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This article was originally published on WNYLaborToday.com.

When it comes to giving back to the Rochester, N.Y., community, SMART Local 46 members are ready, willing and able to do what they can, when they can. In 2023, that meant giving their time and skills at the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum, where apprentices are working to restore an idled trolley car that once ran the rails in downtown Rochester.

“We’ve been sending 10 apprentices at a time, about 40 in all, and they are loving it,” Local 46 Training Director Allen Mort told WNYLaborToday. com about the restoration work being done at the Railroad Museum. “They’re working on the car’s roof and their sheet metal paneling. This has been awesome — they’re working to preserve our local history.”

Museum President Otto Vondrak says Local 46’s apprentices are helping restore a trolley car that ran on the Rochester system from 1938 to 1956.

“We got it donated to us back in 1998,” Vondrak said. “It also has a wood interior, and it’s been sitting here for more than 20 years. Before Local 46 got involved, we were fundraising to get the money to repair, and it was being restored — incrementally.”

“This makes me feel proud,” said SMART International Organizer Warren Faust, who joined WNYLaborToday.com for a tour of the Railroad Museum with Mort, Vondrak and Jonathan Perna, a Local 46 marketing representative.

“You have to have a diverse skill set to do work like this, and most people just don’t know we have it,” Faust added. “This is giving everyone a sense of pride, and it ties in with the fact that we band together to help.”

Offering what it describes on its website as “the most unique museum experience in the greater Rochester area,” the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum is a nonprofit educational organization that traces its roots back to 1937 as the Rochester chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, the third-oldest chapter in the organization. Its purpose, according to Vondrak, is to educate the public on the technology, history and impact of Rochester’s railroad industry through the preservation, restoration and operation of railroad equipment — as well as the display of relevant historic artifacts and documents.

In 1971, the museum group purchased an abandoned Industry Depot from the Erie Lackawanna Railroad with the goal of restoring it as a museum — and over the last 50 years, the organization has preserved more than 40 pieces of historic railroad equipment and built its own demonstration railroad to bring Rochester’s rich railroading heritage to life. In fact, the museum operates and offers train rides every month from April through December.

Vondrak told WNYLaborToday.com he is “super excited” to have Local 46’s apprentices working to help restore the rail car.

“They’re helping preserve the railroad heritage for all to enjoy, and their expertise in metalworking was something we don’t have here. [Local 46’s apprentices] have the expertise to help get it over the finish line,” he said.

The museum has spent more than $100,000 to date to help pay for the majority of restoration work that needs to be done, added Vondrak, who knows his nonprofit is “literally saving hundreds of thousands of dollars” thanks to the work being donated by Local 46.

“They are doing it all right — the first time,” he said.

For Local 46, such projects aren’t only the right thing to do for the community; they help raise public awareness of the important role unions play, both on and off the job.

“It’s baffling, the perception [the general public has about what labor unions and union members do] — you just never get a good answer, but there’s a lot SMART does to help people,” Perna said. “When people ask me, I say: ‘Sure, we’re going to get our apprentices involved, because they care. And our focus is to give people a better life.’

“If you’re not in a union, you’re doing it wrong — you’re missing out on the benefits. I feel good for our members and our apprentices that we’ve given them these opportunities [to do good things across the Rochester community].”

According to Mort, Local 46 apprentices who have participated in the effort include: Rand Warner, Earl Delong, Hunter Angarano, John Bertolone, Karl Biedlingmaier, Robert Dettore, Anthony Hayslip, Matthew Olek, Alexsi Ortiz, Cody Pascalar and Richard Andrew Ross.

Union solidarity is everlasting, and Local 19 (Philadelphia, Pa.) apprentices proved that on April 4, 2024 — installing an accessibility ramp for a retired member who recently started using a wheelchair.

“It only took several hours to install, but this ramp will help the retired member connect easier with the outside world,” Local 19 wrote on Facebook.

Solidarity forever!

The artistry of union craftsmanship was on full display in New York in early 2024. Members of Local 83 performed stunning copper work at the New York State Capitol in Albany, with help from Local 40 (Connecticut), Local 17 (Boston) and Local 63 (Western Mass.). The approximately six tons of copper were installed by Local 83 members Mike Desourdy, Joshua Vadnais, Andrew Bell, Vernon Howe, Kenny O’Loughlin, Ed Schillinger, Jr., Superintendent Tony Brancati and Aaron Hebert, as well as Local 40’s Dennis Rodrigues, Local 17’s Keith Ruza and Local 63’s Stephen Bovenzi.

SMART Local 18 members and signatory contractors are working to spread the word about rewarding careers in the union sheet metal industry for young people across Wisconsin.

Wauwatosa East High School has partnered with local mechanical contractor firms JM Brennan and TOTAL Mechanical — as well as local manufacturers representing Air Flow, the Milwaukee and Southeastern Wisconsin Plumbing and Mechanical Contractors Association and Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors Association (PMC SMACCA) — to further develop its learning labora­tory and better prepare the building and construction trades’ labor force of the future.

These companies, the regional contractors’ asso­ciations and the union members who make up their workforces have partnered with Wauwatosa East to advance the HVAC component of its technical training space so that students can be better prepared for a career in the building trades.

Craig Griffie is the technical educational teacher at Wauwatosa East High School and is the coordinator of one of only two certified pre-apprenticeship programs in the state of Wisconsin.

“At Tosa East we are very proud of our program. The students are building a really strong foundation, and it’s all due to the partners we have,” said Griffie.

“We believe in bringing up that next generation for our industry. This class gives students the opportunity to develop that through hands-on learning,” added Jessica Jahner, senior project manager at JM Brennan.

Local 18 members on site at Wauwatosa East demonstrated various aspects of the union sheet metal trade for students — introducing potential recruits to the industry and letting area students know about the life-changing power of a union.

“It’s been amazing working with the people from JM Brennan and TOTAL Mechanical, just learning all these new things and soaking up all this information,” said Hayden, a high school senior.

Members of the Local 27 (Southern New Jersey) SMART Army volun­teered their time to benefit their community last spring, taking part in the 2024 Cumberland County Improvement Authority trash hunt. Thank you to the members who participated: Peter Kesnig, Mike Mendez, John Manera, Gavin Wil­liams, Malcolm Hill, Jeffrey Brown, Pat Derbyshire, Matt Johnson, Bob Whittaker, Joe Ashner, Don Cooper, Mark Weatherby and Jaden Shepard.

In 2015, the SMART Local 218 (Springfield, Illinois) Retirees’ Club began fabricating a “memory wall:” a metal art piece featuring the names of sheet metal workers who came before us. Years later, the memory wall is a treasured showcase of Local 218’s history, proudly displayed as a tribute to all those who helped shape the local and to the hard work and skilled labor of those who created the piece.

The Springfield Retirees’ Club is led by President Roy Sims and Secretary-Treasurer Donald Noll.

Every year in April, the Klineline Kids Fishing Derby brings approximately 3,000 children, families and friends — around 10,000 people from across Southwest Washington and greater Portland, Oregon — to Salmon Creek Park/ Klineline Pond in Vancouver, Washington. Over two days, children of all backgrounds, including low-income and under-privileged kids and children with disabilities, learn about fishing and water safety, play outside and experience all that the natural world has to offer.

And for the last 15 years or so, SMART Local 16 and Northwest Regional Council (NWRC) members have played a crucial role in making the derby a success. That continued in 2024, with SMART volunteers doing their part to help kids across the region enjoy two days of fishing.

“I have been involved with the organization for close to 20 years, since my five children were under the age of 14,” said Local 16 Business Representative Dustin Hysmith. “They are all in their late twenties and early thirties. The event had such an effect on one of my children that he is now a commercial fisherman.”

After taking part personally, Hysmith helped get Local 16 and other area building trades involved in the fishing derby, eventually expanding to include other members of the NWRC and SMART Local 66 (Seattle, Wash.). He has worked to bring industry partners into the festivities: During this year’s derby, signatory contractor JH Kelly signed on as a sponsor, and union printer Hollywood Impress donated 1,000 cookbooks and 3,450 three-by-five name and timeslot cards. In previous years, SMART contractors fabricated many of the fish cleaning stations, all part of facilitating the largest event of its kind in Washington state.

But it’s the SMART Army members who make the biggest difference.

“Local 16 members have been pivotal in stringing the more than 3,000 fishing poles every year, putting together the 20 fishing racks, helping with setup and tear-down, staffing our outreach booth and — most popular — helping the kids catch fish,” Hysmith explained.

SMART members’ display of service and solidarity is rewarded every year when the thousands of fishing derby attendees get to experience the various activities and prizes available throughout the weekend. Friday is special needs day, Hysmith said, open to all those with a disability, regardless of age. Saturday is for all kids ages 5-14, with a $5 entry fee granting participants a free fishing pole, a T-shirt, the chance to catch two fish, entry in a drawing to win a bicycle or scooter, a goodie bag and much more. Plus, there’s button making, building activities, face painting, free ice cream and shaved ice — and no one’s turning any kids away, Hysmith added.

“The largest fish of the hour gets a tackle box full of lures, fishing supplies and a trophy. Second and third place get trophies. The smallest fish of the hour gets a coupon to Papa Murphy’s Pizza for a free pizza, because the fish is not big enough to feed the family,” he said.

The critical part SMART members play in the Klineline Kids Fishing Derby demonstrates for all attendees that union members are part of the fabric of communities across the country, and it shows that solidarity is more than just a word for union workers — it’s a principle. As a bonus, the Local 16 outreach booth stands throughout both days to give interested parents and guardians more information about our union and our trade.

Great work, brothers and sisters!

The Great Recession of 2008 derailed the lives of working Americans and families. For SMART members, the economic downturn made its impact felt in a variety of ways — among the most devastating being its effect on union pensions. With assets plummeting, the Sheet Metal Workers’ National Pension Fund and local union pension funds alike were forced to take steps to secure their retirement plans, leading to drastic cuts to retiree benefits.

For SMART Local 33 (Northern Ohio) member James Chester, who had already taken a reduced pension payment in order to retire at age 55, the loss felt earthshattering.

 “It was a shock to my financial system,” he said. “It was a shock when I had everything worked out to the details, worked out [for] when I retired.”

Local 33 retiree James Chester, whose pension was restored by the American Rescue Plan, stands next to his van at the Local 33 union hall.
Local 33 retiree James Chester, whose pension was restored by the American Rescue Plan, stands next to his van at the Local 33 union hall.

For Chester and fellow retirees, the promise of a union-won pension was a motivating factor throughout decades of hard work, offering not just financial security but the chance to enjoy their “golden years” with their loved ones. The inability of legislators to provide needed pension relief in the years following the recession left many of those workers flailing, paying the price for an economic catastrophe spawned by unchecked Wall Street greed.

“I probably lost a third [of my pension],” Chester said. “And that was a big hit.”

“I had to sit down and really get my pencil sharpened. Really had to do some figuring out — how am I going to make [it through] this?”

And then, in early 2021, workers finally got the reward they deserved for their decades spent building our nation. President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act into law, which included funding for multiemployer pension relief. For the approximately 1,600 SMART members in the Sheet Metal Workers Pension Fund based in Massillon, Ohio — James Chester being one of them — that meant the full restoration of their retirements.

“I looked to my wife with a smile on my face. She said, ‘James, what are you smiling about?’ What are you smiling so much about?’” Chester recalled. “Until I [told] her, ‘Babe, guess what. We’re getting it all back.’ … I got all the money back. I was ecstatic.”

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. According to Chester, that fact alone, on top of investments in union jobs and American industry, make it vital to vote for pro-union candidates in the upcoming election.

“I vote my wallet,” he declared.

On March 26, 2024, Local 18 (Wisconsin) members, family and friends attended the local’s eighth annual blood drive/SMART Army event at the union hall. Local 18 provided fresh grilled brats — cooked by retiree and SMART Army award-winner Kevin Turner — and refreshments to all who donated or attempted to donate. Twenty-three donations were made that day, poten­tially helping 53 people in need.

“We can’t say enough about how impressed we are by the support by our neighbors, members, family and friends to come out to donate to Local 18’s blood drive under the direction of the Versiti Blood Center,” said Local 18 Business Representative Steuart Wilson.

Local 36 apprentices Keira Krentz and Lilly Gibson attended Wom­en’s Lobby Day at the Missouri Capitol on Wednesday, March 6. Both apprentices are pictured with Missouri AFL-CIO President Jacob Hummel and State Senator Elaine Gannon, a union-friendly Republican.