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The SMART Education Department, in collaboration with the Organizing Department, held its Organizing III class during the week of October 6–10, 2025, in St. Louis. This redesigned class focused on the “top-down” organizing strategy, with a specific emphasis on developing organizing campaigns targeting nonunion contractors.

Expanding SMART’s signatory contractor base is one of the best methods local unions have to keep members employed. For that reason, it’s more important than ever for organizers to strengthen their ability to identify, build relationships with and ultimately sign new employers.  

The primary subject of the October class centered around what contractors need to succeed and how our locals are built to fulfil that primary need: a flexible labor force. Participants delved deep into a contractor’s mindset to understand the challenges of running a construction company, learning how to reframe common employer objections to unionization as benefits for both workers and contractors. Attendees also roleplayed interactions with the gatekeeper, delivered a custom-built elevator pitch and practiced both first meetings and subsequent meetings with the contractors.

Throughout the week, participants learned to find nonunion contractors in their local’s jurisdiction using Standard Industrial Codes (SICs) and turned their lists into maps and routes using Google Maps. There were nearly 20 exercises during the course; after mock exercises, participants debriefed with critical feedback to their peers.

A point system was in place, with organizers grouped into fiction local unions and evaluated by their fellow participants. “Local 111” — Phil Berg (Local 23), Cesar Carrillo (Local 26) and Yadriel Carrasquillo (Local 68) — took third place. “Local 444” — Adam Kerr (Local 71), Doug Meyers (Local 103) and Aaron Leslie (Local 104) — was ranked second place. “Local 333” — Dustin Hysmith (Local 16), Hallie Jennerman (International organizer/Local 18) and Jay Jones (Local 265) — was recognized by peers as the top group in the class.

“Congratulations to Jay Jones, the highest point winner in the top group, for winning the coveted ‘Coffee is for Closers’ coffee cup!” said SMART Director of Education Eli Baccus. “We hope this class spurs participants’ top-down organizing efforts, and that more contractors are brought in for more member jobs.”

The 2025 SMART Northeast Region I Organizers Meeting was held September 9–10 in Clifton Park, New York, bringing together local union organizers, business managers, business agents and training coordinators from across the northeast of Region I, covering Virginia to Maine.

SMART Director of Organizing Jason Benson, Regional Director Frank Sullivan and International Organizers Tom Kelm, Warren Faust and Frank Greer provided field training to both experienced organizers and 11 newly appointed organizers, who participated in their first regional meeting.

The two-day meeting opened with sessions on SMART organizer expec­tations, street law, Construction Organizing Membership Education Training (COMET) and strategic campaign planning. Day two featured an in-field job action exer­cise at three different sites in SMART Local 83’s jurisdiction, as well as a debrief that provided hands-on experience in applying these orga­nizing strategies. The meeting ended with local organizers’ reports and an open floor discussion, fostering collaboration, knowledge-sharing and alignment on SMART’s orga­nizing priorities across the northeast portion of Region I.

Organizing is how we win!

In January 2026, SMART Local 1 (Peoria, Illinois) announced the successful signing of Prow’ess Construction Corp. as a signatory contractor and the completion of a highly specialized workforce request for an international Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-regulated project. This effort was led by Local 1 Business Manager Dave Gamber and Organizer Domenic Theison, reinforcing Local 1’s commitment to supplying highly skilled union labor for complex and specialized projects.

Prow’ess Construction Corp., headquartered in Springfield, Illinois, and located within the jurisdiction of SMART Local 218, was awarded a project involving the installation of a copper roofing system at the main airport in Turks and Caicos. The copper roof is a critical component of the airport’s antenna grounding system, requiring highly skilled sheet metal workers capable of passing a stringent FAA-observed soldering certification test.

Local 1 announces the signing of Prow’ess Construction

SMART Local 218, through Organizer Mitch Noll and Business Manager Rich Manka, made efforts to staff the project locally; however, members were not willing to travel internationally for the duration of the work. As a result, and in the spirit of cooperation and solidarity across our union, Local 218 referred Prow’ess Construction to Local 1 to assist in fulfilling the workforce needs.

Under the leadership of Gamber and Theison, Local 1 successfully stepped in to meet the contractor’s needs and ensure the project moved forward with union craftsmanship.

At the request of the FAA, soldering certification testing was conducted under direct FAA supervision at Local 1’s training facility. Two Local 1 members — Jared Clymer and Jim Emanuels — successfully passed all required testing and received FAA approval to perform the work overseas. Both members are now authorized to complete the installation at the Turks and Caicos airport, representing Local 1 and the sheet metal workers’ trade at the highest professional level.

This project highlights the strength of inter-local cooperation, the effectiveness of union training programs and the ability of Local 1 to supply highly skilled labor for technically demanding, FAA-regulated international work.

SMART mourns the passing of our Local 73 (Chi­cago, Ill.) brother Anthony “Tony” Scavone, who left us on July 7, 2025. Tony retired on December 31, 2024, after a remarkable career that touched the lives of so many in our union and beyond.

Tony began his journey working with the tools, where he built not only his craft but also his deep commit­ment to his fellow members. He later served 11 years as a Local 73 organizer, business representative and recording secretary before stepping into a broader role with the International, where he spent 17 years as an organizer and as Region II organizing director. In that role, his jurisdiction stretched from Illinois and Nebraska all the way to the Gulf Coast, and his work left a lasting mark in every corner of that region.

Throughout his decades of service, Tony never stopped fighting for working people. He led organizing campaigns across the United States, strengthening SMART for generations to come. But perhaps his greatest legacy was the time he devoted to mentoring others — patiently sharing his experience, knowledge and strategies with organizers across the International and our local unions. The leaders he guided and the lessons he passed on will carry forward his spirit, knowl­edge and dedication long into the future.

For those who knew him personally, Tony was more than a labor leader. He was a trusted friend, a steady presence and a source of laughter and encouragement. His sharp wit, his warmth and his ability to connect with anyone made him beloved across our union and throughout North America. Tony embodied the best of what it means to be union: solidarity, unity and a deep love for his brothers and sisters.

He leaves behind his wife, Donna, and his children, Roxanne Bastian (Kyle), Nina Scavone and Anthony R. Scavone III; his mother, Rosemary Scavone; and his siblings, Ralph Scavone (Sarina), Julie Petschenko (Mike) and Rosemary Terranova (Peter).

He will be dearly missed, but his impact on the members, the labor movement, and his legacy will never fade.

Canada’s unionized construction industry is expe­riencing significant victories for workers. From prevailing wage requirements on green infra­structure projects, to tax deductions for travellers, to new federal legislation designed to expedite nation-building projects, the future is bright for SMART members and the broader labour movement.

As Canada gears up for a wave of megaprojects from coast to coast, it is more important than ever to remain focused on organizing. Organizing victories ensure SMART has the capacity, skill and strength to meet the demands of high-profile, intensive projects, while protecting the wages, benefits and working conditions that members deserve.

Across the country, SMART locals are rising to this challenge by prioritizing organizing and expanding their reach. On the West Coast, Local 280 (Vancouver) has grown its membership by 35%, thanks to successful organizing campaigns involving 15 new companies. Their most notable victory was organizing a roofing company with over 50 members, marking a significant step forward for both the local and broader construction industries in B.C.

In Northern and Eastern Ontario, smaller locals are also ramping up their efforts. Local 504 (Sudbury) and Local 269 (Kingston) have hired full-time organizers for the first time, a sign of their commitment to signing nonunion companies and preparing for the influx of new projects.

Newly organized Local 562 member Brian Vos in the shop in Kitchener, Ontario

Meanwhile, in Southwestern Ontario, Local 562 (Kitchener) achieved a breakthrough after years of determined efforts, welcoming 56 new members who made the switch from the Christian Labour Association of Canada (CLAC). The turning point came when CLAC compared their current wages and benefits, which highlighted the clear advantage of SMART member­ship. Even with a recent $18/hour raise from CLAC, the workers realized they were still behind SMART’s collec­tive agreements. Ultimately, this move wasn’t just about higher wages; it was about joining a union that provides meaningful representation and long-term security.

But our largest organizing victory came in Windsor, where Local 235 mobilized 450 SMART travellers to support work on the NextStar Energy megaproject. At peak, the site had 950 union members working, a clear demonstration of SMART’s capacity to scale up orga­nized labour.

Looking ahead, more megaprojects are on the horizon. From the PowerCo (Volkswagen) battery plant to multiple hospital builds across the country, these proj­ects offer incredible opportunities for SMART members to develop their skills, secure steady employment and sustain rewarding careers in their local communities.

But seizing these opportunities requires organizing. It is only through continued organizing efforts that we can ensure all construction workers, regardless of their location in Canada, can reap the benefits of union repre­sentation. Better wages, safer worksites and stronger worker protections start with a commitment to grow our union. Together, we’re building more than infrastruc­ture; we’re building a stronger future for every SMART member across Canada.

When SMART Local 5 (East Tennessee and North Carolina) member Steven Ruger became an organizer in April 2023, the local had around 1,100 members — the majority in Tennessee — with 500 sheet metal workers needed to take on several approaching N.C.-based megaprojects.

“I wanted to become an organizer to help build and grow Local 5,” said Ruger, who first joined the trade in July 2011 with SMART Local 112 (Elmira, N.Y.) before moving to North Carolina years later. “To give others the opportunity I had and build solidarity in North Carolina.”

By all conventional measures, he’s succeeding. Today, thanks in large part to aggressive organizing conducted by Local 5 and spearheaded by Ruger, the local has more than 1,500 members, and the size of Local 5’s North Carolina membership has increased by more than 60%.

Megaprojects drive growth

Back in 2023, three megaprojects in Local 5’s jurisdiction — a Wolfspeed chip plant, a Toyota battery plant and a VinFast plant — put huge workforce demands on signatory contractors. That meant Ruger had to get straight to work once he started his new job as an organizer, training with now-retired International Organizer Kevin Mulcahy while simultaneously building a person-of-interest list for the local.

“Kevin and I researched nonunion fabrication shops in Charlotte, Raleigh and Greensboro, found where workers left these shops and placed yard signs at high-traffic intersections,” Ruger recalled.

In September 2023, the International put on an organizing blitz in Raleigh, North Carolina, to help staff the megaprojects, with organizers undergoing two days of training and two days of jobsite visits. There were four cars, with four organizers in each car, Ruger said — including one bilingual organizer per vehicle. He also had more than 500 palm cards printed, made up with a QR code that would direct users to a Local 5 landing page that explained megaprojects, pay scale, per diem, overtime and other facts about the union advantage.

Local 5 palm card
Steven Ruger

“We flooded jobsites, gas stations and supply houses with these cards,” Ruger said. “This was a huge success.”

The recruiting didn’t stop there. Ruger ran ads on Craigslist and Indeed, marketing the many perks of being a Local 5 sheet metal worker. The local has partnered with Guilford Technical Community College to help bring on two classes of 25 first-year sheet metal apprentices. And Ruger found great success stripping one of Local 5’s nonunion competitors, Environmental Air Systems.

“On a couple jobs, I stripped the foreman, and he brought his whole crew of 10-plus people with him,” he said.

Language isn’t a barrier to the union advantage

Ruger, Mulcahy and Local 5 knew that navigating potential Spanish-English language barriers would be key to any organizing success in the area. Along with the bilingual organizers brought in for the Raleigh blitz, Ruger worked with International Organizer Josh Garner and Strategic Research and Data Team Manager Kris Harmon to make sure the Local 5 landing page could be translated into Spanish. He even invested in translator ear buds in order to communicate with Spanish-speaking workers directly.

“I would meet these workers at Sheetz gas stations and our local union hall, explaining all the benefits of joining,” Ruger said. “I hired a few bilingual workers, and going forward they would help me relay information and assist with recruiting.”

Bad-faith employers often exploit language barriers to keep workers from organizing, collectively bargaining and speaking up about jobsite issues. That wasn’t the case at SMART signatory contractor Dynamic Systems, Inc. (DSI), which took on the Wolfspeed chip plant in Siler City, North Carolina. Thanks to their cooperation, all workers were put in a position to succeed — benefiting the employer as well.

“DSI worked with Local 5 and set up two orientations for workers, one in English and one in Spanish,” Ruger explained. “I would send all Spanish-speaking workers to the shop on Friday, and then DSI would report them to the jobsite for orientation in Spanish.”

The success achieved by Ruger and Local 5 marks a roadmap for SMART locals across North America. A wide variety of challenges lie ahead for our organization, from workforce demands to encroaching nonunion competition. But regardless of the nation, state or municipality of any given local, there’s at least one action we can always take: organize, organize, organize.

In so-called “right-to-work” states like Florida — the home of commuter rail service Tri-Rail — union workers are often forced to overcome multiple obstacles during contract negotiations. On the one hand, they’re trying to make gains on pay, benefits and working conditions. On the other, they need to surmount potential division between the workers who have signed up for the union and those who opt out of representation.  

But that wasn’t a problem at Tri-Rail’s Hialeah, Florida, facility during the most recent round of contract negotiations. The tireless work of SMART Mechanical Department Local Chairpersons Luis Roves and Raul Barnat ensured every single worker on the property signed up to be a member of SMART-MD — and when the time came to vote on a new contract, every single SMART-MD member cast a vote. The result: 100% ratification.

“Everyone was on the same page,” said SMART-MD General Committee 2 Directing General Chairperson John McCloskey, who negotiated the agreement alongside International Rep. Rob Shanahan. “We had one unified message, and that made it easy to negotiate as one voice and win the contract the members wanted.”

SMART-MD first organized and negotiated a contract at the Hialeah facility in 2015. At the time, 15 of the 28 Tri-Rail employees signed up for union representation.

Barnat and Roves

When ownership of Tri-Rail changed hands from Bombardier to Herzog Transit Services in 2019, SMART-MD ran another organizing campaign at the facility, with Roves and Barnet playing key roles. The two local chairpersons engaged every employee, including brand-new hires — explaining the union advantage and the importance of signing up with SMART-MD. Eventually, they established 100% union membership throughout the property.

“There is definitely a language barrier when I’m down in Miami,” said McCloskey, an Irish immigrant. An added difficulty for McCloskey and Shanahan: The vast majority of the Tri-Rail employees are of Cuban descent, mostly speaking English as a second language. “Luis and Raul are just so proactive. They kept it together in a right-to-work state. They fielded all the questions, all the concerns.”

The previous Tri-Rail contract was subject to renegotiation on July 1, 2024, with SMART-MD initiating discussions two months prior. With Roves and Barnat consistently in contact with Tri-Rail’s workforce, relaying their priorities to McCloskey and Shanahan, SMART-MD eventually reached a tentative agreement with the employer in February, with the unanimous, full-participation ratification vote taking place shortly after.

McCloskey paid tribute to Roves and Barnet’s industrious work on behalf of their fellow Tri-Rail employees, calling their effort a “great success.” He also noted how the negotiation process demonstrated our union’s values.

“At the end of the day, we serve our members no matter their background — we’re not going to let a language barrier get in the way,” he said. “That isn’t going to deter anyone in our organization from negotiating a good contract.”

SMART-TD kicked off 2025 with a bang, organizing two Genesee & Wyoming-owned railroad properties in the span of two weeks.

The first victory, at Wilmington Terminal Railroad, was won with a unanimous vote from railroaders who spent years dealing with a variety of anti-worker attacks.

Wilmington Terminal workers, who already live in the so-called “right-to-work” state of North Carolina, came under G & W ownership in 2005 — and found themselves facing anti-union intimidation from the get-go.

But new SMART-TD member Parker Greenough grew tired of G & W’s threats to shut down the terminal and switch the cars elsewhere if organizing talk became a reality.

“I always figured that [securing union representation] would be difficult and that it would take a long time, but we were finally ready,” Greenough said. “Enough is enough.”

“SMART has negotiated some great agreements on G & W properties,” McCray said. “These guys see that and what they’re missing out on and what a union can do for you.”

After having important conversations with coworkers, Greenough and his colleagues decided that they were ready to stand up to G & W’s endless stream of scare tactics and join a union.

There was just one problem: He didn’t know exactly where to start.

A Friday night Google search led him to SMART-TD, and he immediately made a call to the organizing department. By Monday morning, he was on the phone with General Committee 433 Vice Chair Andy Goeckner, who asked Greenough what he and his brothers needed. Authorization cards were in the mail to them that same day.

Crucial support also came from TD Local 1105 (Wilmington, N.C.) President Mike Stafford. He was present during an initial town hall on SMART-TD membership and provided invaluable help as the vote approached.

“I was shocked at how easy SMART-TD and Andy made this process,” Greenough noted. “We could tell that he was excited to be in this fight with us, and that made us even more motivated to organize.”

G & W predictably and blatantly engaged in further union busting, attempting to swing the vote against SMART-TD supporters. Management was rebuffed with a unanimous vote in favor of unionization.

Vice Chair Goeckner then walked the new members through the process of filing the correct documentation with the Department of Labor and other federal organizations.

Fellow North Carolinian Todd McCray, who hails from the CSX general committee, helped Wilmington Terminal navigate the process at the state level, a responsibility that he wasn’t required to assume.

“Todd’s not an organizer,” Goeckner pointed out. “Being from the same state and having the knowledge to make it happen, he just wanted to help his brothers secure the protection and respect that they deserve. He went above and beyond his job description to bring these guys into our SMART-TD family.”

McCray believes that the vote is a true reflection of the union difference.

“SMART has negotiated some great agreements on G & W properties,” McCray said. “These guys see that and what they’re missing out on and what a union can do for you.”

Connecticut Southern workers organize for change

Just days after their union siblings at the Wilmington Terminal Railroad, workers at Connecticut Southern Railroad — another Genesee & Wyoming subsidiary — joined SMART-TD in a nearly unanimous vote.

Connecticut Southern workers were previously under an umbrella agreement with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (BLET), which benefits some (but not necessarily all) properties that it covers.

With only 15 members in train and engine service, the Connecticut Southern members often felt like they were left in the dark and didn’t have their needs fully addressed.

“Looking at our own situation, we had to say, ‘Hey, are we getting our bang for our buck?’” said Garrett Desjardins, who was the local chairperson while they were represented by the BLET.

Tired of feeling like they weren’t being heard, our new brothers reached out to SMART-TD.

GCA 687 Associate Chairperson Nick Greficz assisted with the organizing efforts.

“[Joining SMART-TD] wasn’t a knee-jerk reaction,” Greficz emphasized. “There was some apprehensiveness about the contracts in place, the longevity of the contracts, and there was some misinformation that was being spread.”

Discussions with Local Chair Matt Pietrzak from Local 352 (West Springfield, Mass.) eased many of the workers’ worries. Pietrzak knew most of TD’s new members before the switch.

“We worked side-by-side with those guys,” he said.

“I see [Pietrzak] almost every day when I’m at work,” Desjardins added. “We just met each other through doing the job, and you meet good people along the way. So it almost seemed like a no-brainer for us because our representation is right there.”

Connecticut Southern workers made a strong impression on Greficz throughout the organizing process — their professionalism and solidarity as a unit helped achieve the overwhelming victory. He specifically conveyed how proud he is of Pietrzak, who is now preparing to become an official organizer, for his leadership throughout the campaign.

“It’s a true story of organizing from the rocks, because he wasn’t an organizer,” Greficz explained. “It doesn’t matter what your title is … everybody is an organizer at the end of the day.”

SMART Local 20’s Youth-to-Youth program paid dividends in Indianapolis, Ind., in early December 2024, where members and officers worked to highlight alleged anti-union behavior and win hundreds of thousands in backpay from Performance Mechanical Contracting, Inc (PMC). After the local filed four unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board, the NLRB secured a settlement agreement with the contractor that saw PMC pay $459,758 to fired Local 20 workers.  

The campaign began when PMC started hiring sheet metal workers. As part of Local 20’s organizing efforts, Local 20 Business Manager Trent Todd explained, eight members in the local’s Youth-to-Youth program applied to work at the company — and declared their union affiliation ahead of time. Those workers were not hired by the company. However, Todd added, two members that did not announce their Local 20 membership were hired. After starting at PMC, the members stated their union affiliation, and they were fired.

Local 20 acted swiftly, filing a complaint that, according to the NLRB, “alleged that the employer unlawfully refused to hire or consider for hire eight applicants and fired two employees because they engaged in union activities, interrogated employees and promulgated an unlawful rule.”

And in December, the NLRB announced the settlement. Along with backpay, PMC agreed to cease and desist from unlawful conduct and to post, read and email a notice of employee rights to its workers.

“Every worker in this country has the right to organize a union, and we at Local 20 will always fight to defend that right,” Todd said. “I am proud of the work our organizing department performed on this campaign. PMC illegally refused to hire qualified applicants because of their union affiliation. This settlement is evidence that rank-and-file organizing has a direct impact on our industry.”

“It is unlawful for an employer to refuse to hire applicants — or fire workers — because of their support for a union,” said [NLRB] Region 25 Regional Director Patricia Nachand in the NLRB’s press release. “I’m proud of Region 25 staff for securing this strong settlement that makes whole the victims of the unfair labor practices.”

“The project peaked at over 500 [Local 20] sheet metal workers. It’s still hard to wrap my hands around that.”

That’s Local 20 (Indiana) Business Manager Trent Todd, discussing a Stellantis engine plant megaproject in Kokomo, Ind. — the largest project in the local’s history — in a recent episode of SMART News.

The key to taking on the work? Organizing.

“It was a total team effort, state-wide,” Todd said. “Hats off to the local business rep. in that area; I can’t say enough.”

The Kokomo megaproject began in spring of 2023. Even before the peak of 500 sheet metal workers, Todd and Local 20 knew that immense workforce demands would be placed on their signatory contractors.

So, using a broad range of organizing tactics, the local got to work early.

“We started months ahead of time with our Youth-to-Youth organizers, mapping out nonunion jobsites before we conducted the blitzes that we had,” Todd explained, referring to several union organizing blitzes in the area that the local conducted, in conjunction with the SMART International Organizing Department, to recruit unorganized workers. “We basically blitzed several areas. We were efficient when the International organizers came in, because we had the projects already documented that had nonunion workers on them.”

Organizers used methods both innovative and tried-and-true to get their message to nonunion workers. They handed out cards with QR codes linking to information on the union difference at jobsites and local businesses. The local ran social media advertisements. Officers visited community colleges and adult education centers, handing out cards and spreading the word about fulfilling careers in the sheet metal industry, and continued their practice of visiting job fairs and community outreach.

“[We did] some new stuff as well as some of the traditional, boots-on-the-ground … fighting and combating the nonunion, and monitoring jobsites in the area,” Todd explained.

Local 20’s intentional focus on organizing will serve union sheet metal workers in Indiana for years to come. Even now, in the wake of the Stellantis megaproject, members are at work on a $4 billion hospital project in Indianapolis and will soon take on an upcoming 26-story high rise. Not only that, Todd added: The rigorous organizing conducted by the local is helping union contractors retain their “core work” market share, maintaining the unionized sector’s hold on elements of our industry that stay constant through the fluctuations that define construction.

In other words, whether staffing record-breaking megaprojects or ensuring union members continue taking on the everyday projects that keep communities running, organizing is key.

“All in all — with new SMART members, seasoned SMART members, the help from our International Association — SMART Local 20 delivered [its] largest project to date,” Todd concluded.