As a sheet metal worker and proud union member for decades, I can confidently say that I’ve never seen as much opportunity in our industry as I do today.
Like many of you, I’ve faced my share of challenges throughout my career. Whether I was working with the tools, fighting to secure jobs as an organizer or negotiating contracts to expand our market share as the business manager of Local 265 in Carol Stream, Illinois, I’ve been right there with you. We have navigated the ups and downs, including the unprecedented challenges of the Great Recession and its aftermath.
Today, we find ourselves in unprecedented times once again — but this time, it’s due to unparalleled growth.
Across the country, we see a surge of megaprojects breaking ground: EV battery plants, infrastructure projects, semiconductor fabrication facilities and more. These projects are coming online every day in places like Texas, Ontario, Tennessee, Kentucky, Vermont and beyond.
Our union is stronger than ever. Our membership now stands at 230,000 — a gain of nearly 30,000 new members. This growth is a remarkable achievement and a testament to the hard work and determination of members and leaders across the union. But let me be clear: This success wasn’t handed to us — it was earned.
In 2020, we mobilized to elect a pro-worker administration and allies in Congress — not because of the party they represented, but because they were willing to listen to us, understand our “Why,” and act on it. We pushed our agenda forward, negotiating with those who were open-minded and committed to understanding the needs of our members. We held accountable those who failed to stand by us and stood firmly behind those who proved their loyalty to our cause. We didn’t just sit back and support candidates based on party affiliation, nor did we simply take politicians at their word. We fought actively for our future.
Our hard work led to the passage of critical legislation — the American Rescue Plan Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act. These aren’t just political wins; they are victories for every single union member, ensuring jobs that offer fair pay, good benefits and the dignity of work.
But we cannot take these gains for granted. If we want this period of prosperity to continue, we must remain vigilant and proactive. Our future is at stake in this November’s election.
This election is not about partisan politics. I know that for some, issues like diversity, equity and inclusion, immigration reform, the right to bear arms or who we choose to love are deeply personal and vital. And they are important. But at the core of everything — no matter what we believe or how we live — is the need for family security. Whatever your family looks like, whatever you value, the foundation of it all is the ability to provide for those we love.
That means securing good wages, quality healthcare and the dignity of retirement through our hard-earned pensions.
Our union isn’t just about better wages and benefits; it’s about creating a stable foundation for every family, ensuring that every member can provide for their loved ones. A strong union builds stronger families, stronger communities and ultimately, a stronger country. When we protect and grow our union, we set the stage for addressing all of the other challenges we face. This November, let’s stay focused on what matters most: our union, our families and our future.
That’s why I’ll be voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, two pro-union champions who have proven their loyalty to SMART members and pledged to continue our shared progress. I urge you to join me in voting for the future of our families and our union this November.
It is one of the greatest honors of my life to serve as your general secretary-treasurer. This trade, and this great union, have given me everything I have. I first picked up the tools in 1991, when I started in the Local 265 apprenticeship program in Carol Stream, Illinois. Since then, I’ve worked as a sheet metal fabricator, an installer, an instructor, an organizer, a business representative, financial secretary-treasurer and the president and business manager of my local.
At every step, I’ve been humbled to walk in the footsteps of the trade unionists who came before me; who passed along their knowledge and helped me serve my fellow members as best I could. That includes outgoing SMART General Secretary-Treasurer Joseph Powell. Joe has worked closely with me to ensure a seamless transition as he moves to a directorial role — and thanks in no small part to his hard work alongside General President Emeritus Joseph Sellers and General President Michael Coleman, our organization is well positioned for the future.
Five years ago, we faced a number of challenges. The Sheet Metal Workers’ National Pension Fund was still considered “endangered.” The SMART Transportation Division fought constantly against attacks like precision scheduled railroading, draconian attendance policies, anti-worker legislation and much more. Financially, the International and local unions alike found themselves making sacrifices to ensure our organization’s solvency.
We are living in extraordinary times, brothers and sisters — and if we take advantage, SMART and the labor movement will benefit for decades.
We are in a much different position today, and not by accident. The hard work of members at every level of this union helped push the National Pension Fund into the “Green Zone;” we recruited more new sheet metal workers than we lost in 2023; and in the face of untoward hostility from freight railroad carriers and anti-union government officials, the SMART Transportation Division managed to grow in the last year.
Financially, we are secure. We have met the challenge. But now, it’s time to put the pedal to the metal.
Megaprojects and pro-worker laws have combined with our core work to create unparalleled workforce demands — and opportunity — in the sheet metal industry. This is our time to grow; to organize, recruit and retain more than we ever have, and to secure our collective future for generations of SMART members to come.
The same goes for transportation workers. Our union has made incredible progress when it comes to rail safety, as well as funding for high-speed rail lines and major contract victories such as paid sick leave. We won’t let up now. I look forward to working with SMART-TD leaders and members to win further gains and secure more protections for our members.
We are living in extraordinary times, brothers and sisters — and if we take advantage, SMART and the labor movement will benefit for decades. Words cannot describe how proud I am to work for and alongside you in this pivotal moment, and I promise I will do everything in my power to help the 200,000-plus members of this union achieve the future we deserve.
This is an overview of day four of the Third SMART General Convention. More details will be included in the Fall Members’ Journal.
Delegates to the 3rd SMART General Convention continued their work on Thursday, August 15, hearing from convention committees and SMART department directors on the state of our union, conducting convention business and hearing from guest speakers who remarked on the importance of solidarity as we move forward.
Helms demonstrates how solidarity strengthens our union
Thursday’s guest speakers came to Las Vegas from organizations that SMART has closely allied with for years.
SMART Convention delegates gave a warm welcome to Helmets to Hardhats Executive Director Martin Helms. SMART has partnered with Helmets to Hardhats, which works to bring United States military veterans into the unionized building trades, for more than 20 years.
In his remarks, Helms thanked SMART for playing its part by participating in Helmets to Hardhats and with programs like SMART Heroes — which offers accelerated first-year apprenticeship training to those exiting the U.S. military — while urging members to keep up the work. SMART had the third-highest number of “known successful transitions” (Helmets to Hardhats applicants who successfully begin their career in the building trades) in 2023, and is on pace to garner even more interest in 2024. Helms implored any delegates present who aren’t already working with Helmets to Hardhats to get involved.
“SMART and Helmets to Hardhats are amazing teams,” he concluded. “Thank you for the last two decades of collaboration. I am motivated by what the future holds, and the H2H team looks forward to working with each one of you to increase our veteran recruitment. Thank you, God bless, and let’s continue to build America!”
SMACNA leaders: Progress can only come through partnership
Convention delegates heard from SMACNA President Carol Duncan and CEO Aaron Hilger on Thursday, August 15, with both speakers extolling the virtues of partnership in the unionized sheet metal industry at a time when enthusiasm for organized labor is skyrocketing.
“The power of progress and collaboration [is] shaping our industry’s future,” Duncan told delegates.
During her Thursday morning remarks, Duncan overviewed the important, trailblazing work SMART members and leaders are performing to make sure the unionized sheet metal industry is positioned for growth. Only by working together on initiatives like recruitment and retention, Belonging and Excellence for All and beyond, she told delegates, can union contractors and members make sure those projects are completed by high-road signatory employers and workers.
“It is crucial that our jobsites, shops, and offices are places where everyone feels safe,” Duncan said. “We all share the responsibility to speak up when something seems off and to support one another. Creating an environment where everyone feels welcome is key to attracting and keeping the best talent in the market.”
Hilger took the podium on Thursday afternoon, speaking to the convention crowd about four challenges met by SMART and SMACNA in the last several years — and the work that still needs to be done.
The first challenge: The BE4ALL initiative and our organizations’ broader focus on making the unionized sheet metal industry more welcoming and inclusive of all. Another: Strengthening government relations at the state and local level, winning legislation and ordinances that create work for SMART locals and SMACNA chapters.
That challenge, Hilger went on, relates directly to the third challenge that SMART and SMACNA worked together to meet: indoor air quality work. The pandemic revealed to the North American public just how important proper ventilation is to staying healthy and safe. Now, he said, local unions and contractors need to collaborate intensely to increase IAQ market share.
Finally, Hilger discussed the ongoing opportunity and difficulty posed by the surge of megaprojects across North America, with 260 being actively tracked by the SMART-SMACNA megaprojects task force. Union sheet metal contractors and workers are staffing those projects — an enormous victory. Now, he said, we need to keep up the good work and continue staffing our core work.
“It’s a wonderful time to be a union contractor and a union member,” he concluded. “Thank you for your partnership as we continue to work together.”
Financial report details strength, opportunity
SMART General Secretary-Treasurer John Daniel, Controller Warren May and SMART-TD Director of Administration Matt Dolin delivered a report on the financial state of the union, validated by an independent auditor to ensure transparency and accountability at every step. Daniel overviewed SMART’s meticulous financial processes before May and Dolin presented — in great detail — the union’s finances, which show significant growth and stellar overall health.
SMART’s assets are more than six times greater than its liabilities. Daniel noted that this strong position is one we need to build on to ensure further success, with May presenting what the union’s five-year financial projection would look like with and without a per capita increase.
“Together, we will build a future our members and their families deserve,” Daniel said.
This will be May’s final convention, as the steward of SMART’s financial department is set to retire at the end of 2024. General Secretary-Treasurer Daniel thanked May for his tireless work and thoughtful administration, calling him “instrumental” to SMART’s success.
“His expertise and dedication have been invaluable to SMART,” Daniel said. “His contributions to our organization have been significant, and we owe him a great deal of gratitude.”
“It’s been an honor and a privilege to serve this great International,” May told delegates.
Director reports chart our progress, lay out roadmap of the future
SMART Director of OrganizingJason Benson provided delegates with an overview of the department’s structure before detailing the challenges our union has met through organizing: recruiting, organizing nonunion workers, engaging in job actions to flip nonunion projects to signatory status, and much more. Over the last five years, there have been more than 29,000 new members organized into SMART, Benson said.
Greg HynesPaul PimentelJared CassityJason Benson
He also offered a preview of the work we have yet to do, with billions of dollars of work coming down the pipeline.
“The future is bright,” Benson said. “As General President Emeritus Sellers used to say, this is generational growth. If we don’t take advantage of it, shame on us.”
National Energy Management Institute (NEMI) Administrator Lisa Davis presented to delegates on the work the fund has pursued since 2019, including developing new resources for affiliates and updates to Testing, Adjusting and Balancing Bureau (TABB) certifications. Davis also explained how NEMI has helped local unions and regional councils win policy and regulatory victories across the United States, creating more work for sheet metal members, as well as efforts to turn back attacks on our fire life safety and indoor air quality work jurisdiction.
“The demand for a skilled, trained and certified workforce is increasing, and we are meeting that challenge,” Davis said.
Nick GreficzLisa DavisKen Colombo
SMART-TD Organizer Nick Greficz (TD Local 278) presented the Transportation Division Organizing Department’s report. The report included a breakdown of the success TD’s organizing has experienced in the recent past and the importance of continued growth for the strength of our union. Methodologies to achieve this growth included the continued implementation of tools such as the Action Builder platform and the organizer portal on SMART’s website.
Brother Greficz summed up his vision: “Success is the result of dedication, commitment and the collective participation of everyone involved. Every member, local officer and general committee officer is an organizer!”
Over the last several years, the SMART Governmental Affairs Department has partnered with pro-union legislators and federal officials to pass and implement policies that benefit SMART members and working families. After thanking staff members Tiffany Finck-Haynes, Ben Donnelly-Fine, Shareka Bannerman, Angela Watson and Jackie Meisner, Department Director Steve Dodd presented to delegates on the progress that has been made in the last several years — and the dangerous, anti-union policies members can expect from a second Trump administration.
“I know you’ve heard all week long about the damages that [Donald Trump] did when he was in office,” Dodd declared. “What we have now is an unbelievable situation like we’ve never had in our lives … you better fight like hell for your country and do whatever you can to get Kamala Harris in office in November.”
Transportation Division National Legislative Director Greg Hynes (TD Local 1081) and Alternate Legislative Director Jared Cassity (TD Local 1377) presented their departmental report to the convention delegates. Their report emphasized the department’s efforts to engage the membership in advocating for SMART-TD legislation. Multiple bills currently in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives are pivotal to freight rail members’ safety and quality of life.
Brother Cassity summed up the spirit of the Legislative Department when he said, “We need you together, we need you collected, and we need you fighting!”
Delegates also heard continued reports from a variety of convention committees, including the Constitution Committee, Union Label Committee, Organizing Committee and Industrial Automotive Committee.
This is an overview of day three of the Third SMART General Convention. More details will be included in the Fall Members’ Journal.
Delegates to the Third SMART General Convention reelected Michael Coleman of Local 33 (Cleveland, Ohio) as the union’s general president on Wednesday, August 14, by acclamation.
“I nominate a person I respect, a person who puts the advancement of SMART before himself,” said SMART General President Emeritus Joseph Sellers Jr., whose nomination was seconded by delegates from across the SMART sheet metal and Transportation Divisions.
General President Emeritus Sellers nominates Coleman, surrounded by delegates from SMART-TD.
Delegates also elected John Daniel of Local 265 (Carol Stream, Ill.) as general secretary-treasurer, by acclamation, and voted 11 general vice presidents onto the SMART General Executive Council (GEC).
Local 265 Business Manager Matt Gugala nominated Daniel for general secretary-treasurer, touting his leadership, open-mindedness, collaborative attitude and success at Local 265. Daniel also received seconds from across the union and from all corners of North America.
“I’m not advocating for John because he deserves it. I’m advocating for John because we, this union, deserve John Daniel as our GST,” Gugala said.
Coleman and Daniel were joined by SMART Transportation Division President Jeremy Ferguson, who was reelected on Sunday during the Third Transportation Division Convention.
Coleman dedicated his acceptance speech to giving thanks. Along with Local 33, its members and leaders, he paid tribute to Assistants to the General President Darrell Robert and Tom Wiant, as well as General President Emeritus Sellers — for his leadership, for how he positioned SMART, for his friendship and for his mentorship. He also thanked General Secretary-Treasurer Daniel and Transportation Division President Ferguson, who he hailed as trailblazing leaders and even better friends, along with a variety of other union members, leaders, and sisters and brothers.
He ended by giving heartfelt thanks to his family, including his son, Nick, and his wife, Liz, before expressing his gratitude for the delegates gathered at the convention.
“I want you to know how humbled and honored I am to have your vote,” Coleman said. “I will never back down from anybody, and I will fight tooth and nail for each and every single one of you and your members.”
Daniel thanked his home local, Local 265, and gave his sincere thanks to the many union members and leaders — retired officers, current members and beyond – who molded the man he is today. He also declared his unwavering commitment to serving every member, in every craft, in every industry that our union represents. Reiterating a recurring convention theme, he vowed to fight on members’ behalf to grow and strengthen SMART and the labor movement.
“Together, we are unstoppable,” he concluded. “Let us build a union that stands for every member.”
Transportation Division President Ferguson used his acceptance speech to thank his wife and family, TD office staff in Cleveland, UTUIA staff, retiring TD General Counsel Kevin Brodar and Ferguson’s deceased mentor, former Local 313 Chair Herm Boruta. He also remarked on the incredible solidarity on display:
“I will never forget General President Emeritus Joseph Sellers making the nomination for Mike Coleman, with all those TD local numbers behind him,” he said.
Like Coleman, Ferguson concluded his remarks by thanking convention delegates.
“The greatest honor I have is to give a thank you to each and every one of you delegates. Thank you for your dedication and your love of this union.”
SMART General President Emeritus Sellers swore in the newly elected officers. Wednesday’s elected general vice presidents are: Derek Evans, first GVP; Arthur Tolentino, second GVP; Rick Werner, third GVP; Bill Kenyon, fourth GVP; Robert Butler, fifth GVP; Ray Reasons, sixth GVP; Lance Deyette, seventh GVP; Thomas De Bartolo, eighth GVP; Jason Pedersen, ninth GVP; Stephen Langley, 10th GVP and Matthew Fairbanks, 11th GVP.
From the elections that took place Sunday, Sellers swore in TD President-elect Jeremy Ferguson, National Legislative Director Greg Hynes and Rail Vice Presidents Brent Leonard, Chad Adams, Jamie Modesitt and Alvy Hughes.
The terms of all the newly elected officers begin on October 1, 2024.
This is an overview of day two of the Third SMART General Convention. More details will be included in the Fall Members’ Journal.
Committees, department directors and delegates to the Third SMART General Convention continued their work on Tuesday, August 17. With guest speakers paying tribute to our union’s strength and resolutions aimed at securing our collective future, the day demonstrated the commitment of delegates to seize this pivotal moment of opportunity.
McGarvey to delegates: “What we do will impact future generations”
North America’s Building Trades Unions President Sean McGarvey has spent decades working alongside SMART members and leaders to win progress for workers in the legislative, organizing and economic development arenas. In his Monday speech to delegates at the Third SMART General Convention, McGarvey took time to note the victories we have won together — and emphasized that we cannot stop pushing.
“With these wins and significant investments coming online, we must capture as much work as possible,” he declared. “We must be intentional about recruiting and retaining the next generation of unionized building trades workers and growing our contractor base.”
SMART members made incredible progress in the last several years. Under the Biden-Harris administration, McGarvey said, labor standards in pro-union laws and unprecedented investment in the United States’ core infrastructure created opportunities for building trades workers that once seemed unthinkable — not to mention the administration’s actions to strengthen Davis-Bacon prevailing wages and pension reform in the American Rescue Plan Act.
In turn, he added, unions like SMART have been able to expand their focus on organizing, recruiting and retaining workers from all communities and bring our neighbors — people of color, the justice-involved, veterans and more — into our best-of-class apprenticeship programs. He specifically credited the SMART Belonging and Excellence for All (BE4ALL) initiative, Women’s Committee and director of special projects Louise Medina for their work to make the building trades welcoming to all, especially in this crucial moment.
Now, as election 2024 approaches, the rubber meets the road, McGarvey said. Our ability to build, organize, grow and keep members on the jobsite rests largely on who takes office in November. Referencing Project 2025 and the ABC-endorsed Trump administration’s previous efforts to gut building trades unions — with Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs being just one example — he highlighted the importance of putting pro-union lawmakers in office.
“We are on the cusp of an Infrastructure Decade,” McGarvey told delegates. “You helped us get here, and we need you more than ever between now and November to prevent a hostile administration from taking away all of the gains we made by meeting the challenges placed in front of us.”
Nevada Rep. Lee pledges continued partnership with SMART
On the morning of Tuesday, Aug. 13, delegates heard from Congresswoman Susie Lee of Nevada’s Third District — a pro-union legislator whose votes have benefited SMART members in Nevada and beyond.
“It’s always great to be with my brothers and sisters in the house of labor — in the city of labor,” Lee told delegates. “Las Vegas is known as entertainment capital of the world, but what we also should be known as is a town built by labor, run by labor, and because of labor we will continue to be strong.”
As she explained to delegates, it’s been a crazy five years for everyone in the United States — including SMART.
“We won some tough fights,” she said.
Lee grew up in a steel town — Canton, Ohio — where she witnessed first-hand the life-changing power of a union job, as well as the devastating effects of offshoring, attacks on the labor movement and divestment in American manufacturing.
“When I fight for worker protections, for PLAs, for pensions, for worker safety, for two-person train crews, let me tell you — it’s personal to me,” she said.
That’s why Lee cast major votes for the American Rescue Plan, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS and Science Act and Inflation Reduction Act in Congress, she explained. Those laws have funded projects like the Brightline West high-speed rail line, set to create 140,000 new, good-paying union jobs, putting SMART sheet metal and transportation members to work.
Rep. Susie Lee with Nevada SMART members
But, she emphasized again and again, our work together isn’t finished. We need to pass the Railway Safety Act, the Protecting the Right to Organize Act and the No Tax Breaks for Union-Busting Act
“What are we doing subsidizing companies that are trying to be union-busters?” Lee said. “I don’t get it.”
Lee concluded by vowing to continue partnering with SMART to win for workers, from Southern Nevada to the rest of our country.
“The fight is never over,” she declared.
USA’s Ingram touts solidarity, service and the great outdoors
Across the United States, SMART sheet metal and Transportation Division members have worked with the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA) to conserve wildlife, connect with local communities and, of course, enjoy the great outdoors — whether hunting, fishing or hiking.
In remarks to delegates, USA Executive Director and CEO Walt Ingram expounded on the important relationships that the USA-SMART partnership helps create — and how it helps SMART take on a variety of challenges. Foremost among those is bringing members together in true solidarity.
“We’re a member engagement for you at your local unions, and I want to encourage you to take advantage of that,” Ingram said.
SMART is one of the largest union affiliates in the USA. And when SMART members work with the USA to engage their communities, via clay shoots, service projects, Take Kids Fishing Day events and the like, communities start to see the true meaning of union solidarity in real time. Ingram spotlighted SMART’s work on conservation projects, specifically recent ones involving Local 55 in Burbank, Washington; Local 85 at Lake Allatoona in Atlanta, Georgia; and an all-tradeswomen event at Tradeswomen Build Nations 2023.
Those conservation projects, Ingram said, change members’ lives, change local communities and change some members’ perceptions of their union.
“I urge you to get involved,” he concluded.
TruHearing’s Rosander-Powell presents on keeping members healthy
Thirty percent of workers exposed to loud noises at work have hearing loss, according to Michelle Rosander-Powell, TruHearing national sales director for labor. Rosander presented to SMART convention delegates on Tuesday, August 13, on how SMART and TruHearing have partnered — and can continue to partner — to offer members lower-cost treatment options for hearing loss.
“Your union benefits make a huge difference — you provide allowances to your members to help them get hearing aids — but we want to stretch your dollars to help your members get the best hearing aid technology for the lowest price,” she said.
Cecilia Lopez (TD Local 1701) presents the Transit and Bus Committee report.
Committees and directors continue their reports
Delegates heard reports from a variety of committees throughout the day, such as the Constitution, Resolutions, Credentials, Wellness and Mental Health Resources, Rail and Airline, Compensation, Transit and Bus, Apprenticeship, Grievances and Appeals and the Rules Committees. SMART department directors also presented to delegates, overviewing progress made in the department of wellness and mental health support, the Sheet Metal Occupational Health Institute Trust, pension funds and the Canadian Affairs Department. Finally, delegates heard, discussed and voted on proposed amendments and resolutions.
Compensation Committee Chair Tom De BartoloCompensation Committee Sec. Matt FairbanksDirector of Wellness and Mental Health Support Chris Carlough
BE4ALL, RISE, Women’s Committees meet to forge a stronger union
Following the first day of proceedings at SMART’s Third General Convention, members of the SMART Belonging and Excellence for All (BE4ALL); Representation, Integrity, Support, Empowerment (RISE); and Women’s Committees came together for a celebration of progress and comradery — and a recommitment to their important work moving forward.
While differing in their specific missions, each of the committees broadly focus on strengthening SMART by making our union a more welcoming and inclusive place for all members. Each committee works with current members, local union and regional council officers, International staff and potential new members on recruitment, retention, empowerment and solidarity within SMART, all of which are key to our continued success.
In Las Vegas, members arrived from the furthest reaches of our union — everywhere from Vancouver to Ontario, San Francisco to Atlanta — to engage in this important committee work. General President Michael Coleman and General Secretary-Treasurer John Daniel met with committee members for an open question-and-answer session; attendees also had the chance to open up to one another and forge deeper bonds of comradery.
This is an overview of day one of the Third SMART General Convention. More details will be included in the Fall Members’ Journal.
On Monday, August 12, SMART General President Michael Coleman officially commenced the Third SMART General Convention, bringing delegates to order to set the course for the future of our union. Starting today and continuing through Friday, delegates heard from guest speakers, convention committees and SMART directors, and debated resolutions and amendments to the SMART Constitution.
GP Coleman to delegates: “We are not done.”
After SMART Local 88 (Las Vegas, Nev.) Business Manager Geremiah Robnett and TD GCA-953 General Chairperson Luke Edington delivered remarks welcoming delegates and guests to Las Vegas, SMART General President Michael Coleman took the stage to outline our union’s journey – from yesterday, to today, and until tomorrow.
“Today, we see the fruits of our predecessors’ hard work. Today, we are a strong union. Today, we are a forward-thinking union. And today, we are a united union,” he said.
He also looked back on the last five years — some of the most extraordinary and eventful that our two nations, let alone our union, have ever faced.
Sheet metal locals were confronted with a potentially devastating attack on union apprenticeships when the Trump administration proposed its anti-worker Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs (IRAPs) rule. Meanwhile, the transportation industry faced an anti-worker administration that — among other things — conducted an all-out offensive on freight railroaders, withdrawing a proposed federal two-person crew regulation and attempting to pre-empt state 2PC laws. On top of that, there was the 2020 United States election, pitting a stridently pro-worker challenger against an anti-worker incumbent, plus provincial battles against anti-labour laws in Canada. Not to mention, Coleman added, the world-altering COVID-19 pandemic.
“But we not only met those challenges, we exceeded all expectations,” he declared. “It took all of us. Rowing in the same direction. As General President Sellers used to say, pulling on the same rope. Working together as ONE UNION.”
SMART members mobilized to defeat the IRAPs initiative. We elected pro-union legislators who passed transformative laws that saved union pensions, created union sheet metal jobs, funded transportation infrastructure and gave Canadian members the ability to more effectively travel for work. We staffed megaprojects that spurred incredible growth at local unions across North America. And we finally won a two-person freight train crew regulation, putting rail safety and union jobs ahead of shareholder greed.
We achieved all of that, Coleman told delegates, because we know our “why” — our reason for doing what we do. That “why” is each other: the members of this great union. And it’s because of that “why” that we aren’t finished winning for SMART members across North America.
“General President Emeritus Sellers set us up for this moment. We MUST seize it,” Coleman said. “It is our obligation to him, it is our obligation to this organization, it is our obligation to our members, and it is our obligation to ourselves.”
Delegates to the Third SMART General ConventionLuke Edington
Whether it’s legislation that protects our bus and transit members from assaults or aggressive organizing to staff megaprojects, handle manufacturing demands and ensure a just transition to a green economy, Coleman emphasized the importance of keeping SMART members’ future in mind as, collectively, the convention body maps the direction our organization will take for the next five years.
SMART is resurgent, Coleman continued. Now, we need to seize this moment. Because make no mistake, he said: Our enemies are ruthless, and they won’t stop attacking SMART members.
“Think about why they hate us,” Coleman said. “Think about what crime they think we commit. They hate us because we fight for safety in the workplace. They hate us because we fight for the ability to live and raise our families with dignity. They hate us because we fight for the ability to retire with dignity. And when it comes time to leave this place, we fight for the ability to do that with dignity.”
“It is going to be a fight,” he told delegates. “A fight that we didn’t choose. But if it is a fight they want, it is a fight they are going to get. But this time, we will tell them when the fight is over.”
GST Daniel: “How will we be remembered?”
SMART General Secretary-Treasurer John Daniel knows well the challenges faced by union workers across North America – over the last five years, and over the last several decades.
SMART GST John Daniel
“I’ve been a sheet metal installer, a fabricator, an instructor, an organizer, a business representative and – above all – a proud union member for over 33 years,” he told attendees. “I stand before you not just as your SMART general secretary-treasurer, but as a fellow worker – one who has walked the same paths, faced the same struggles and fought the same battles.”
Daniel was there when the railroads sued to pre-empt Illinois’ two-person crew law, he explained. He was business manager when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, shutting the world down and casting the world into total chaos.
“But I can say from firsthand experience, those challenges didn’t stop us in Illinois. And I know it didn’t stop anyone in this room,” he said.
After paying tribute to his predecessor as general secretary-treasurer, SMART Director of Megaprojects Joseph Powell, Daniel detailed some of the challenges SMART members have met since 2019: “Together, we’ve stood strong and unified, proving time and again that we will not be pushed around.”
SMART Canada has worked hard to win jobs and strong labor standards in the transition to a green economy up north, representing workers in not only sheet metal but roofing and various production sectors. Meanwhile, internal organizing and a focus on training have helped the Transportation Division both organize and retain members in the face of adverse conditions, while investments in recruitment and retention will help SMART sustain its growth.
The financial health of the organization is stellar, Daniel said. And on the back of megaprojects and strong representation across sheet metal and transportation, SMART’s membership has increased from a little over 203,000 to 230,000.
“Now, it is our time to decide who we are,” he declared.
Diversity in the production and bus industries provides a model for SMART to follow as we strengthen our union through organizing and inclusion. We need to keep reaching out to people of all backgrounds in every community, Daniel said, and ensure that anyone who carries a dues receipt gets the representation they deserve.
He also argued that SMART needs to continue investing in ourselves if we want to build on the success we have achieved. Subsidized organizers, legislative staff and programs aimed at recruiting and retaining members have been key to recent victories, Daniel told attendees – and such investment needs to continue.
Jose Manso (Local 30) presents during the Roofing Committee’s reportA delegate stands at the mic during debate
He closed by reminding attendees exactly why we are gathered in Las Vegas this week.
“Whether it’s your first convention or your fifth, we’re all here for the same reason,” Daniel concluded. “This truly is our time. This truly is our moment. What we do now will define us.
“How will we — how will each of you — be remembered?”
TD President Ferguson: “We’ve weathered attacks, accomplished much and are a stronger union.”
Newly reelected Transportation Division President Jeremy Ferguson addressed the union during the first day of the third SMART General Convention.
He reflected on the challenges from his first term. There was work needed to be done to strengthen SMART by aligning the Transportation Division more closely with the sheet metal part of the union, as envisioned when the two joined forces in 2014.
“We accomplished that, and so much more,” he said.
The nation’s largest railroads deployed what Ferguson termed a “nuclear option” in 2019 on his second day in office. They attacked rail contracts and tried to eliminate conductors.
“We were all united… We were ready for that fight, and, coincidentally, we were all convened in Cleveland, Ohio,” Ferguson said. “The railroads fought the round and guess what? It took a little while, but they found out they were going to lose that battle.
“As of today, our crew-consist agreements are intact, not one conductor is off a train, and, unbelievably, we have a two-person crew regulation!”
The Transportation Division stayed on offense. Rail workers gained a historic pay raise during the last national negotiation. For the first time in history, railroaders can claim paid sick leave. Ferguson’s administration also created visibility on Capitol Hill for issues faced by our bus and rail members.
“Our officers, including myself, our national legislative director, and some of our state legislative directors have been called to testify — for all crafts — at the federal level including the Surface Transportation Board, Federal Railroad Administration, Federal Transit Administration, at any number of meetings.”
“We are getting the word out there every way we can about the issues that face us,” Ferguson continued.
One example was the recent Bus/Transit Day on the Hill, where the Bus and Transit Assault Prevention and Safety (BTAPS) Committee and other officers met with Congress.
One result of the visibility we’ve gained was the key role SMART-TD’s recommendation played in the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plans. The plans give unions equal footing with management while handling worker and passenger safety.
“You know those things that you know where you were when it happened in that moment?” Ferguson said. “This was a big deal for me.”
On Ferguson’s watch, SMART-TD became the first transportation union to obtain a CRISI grant, which will be used to provide safety training for union members.
“In addition to that, we doubled down on what we are going to do and what we have done for our bus and transit members,” Ferguson said.
Ferguson recognized the work of General Chairperson John Ellis of GO 875, and his efforts to protect his members at the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA). Through Ellis’ and other TD leaders’ efforts, operators at SMART’s largest bus property will be protected by barriers and soon by a dedicated transit police force.
Members across the transportation union are also supported on a more personal level. Plan trustees began extending Voluntary Short-Term Disability (VSTD) benefits to TD members coping with the COVID-19 virus during the pandemic.
Following the pandemic, investment advice from SMART leadership improved the plan’s finances to the point where members are now covered for certified voluntary drug and alcohol treatment programs from day 1.
“That is what this union is about — taking care of one another when you have hard times,” he said. “This union is more united than ever, we are stronger than ever, and we aren’t done. We are only going to keep getting better.”
Delegates vote to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for president
Delegates to the Third SMART General Convention voted to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for president and Minn. Gov. Tim Walz for vice president in the 2024 election on Monday morning, following United States President Joe Biden’s July 21 announcement that he would end his reelection campaign.
The resolution detailed Vice President Harris’s consistent partnership and support for union members across the U.S., including her meetings with SMART members at local union halls in Philadelphia and Boston.
As part of the Biden-Harris administration, the vice president has been an ally in SMART’s efforts to fund public transportation, implement a two-person federal train crew regulation and rebuild our nation’s infrastructure. Harris cast the tie-breaking vote to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, helping create union clean-energy jobs, and helped lobby for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the CHIPS and Science Act – two pieces of legislation that have put SMART members to work from coast to coast.
Together with President Biden, the resolution noted, Vice President Harris has led an administration whose actions have helped spark union organizing in the last several years, with pro-labor National Labor Relations Board appointments and the creation of the White House Task Force on Worker Organizing – an initiative Harris chaired. And with the passage of the American Rescue Plan Act, Harris and Biden helped protect more than one million union pensions. This included saving 1,600 Ohio sheet metal workers’ pensions from cuts and restoring their full benefits with back pay.
Walz, meanwhile, has signed a laundry list of pro-labor laws as governor, including a state two-person crew law, a bill to put sheet metal workers on jobs improving ventilation in public schools, a huge expansion of paid family and medical leave, the largest increase in state history to the Minnesota work compensation system’s permanent partial disability fund, and much more.
Following floor debate, delegates voted to endorse the Harris ticket by a voice vote – a testament to the vice president’s stellar record of support for SMART’s sheet metal and transportation workers.
“Throughout her term as vice president, Kamala Harris has been laser-focused on pursuing the Biden-Harris agenda, enacting and implementing laws that prioritize the interests of union members and workers, and Governor Walz’s actions for workers and families speak for themselves,” said SMART General President Michael Coleman after the resolution vote. “Faced with the existential, anti-worker threat of another Trump presidential term, all of us at SMART know that Vice President Harris and Governor Walz are the right choices for working families – and we proved it today.”
“This endorsement is a full-throated commitment to sending pro-labor leaders back to the White House this November,” he concluded. “I can’t wait to get started.”
Buttigieg receives warm welcome from SMART
United States Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg had a very specific message for SMART when he spoke at our organization’s Third General Convention.
“Union jobs change the trajectory of generations.”
Buttigieg received a warm welcome from SMART delegates, and he matched their enthusiasm with an exciting message that the continued success of America is tied directly to empowering our union workforce.
He spoke in detail about the megaprojects he and the Biden-Harris administration have put in place in every state in the country that are keeping our sheet metal members working. On the transportation side, he discussed the Federal Railroad Administration regulation enacted this spring mandating two-person crews on freight trains in our country as well as the new Brightline West high-speed rail project.
The project links Las Vegas, Nevada, to Los Angeles, California. It will provide sheet metal work for building and maintaining the tracks, stations, and infrastructure and bring jobs to the TD side with SMART crews operating the trains.
Speaking directly to SMART-TD’s bus operators, Buttigieg pointed out that one of the things he is proud of in his three-plus years at the DOT is that his administration worked with SMART and the Federal Transit Administration to finalize a rule forming safety committees on bus properties around the country. He pointed out that our bus operators will be on these safety committees and that they will control the safety programs that come out of them.
But, he and even the Biden-Harris administration could not have accomplished these things on their own. He gestured to the delegates on the convention floor: “You drove that! That is what the power of organizing can do!”
That Buttigieg made the time to address the convention of this union was exciting. To hear his message thanking our members for the vital role they play daily in the successes of his department and the Biden-Harris administration as a whole took that excitement to a new level and garnered a standing ovation.
Union jobs and SMART jobs not only “change the trajectory of generations,” but also empower each of us to “shape a future your kids can be proud of,” he said.
SMART is grateful Secretary Buttigieg again took his time to address our union, and it is safe to say that his message will not be forgotten to those lucky enough to have been here to hear it!
Guest speakers praise unionists, encourage continued progress
Throughout the day, delegates and leaders heard from various guest speakers, who offered insight, praise and motivation as SMART looks to the future.
AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler fired up delegates with a rousing speech that connected SMART members’ fights to the ongoing resurgence of the labor movement, telling SMART members and leaders:
“Whether you’re a sheet metal worker, a bus operator, a service technician, a railroad engineer, a sign worker, a welder, a production employee — if you’re a part of this union, North America does not work without you.”
In her remarks, Shuler discussed the still-enormous fight that working people face across the United States, recounting the experiences of workers struggling for dignity and living wages — and contrasting those experiences with the exorbitant payrolls of America’s executive class. Those executives, she explained, are the people who stand to benefit if Donald Trump gets reelected and implements his Project 2025 agenda.
But thanks to the labor movement, Shuler said, workers across the U.S. are seeing that another way exists. Specifically shouting out the work and achievements of Local 435 in Gainesville, Florida, TD Local 1704 in Kansas City and Local 480 in Faribault, Minn. — plus victories at the national level, like the federal two-person freight train crew regulation, the work of the SMART Women’s Committee and the BE4ALL Rapid Response Protocol — she praised SMART’s work to empower the working class in the face of profit-flation and corporate greed.
“You are setting the standard,” she declared.
Shuler ended with a request: As November approaches, delegates, officers, families and people across the labor movement need to hit the jobsite, the phone banks and the doors to spread the word about what’s at stake in this presidential election.
“We can be the ones who make history,” Shuler concluded. “We have the momentum. … Are you ready? Let’s do this.”
Nev. AFL-CIO Exec. Secretary-Treasurer Susie Martinez with Al Lopez, Local 88
Nevada AFL-CIO Executive Secretary-Treasurer Susie Martinez, a lifelong unionist and former Nevada Assembly member who helped win a state two-person crew law and job-creating indoor air quality legislation, also spoke to delegates. In her remarks recounting her run for Nevada state office, she noted the importance of having the labor movement on her side — both during her campaign, and as a legislator. Working closely with SMART-TD and Local 88, including Al Lopez, who she brought on stage, Martinez noted the victories she was able to win and the importance of union members running for office.
“That two-man crew bill, they tried to pass that for many years. … We passed that bill! I was so proud.”
And Representative Steve Horsford, an ally of SMART members and working families in Congress, delivered remarks that reiterated his support for union workers and pledged continued partnership. Horsford, who represents SMART members and working families in Nevada’s Fourth Congressional District and is also the co-chair and founder of the Congressional Labor Caucus, received a warm welcome for his stellar support for organized labor while in office.
Horsford voted for the American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, a package of legislation that saved SMART members’ pensions; created jobs building the United States’ critical infrastructure; invested in American railroads and public transit; put union sheet metal workers on clean energy jobs and much more. He also worked to fund the Brightline West high-speed rail line, creating work for SMART sheet metal and railroad workers, and has helped local unions in Nevada and beyond win funding for their training centers.
“Thanks to the work of my colleagues and I, especially the Congressional Labor Caucus, and the advocacy of SMART, this [Brightline West] funding requires an organized workforce,” Horsford said.
Throughout the day, delegates also heard reports from the Rules Committee, Credentials Committee, Production Committee, Roofing Committee, HVAC Service Committee and General Executive Council Committee.
Derek Evans, Local 540Art Tolentino, Local 293Ray Reasons, Local 36Steve Langley, Local 85Joe Cook, Local 219Russell Bartash, SMART NERC
New SMART 11th General Vice President John Daniel has steadfastly served SMART members for more than 30 years. Since entering the industry in 1991, John has been a sheet metal fabricator and installer, an instructor, organizer, business representative, financial secretary-treasurer and most recently the president/business manager for Local 265. John’s career path has provided him with a well-rounded perspective of the sheet metal industry and the challenges facing the unionized sector. Having an open mind and being an active listener, leveraging assets both financial and relational, employing technology to not only capture more work opportunities but to attract the next generation of trades men and women — these are only a few of John’s priorities. John is a trustee on both local and national plans, and he received his bachelor’s degree in labor studies from the National Labor College.
New Chief International Rep. Scott Parks completed his apprenticeship and became a journeyperson in 1995, winning his election to become Local 20’s (Indianapolis, Ind.) business representative in 2001. In July 2010, he was elected to serve as the local’s business manager and financial secretary-treasurer. At the local, with a jurisdiction spanning Indiana and portions of Kentucky, Illinois and Michigan, his duties included responsibility for the supervision and direction of 13 business agents and one organizer.
Then, in 2019, he became a General Vice President as a member of the SMART General Executive Council. Scott is also an AFL-CIO delegate, president of the Indiana State Building Trades organization and secretary-treasurer of the Great Lakes State Council, and he has been active in building a bottom-up social media presence for the Local 20 membership.
