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SMART Local 265 (DuPage County, Ill.) sheet metal worker Danielle Wilson has always impressed her fellow union members with her expertise and craft as a welder. In February, she also impressed contractor Walsh Construction, which featured Wilson – an employee at GT Mechanical – as part of its ongoing progress newsletter tracking the construction of a new Chicago Jesuit Academy (CJA) school building.  

“Danielle currently lives in Coal City, Ill., and makes the hour-long commute to CJA every day,” Walsh wrote in its newsletter.  

Though Wilson comes from a family of tradespeople – her father and brother are laborers, while her brothers-in-law are sheet metal workers – she originally planned to become a surgeon. After a short stint as a painter, she joined Local 265; since then, Walsh wrote, “she has never looked back,” developing her skills as a welder to such a degree that she is now the go-to stainless steel welder at GT Mechanical.  

Her current job, the new CJA building, will serve as the future home for female students attending the academy. Wilson, a journeyperson, is currently working on installing and connecting ductwork for the building’s HVAC system – a vital task that will ensure the quality of the air that future students breathe. However, Wilson is more than a sheet metal worker to the students at CJA; she’s also a role model. 

“Danielle recently spoke to the first class of 3rd and 4th grade girls to attend the school,” Local 265 shared on Facebook in February. “She did a fantastic job explaining all the ins and outs of the trade and answered a number of great questions from the students.”  

By serving as ambassadors for the sheet metal trade and our union, members like Wilson do more than demonstrate the importance of skilled labor on the job: They pass on knowledge about the fulfilling, life-changing nature of a union sheet metal career. This is vital as SMART works to strengthen the union’s future and lift working families across our two nations.  

“Local 265 is very proud of Danielle Nicole Wilson,” the local’s Facebook post concluded.  

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) added the Testing, Adjusting and Balancing Bureau (TABB) as a third certification body for certifying personnel and contractors who perform testing, adjusting and balancing (TAB) on heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC); water balancing; and sound and vibration equipment testing. The addition was effective Nov. 1, 2021.

With endorsements and acceptance/ inclusion from the VA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA) and construction companies nationwide, TABB is the professional’s choice for the testing, adjusting and balancing of HVAC systems.

“Certification provides assurance to building owners that a particular contractor will meet a specified level of quality. The need for highly skilled technicians has increased with the complexity of HVAC systems.”

– From a 2020 white paper released the University of California, Davis, Western Cooling Efficiency Center (WCEC)

The decision was based, in part, on a white paper released in 2020 by the University of California, Davis, Western Cooling Efficiency Center (WCEC) — “Testing, Adjusting and Balancing HVAC Systems: An Overview of Certification Agencies” — which examined the benefits of using certified contractors and favorably positioned TABB as the first and only personnel-certifying body accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) in this field. The paper also stated TABB conforms to ISO/IEC 17024, an internationally recognized standard for personnel certification bodies.

TABB has developed certifications to serve as verification that technicians and supervisors have the knowledge and experience needed to complete the job tasks at hand. A well-balanced HVAC system isn’t just efficient; it’s also safer due to enhanced ventilation rates and overall indoor air quality.

“Certification provides assurance to building owners that a particular contractor will meet a specified level of quality,” the white paper explained. “The need for highly skilled technicians has increased with the complexity of HVAC systems.”

TABB is the first program to gain ANSI accreditation for certification in the testing, adjusting and balancing industry. Certification is a statement that the technician, supervisor and contractor demonstrate the highest level of professional expertise

Last fall, SMART General President Joseph Sellers traveled to UBS Arena, then still in progress, to tour and meet members working on the brand-new, $1.5 billion multipurpose home of the New York Islanders, which opened on November 20, 2021. Watch the video of their trip to see how our entire union – including sheet metal, testing and balancing, sign installation and Transportation Division members – came together to construct UBS Arena, as well as track for a new rail station serving the stadium.

Unique to this project was the presence of SMART members from across our union, including Local 137 sign members who installed the giant center ice board, as well as signage around the arena and in the new train station built to handle swarms of fans from across Long Island and the NY metropolitan area.

SMART-TD members led the way in constructing the Long Island Rail Road track leading to the new station. SMART Local 28 sheet metal workers installed all parts of the HVAC system, including ductwork, rooftop units, fans, fire dampers and smoke purge systems. SMART members also installed architectural features, including roofing and decking, and specialty work such as kitchen equipment, lockers and toilet partitions.

Read more about the project:
Sheet metal and TD members have hands in UBS Arena project