As we reflect on Labour Day 2023, let’s remember the reason for the holiday.
Labour Day is a day to mark workers’ sacrifices and contributions to our country. It’s a day to show our pride in the things we build, and what is possible because of what we build — hospitals, schools, skyscrapers, homes, factories and much more. Canada is powered by workers.
With the rising cost of living, workers and the value of work have gotten more attention recently, and with growing support for organized labour, let’s remember that it was workers and their unions who fought for many of the rights that Canadians now enjoy, like weekends, benefits, the eight-hour workday and health and safety at work. These protections are the result of advocacy and sacrifices made by working Canadians decades ago.
As Parliament reconvenes, we are entering an important time for Canada’s skilled tradespeople. The government is holding consultations on Investment Tax Credits introduced in the 2023 budget earlier this year. Canada’s Building Trades Unions (CBTU) are currently advocating for skilled tradespeople by urging the federal government to pass legislation on Investment Tax Credits — financial incentives for employers who adhere to labour standards outlined in the 2023 federal budget.
To support workers and industry, the government should quickly follow through on implementing the Investment Tax Credits.
We commend the Canadian government on its commitments to implementing Investment Tax Credits for green technologies, which are tied to strong labour conditions. Now, CBTU needs your support to make these commitments a reality.
To support workers and industry, the government should quickly follow through on implementing the Investment Tax Credits, the strong definition of prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements, which will help grow our industry. These credits and their labour conditions will help create good-paying jobs for all workers and make sure that no worker is left behind in the transition to net zero.
On a related note: The theme of this year’s SMART Leadership Conference was “This is Our Time,” and that couldn’t be truer. With wildfires burning across the country and health advisories being issued almost daily across North America, our skills have never been more important. Fresh air and ventilation verification are more crucial than ever. We must collectively use our expertise and meet with local, provincial and federal government leaders to ensure that our members’ skills are recognized and utilized in constructing healthy buildings and homes.
It is our time: our time to organize, our time to grow and our time to expand our contractor base. We must bring everyone that works in our trades and who carries the tools into our membership. We must use all our means to organize, and we need you to get involved in organizing by adopting the SMART Incentive Program. With you, our members, recruiting the next generation of sheet metal workers and roofers, we will strengthen our locals and set the standard for decades to come.
We have been building momentum as we strive for a better Canada and a brighter future. Please continue to stay active, get involved and stay safe!
Terry Belleville retired in summer 2023, following more than four decades in the unionized sheet metal trade.
Belleville started his sheet metal apprenticeship with Local 47 (Ottawa, Ontario) in the 1970s, becoming a journeyperson in 1979. He started serving his union as a member of the Local 47 executive board in 1985 before becoming an organizer for the local in October 1987. He successfully ran for business agent in July 1988, serving in that position until June 2000, before serving as the local’s business manager from July 2000 until February 2007. He became a SMART international representative in March 2007.
Belleville was instrumental in forming the eastern Ontario Members’ Assistance Program, which has evolved across Ontario for any building trades member, including Local 47 and other SMART members in the province. He has also worked to form the Daryl Lecuyer Memorial Softball Tournament, helping to raise thousands of dollars for the Members’ Assistance Program.
Terry has one son, Chris, and one daughter, Ashley, with his late wife Marilyn, as well as two granddaughters. SMART thanks you and wishes you a long and healthy retirement, Terry!
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 life-changing” shift that Simpson says has transformed the trajectory of his career, leading him to become Local 47’s training coordinator. Read more in his BE4ALL member story:
“I got into sheet metal at a local shop in 1996. I became a registered apprentice and went through my five-year apprenticeship, attended three intakes at our local college (eight weeks each time), wrote my certificate of qualification and became a licensed journeyperson in 2002.
“I joined SMART back in 2011 – before becoming a union member, I worked for a nonunion shop. We normally worked long hours, usually for straight time, and we were paid time and a half when it was available. My employer at the time decided that we should all join the union because of the benefits SMART membership provided. It was a good employer that wanted to give its employees a better future. We were provided with a good pension plan and great benefits, as well as a nice wage increase! My employer did the best it could to provide good benefits and a pension; however, joining the union was an amazing decision. I am truly grateful for that. I was fortunate to work for that company for 19.5 years before it closed its doors.
“Once I became a union member, I started attending union meetings and learned more about what the union has done and could do for its members. By attending more union functions, I got to know the officers of the union, and when my union reached out looking for an instructor to assist with safety training, I submitted my name. Thankfully they liked what I had to offer, and I became one of the safety trainers. Shortly after I also became the part-time training coordinator, and after a few years they brought me on full time to serve as the permanent training coordinator.
“Over the last five years our local has expanded its safety training, brought in two more instructors, and most recently we were awarded our TDA (training delivery agent) status, which will allow us to start teaching the 308A Red Seal sheet metal and the 449A Red Seal roofer programs in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. I am so grateful to be a part of SMART, for the education it has provided me, as well as the many skill upgrade opportunities I’ve been able to access. Honestly, joining the union was transformational for me, not only from a financial position, but also because the things I’ve learned and the courses I’ve attended have truly changed my life. When I meet new apprentices, I tell them to take every opportunity to grow their skills, as learning is a lifelong journey. Thank you SMART for all you have done and continue to do for us!”
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 difference. That makes his current job as an organizer even better, he says: “I feel blessed that my job now is to go and talk to nonunion workers about how great it is to join SMART.” Read more from Gordon’s BE4ALL “How I became a SMART member” submission:
“After I graduated high school, I didn’t know what I wanted for a career. I went to an unemployment centre in my small town; they suggested a trade, and I chose sheet metal. I was sent to work for a nonunion company – after working there for three years and not being signed up for an apprenticeship (as required by law), I was let go from that job due to circumstances beyond my control. Little did I know: That was a blessing in disguise.
“I couldn’t find any jobs in the small community I lived in. A friend of mine was living in a larger neighbouring city and already working as an apprentice in the United Association of Plumbers and Pipe Fitters. He suggested I join the sheet metal workers union – I exclaimed that I didn’t even know such a thing existed! I was so excited to start a new career in a union, where I would be protected from unjust discharge among other great things.
“Unfortunately, I had another setback due to a contractor. However, this time a brother stuck up for me and had my back, and made sure the business manager knew that the contractor was in the wrong. That was a huge moment for me: to see someone pick me up when I was down and have a brother have my back. I definitely knew that this was the career for me; not only that, but that I belonged to an organization that would always look out for my best interests.
“This past spring, I received my 15-year pin as a member of SMART. I have served as an executive board member for nine and a half years, and I’ve been working as an organizer for five and a half years. I am so proud to be a SMART member, I am so grateful for the opportunities this organization has provided for me and my family, and I feel blessed that my job now is to go and talk to nonunion workers about how great it is to join SMART.”
On March 28, the Government of Canada released the 2023 Federal Budget, which included strong investments to build Canada’s green economy. The definition of prevailing wage outlined in this budget is one of the strongest in Canada’s history. Tying incentives to a prevailing wage that incorporates union compensation, including benefits and pension contributions, will raise workers’ living standards, maximize benefits for the entire economy and create good-paying, middle-class jobs as Canada transitions to sustainable energy.
The government has an opportunity to make significant progress towards Canada’s net-zero goals. We applaud Natural Resources Canada for obtaining and considering the diverse perspectives and impacts its net-zero strategy may have; now it is time to make bold moves to decarbonize buildings. Canada is falling behind on its Pan-Canadian Framework measures, and an increase in retrofit rates, from 1% to 3-5%, is required to reduce green-house gases emissions. For Canada to meet its goals, regulations must include time-bound commitments for net-zero emissions and energy efficiency standards.
Industry is ready to support this transition. We are ready to grow and meet the demand by welcoming Canadians into the skilled trades, and we will collaborate with the government to continue driving Canadians towards a career in the trades. Students, minority groups, new Canadians and transitioning workers should continue to be a priority.
As Canada pursues the retrofitting of all buildings to hit net-zero emissions by 2050, SMART members will play a critical role.
The Canada Green Buildings Strategy cannot leave any Canadian behind and must include cooperation with provincial, municipal and Indigenous governments, as well as appropriate provisions of support. Without a strategy to support low-income Canadians, Canada will not achieve net-zero emissions. These five million Canadians have been largely left out of the energy transition to date – even though low-income family dwellings tend to account for a significantly higher proportion of emissions in housing building stock. The green buildings strategy must also consider the unique characteristics and needs of Indigenous housing. We must continue to make this a priority.
On June 15, forward progress continued when the government tabled Bill C-50, which addresses Canada’s transition to a carbon neutral economy while supporting workers and creating sustainable jobs. Among other things, this bill would create a sustainable Jobs Partnership Council to encourage sustainable job creation and support workers and communities, as well as establish a Sustainable Jobs Action Plan and Secretariat. As Canada pursues the retrofitting of all buildings to hit net-zero emissions by 2050, SMART members will play a critical role. HVAC uses 35% of the energy in buildings (up to 65% in the residential sector); energy efficiency improvements will reduce carbon emissions. We must use our expertise and be a resource for local, provincial and the federal government in achieving sustainability goals.
To close: On behalf of all Canadians, I would like to thank retired General President Joseph Sellers for his years of dedication and service during a career of passion and advocacy, of representing workers in all sectors, from the local to the International level. You have been a strong leader and a voice for the inclusion of all workers in our organization, ensuring that we have each other’s back. The programs and initiatives that you fostered and promoted will be a great legacy for SMART. We wish you a long and healthy retirement, enjoying time for yourself and Beth along with friends and family!
On behalf of myself and the SMART General Executive Council, I’d like to wish all our Canadian brothers and sisters, and your families, a happy Canada Day.
Canada Day commemorates the day of Canada’s Confederation in 1867 – and this year, the holiday arrives on the back of major progress for our union.
On March 28, the Government of Canada released the 2023 Federal Budget, which included strong investments to build Canada’s green economy, as well as one of the strongest definitions of prevailing wage in Canadian history. By tying incentives for tax credits to a prevailing wage that incorporates union compensation, including benefits and pension contributions, this Federal Budget will raise workers’ living standards and create good-paying, middle-class jobs as we build our green energy future.
The federal government continues to invest in the Union Training Innovation Program, which provides new funding streams for our local unions and training centers. And Canada’s net-zero goal, which requires the retrofitting of all buildings across our country, will put sheet metal workers and roofers on jobs for years to come.
These are huge victories that could not have been won without the perseverance and advocacy of our Canadian members. But we still have much to achieve.
Canada’s green energy goals will create a workforce demand that will require our union to grow. In order to do so, we must collaborate with the government to bring more workers into the skilled trades; organize in municipalities and provinces across our nation; and make sure we are present in every community, ready to lift Canadians of all backgrounds into a union career.
Workers in every industry and sector are fighting for better treatment and working conditions, and we all have a role to play in helping those workers achieve the freedom and dignity of a union career. That includes our Indigenous brothers and sisters, women, people of color and other communities that have been marginalized throughout Canada’s history. When we build a labour movement that is inclusive and welcoming of all Canadian workers, we will be truly unstoppable.
Finally, as you celebrate Canada Day with loved ones, I want to encourage all of us to honour the generations of Canadians who have given the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedoms and democracy.
Happy Canada Day – enjoy the holiday, and please stay safe.
SMART appreciates the federal government’s continued investment in the Union Training Innovation Program (UTIP) — a vehicle for new training dollars for our local unions and training centres. We were pleased with the additional language in the Fall Economic Statement linking tax subsidies and credits for green energy technologies in the private sector to good-paying, middle class jobs with commitments to apprenticeships. We recommend that the eligibility of the tax credit is dependent on meeting prevailing wage requirements. The prevailing wage should be determined by the best total wage package (including benefits and pension) available in the province, to ensure the creation of the best job opportunities and attract Canadians to the skilled trades.
Also announced in the Fall Economic Statement: the Investment Tax Credits for Clean Tech and Clean Hydrogen, meant to make Canada competitive with the tax credits announced in the United States’ Inflation Reduction Act. The transition to net-zero is a once-in-a-lifetime economic shift, not seen since the industrial revolution. Let’s make sure Ottawa understands that these tax credits must be tied to the best wages and benefits for skilled trades workers. That includes creating more opportunities for apprentices and equity-deserving groups to start a career in the trades.
Other highlights from the Fall Economic Statement include:
$250M for sustainable jobs investments, including the creation of a new Sustainable Jobs Training Centre, a new sustainable jobs stream under the UTIP and a Sustainable Jobs Secretariat.
$26.3M over five years, starting in 2023-24, for the government to take stronger action against non-compliant employers through orders, fines and prosecutions to enforce the Canada Labour Code.
$1.02B to Service Canada to process EI and OAS claims faster while reducing the EI claims backlog, and $574 million to reduce EI and OAS call centre wait times.
Making all Canada Student Loans and Canada Apprentice Loans permanently interest-free, including those currently being repaid, beginning on April 1, 2023.
Introducing two new refundable tax credits for the capital cost of investments in clean technologies and clean hydrogen production. For both tax credits, the government will incentivize companies to create good jobs by scaling access to the tax credit for companies that pay prevailing wages based on local labour market conditions and ensure that apprenticeship training opportunities are being created.
The announcement of the government’s intention to introduce a corporate-level 2% tax that would apply on the net value of all types of share buybacks by public corporations in Canada, similar to a recent measure introduced in the United States.
$137 million for the CBSA to enhance frontline capacity and hire additional officers to alleviate border pressures and prevent prohibited or restricted goods from entering Canada.
The transition to net-zero is a once-in-a-lifetime economic shift, not seen since the industrial revolution. Let’s make sure Ottawa understands that these tax credits must be tied to the best wages and benefits for skilled trades workers.
Thank you to all the members, building trades unions and staff who have been actively sending letters and lobbying on these issues. The Liberal/ NDP Cooperation Agreement in parliament has also been instrumental in these progressive initiatives.
Eastern Conference Meeting
On March 14, Locals 56, 409, 437 and 512 gathered in Sydney, Nova Scotia for the first of their biannual meetings. Topics included ongoing projects, happenings in each of the local areas, organizing and the upcoming Canadian Council of Sheet Metal Workers and Roofers, which will be held on July14–15, 2023 in Saskatchewan.
The Eastern Conference also held its first apprentice competition, established to help apprentices have a better understanding of what to expect at the national level. All three apprentices were very nervous at the start of the day but quickly eased into the program and worked hard to complete their project. Thank you to Local 56 for graciously hosting the conference and apprenticeship competition! A job well done by all. Congratulations to Alex Hachey, Nick Skerry and Mitch Campbell, who finished first, second and third, respectively.
Legislative Conference 2023
The theme of the Canadian Building Trades Unions legislative conference this May is “Building Jobs for Tomorrow.” There will be two workshops available to delegates. “Carbon Capture and Storage” will be presented by Pathways Alliance — an organization representing Canada’s six largest oil sands companies — on its project to build one of the world’s largest carbon capture and storage facilities in the oil sands region of northern Alberta. The other workshop is on hydrogen. We will hear from Bear Head Energy on Nova Scotia projects to produce green hydrogen and ammonia and the employment opportunities that such innovative projects will provide for our members in the construction industry.
According to the Canadian Hydrogen Strategy, hydrogen could meet 24% of global energy demand by 2050 and help Canada meet its climate goals. The hydrogen sector is expected to create 350,000 well-paying jobs over the next three decades. As Canada sets its target for net-zero emissions by 2050 and continues retrofitting all buildings across Canada, the need for our highly skilled members to carry out this work is vital. Our members can help reduce our carbon footprint.
Recognition of Dedication
On December 31, 2022, International Representative Mark Curtis retired after 42 years of active service.
During his distinguished career, Brother Curtis served the members of Local 276 (Victoria) as business manager/financial secretary-treasurer, president of the Canadian Council of Sheet Metal Workers & Roofers and in the International Association, where he sat as a General Executive Council member and third general vice president before being appointed as international representative for Western Canada.
Brother Curtis graduated from high school in 1977 and began his sheet metal apprenticeship in 1980, earning his journeyperson’s ticket in February 1985. He worked on the architectural side for various employers including Universal Sheet Metal, Peak Roofing, Central Sheet Metal and Victoria Shipyard. In 1999, he was elected as business manager of Local 276, a position he held until 2015, when he was appointed by then General President Joseph Nigro to represent Canada as an international representative.
Brother Curtis has worked tirelessly for architectural sheet metal to be recognized as a Red Seal trade in Canada. During his career he has represented on various industry committees and councils such as:
Liaison Dockyard Council
Vancouver Island Building and Construction Trades Council
Vancouver Island Metal Trades Council
Trustee of Local 276 Health Plan & Pension Plan
Vancouver Island Joint Apprenticeship Committee
Canadian Council of Sheet Metal Workers & Roofers
Local Union & Council Pension Plan Trustee (Canada)
Third General Vice President of the International Association
In February 2023, at a meeting of the Western Canadian Conference of Sheet Metal Workers & Roofers, Brother Curtis was presented with a plaque of recognition for his service. On behalf of all the members, thank you for your years of dedication and service, and may you have a long and healthy retirement enjoying time with your wife, Nola, your friends, family and especially the grandkids!
In September 2022, SMART Local 280 (Vancouver, British Columbia) led the SMART Army’s involvement in the annual Terry Fox Run to raise money for cancer research. Fox was a Canadian athlete and cancer research activist who, after losing a leg to cancer, embarked on a cross-Canada run in 1980 to raise money and awareness for cancer research. Although cancer eventually forced him to end his quest, and ultimately cost him his life, his efforts resulted in a lasting legacy in Canada and around the world.
“For 143 days, Terry Fox ran a marathon a day,” Local 280 Business Representative Jeff Lind explained during an episode of SMART News. “He ran through rain and snow and wind, humidity. He stopped in almost 400 towns and just talked about why he was running. He was starting at 4:30 in the morning and usually didn’t finish until about 7pm at night.”
Watch Jeff Lind discuss the Terry Fox Run on SMART News.
“He’s a legend in Canada,” Lind added. “And I think we all know somebody who’s been affected by cancer. So … if I look at SMART Army as a whole and our SMART membership, internationally, that was something I looked at and I thought ‘What can we all do together?’ You know, being in a union, the solidarity behind it … I thought, this is something we could do not just in Canada with the locals, but across the International.”
The Local 280 SMART Army team exceeded its $1,000 fundraising goal during the 2022 run, raising $1,575 for the Terry Fox Foundation to fund cancer research. And in spring 2023, the Terry Fox Run honored the local’s participation with a Certificate of Appreciation plaque, writing: “We are grateful for your team’s no-quit attitude, for setting a positive example for others, and for showing compassion for cancer patients.”
SMART members have been on the forefront of green union jobs for decades. Buildings account for about 40% of total energy use in the United States, with more than 35% of the energy generated in the U.S. used to operate buildings’ HVAC systems. SMART’s manufacturing members produce energy efficient air movement equipment, heating and cooling machinery and insulated duct systems. Across our two nations, these production workers build dedicated outside air systems (DOAS) units, rooftop units, water-source heat pumps, underfloor air distribution systems and chilled beams – all designed to increase energy efficiency and keep our buildings running smoothly. These green, leading-edge technologies are not only designed and manufactured by SMART members; our union sheet metal workers install the products as well.
A SMART production member at work at BYD in Los Angeles.A SMART member installs HVAC ductwork.
Members of the SMART Transportation Division are also doing their part to reduce harmful pollution, particularly in the transit sector. Whether moving passengers from point A to point B on electric buses in California or bringing citizens to work on commuter rail systems in Chicago, New Jersey and beyond, TD workers are helping accomplish the dual achievement of reducing automobile emissions and efficiently and safely transporting Americans to their destinations. And at BYD in Los Angeles, the sheet metal and transportation sectors combine, as SMART Local 105 members help manufacture electric busses for local communities.
“Whether schools, hospitals, offices or apartment buildings, SMART workers are helping reduce energy output and keeping our nations working in cleaner, healthier ways,” said SMART General President Joseph Sellers, Jr. “These green union jobs are vital for our countries and our membership.”
SMART Local 0023 members working for Santa Cruz Metro.
“The transition to net-zero is a once-in-a-lifetime economic shift, not seen since the industrial revolution, and it is absolutely vital that this work is performed by union members,” noted SMART Director of Canadian Affairs Chris Paswisty. “Whether retrofitting buildings across Canada to increase energy efficiency, performing indoor air quality work or installing green roofs, the incentives included in the 2023 Federal Budget will put our members’ labour in high demand, creating green union jobs.”
The electric vehicle industry has proven to be fertile ground for SMART, with hundreds of members currently working to build EV battery factories in states like Kentucky and Ohio. But the burgeoning sector also presents a warning – unlike the “Big Three” automakers of old, many electric vehicle manufacturers are extremely nonunion. That’s why SMART members and locals must do more than merely take on the green energy work of today, Sellers added. Labor needs to organize and engage lawmakers to ensure the economy of tomorrow works for future generations.
“There was once a time when green energy goals were at odds with the labor movement. But SMART sheet metal and transportation workers know the importance of ensuring the jobs of the future are good, family-sustaining, green union jobs,” he explained. “Across our two nations, SMART members and local unions must push our communities to adopt green energy policies with strong labor standards attached – from decarbonizing schools in Rhode Island to installing green roofing technology in Canada. We will continue bringing workers into our union to meet these new workforce needs, and work with our elected officials to make this transition to green energy with union labor.”
The Government of Canada released its 2023 Federal Budget on March 28, 2023, outlining the government’s priorities for the near and long-term future. Importantly for union construction workers and SMART members, the 2023 budget makes enormous investments in a green energy system that will be largely built by union labor.
“Building on the supports for green technologies announced in the 2022 Fall Economic Statement, including the Investment Tax Credits for Clean Technology and Hydrogen, the Budget included expansions to the previous credits along with an Investment Tax Credit for Clean Electricity and for Clean Technology Manufacturing,” Canada’s Building Trades Unions (CBTU) Executive Director Sean Strickland said in a statement following the release of the budget. “… Tying these incentives to Prevailing Wage that includes union compensation, including benefits and pension contributions, will raise the standard of living for all workers, maximize benefits for the entire economy and create a legacy of good paying, middle-class jobs throughout this transition.”
The definition of prevailing wage in the federal budget would be based “on union compensation, including benefits and pension contributions from the most recent, widely applicable multiemployer collective bargaining agreement, or corresponding project labour agreements, in the jurisdiction within which relevant labour is employed.” Additionally, the budget specifies that at least 10% of tradesperson hours worked must be performed by registered apprentices in the Red Seal trades – which include sheet metal and roofing – and the government intends to apply prevailing wage and registered apprentice requirements to the Investment Tax Credit for Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage, and the Investment Tax Credit for Clean Electricity.
“The transition to net-zero is a once-in-a-lifetime economic shift, not seen since the industrial revolution, and it is absolutely vital that this work is performed by union members,” noted SMART Director of Canadian Affairs Chris Paswisty. “Whether retrofitting buildings across Canada to increase energy efficiency, performing indoor air quality work or installing green roofs, the incentives included in the 2023 Federal Budget will put our members’ labour in high demand.”
