Tag: General President Michael Coleman

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U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Marcia L. Fudge

Union leaders continued the work of ensuring the 2023 SMART Leadership Conference theme – “This Is Our Time” – is more than just a catchphrase as the conference rolled into its second day in Washington, D.C.

Throughout the morning’s joint session, attendees were presented with evidence that the union has strengthened both financially and in membership, and with a vast number of opportunities ahead to ensure the prosperity of our membership and our two nations.

New VP sworn in to the GEC

General President Michael Coleman began the joint session by recognizing the career of SMART Sixth General Vice President and Northwest Regional Council President Tim Carter, who retired after the conclusion of the conference’s first day.

Carter oversaw extraordinary growth and progress in the Northwest, from welcoming the formation of women’s committees to new organizing across the region.

Brother Carter is replaced on the General Executive Council by Ray Reasons, president and business manager of SM Local 36 (St. Louis, Mo.), who becomes SMART’s 11th General Vice President.

Local 36 has long been on the forefront of growth and innovation, and members there played an important role beating back a recent attempt by state politicians to institute so-called “right to work.”

“Under his leadership, Local 36 has continued its tradition of success, and today he joins us on the dais,” Coleman said. “Congratulations, Ray – I look forward to working with you in the coming years.”

Union Sportsmen’s Alliance details its good work

One benefit free to all members of our union — sheet metal and TD alike — is membership in the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA).

Alliance Executive Director and CEO Walt Ingram joined the conference to discuss USA’s ongoing relationship with SMART — the fourth-largest union affiliate of his group.

Ingram described the USA’s events, which include dinners, 25 clay shoots around the nation and environmental restoration projects designed not only to provide an opportunity for union camaraderie, but also as a way to bring families and communities alike together.

USA’s Walt Ingram

“We’re a great tool to connect the local to the membership and then the membership to the community,” Ingram said, noting that SMART sponsors a pair of shoots in Port Republic, N.J., and Brighton, Colo. “Our mission is to unite the union community through conservation to preserve North America’s outdoor heritage. We do that every day in a variety of different ways. We want to help you recruit apprentices for your program and also join the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance.”

AFL-CIO president speaks

AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler, who has worked closely with SMART on issues ranging from green energy jobs to pension security, was unable to join the conference in person. She sent remarks via video, in which she discussed the importance of the conference theme: This is our time.

“What a perfect way to capture the moment we are in and the urgency that we should feel in taking advantage of it,” she said. “This is our time. This labor momentum that you hear people talking about — you’re living it every day.”

Shuler reminded attendees that 71 percent of Americans approve of unions — the highest level since 1965.

“We are finally seeing huge gains in the battles we have been fighting for years. Now the question is, how do we build on these wins and create even more power for workers?” she asked.

The organizing and solidarity displayed by SMART as TD members’ efforts secured paid sick leave and two-person crew victories in Ohio, Minnesota and Kansas will serve as examples to follow in the future, as workers fight to have a say and profiteers try to use tech, automation and AI to eliminate people’s jobs.

“Unions are going to rebuild this country – SMART members are going to rebuild this country!” she concluded. “We have a lot of work ahead of us, but I can’t think of anyone I’d rather fight alongside than the activists and leaders in this room.”

Supporting Maryland Special Olympics

Representatives of the Special Olympics of Maryland (SOMD), the designated charity of the Leadership Conference, talked about the importance of its work. Providing year-round sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, SOMD gives participants the opportunity to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and share their gifts, skills, and friendship with others. 

“It is because of the dedication, compassion and love of the people from the Special Olympics community, and organizations like yours, that awareness and understanding is helping people to see that the intellectually disabled community is no different than those who are not,” said global Special Olympics representative and coach Tim Gowen. “We are capable, hard-working and have dreams, just like anyone else.”

Gowen has been part of the Special Olympics for 50 years, growing up in Silver Springs, Md., and through the program, eventually found supportive schools and communities.

“It changed my life and gave me the tools to succeed. … Having the opportunity to play and compete in sports is wonderful, but that’s not all we experience.,” Gowen said. “It’s the friendships I have made over the years, the companies and the communities that support us.

“I would like to thank you, the members of SMART,” he concluded. “It is amazing to play sports and win medals, but that wouldn’t happen without the generosity of people like you.”

Legislative leaders report

SMART Director of Governmental Affairs Steve Dodd and TD National Legislative Director Gregory Hynes took the stage to deliver a report on legislative and government affairs.

“Never in my life would I have ever thought that we would have the opportunity to be on offense the way we are right now,” Dodd said, noting that SMART has worked with federal agencies to implement a pro-labor regulatory agenda and provide funding for projects that will employ unionized workers.

In short, the Biden administration has delivered for SMART members, he said, and local unions have a great environment to take advantage of and spread the message of the progress labor has made.

“This administration’s been great for us, as you could see from the administrator of FRA being here yesterday,” Hynes said.

His report detailed the Transportation Division’s agenda, with two-person crews, Class 1 certification programs, train length and blocked crossings, bus and transit operator assaults, yardmaster hours of service, sick leave and more on the list.

Progress has been made on many of these areas at the state level, including rail safety, train length and blocked crossing legislation, he said.

SMART-TD has leveraged the extensive media attention given to railroads from the national contract negotiations and the East Palestine, Ohio, disaster to make real gains across the country, meeting with lawmakers and introducing legislation that protects members.

Dodd (left) and Hynes

“We’ve fielded more media than I have ever seen in my entire career,” Hynes said. “Jared [Cassity, SMART-TD Alternate Legislative Director], Jeremy [Ferguson, SMART TD President] for a period there, we were doing several interviews every day with affiliates all over the country — major networks, newspapers, the major news publications. What it did is put us in the mind of the general public, and members of Congress were very interested to talk with us.”

Dodd and Hynes both detailed SMART’s 2023-24 get-out-the-vote strategy. In 2023, three governor’s races in particular are of interest to our union. Turning their eyes to 2024, control of the U.S. House, Senate and presidency will be determined.

They both said that improving voter turnout and making sure members know which elected officials and policies truly support us – and getting members out to vote – are going to be key goals moving ahead.

Finances, DOE secretary and SASMI presentation

Controller Warren May said that the rough financial period the union weathered due to the pandemic has passed, saying that finances all around the union are moving in a positive direction.

“If any accountant saw this, they would say, ‘Oh my gosh, those are fabulous financials,’” May said.

Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, former governor of Michigan, also delivered her speech via video. Granholm, who has used her position in the Department of Energy to advocate for good, union, clean energy jobs, met recently with both General President Coleman and NEMI Administrator Lisa Davis – affirming the Biden administration’s commitment to working with SMART and organized labor.

“Unions built the middle class, you know this. Unions run best-in-class training programs, for construction workers,” Granholm said. “Unionized employers have an easier time hiring because workers want union jobs, and that’s why our incentives require companies to pay prevailing wage, require them to hire registered apprentices. That’s why we attach strong labor standards to every single federal law.”

Ken Columbo followed with the rundown of SASMI’s programs, noting an explosive growth in the use of an improved travel benefit in the first quarter of 2023 compared with the same period the year prior – all due to Biden-Harris administration and infrastructure projects coming to fruition in the form of megaprojects.

A maternity benefit also has received a good reception, Columbo said, and also growing is the newly introduced HRC benefit card that participants can use to pay for prescription and over-the-counter medications.

SASMI also has extended COBRA benefits to the spouses of deceased members to 18 months and remains in solid financial health after a decline due to the pandemic.

Secretary Fudge

HUD secretary: SMART needs to lead the way

Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia L. Fudge closed out the session with a message encouraging SMART to continue to educate newer generations about the value of the labor movement and to maintain its position as a leader as the nation’s economy continues to transform. 

Secretary Fudge has a long history with GP Coleman from their time in Cleveland — when Coleman was president of Local 33 and Fudge was a civic leader, first as mayor of Cleveland suburb Warrensville Heights, then as a U.S. representative for Ohio’s 11th congressional district.  

She described the progress the Biden-Harris administration has made in constructing an economy from the bottom up and from the middle out. 

“As the president often says, ‘The middle class built America, but the unions built the middle class.’ I never thought I would ever get to a point in my life where we would have to explain to people why unions are important,” she said after recounting the benefits that unions have brought to the working class — the 40-hour work week, overtime pay, pension plans and the weekend being among them. 

The Biden-Harris administration’s actions have launched a period of economic growth through its signature infrastructure law, creating 13 million jobs thus far in the United States, with an expected growth rate of 1 million additional jobs per year, she said. 

SMART members will be a huge part of these projects: operating energy-efficient buses and trains and performing energy-efficient retrofits to older houses, HVAC systems and other programs that her department oversees, Fudge added. 

“These projects do not happen without skilled technicians or skilled tradesmen like you,” she said. “Because I know that with you, there is not much that we cannot do. We cannot build this country without you, so work with us.

“Let me tell you what. You have a hammer. You need to use your hammer to hammer a warning about where we’re going in this nation. You need to use your hammer to take the lead in support of American workers. You can hammer out injustice if you just raise your voice,” Fudge said. “We all have the right to the American Dream. I’m saying to you, SMART, hammer it out!” 

Read more about the sheet metal session here.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro holds a metal replica of the U.S. Capitol building made by Local 100 sheet metal apprentices.

General Secretary-Treasurer Joseph Powell opened the day two SMART 2023 Leadership Conference sheet metal session, appropriately, by calling on union leaders: “Let’s get back to work.” He then brought Sheet Metal Occupational Health Institute Trust (SMOHIT) Administrator Aldo Zambetti on stage to present his report.

“I’m excited to share the resources we are working with and the resources we have for our members,” Zambetti said. “Our mantra is: How can we help?”

Zambetti detailed the ongoing work of the SMART Member Assistance Program (MAP). The SMART MAP team spends the year travelling across the country, helping provide local unions with the skills and resources needed to give SMART members mental health support. He also described the ongoing preparation SMOHIT is conducting to provide similar support for sisters and brothers in Canada. More than anything, he stressed, SMOHIT is constantly working to make sure all local unions are aware of the resources at hand. No local ever refuses the resources SMOHIT provides, Zambetti said – but they aren’t always aware those tools exist. He encouraged all local leaders to reach out to SMOHIT and make resources available to members, including the SMOHIT helpline, toolbox talks and other information.

“This is for you, this is for your family, this is for your members, this is for anyone you care to share it with,” Zambetti concluded.

SMOHIT Administrator Aldo Zambetti

GST Powell then called Mike Harris to report on the International Training Institute (ITI). Earlier in the year, Harris said, the ITI underwent a strategic planning process to further the ITI’s mission: supporting career development and apprenticeship, ensuring the unionized sheet metal industry is on the forefront of technology and more. He noted three core goals for the ITI moving forward: completing development, gaining Department of Labor approval, and supporting the successful rollout of a Competency-Based Apprenticeship Model; providing support, resources and engagement to help Joint Apprenticeship Training Centers (JATCs) continue delivering world-class training; and focusing on megaprojects (and the regions and local areas impacted by them). Harris also overviewed a variety of grants and curricula that are available for local unions – those interested should contact the ITI.

Harris then shifted focus to recruitment and retention: an all-important priority as SMART seeks to grow our union to meet this moment. That includes reviewing standards of entry for apprentices, working with local apprenticeship readiness and pre-apprenticeship programs and more.

“We need to remove barriers to entry,” Harris said. “It’s 2023 – this is our time. Make sure people are welcome, don’t keep people away.”

Part of the work of growing, he added, is ensuring that those we recruit stay in our union and our trade. The ITI has implemented Bias and Belonging and Train-the-Trainer programs, both of which are designed to ensure that JATCs are prioritizing welcoming and belonging for all apprentices.

“We are a resource – use us as such,” Harris said. “We all need to work together.”

ITI Administrator Mike Harris

An important facet of recruitment and retention is making sure that material barriers – like access to childcare – don’t hinder people from joining our trade. To that end, General President Coleman introduced Eric Cutler, chief marketing officer of TOOTris – an innovative childcare service that helps connect parents and providers in real time. Cutler described the importance of childcare for workforce development, retention and productivity: “When people have childcare access, you see an improvement in workers’ ability to stay on the job,” he explained, also pointing to the positive affects that childcare access has on workforce diversity.

TOOTris, Cutler said, can help provide SMART members – who often work outside of the office 9-5 workday – with options for childcare, as well as with various affordability and flexible payment options. Such childcare alternatives, he added, can help SMART recruit and retain members in every community.

Attendees were then joined by SMACNA President Anthony Kocurek, a longtime advocate for the unionized sheet metal industry who worked closely with SM Local 49 in Albuquerque, New Mexico to boost the industry and secure fire life safety legislation. Kocurek began by paying tribute to General President Emeritus Joseph Sellers, who Kocurek said “paved the way for a brighter, better future for our industry.”

Kocurek went on to note the progress that has been made in the relationship between SMART and SMACNA, as both organizations commit to the future of unionized sheet metal.

“As partners, we may not see eye-to-eye on everything,” he said. “But we see eye-to-eye on 90% of things, and that is more than enough to move our industry forward.”

The future is one of extraordinary opportunity and demand, Kocurek pointed out. Ever-changing environments, schedules and the growing presence of megaprojects across America present remarkable challenges. That makes it vital for SMART and SMACNA to work together, he said, to secure our future. That work has been done in the past, from introducing ventilation verification during the pandemic, to putting members to work on EV and chip plant megaprojects.

“We stand at a marked place in history,” Kocurek declared. “We need to open up our ranks, we need to be able to pull people into our industry and welcome them with open arms. … This is critical for us to grow our needed workforce.”

Gov. Shapiro speaks to SMART sheet metal union leaders.

Kocurek was followed by Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro – a leader who SMART members across Pennsylvania know as a friend and ally.

“I have been proud to stand with you every step of the way throughout my career in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” he declared. “You are the ones who power the economy. … That is why, in Pennsylvania, we stand up for the union way of life.”

Shapiro described his record standing up for workers as attorney general, which included winning back pay for exploited workers and filing criminal charges against bad-faith employers – prosecuting the largest Davis-Bacon prevailing wage case in the history of the United States. He vowed to continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with workers, in Pennsylvania and across the country, especially in the face of anti-labor attacks in other states. Where some other governors might sneer at labor, Shapiro heaped praise on the union building trades workers who rebuilt a crucial stretch of collapsed highway in Philadelphia: “All the experts told us it would take months and months. We reopened I-95 because of the hands of organized labor in just 12 days.”

Infrastructure development, the governor said, will be crucial for working families and communities in Pennsylvania and nationwide.

“The men and women that you represent are vital not only today, but to the future of our commonwealth and our country,” he noted. “Right now, we have a real opportunity to move our country forward by investing and building up our infrastructure. ‘This is our time’ really epitomizes the unique and special moment we find ourselves in.”

Shapiro pointed out that the flow of federal funding from legislation like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is making it possible for America to build again. But that can’t happen, he warned, if states and local areas are unable to meet workforce demands.

“If we fail to address our workforce needs right now, we’re going to fail to seize this unique moment right now,” he said. “That’s why yesterday, flanked by union leaders in Pittsburgh, I signed an executive order – the first of its kind in this country – to invest up to $400 million in infrastructure funding just for workforce training, to be able to create 10,000 new infrastructure jobs in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”

The executive order, he said, will help fund training while prioritizing the use of union labor and jobs that are subject to project labor agreements and/or community benefit agreements. It will also assist workers with barriers to entry like childcare access, helping unions like SMART recruit and retain from every community.

“This is our time to take advantage of the opportunity to not only rebuild our infrastructure, but create real opportunity,” he declared. “When we put union workers on the job, we will not only get the job done – when those workers go onto the next project, they’ll be union members, and they’ll be ready to do the job the right way.”

Shapiro has taken various steps to prioritize workers since taking office, including an executive order to remove the four-year college degree variety from more than 60,000 state government jobs. All of this, he said, is part of his administration’s focus for the commonwealth: a focus on workers, on union labor, on training and skilled work, regardless of origin, education.

“We value you, we respect you, we appreciate you, and I want you to know we will always have your back,” Shapiro concluded.

SMACNA Executive Director of Labor Relations Jason Watson
SMACNA President Anthony Kocurek

SMACNA Executive Director of Labor Relations Jason Watson followed Shapiro by recognizing the work of General President Emeritus Joseph Sellers, who he called a “tremendous partner who truly cares about the future of our industry.”

Watson described the conference theme – “This Is Our Time” – as applicable not just to workforce opportunities and challenges, but to the labor-management relationship between SMART and SMACNA. The two organizations have been partnering on issues like lobbying for project labor agreements, megaproject staffing, ventilation verification issues, diversity and inclusion efforts, and more. Such initiatives are part of a holistic, industry-wide focus to ensure that the future of sheet metal is unionized.

“This is our time – it’s our time to prove that we can staff these jobs, that we have the skilled trades workers to complete these jobs without losing any market share on the back end,” Watson said.

Next came a presentation from Dushaw Hockett, a partner with SMART on the Belonging and Excellence for All (BE4ALL) initiative. His interactive session encouraged attendees to engage with one another and learn more about fellow union leaders. That, he noted, is a core part of the BE4ALL effort: Recognizing and reifying the ties that bind all of us together, both as union family and as human beings.

The BE4ALL committee has put those values into practice in various ways, Hockett continued: producing Toolbox Talks, developing a proactive rapid response protocol for incidents related to bias and belonging (to be released by the end of 2023), hosting Learning Journey sessions and more.

“This is not a DEI project, this is not a race project, this is not a gender project. Fundamentally, this is about creating workspaces that are welcome to every single worker and every single contractor that is a part of this industry,” Hockett declared. “At its very core, this work is about helping us to be better human beings to each other at a time when we need this the most. It’s about preparing our organization and our industry to take advantage of one of the most significant shifts in technology that we’ve seen in the past 100 years.” 

Finally, NEMI Administrator Lisa Davis presented her report, detailing the strategic plan for the fund and the resources available to local unions and training centers. As NEMI continues its mission to put members to work making buildings healthy, safe and energy efficient, Davis said, local union participation will be vital – particularly regarding legislative efforts across the country, as well as work with agencies on indoor air quality in schools.

“Please get ahold of us,” she urged attendees.

With that, General Secretary-Treasurer Powell concluded the sheet metal session, with leaders moving on to attend breakout sessions during the afternoon.

General President Michael Coleman opens the 2023 SMART Leadership Conference.

SMART leaders across sheet metal and the Transportation Division gathered in Washington, D.C., on July 31 to kick off the second annual SMART Leadership Conference. With a conference theme of “This is Our Time,” attendees convened to begin the hard work of making sure SMART seizes this moment of unprecedented opportunity across every craft and industry our union represents.

SMART General President Michael Coleman convened the conference by bringing SMART-TD Washington, D.C., Legislative Director Jarad Jackson and SM Local 100 President/Business Manager Richie Labille, who welcomed attendees to their home region. He also introduced the SMART General Executive Council (GEC).

A somber remembrance

To begin, SMART General President Michael Coleman called for a moment of silence to be observed for GEC member/International Representative and Transportation Division Vice President John D. “J.D.” Whitaker III, who sadly passed away from cancer July 27 — but whose legacy continues to be felt in our union, especially as SMART-TD affiliates negotiate and ratify groundbreaking tentative agreements.

Transportation Division President Jeremy Ferguson remembered time he spent with VP Whitaker fondly, including attending a winter hunting trip in the South with their children. But what defined Whitaker was his unflinching commitment to serving members, he said.

Ferguson recalled that even up to a week before his death Vice President Whitaker was working on union business. When President Ferguson urged him to rest, VP Whitaker told him that’s what kept him going.

“You fought the good fight, J.D.,” President Ferguson concluded his tribute. “Rest easy.”

SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson

GP Coleman illustrates opportunity ahead

Coleman then kicked off the conference in earnest with his opening remarks, which made unmistakably clear that the conference theme – “This is Our Time” – is much more than just a catchphrase.

“This is our time,” he declared. “We still have plenty of work to do and battles to fight. But if we fight together, we will win.”  

SMART General President Coleman

Coleman paid tribute to the tireless efforts of recently retired General President Joseph Sellers, whose leadership helped position SMART to seize upon unprecedented opportunity. He also recognized the hard-fought battles union members fought in recent years, from working through the COVID pandemic to defeating the previous presidential administration’s anti-labor IRAPs scheme. For the most part, though, Coleman’s remarks were – appropriately – focused on the future.

“We are in a defining moment in the history of this union,” he said. “There are incredible opportunities on the horizon.”

From megaprojects to the bipartisan Railway Safety Act, from media focus on bus and transit operator assaults to bottom-up organizing campaigns in Alaska, from pro-labor elected officials in office to SMART’s efforts to recruit and retain members from across races, genders, ethnicities and sexual orientation, Coleman repeated again and again: This is our time.

The combination of megaprojects and continued focus on core sheet metal work – helped by the Biden administration’s pro-labor policy outlook and partnership with SMART on indoor air quality – is creating unheard-of workforce demands and spectacular growth in our membership. That problem is a good one to have, Coleman explained, but only if SMART steps up to organize nonunion workers and recruit from every community.

“We have proven we can change lives,” he reminded attendees. “I’ve seen it firsthand. So let’s get out there. Let’s bring workers in, all of them, regardless of race, gender, or creed.”

For Transportation Division workers, in a period of resurgence after massive industry cuts made because of Precision Scheduled Railroading, new public and media attention on safety issues has presented a rare chance to secure real safety across industries and crafts. Following the disaster in East Palestine, Ohio, Coleman noted, Kansas, Ohio and Minnesota have all passed two-person crew laws, with other states considering rail safety legislation and the Railway Safety Act continuing to progress in the Senate. Additionally, the dangers facing bus and transit operators are affecting workers and riders alike, leading to increased attention across the board.

“For the sake of our communities and for the sake of our brothers and sisters,” Coleman declared, “we need to get [transportation safety] over the line.”

General Secretary-Treasurer’s update

Like General President Coleman, General Secretary-Treasurer Joseph Powell opened his remarks by reflecting on the accomplishments of retired General President Sellers, calling him “the measure that all future SMART General Presidents will be compared to.” He then expounded upon several of the topics Coleman addressed, describing the state of our union construction industry and SMART’s need to grow at a rate that outpaces the industry; describing the progress of the SMART strategic plan; and elaborating on the achievements of SMART Canada.

SMART General Secretary-Treasurer Powell

“To continue to increase both our membership and our collective bargaining power, we need to not only meet but exceed the growth rate of the entire industry,” he said.

The Transportation Division, Powell said, grew by 4,581 members – even after having endured contentious contract negotiations, rail safety disasters, assaults on transit operators and more. “That represents a significant 9.38 percent increase over the previous year,” he added; a tremendous organizing win for the union.

Powell also described ongoing growth north of the U.S. border, where megaprojects and collaborations with pro-labor federal and provincial governments have spurred huge opportunities. The definition of prevailing wage in the 2023 federal budget is one of the strongest in Canadian history, and megaprojects are breaking ground from Alberta to Ontario.

“Growth is on the menu and recruitment stands as the utmost priority when it comes to securing our place in the future of Canada’s infrastructure.

“It is clear that we are on the cusp of great opportunities,” Powell said.

Powell ended his speech by echoing General President Coleman’s call to action: “Our solidarity, our unity, and the hard work we have put in to get to this point are the bedrock that ensures we grow stronger than ever before. Together we will make the most of this moment.”

Transportation Division progress

TD President Ferguson returned to the podium to review how the SMART Transportation Division has advanced the interests of workers both recently and in the year since the first SMART Leadership Conference in San Francisco.

He reflected upon a recent contract victory that the late VP Whitaker and General Chairperson Gerald Wallace of GCA-261, who passed away July 16, achieved.

“Gerry Wallace was a good friend of mine. When his committee was in dire straits, he turned it around,” President Ferguson said. “It was only fitting that Vice President Whitaker would be assigned to GC Wallace. Sure enough, they had a solid bond.

“The best tribute to both of these officers that we got the new contract ratified with 95% in favor of.”

SMART-TD President Ferguson and FRA Administrator Amit Bose

Another recent victory was achieved in Alaska with the White Pass & Yukon Route, a tourist railroad, where General Chairperson Jason Guiler and Vice President Brent Leonard brought what had been an almost six-year negotiation to a satisfactory conclusion for members.

“They backed off on everything they wanted and we got the job done,” Ferguson stated.

However, the troubling trend of assaults upon bus and transit workers has continued in major urban areas.

“That’s one fight we can’t back down on,” President Ferguson said. “We cannot stop on those issues.” We should not have to put up with that in our country. In most states it’s a misdemeanor. That needs to change.”

The national contract fight freight members went through brought unprecedented national attention to what rail workers experience regarding attendance and working conditions.

“The media picked up on our issues — it was not about the pay, it was about the quality of life. Carriers said they were never going to negotiate on attendance policies,” Ferguson said. “Guess what? They did.”

In addition to an all-time high pay raise, workers did make advancements on those quality-of-life issues, such as paid sick leave, in negotiations that are completed at some properties but ongoing at others.

“We are about 65% complete negotiating attendance and paid sick time,” Ferguson reported. The chief holdouts are properties on BNSF, some of the smaller Canadian-run branches and smaller carriers.

FRA Administrator Bose
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy

The opening session closed with appearances by Federal Railroad Administration Administrator Amit Bose, who also presented at the first leadership conference in 2022 in San Francisco, and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair Jennifer Homendy.

“Thank you for what you do every day,” Bose said. “The sheer breadth of workers represented in this room … is evidence that it takes many workers with many skillsets that make our nation run.

“This is a watershed moment with the nation’s attention turned on rail safety.”

Jennifer Homendy, the National Transportation Safety Board chair whose agency is tasked with determining the causes of transportation accidents, praised the diversity and our union’s commitment to safety.

“You have my commitment to fight beside you because it is our time to fight for safety,” she said.

With that, General President Coleman concluded the joint session, with sheet metal and Transportation Division attendees heading to their respective industry-specific session. Read more about the sheet metal session here.

SMART-TD Washington, DC SLD Jarad Jackson
SM Local 100 Business Manager and President Richie Labille

Following the 2023 SMART Leadership Conference day one joint session, Transportation Division and sheet metal union leaders went their separate ways for industry-specific sessions. General President Michael Coleman began the sheet metal session with remarks that detailed the material he touched on in his joint session speech, emphasizing how the International has streamlined its focus on supporting local unions; the importance of organizing and recruiting across all the diverse groups that make up our two nations; mobilizing members for the 2024 election; and more.

“We have spent decades working for this moment we face today,” he said. “This moment, right now, is our time – our time to take advantage of the opportunities that sit before us.”

Coleman described some of the programs implemented by the International to benefit local unions and mobilize members – including centralized communications, the SMART Army, peer-to-peer programs, the new member orientation kit and more. Coleman also listed the different initiatives put forth to help local unions staff megaprojects and maintain their core work. More than anything else, he stressed the need for growth, both by organizing new members into SMART and by recruiting in every community in which we work and live, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity or creed.

“The future of both our nations is one of a diverse workforce and people – we can either choose to be a part of that future, or a relic of the past,” Coleman concluded. “This is our time to get back to our roots as a union and provide opportunity to all qualified individuals who choose to join us.”

SMART General President Michael Coleman and NABTU President Sean McGarvey

Coleman then introduced Sean McGarvey, president of North America’s Building Trades Unions, who has been a fierce ally for SMART and all union building trades workers throughout his career. McGarvey started his speech by paying tribute to General President Emeritus Joseph Sellers, who he said has “been there for me as a friend, as a mentor, as a member of the board of presidents.” Sellers’ invaluable work for SMART and across the labor movement, particularly regarding pension security, will benefit workers for generations to come, McGarvey added.  

“It’s been an absolute pleasure to work with you, my friend,” he told Sellers.

McGarvey then noted that the conference theme, “This Is Our Time,” is spot on. “Not since the end of World War II have working people had an opportunity like this,” he explained.

McGarvey described the Biden administration’s unprecedented engagement with the labor movement, building trades unions and working people in general. On the one hand, he said, that refers to the administration’s solicitation of policy direction from organized labor. On the other, federal funding from legislation like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act is creating extraordinary workforce opportunities – and demands. Now it’s on the building trades to meet this moment, McGarvey emphasized, including new work building North America’s climate resiliency and a green energy future.

NABTU President McGarvey

“Nobody’s more important in the fight against climate change than SMART and sheet metal workers,” he noted, pointing to SMART members’ work on energy efficiency, HVAC and beyond.

McGarvey reiterated Coleman’s emphasis on bringing underserved communities into the labor movement and lifting workers into the middle class. Investments in infrastructure, workforce development and domestic manufacturing make it imperative for unions like SMART to open wide the doors of our training centers and union halls. NABTU, McGarvey said, is working to help unions do just that by piloting childcare programs for building trades workers, fully developing a culture of inclusion on the jobsite, partnering with organizations like Helmets to Hardhats to bring in veterans, and more.

“That doesn’t happen without the support of SMART and other union affiliates,” he declared.

Maryland Congressman David Trone followed President McGarvey. Trone opened his remarks by noting several of his priorities as an elected representative: combatting the opioid epidemic, helping Americans with their mental health and working for criminal justice reform – all issues that are near and dear to SMART members’ hearts.

“We need more leadership to say: people come first, and when they do, businesses do fine,” he said. “America’s values are inextricably linked to the values of the labor movement.”

Congressman David Trone

Trone noted that federal legislation that he supported – including the American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act – will help spur a new American industrial revolution. Importantly, he said, the implementation of that legislation and the rolling out of funding has only just begun. Over the next four, six, eight years, the projects and jobs created by federal investment will put SMART members to work and change the lives of countless people. That makes it even more crucial to fund registered apprenticeships, implement project labor agreements far and wide, and support unions like SMART.

“In order to lock in these wins, we have to ensure that workers’ voices are heard and their rights are protected,” Trone said. “I’m incredibly proud to be your partner in this continued fight. I’m going to always stand with labor.”

Later in the sheet metal session, Sheet Metal Workers’ National Pension Fund (NPF) Executive Director Lori Wood provided an overview of the NPF – certified healthy in the Green Zone since 2022. Finally, General President Coleman welcomed Clark Ellis of Continuum to the stage, where he elaborated on specific details and outlined the continued progress of the strategic plan, underscoring the opportunity SMART has to recapture and expand market share.

“The strategic plan is the backbone that can help ensure SMART does the right things to grow and maximize our potential,” he said.

Following a busy morning, both sheet metal and TD leaders fanned out to continue their work in various breakout sessions, including meetings on forming a committee; lessons learned from a bottom-up organizing campaign at Ketchikan Vigor Shipyard; future developments in Canada; updates from the Biden administration; and much more.

New SMART General President Michael Coleman has been stepping up for his fellow members since his days as a rank-and-file sheet metal worker in Cleveland. He worked as a foreman shortly after becoming a journeyperson, then decided he wanted to represent his brothers and sisters in the local.

“I realized very early on I wanted to be a leader in the industry,” he said. “I wanted to help represent the membership — that’s what led me into becoming an elected official, just my desire to represent the members.”

Coleman became a business representative at Local 33 in his early thirties; as time progressed, he decided to run for business manager to ensure member voices took priority in northern Ohio. There, he garnered a reputation for innovation: pursuing groundbreaking strategies in order to recruit more members, effectively structure local funds, provide greater flexibility to members and more.

Local 33 Business Representative Corey Beaubien, Director of Partnership Development Eli Baccus and International Representative Tom Wiant specifically praised changes Coleman made to the local’s scope of work and organizing — from building out Local 33’s fire life safety capacity, to devising special agreements and intra-local travel incentives to maintain work during economic slowdowns, to restructuring the organizing department to maximize cohesion and effectiveness. The result: steady growth at the local.

“The members are the union — that was the core value of this union when I joined in 1985, and it remains the foundational principle of SMART to this day,”

“Every decision that he’s made, it’s always been about the members first,” Beaubien said. “He was very successful in pushing us in organizing as a leader, and with the success he had in Ohio, I believe it’s going to translate to the whole country.”

Current Local 33 President and Business Manager Tim Miller agreed, pointing to the redirect fund Coleman conceived to give members more choice in the disbursement of health and pension funds.

“The members love it to this day,” he said. “It works, and it’s an example of how Mike just doesn’t take no for an answer. He knows there’s a solution to the problem, and he continues until he finds that solution and then he implements it.”

After several years leading Local 33, Coleman moved to Washington, DC to work as SMART’s director of business and management relations. Mere months later, General President Sellers asked Coleman to become assistant to the general president, a position in which he served until May 31, 2023. He played a crucial role during SMART’s second-ever General Convention in 2019, serving as secretary of the Constitution Committee and shepherding through 114 proposed amendments — helping to facilitate the democratic process of our union. He also worked side-by-side with Sellers to push for legislation that positions SMART members for future success.

That work is now beginning to bear fruit. “It’s our time. Now is our time,” Coleman declared.

In the short term, he explained, the dozens of megaprojects breaking ground across North America present local sheet metal unions with both unprecedented opportunity and workforce challenges. At the same time, rail and transit operator safety has become a headline issue from California to Charlotte, presenting SMART Transportation Division members with the chance to go on offense and secure lasting legislation and regulation. Key to both sets of priorities, Coleman noted, is the need to recruit and retain workers across crafts and industries, no matter their background.

“This is an opportunity to organize; organize like I don’t know I have ever seen before,” he said. “We have a chance to grow, to strengthen our numbers, to become a force in markets, communities and government offices across our two nations. We need to reflect the communities we all live in, and we need to ensure every member of this union — regardless of race, creed, beliefs, place of origin, sexual orientation or anything else — knows that they belong.”

With opportunity comes great challenges, Coleman added. Staffing megaprojects while maintaining core sheet metal work requires a new scale of organizing and recruiting, and the flighty winds of politics mean that nothing can be taken for granted when it comes to securing meaningful transportation safety legislation. Nevertheless, momentum is on our side.

“The members are the union — that was the core value of this union when I joined in 1985, and it remains the foundational principle of SMART to this day,” Coleman said. “When we come together to fight for our jobs, our communities and our families, we cannot be stopped. I want all members to understand that we’re going to continue with our representation, and we’re going to continue coming up with new initiatives that make their lives and their families’ lives better.”

Brothers and Sisters,

Happy Fourth of July from myself and the SMART General Executive Council. Wherever you are across the country, I hope you are able to relax and enjoy the fruits of your labor with friends and family.

This is an exciting Independence Day for our union. Our efforts over the past several years are starting to pay off, and we are now in a time of unprecedented opportunities.

Public and private infrastructure projects are breaking ground across the country, putting SMART members to work in Tennessee, Michigan, Ohio, Oregon, New York and well beyond. The strong labor standards tied to federal funding on both current and future projects will help create thousands of sheet metal jobs for our members – plus, local unions still have ongoing core work. It is a good time to be a union sheet metal worker.

In the transportation sector, SMART-TD members are finally beginning to see progress on battles we have been fighting for years. Two-person crews are now the law of the land in Ohio, Kansas and Minnesota, and the federal Railway Safety Act continues to move forward in the United States Senate. We are also seeing major projects break ground related to Amtrak infrastructure. These projects will put sheet metal members to work on jobs that will benefit transportation members’ working conditions.

I want to thank every single member who hit the pavement to make these gains, whether you got out the vote last election, called your elected representatives to tell them to vote for rail safety or simply showed up at your local union meeting to get involved. YOU are the reason we are in this position.

Now, let’s take advantage. This is our time to act, to make sure we continue our forward momentum. The influx of sheet metal work is creating enormous demand – now is the time to organize and recruit across all communities to strengthen our union and grow our collective bargaining power. For our railroaders and transit operators, momentum and media attention are on our side. Let’s seize this opportunity to educate our friends, neighbors, communities and lawmakers, and finally win the safety and job protections we deserve.

All the gains we have made are a result of the core values of unionism: solidarity, equality, freedom, democracy. These are principles we hold dear – as union members, and as Americans. This Independence Day, we honor the generations of Americans who have given the ultimate sacrifice to uphold those principles and maintain our independence. Your bravery will never be forgotten.

Once again, happy Fourth of July – please stay safe, and enjoy the holiday.

Brothers and Sisters,

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.

Ahead of former SMART General President Sellers’ retirement, he sat down with General President Coleman to discuss Sellers’ career, his proudest accomplishments, Coleman’s priorities as general president and the future of SMART.

“It’s been a great honor to serve you as our general president, representing our brothers and sisters who keep our two nations moving. It’s a privilege that I have cherished, and I have not taken for granted,” Sellers said.

Both Sellers and Coleman agreed: The time is now to secure generational progress for SMART members across industries. Megaprojects are breaking ground across North America, rail safety legislation continues to advance in state houses and the federal government, and members are sounding the alarm on important issues like bus and transit operator safety. Momentum is on our side, Sellers and Coleman each pointed out; now we need to take advantage.

“We are going to push forward,” Coleman said. “We are going to represent our members on a day in and day out basis. The team that we’ve built here wants to do that, and we’re working as a team to better the lives of sheet metal workers and transportation workers. This is our moment; this is where we need to be.”

Michael Coleman, a longtime SMART member with decades of leadership experience at the local and international level, assumed the position of SMART general president on June 1, 2023, following the retirement of Joseph Sellers on May 31. Coleman was elected general president by the SMART General Executive Council, which in turn was elected by delegates to the 2019 SMART General Convention.

“It is the honor of my lifetime to serve this great union – one that has given myself and my family everything we have,” said Coleman. “General President Sellers has worked tirelessly to position this union for success in the future, from winning pro-worker federal legislation to helping oversee the Green Zone certification of the Sheet Metal Workers National Pension Fund. I look forward to building on his legacy and working to advance SMART members’ priorities.”

SMART General President Michael Coleman (right) tours the Blue Oval City project in Stanton, Tenn.

Coleman began his career as a SMART sheet metal worker in 1985, when he joined what was then Local 65 in Cleveland, Ohio (Local 65 merged with Local 33 soon after). After graduating into journeyperson status and honing his craft for several years, he ran for election as a member of the local’s executive board. From there, he became business representative, then Local 33 president and business manager in 2012.

At Local 33, Coleman cultivated a reputation for pursuing innovative strategies in order to organize more members, effectively structure benefit and pension plans, provide greater flexibility to members and more. He worked tirelessly to boost the local’s profile throughout northern Ohio and West Virginia and demonstrated a willingness to think outside the box in taking on the challenges our union faces.  

Seven years later, Coleman moved to Washington, DC to work as SMART’s director of business and management relations. Shortly after that, General President Sellers asked Coleman to become assistant to the general president, a position in which he served until May 31, 2023. In all, Coleman has more than 20 years of dedicated leadership at the local and international level. He played a crucial role during SMART’s second-ever General Convention in 2019, serving as secretary of the Constitution Committee and shepherding through 114 proposed amendments – helping to facilitate the democratic process of our union and positioning SMART for future success.

During the last decade, SMART members have mobilized to win transformational victories for working families across North America. SMART sheet metal workers are on the forefront of new and pending megaprojects funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, as well as partnering with the Biden administration to perform much-needed indoor air quality work. The union’s political advocacy has helped spark forward progress on regulation related to two-person freight train crews and rail safety, and SMART’s organizing activity led to groundbreaking wins in Alaska, California and beyond. Coleman, who plans to hit the road to meet with SMART members in his first months as general president, vowed to continue this forward progress.

“The members are the union – that was the core value of this union when I joined in 1985, and it remains the foundational principle of SMART to this day,” he said. “When we come together to fight for our jobs, our communities and our families, we cannot be stopped. This is our time, and I will work as hard as I can to help us seize this opportunity.”

Watch an interview with General President Michael Coleman from episode 7 of SMART News.
Incoming SMART General President Michael Coleman
Incoming SMART General President Michael Coleman

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 merged with Local 33 soon after).

“I was 18 years old, about to turn 19,” Coleman explained. “I had a job working for a moving company, but there wasn’t much of a future in that. And somebody I knew said, ‘why don’t you try taking the apprenticeship test to become a sheet metal worker?’ And like most people at the time, I said: ‘I don’t even know what a sheet metal worker is.’”

He took the apprenticeship test, honed his craft as a member of Local 33 (northern Ohio) and — despite having never considered union leadership — ended up running for election as a member of the local’s executive board. From there, he became business representative, then Local 33 president and business manager in 2012. Seven years later, the SMART General Executive Council asked him to move to Washington, DC to work as SMART’s director of business and management relations — and shortly after that, General President Sellers asked him to become assistant to the general president. In all, it amounts to more than 20 years of dedicated leadership at the local and international level.

Watch an interview with incoming SMART General President Michael Coleman

“Much like General President Sellers, everything I have is because of this organization,” Coleman said. “I was floundering working for that moving company — becoming a sheet metal worker and a SMART member has provided me everything I have, along with my family. So I’m very dedicated to this organization. I’m driven because I think I owe everything I have to this organization.”

Coleman has seen first-hand the battles and victories of the last several years: from the fight against IRAPs and anti-worker rail policy, to huge wins like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the current megaproject boom. As he prepares for his new role as general president, he says, those challenges and opportunities are top of mind.

“Now is our time,” he said. “These opportunities are once in a generation, and I’m very excited and very thankful to General President Sellers for positioning us as he did.”