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Thanks to multiemployer pension relief included in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, approximately 1,600 SMART members in the Sheet Metal Workers Pension Fund based in Massillon, Ohio will have their pension cuts fully restored, including full earned benefit in their monthly checks moving forward.

“This is definitely going to solve our problem,” SMART Local 33 (northern Ohio) Business Rep. Jerry Durieux told local newspaper The Repository. “This is hope for the future, that’s for sure.”

Unions and pro-labor politicians had been pushing for multiemployer pension security – in the form of a special financial assistance fund – for years, with Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown introducing it in the Butch Lewis Act multiple times since 2017. Only once a pro-worker majority and presidential administration assumed elected office could the Act – named after a legendary Ohio Teamster – be passed into law as part of the American Rescue Plan. Together with other provisions in the legislation, including funding for indoor air quality, the American Rescue Plan is already proving to be one of the most groundbreaking laws ever passed for working Americans.

“After years of advocacy by workers, retirees, and small business owners in Ohio, Democrats in Congress and this Administration finally saved the pensions that union workers in Massillon earned over a lifetime, with no cuts,” said Senator Brown in a press release announcing the pension relief. “This pension fix will help local workers and the small businesses they work with to grow and continue providing living wages and dignified work for Ohioans.”

Funding from the legislation has already saved 550,306 pensions nationwide, with millions more eligible. Furthermore, along with pension restoration for retirees, pension protection funding in the American Rescue Plan will put the Ohio Sheet Metal Workers Pension Fund on the path to solvency going forward – helping to secure the future benefits of active SMART sheet metal workers.

In late July, Local 33 (northern Ohio) Business Agents Jim Jackson and Jamie Bostic spent a day volunteering to support the 2022 Local 33-sponsored charity Camp Mountain Heart. The camp is a free, week-long experience for children ages 8–17 with congenital or acquired heart disease, created to give camp-goers the opportunity to connect and forge friendships with others who have had similar life experiences. Camp counselors include physicians and nurses, helping Camp Mountain Heart maintain a safe environment for campers to experience independence and activities that are both fun and help build confidence. Local 33 is proud to support such a great cause!

NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR SHEET METAL WORKERS AVAILABLE IN NORTHWEST OHIO

GEM Inc. has a long history of working jointly with trade unions to make sure customers receive the quality, safety and return on investment they deserve. It recently added to this history by becoming a signatory contractor to SMART Local Union 33 (Toledo District), also becoming a member of SMACNA in the process.

GEM has supported more than 45 customers in multiple industries since launching its sheet metal group in February 2021. It currently has over 50 sheet metal workers, with room for many more, said Nathan Schroeder, GEM’s piping/mechanical manager.

“There are positions we are looking to fill up. There are a lot of opportunities, from entry level to project management.”

– GEM Inc. Piping/Mechanical Manager Nathan Schroeder

“There are positions we are looking to fill up,” Schroeder said. “There are a lot of opportunities, from entry level to project management.”

All sheet metal fabrication is completed by Local 33 members at GEM’s 12,000-square-foot shop in Walbridge, Ohio, which also supports GEM’s regional offices in the Cleveland, Lima and Detroit markets. At present, sheet metal workers are working on two large projects in northern Ohio, a two million-square-foot solar manufacturing facility and a one million-square-foot canning plant.

GEM’s philosophy is to treat tradespeople with the respect they deserve by supporting their professional development with training, superb facilities and equipment, as well as by creating an environment where their input is encouraged and appreciated.

“GEM has a reputation in this industry as a great contractor to work for,” Schroeder said.

GEM designs, fabricates and installs commercial and industrial heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) sheet metal ductwork. Its fabricators are also experienced at projects that require welding or heavier metals. Duct testing, balancing and cleaning services are available through the GEM service division, providing a seamless, single-source vendor experience. GEM’s investment in all-new shop equipment includes:

Trimble automated software for ductwork fittings and layout

  • Trimble automated software for ductwork fittings and layout
  • 5’ x 10’ Mestek Lockformer Automated Plasma Table
  • Complete set of power roll forming equipment including:
    – Pittsburgh lock, both male and female, with cleat forme
    – TDF ductwork flange former
    – 4&1 roll forming
    – Power cleat former
  • Hand brakes and formers including:
    – 10-foot 16GA sheet metal hand break
    – Cheek benderDrive/bar folder
    – 3- and 4-foot hand rollers
  • Ductwork insulation liner equipment including:
    – Liner processing and cutting table
    – Industrial glue application equipment
    – DuroDyne Pinspotter
  • Large power equipment:
    – 10-foot 14GA Roper Whitney Power Shear including precision back gauge
    – Roper Whitney 10-foot 14GA Computerized Auto-Brake including a 10-foot box break and precision back gauge
    – 6-foot 10GA Power Roll

GEM’s in-house Virtual Design & Construction (VDC) group uses virtual 3D scanning, CAD and Building Information Modeling (BIM) software. Laser scanning can do everything, from providing data for detailed surveys of existing conditions, to creating and verifying the accuracy of as-built drawings. A 3D laser scanning system streamlines difficult “in-place” measurements by generating a precise and accurate 3D computer image of a structure, piece of equipment or an entire area. Laser scanned images form a point cloud that is imported into CAD software, enabling the shop to create the ductwork with high accuracy.

“These technologies enable us to plan and design the work virtually before it gets to installers on the jobsite,” Schroeder said. “Issues that could arise in the field and cause costly delays are resolved in the design phase, saving the customer time and money.”

Local 33 members were at the Helping Hands soup kitchen in Toledo, Ohio, where they volunteered to remove an old stove from the basement and installed a new one in its place. 

Helping Hands, a ministry of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Toledo, serves low-income and homeless families and individuals. The outreach center includes a soup kitchen, food pantry and clothing center. Additional services include providing hygiene packs to families, plus hot showers and hygiene and snack kits to the homeless. Since 1982, Helping Hands has served more than 1.5 million meals to people in need. An average of 250 meals are now served each day, Monday through Friday, through the generosity of the local community.