Illinois sheet metal worker on how Local 219 “changed [his] life”

September 18, 2023 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 [...]

Chris Carlough delivers a SMART MAP training focused on providing support for union workers' mental health.

Union sheet metal workers’ mental health program spotlighted by America’s Work Force Union Podcast

September 15, 2023 America’s Work Force Union Podcast (AWFP) put the spotlight on union sheet metal workers’ mental health during Suicide Prevention Week, bringing on SMART Members Assistance Program (MAP) Coordinator Chris Carlough to discuss how SMART is working to equip members with the tool [...]

SMART Chief International Rep. Scott Parks passes away

September 8, 2023 It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that SMART announces the death of Chief International Representative Scott Parks, who passed away on September 6, 2023, surrounded by his family. All of us at SMART send our condolences to Scott’s loved ones during this difficult time. [...]

Ontario sheet metal worker discusses the union difference

September 8, 2023 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 [...]