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Sheet metal and transportation workers exercised collective power to win laws and federal appointees who act in our interests

After extraordinary mobilization in recent years, union votes are translating directly to union jobs.

In 2020, SMART members voted to elect politicians to the United States House, Senate and the White House who pledged to prioritize union members and working-class families. In the years since, those politicians passed three job-creating laws — the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act — and President Joe Biden named a variety of pro-union appointees to federal positions in the Department of Labor (DOL), the Department of Transportation and beyond — making sure money from federal laws creates jobs for SMART members, both now and into the future

This is not the result of politicians rewarding SMART members for getting them elected. It is the consequence of members applying their collective power: first by voting in their interests, then by pushing legislators to make sure they kept their promises.

“It can’t be emphasized enough what a difference it makes when the people implementing funding and writing policy know that SMART workers are engaged in the political process,” said SMART General President Michael Coleman. “We have pro-union allies in federal offices that are making sure that new laws create jobs for our members.”

Funding from recently passed laws, coupled with federal appointees, leads directly to union sheet metal jobs

Some projects funded by federal legislation have already started bringing SMART members onto the jobsite. In Arizona, for example, SM Local 359 members are on the job building semiconductor manufacturing facilities for Intel — a project made possible in part by funding from the CHIPS and Science Act.

Other projects will break ground in the near future. The CHIPS Act is set to put East Coast SMART members to work for years to come: Thanks to a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the U.S. Department of Commerce and semiconductor manufacturer GlobalFoundries that includes approximately $1.5 billion in direct funding, Local 83 sheet metal workers will soon arrive on a new, PLA-covered chip plant in Malta, New York. And in Burlington, Vermont, retrofit work on an existing GlobalFoundries chip plant is expected to exceed $35 million in federal funding, making the job a PLA-covered one and bringing Local 17 members on site.

Pro-union laws are one thing, but the people implementing those laws play a vital role after legislation is passed — and the federal appointees who make key funding and policy decisions are benefiting SMART members and their families across the country. The most high-profile figures work within the DOL. Since their appointments, Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su and DOL Wage and Hour Division Administrator Jessica Looman have successfully enacted rulemaking that expands job opportunities and puts money in SMART members’ pockets.

The primary example: Su, Looman and fellow pro-worker officials finally updated the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts, strengthening prevailing wage regulations and raising pay standards for SMART members and building trades workers across America. The updated regulations restore the DOL’s definition of prevailing wage — making it equivalent to the wage paid to at least 30% of workers in local communities (rather than the weakened 50%) — strengthen enforcement and modernize DOL’s definition of “site of the work” to account for current industry practices.

This rule update is particularly crucial at a time when publicly funded projects are breaking ground at an unprecedented rate, explained Coleman.

“By updating Davis-Bacon prevailing wage regulations for the first time in more than 40 years, the Department of Labor is working to ensure that construction workers employed on public works projects are paid what they deserve, helping lift more workers into the middle class and boosting the economies in cities, towns and neighborhoods from coast to coast,” he said. “This is especially vital as projects funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act continue breaking ground — putting thousands of SMART members to work.”

Pro-union FRA notches slew of victories for SMART-TD members

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) of 2016–2020 made its name through anti-worker actions, most notably its attempt to pre-empt existing state laws that mandated two-person crews on freight trains. The post-2020 FRA, led by Administrator Amit Bose, has consistently prioritized the wellbeing of SMART-TD members — the workers who actually keep the trains moving, not the corporate CEOs who cast safety to the side in pursuit of shareholder profit.

In striking contrast to the previous administration, the current FRA announced a federal two-person crew rule in 2024, finally acting in the name of common sense, worker safety and SMART-TD railroad jobs. Following a public comment period that was extended multiple times, ultimately concluding in late 2022, the final ruling arrived in April 2024.

In late 2023, in the wake of high-profile rail safety incidents and two tragic trainee deaths, the FRA awarded SMART-TD more than $600,000 to develop and implement its own training program — providing union railroaders with education and programming designed with their safety in mind, not just efficiency and exorbitant profit-making.

Weeks later, the FRA again sided with railroaders over the carriers in its ruling on Union Pacific’s request for a variance to allow non-FRA-certified crews to run trains coming from Mexico to Port Laredo, Texas. FRA ruled that trains running from the border to Port Laredo must be operated by qualified and certified Union Pacific engineers and conductors, providing SMART-TD railroaders with the work they rightfully deserve.

Bose’s administration made another common-sense decision in favor of SMART-TD railroaders with the issuing of a final rule on emergency breathing apparatuses on trains carrying hazardous material. The rule requires railroads to provide emergency escape breathing apparatuses (EEBAs) for train crew members and other employees who could be exposed to an inhalation hazard in the event of a hazardous material, or hazmat, release. Railroads must also ensure that the equipment is maintained and in proper working condition and train their employees in its use.

And in a groundbreaking move that will put SMART-TD railroaders to work for years to come, the FRA awarded billions of dollars in funding — made available by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law — to two high-speed rail projects in California and Las Vegas, finally making high-speed rail a reality in the U.S. The crucial provision: The railroad, Brightline West, committed to using an organized workforce. The railroad will be built by union members, including SMART Railroad, Mechanical and Engineering workers, and the highspeed trains will be operated by SMART-TD crews.

“The skills our conductors, engineers and yardmasters possess were not an afterthought when the plans for this rail line came together,” SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson said when the projects were announced. “They are invaluable to this project and woven into the fabric of what will make this high-speed rail project a success.”

Department of Energy’s clean energy industrial policy creates years of work for SMART members

The need for a clean energy transition has been made abundantly clear in recent years, as temperatures increase, seasons disappear, floods destroy city streets and wildfire smoke chokes our children when they try to play outside. Thanks to the industrial policy of the current Department of Energy (DOE), that clean energy transition is creating jobs for SMART sheet metal members — today, tomorrow and well into the future.

Examples are everywhere. SMART Local 177 members have begun working on a Microvast battery plant in Clarksville, Tennessee, while Local 36 members in St. Louis, Missouri, are on the job building an ICL-IP America, Inc., battery materials manufacturing facility. Both projects received DOE funding from $2.8 billion worth of awards from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Meanwhile, the sheet metal workers at Local 7 (Lansing, Michigan), Local 20 (New Carlisle, Indiana) and Local 177 (Spring Hill, Tennessee) are directly benefiting from the Department of Energy’s $2.5 billion loan to Ultium Cells. The loan, facilitated by the DOE’s Loan Programs Office, is helping finance the construction of new lithium-ion battery cell manufacturing plants in Michigan, Indiana and Tennessee, as well as Ohio — facilities that have Local 7, 20 and 177 members already on site.

The DOE Loan Programs Office also played a crucial role in putting SMART Local 110 and Local 4 members to work in Glendale, Kentucky, and Stanton, Tennessee, respectively. Ford received a $9.2 billion loan that helped kickstart its BlueOval battery facilities in both locations, and the funding has already paid dividends for union sheet metal workers — generating work for current members, bringing new workers into the union, helping both locals grow and keeping retirees’ pensions healthy.

And on the West Coast, the recently announced California Hydrogen Hub — one of seven hydrogen hubs funded by DOE through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law — will leverage the state’s existing clean energy technology to produce hydrogen exclusively from renewable energy and biomass. Importantly, the hub has committed to requiring project labor agreements for all related projects, which will create an expected 220,000 jobs — including 130,000 construction jobs.

In Central Ohio, megaprojects are creating previously unheard-of amounts of work for SMART Local 24 members — putting sheet metal workers on jobsites, such as Intel’s chip factories, and creating urgent staffing needs. That’s a good problem to have, and it’s helping Local 24 recruit newly arrived migrant workers: giving them a pathway to the union-made American dream and strengthening SMART for the long haul.

“These projects are putting our members on the job, but they’re also giving us the chance to get out in our communities, bring people in and grow,” said Local 24 Business Manager/Financial Secretary- Treasurer Rodney French. “We’re proud to give our newest neighbors a shot at a career in our trade, and when we bring them onto the job, our members benefit. It’s been a great success.”

A Reuters article in May sent reporters to Columbus, Ohio, one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States, to chronicle how local unions are working to recruit and retain more and more members to build chip plants, EV battery factories and other megaprojects. Spurred by federal legislation like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS and Science Act and Inflation Reduction Act, huge jobs are popping up left and right — and producing more open positions than locals can fill right away. In response, unions like Local 24 are organizing like never before, offering opportunities to any and all Ohioans willing to do the work.

One of those new Ohioans, Local 24 apprentice Jorge Herrera, is an asylum seeker who fled political violence in Nicaragua. His wife and children still live there, he told Reuters, and he hopes to bring them stateside if he’s awarded asylum. While Herrera doesn’t speak much English — another Spanish-speaking Local 24 apprentice, Sofia Mattern Mondragon, is able to help a bit on the jobsite — he has welding experience and was able to pass the apprenticeship test by using a translation app. Now, with a livable wage and union-won benefits, he can focus on learning the trade and building our country’s future alongside his fellow members.

Another new Local 24 apprentice, 45-year-old Ronal Pinto, previously worked in a Venezuelan aluminum foil factory as a mechanical engineer, according to Reuters. He fled for Chile, then four years later left to seek asylum in the U.S., landing in Columbus.

“The first two years were difficult, he said, with a string of temporary, low-paid jobs. Now, he feels like he has made it,” Reuters reported. “… On Saturdays, Pinto attends English classes at a nearby college. He is far from fluent, he said, but is working hard to improve. A few of his coworkers are trying to learn some Spanish to communicate with him, too, he said.”

Anti-worker forces often try to divide unions and workers by spreading false information about our brothers and sisters who come from other countries, including the pernicious lie that migrant workers steal jobs from Americans. The facts say otherwise. According to the Brookings Institution’s Tara Watson, referenced in the Reuters article, new migrant workers are actually expanding the American workforce: helping our economy grow without increasing inflation.

Moreover, French said, the lived experience of union members in Ohio tells an entirely different story than the one spun by anti-union and anti-immigrant entities. Despite differences in backgrounds, places of origin and languages spoken, workers like Herrera and Pinto are on the job side-by-side with their union brothers and sisters, working just as hard to get things done (and putting valuable contributions into local pension funds). It speaks to the core value and purpose of our union: United we bargain, divided we beg.

By bringing workers like Herrera and Pinto into SMART, we can only grow stronger, and it is imperative that locals take the steps to do just that: producing multilingual recruiting materials, partnering with local immigrant assistance organizations and much more. Most importantly, we need to make sure all members feel welcomed at the jobsite and in the union hall.

As 60-year-old Local 24 journey-worker Tim Lyman told Reuters, “… while communication can be tricky, ‘if they want to learn, I’ll teach them.’”

On December 18, 2023, the Biden-Harris administration announced regulations that will implement President Biden’s executive order requiring project labor agreements (PLAs) on federal construction projects costing $35 million or more. The executive order is expected to create jobs for SMART members and provide life-changing pay and benefits to workers nationwide.

Local 33 journeyperson Tori Wilson (center, holding sign) with Secretary Julie Su and fellow tradeswomen

“The finalizing of President Biden’s executive order requiring project labor agreements on large-scale federal projects is a lifechanging win for union members and construction workers across the country,” SMART General President Michael Coleman said in response. “PLAs have been lifting working families into the middle class for generations — extending union-won, family-sustaining pay and benefits to local communities while bringing complex jobs to completion on time (and saving taxpayers’ money).”

The regulations and finalization of the executive order — initially signed in 2022 — were unveiled during an event in Cleveland, Ohio, where Local 33 members took center stage alongside Acting United States Labor Secretary Julie Su, General Services Administration Administrator Robin Carnahan, Congresswoman Shontel Brown and others. Local 33 journeyperson and owner of signatory contractor WTD Mechanical Fatima Ware introduced Secretary Su at the event.

Fatima Ware (left) with Congresswoman Brown
Secretary Su and Fatima Ware

“Project labor agreements employ highly skilled workers,” Su said in her remarks. “Contractors, subcontractors and unions know what they’re getting into from the outset. And these agreements help guarantee a consistent supply of well-trained workers. All of that helps ensure the work gets done right — and it prevents delays and disruptions. So this new rule is going to save taxpayer money.”

In a video shared to social media after the event, Su and Local 33’s Ware discussed the importance of PLAs — for workers and contractors alike.

“PLAs help because of the amount of money you pay your workers, right?” Ware said. “If there’s no PLA in place and you get a contractor that doesn’t have union workers, then they may be paying their workers $10, $15 an hour, maybe $20–30, and what skill level are you getting?

“You know that if you are going through the union, you are getting skilled workers that have craftsmanship, quality, and the knowledge and education to be able to complete a project on time, on task, the right way.”

Secretary Su converses with union tradeswomen

The finalizing of the executive order comes on the heels of a string of PLAs won by local unions spanning the nation, from San Diego, California, to Baltimore, Maryland. As federal funding is funneled towards improving government facilities, infrastructure and more, the presence of PLAs on complex projects will be especially vital.

“SMART applauds the Biden- Harris administration for fulfilling its promise to our members, and for prioritizing the working men and women who are building our nation,” Coleman concluded. “We look forward to taking on the core infrastructure projects of the future.”

By Local 20 Organizer Bradly Hayes

With organizing efforts in Indiana still at an all-time high, Local 20 recently participated in our first-ever organizing blitz to staff the Stellantis battery plant megaproject in Kokomo, Indiana. Thanks to the participation of Local 20 staff and the help of our Youth-to-Youth program, we were able to reach more than 500 jobsites, vocational schools, non-signatory shops and recruitment centers, ranging from Greenwood all the way to South Bend. We also handed out thousands of QR-code cards that linked to wage and benefit information for both non-signatory workers and the general public.

The blitz enabled us to boost membership as well as build our person-of-interest list in anticipation of other megaprojects coming to the state. Not only does this organizing benefit us as a whole; it also offers a life-changing opportunity for many people who are working nonunion.

I reached out to a few members who were organized this year to see what difference they experienced and their overall thoughts on joining the trade. Here is testimony from Xia Walker, who we organized into the apprenticeship program from Peterman Brothers:

Xia Walker
Xia Walker

“When it comes to my home life and work schedule compared to the big, nonunion HVAC company I was working for, I would have to say it is a night and day difference. The company I worked for did offer competitive pay, but that did not make up for the fact that I was paying almost $900 a month out of my wages just so my family could have insurance. I was also expected to work every day until the job was completed, which could range anywhere from six to 16 hours with no real time to rest in between or daily overtime to make it worth the headache.

“I hated it. I had no free time to spend with family and friends. I have five uncles in the trade who were consistently trying to recruit me so I could spend more time with family and friends and have better pay and benefits. I did enjoy some aspects of residential work, but commercial work is where it’s at. No more disgusting crawl spaces or small attics.

“Overall, I love my consistent work schedule. I can actually be home to spend time with my wife and kids throughout the work week. When I look back at it, I wish I would have stuck with the union back when I was 20; I would definitely be much further in my career than I am today.”

Next up: testimony from Clifton Beezley, who was recently organized from a nonunion fabrication shop and placed with one of Local 20’s contractors:

“The old job I came from did not have any professional mindset or desire to help me grow as an employee; they refused to share their knowledge with me so I could improve myself and expand my abilities in the trade. Since starting with Local 20, I have worked with a great group of knowledgeable workers who are more than willing to share their years of trade knowledge with me and want me to learn the trade and carry that same knowledge. The more I work with them, I see myself growing and gaining professional knowledge that I will eventually pass down to new members one day.

Clifton Beezley
Clifton Beezley

“The shop I was previously working for made me feel very underappreciated and unimportant, and it feels good to work somewhere that makes me feel appreciated and important again. As far as the benefits go, between my old job and now, it doesn’t compare. My entire family has healthcare coverage as an employee paid benefit, and I love it! The last job offered benefits, but the price made them basically unattainable. This has been a huge stress reliever for me and my family, and we couldn’t be happier. This new job has truly offered me life-changing opportunities.”

It is always nice to see how much our organizing can affect someone’s life for the better. Hopefully, reading these testimonies will help us all remember how important it is for us to continue to bring new and experienced members into the trade and make sure they are treated with respect. Clifton shared his experience with Local 20 with others in the shop he came from, as well as family and friends, which has resulted in more than 10 people joining the trade.

This is a prime example of why we always treat every member with solidarity and respect: We are going to need every bit of help we can get in the future, and the need for people is increasing every day.

Organize, organize, organize!

SMART members positioned for unprecedented opportunity

The time is now for our union. Across all the industries and crafts represented in our union — HVAC installation, railroading, indoor air quality, transit operation, architectural sheet metal, production, sign work, bus operation and beyond — SMART members are positioned for generational growth. Now, we need to seize these opportunities.

Political advocacy pays off for sheet metal workers

Unprecedented investment in the sheet metal industry — much of it due to strong labor standards and incentives included in federal legislation in the U.S. — paired with ongoing core work is creating incredibly high demand. SMART local unions now have the chance to organize and recruit aggressively to meet workforce needs.

SMART Transportation Division on offense

SMART-TD members are on offense against the railroads and their Wall Street-driven Precision Scheduled Railroading scheme for the first time in recent memory. We have seen victories and progress on two-person crew and rail safety legislation in Kansas, Minnesota, Ohio and other states across the country, and we need to keep pushing. More on page 28.

The same goes for the safety and working conditions of our brothers and sisters operating on public transit systems. We have seen far too many shocking, brazen attacks on our members while they are simply doing their jobs, safely transporting passengers from point A to point B. Policymakers and community members alike need to hear our voices and know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this cannot stand.

Organize today, win tomorrow

It is a new day for organized labor. Workers are organizing like they haven’t in generations, and 71% of Americans approve of unions: the highest percentage since the 1960s. And yet, the percentage of unionized workers remains too low, and we have seen the consequences in Maryland, Washington, Colorado and beyond. It’s time to strike while the iron is hot.

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.”

SMART’s relentless political advocacy over recent years has helped foster massive infrastructure investment on both public and private projects. From New York state, to Central Ohio, to Arizona and well beyond, megaprojects are creating tens of thousands of jobs for SMART sheet metal workers — all with a presidential administration that is pushing hard for these projects to include strong labor standards that create union jobs.

“Right now we’re tracking close to 300 megaprojects — we know that there will be about 60 that will break ground, are currently started or will be starting this year,” said SMART Chief International Representative Scott Parks. “It wasn’t that long ago that a $1 million sheet metal job was very exciting; now we have 60 megaprojects in the pipeline. It’s a good time to be a sheet metal worker.”

Much of the public funding for these projects comes from legislation passed by the Biden administration: the American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act. Due to the unprecedented role labor has played in the passage and assembly of those laws, companies hoping to take advantage of funding and tax incentives are being pushed to build with strong labor standards in place, bringing good, union jobs to projects breaking ground from coast to coast.

Importantly, Parks pointed out, these jobs require a consistent sheet metal presence, keeping our members at work as technology advances, during retooling and reorganization, and during outages and shutdowns. And the specific skills and crafts required on such projects cover nearly all the sheet metal positions that SMART represents: from frontline supervisors, to testers and balancers, to welders, to everyone else.

“If you can imagine balancing a project that could require 100 balancers — geographically, you may only have 100 balancers in two states,” he explained. “So we’re going to be challenged to make sure we tool up our members so that they’re prepared to take care of these projects.”

The bounty of work on the horizon has created an unprecedented moment of opportunity. According to Parks, the current number of megaprojects breaking ground means one can almost make a projection 10 years out — a far cry from the post-2008 years, when SMART leadership balked at speculating even two or three years into the future. But with that opportunity comes new responsibility.

“We are not going to be able to apprentice our way into the workforce we need to meet these demands — we are not going to be able to do things the way we have always done it in the past, period,” explained SMART General President Michael Coleman. “We have got to put an exceptional focus on organizing, recruiting and retaining in every community.”

SMART members and local unions know the differences between a union career and a nonunion gig: stability, family-sustaining pay and benefits, solidarity and safety on the job, to name only a few. Now, with hundreds of huge jobs breaking ground from Oregon to Atlanta — on top of SMART local unions’ core work — the time is now to bring members into our union.

“When it comes to organizing and recruiting, we’re organizing shops, we’re organizing projects — folks who want to be union sheet metal workers, we’ll bring them in,” Parks explained. “If they’re in an apprenticeship program that may not be a sheet metal apprenticeship program, we’re bringing them in so they have the best chance of success moving forward. If someone comes in as a nonunion journeyperson, that’s great too — we want everyone.”

Many of these projects may provide SMART members in other locations with the opportunity to travel for work. For more information on traveling to jobsites, contact your local business manager and visit the SMART sheet metal job bank.

SMART members joined workers from dozens of unions in Philadelphia on June 17th to officially endorse President Joe Biden for reelection. Local 19 apprentice Elena Farina, who attended the Labor for Biden event, discusses how President Biden's pro-worker agenda has benefited SMART members, creating tens of thousands of jobs and improving working conditions across industries.
Philly sheet metal worker discusses Biden endorsement, pro-worker policies
YouTube Video UExFekJDRUFvTFJZcTdJXzRXSDJrT09sb2dPRXI3N0Yydi41NkI0NEY2RDEwNTU3Q0M2

Philly sheet metal worker discusses Biden endorsement, pro-worker policies

Longtime sheet metal worker Mike Coleman assumed the position of SMART General President on June 1st, 2023. He immediately began emphasizing the extraordinary opportunities on the horizon for SMART members, including work at megaprojects like Ford’s Blue Oval City in Stanton, Tennessee.
SMART GP Coleman visits Ford Blue Oval City megaproject in Stanton, Tenn.
YouTube Video UExFekJDRUFvTFJZcTdJXzRXSDJrT09sb2dPRXI3N0Yydi4xMkVGQjNCMUM1N0RFNEUx

SMART GP Coleman visits Ford Blue Oval City megaproject in Stanton, Tenn.

Following on last year’s national rail negotiations, SMART-TD members have gained paid sick leave benefits for train & engine workers at some of the Big Four U.S.-based carriers.
Union railroaders negotiate historic tentative agreements
YouTube Video UExFekJDRUFvTFJZcTdJXzRXSDJrT09sb2dPRXI3N0Yydi4wMTcyMDhGQUE4NTIzM0Y5

Union railroaders negotiate historic tentative agreements

Workers, union leaders and elected officials came together during a May event at the Local 17 training center in Boston to highlight the union jobs created by ongoing infrastructure investments. SMART Northeast Regional Council Business Rep. Shamaiah Turner discussed how infrastructure funding is creating unprecedented opportunity for sheet metal workers in New England.
Union leaders, elected officials highlight infrastructure jobs in Boston
YouTube Video UExFekJDRUFvTFJZcTdJXzRXSDJrT09sb2dPRXI3N0Yydi41MjE1MkI0OTQ2QzJGNzNG

Union leaders, elected officials highlight infrastructure jobs in Boston

Each year on June 19th, our union celebrates Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day. Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of enslaved people following the end of the Civil War, and provides an opportunity for all of us to reflect on our country’s past, present and future. Local 33 (northern Ohio) member David Moore joined SMART News to discuss the history and importance of Juneteenth.
Ohio sheet metal worker discusses Juneteenth
YouTube Video UExFekJDRUFvTFJZcTdJXzRXSDJrT09sb2dPRXI3N0Yydi4wOTA3OTZBNzVEMTUzOTMy

Ohio sheet metal worker discusses Juneteenth

SMART members in Minnesota mobilized throughout the 2023 legislative session, pushing elected officials to stand with working families. That hard work paid off when Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed legislation that will benefit sheet metal and Transportation Division members. In a major victory for railroaders, one of those bills mandates a two-person crew minimum on freight trains operating in the state.
Minnesota railroaders win two-person crew, passenger rail funding
YouTube Video UExFekJDRUFvTFJZcTdJXzRXSDJrT09sb2dPRXI3N0Yydi4yODlGNEE0NkRGMEEzMEQy

Minnesota railroaders win two-person crew, passenger rail funding

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SMART released the latest episode of SMART News on Thursday, July 6. Episode 10 features an interview with Local 19 apprentice Elena Farina on the Biden administration; coverage of SMART General President Mike Coleman’s visit to Ford Blue Oval City in Tennessee; an overview of SMART-TD’s recently negotiated railroad agreements, which include paid leave; infrastructure funding and jobs in Boston; and another two-person crew victory for railroaders in Minnesota.

Watch individual videos from this episode:

Farina, a second-year apprentice with Local 19, joined her fellow Philadelphia sheet metal workers and members from across organized labor for an event with President Biden in June. During her SMART News interview, she explained the impact of pro-worker policies implemented by the Biden administration, including the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. She also emphasized the importance of voting for candidates who have materially acted in the interests of the working class.

“Vote with your pocket, you know what I’m saying,” Farina said. “Everyone has their own personal issues, but at the end of the day your livelihood is what’s going to sustain you.”

Longtime sheet metal worker and union leader Mike Coleman assumed the position of SMART general president on June 1st, 2023. He immediately began emphasizing the extraordinary opportunities on the horizon for SMART members, including work at megaprojects like Ford’s Blue Oval City in Stanton, Tennessee.

“There’s just so many things to be excited about, but what I think I’m most excited to do is answer the call for these megaprojects: getting our members on those jobs, and making sure we get every hour out of those projects,” Coleman said.

Following on last year’s national rail negotiations, SMART-TD members have gained paid sick leave benefits for train & engine workers at some of the Big Four U.S.-based carriers. SMART-TD Alternate National Legislative Director Jared Cassity provided an overview of some of the historic agreements — both tentative and ratified — that have been made.

Workers, union leaders and elected officials came together during a May event at the Local 17 training center in Boston to highlight the union jobs created by ongoing infrastructure investments. SMART Northeast Regional Council Business Rep. Shamaiah Turner spoke with SMART News about how infrastructure funding is creating unprecedented opportunity for sheet metal workers in New England.

“The future for sheet metal workers in Boston is very bright,” she explained. “Right now we have a LOT of work … we’re out there every day, talking to people who work at open shops, we’re organizing new shops every day, and we’re organizing new journeypeople every day.”

Finally, SMART-TD Minnesota State Legislative Director Nick Katich called in to SMART News to discuss how Minnesota railroaders were able to finally secure two-person crew and passenger rail funding in the state (as well as a slew of pro-worker bills). Long story short, he explained, the victory had everything to do with putting pro-worker elected officials in office — something union members achieved when they helped the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party take control of the state house, senate and governor’s office.

Watch all episode 10 segments here.

WATCH: “I am very excited about the big jobs that are coming up. We have many opportunities that they offer for those who are willing to work, work hard and learn new skills.”

North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) hosted an event titled “Meeting the Moment” on Thursday, March 30 in Columbus, Ohio. The event, part of NABTU’s Opportunity Pipeline series, featured NABTU President Sean McGarvey, SMART Local 24 (southern Ohio) member McKenzie Quinn, representatives from the Ohio governor’s office, state politicians from both sides of the aisle, local union workers and more, all talking about one thing: $200 billion worth of megaprojects breaking ground in Ohio.

“Join us in rebuilding America and join us in establishing your place in the middle class,” McGarvey said at the event, addressing the union tradespeople of the future. “… We look forward to building this together as a team, as a community for the benefit of all in our country.”

As a result of massive investment and new megaprojects from companies like Intel, Honda and more – spurred in part by federal legislation like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act – the Ohio State Building and Construction Trades Council estimates that more than 115,000 union workers will work full time from 2023 to 2025. That enormous number of jobs opens a huge window of opportunity for SMART sheet metal workers, both current and future members.

McKenzie Quinn (front row, second from right) with the leadership of Local 24.

“In Columbus right now, we have a lot of exciting upcoming projects,” Local 24 journeyperson Quinn said. “We have chip factories, data centers, electric vehicle battery plants, and this is going to bring hundreds of good-paying jobs in the next few years.”

That not only means family-sustaining jobs for Ohio SMART members – it creates a golden opportunity for local unions to recruit, organize and grow their market share.

“We need to do our best to continue recruiting people from every background,” Quinn noted. “This opportunity is available to everyone.”

Megaprojects, union apprenticeship programs create opportunity for all

Multiple speakers at Thursday’s event testified to the power of a union apprenticeship when it comes to lifting workers up, no matter their background or identity. Year after year, the statistics demonstrate that unions reduce economic disparity for women, people of color and other members of historically marginalized communities. By taking advantage of megaprojects and bringing more workers into the unionized trade, SMART locals can do more than fortify their strength – they can create real opportunity for all.

“Joining a union has given me safety and security in my job and safety from discrimination, not only with wages but also gender-based discrimination,” Quinn said. “This is a great chance for everybody, including women and minorities, to get into the trades and have a great career.”

Watch further coverage of the event here.

Megaprojects in the News

An image of the TSMC chip plant project in Phoenix, Arizona
Construction on the TSMC chip plant in Phoenix, Arizona. Photo courtesy of TSMC.

New chip plant megaprojects continue to create jobs for SMART sheet metal workers across North America – including in Arizona, where huge projects have led to unprecedented job growth and a boom in the membership of SM Local 259 (Phoenix, Ariz.)

“We’ve been able to increase our membership. In 2017-18, we had 500 members, and we currently have about 850, so it’s created a lot of organizing opportunities for us,” said Jeff Holly, Local 359 business manager and financial secretary-treasurer, during a recent interview with SMART News. “All of our funds are super healthy – health and welfare, pension funds, down to general fund activity at the hall. … It’s helped out the membership a lot.”

In Chandler, Ariz., an Intel chip plant is expected to employ more than 300 sheet metal workers at its peak and continue for two to three years. And in Phoenix, Taiwanese Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) – the world’s largest manufacturer of advanced microchips – is building its first major U.S. production site, more than tripling its initial planned investment. The project currently employs over 400 sheet metal workers and is expected to last for three to five years.

Watch Jeff Holly’s interview on the Arizona chip plant projects on SMART News.

These chip plant projects specifically benefit SMART sheet metal workers, Holly explained.

“Everything’s got to be super clean, there’s a lot of filtration that goes into [chip plant construction] – a lot of scrubber work, exhaust, so they’re fairly labor intensive for sheet metal workers,” he said. “Most of the duct they’re using is rather large, so it ends up [requiring] more people than we used to use.”

The chip plant projects in Arizona mirror similar developments across the continent, including in Ohio, upstate New York and more. Like in Arizona, such projects provide opportunities not only for SMART sheet metal workers, but for locals aiming to organize, grow their membership and expand their market share. And while the Arizona chip plants were underway before the passage of labor-friendly legislation like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act and the CHIPS and Science Act, Holly told SMART News that such laws will benefit SMART members moving forward.

“Since the CHIPS Act was enacted,” he said “we’re looking at the possibility of having our first large-scale project labor agreement being signed out at the TSMC project, which is something that the Arizona State Building Trades has never had really any success [with]. Even though these weren’t planned when these acts were enacted, I think they’re going to pay dividends in the very near future.”

Whether chip plants, data centers, electric vehicle battery plants or infrastructure jobs, megaprojects are expected to continue breaking ground across the United States and Canada in the near future. Members interested in traveling to work these jobs should visit the Sheet Metal Job Bank for more information.

Megaprojects in the News