SM Local 25 (northern New Jersey) President/ Business Manager Joe Demark presented Frank Creegan with a plaque in honor of his 59 years of service, including as a trustee for the local’s Welfare, Annuity & Vacation Funds. Congratulations, brother!

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Joseph Sellers, Jr., general president of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART), announced his retirement on January 24, 2023. Sellers will retire on May 31, 2023, and will be succeeded by current Assistant to the General President Michael Coleman. Sellers has served as general president since May of 2015, when he succeeded prior General President Joseph Nigro.

“After nearly three decades in SMART local and national leadership, I have chosen to retire,” said Sellers. “It will always be the greatest honor to have represented you — the women and men who embody the highest level of professionalism and expertise in our industries.”

“Your selfless dedication was especially on display during the pandemic, which had an unprecedented effect on all of us and people around the world,” he added.

“You were on the job every day: working on new construction, retrofitting buildings into pop-up hospitals, redesigning hospital configurations, manufacturing much-needed equipment, ensuring the transportation of people and goods, and keeping our supply chain intact and our buildings and schools safe during a tenuous time in our history.”

Sellers — a second-generation sheet metal worker whose father spent 55 years as a SMART member and 30 years as a local union officer — has often said that “all that my family has comes from my father’s career path and the union sheet metal industry.” Sellers devoted more than four decades to his union, committing himself to lead at every level of SMART. He began his apprenticeship in 1980 at Local 19 in Philadelphia, becoming a journeyperson four years later. He was elected to the local’s executive board in 1994 and appointed to be training coordinator in 1996. In 2002, after serving as a business representative for two years, he became Local 19’s president and business manager.

Sellers was elected to international leadership as 11th general vice president in August 2009. The SMART General Executive Council elected him to serve as the union’s general secretary-treasurer (GST) in July 2011, and he was unanimously re-elected as GST by delegates to the first SMART General Convention in August 2014. Sellers became SMART’s general president on May 1, 2015, when his friend and mentor Joe Nigro needed to retire. He was re-elected on August 14, 2019 to continue his term as the second general president in the union’s history.

As SMART general secretary-treasurer and general president, Sellers developed and led special campaigns to increase outreach and awareness for construction, production and transportation industry members, union industry officials and policy makers on key issues including pensions, healthcare and apprenticeships. He implemented enhancements to the union’s technological infrastructure, professional skills training and training curricula, and he pioneered various union campaigns designed to increase recruitment, retention and diversity within SMART.

Sellers oversaw the launch of the BE4ALL Committee to enhance inclusiveness in the sheet metal industry; the I Got Your Back campaign to promote solidarity between members across all backgrounds; the expansion of the role women play in the unionized sheet metal industry and the rapid modernization of the union’s information and communications programs. He also spearheaded new investments in membership mobilization, with an eye towards positioning the organization to meet the long-term needs of members and those looking to form a union in the decades ahead.

As a testament to Sellers’ steady leadership, the Sheet Metal Workers’ National Pension Fund was officially certified in the Green Zone in 2022 after decades of recovery. His tireless legislative advocacy helped SMART establish a strong relationship with Congress and the Biden administration, and his constant championing of workers’ issues helped influence the passage of groundbreaking laws like the American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act and more.

“We are SMART: sheet metal, air, rail and transportation workers,” Sellers remarked during an interview with SMART News announcing his retirement. “And we’re going to do the things together that are important to our union, no matter what sector you come from. Transportation. Sheet metal. Manufacturing. Any one of those sectors, we’re going to be there for each other.”

Incoming General President Michael Coleman has been a SMART member since 1985, when he began his career at Local 65 — now Local 33 (northern Ohio). Like his predecessor, Coleman served at every level of the union, starting as a rank-and-file tradesperson before becoming a member of his local union’s executive board and a business representative after that. He was then elected president and business manager of Local 33 before becoming ninth general vice president in 2019; he quickly transitioned to SMART director of business and management relations, then to his most recent post as assistant to the general president. He will assume the position of SMART general president on June 1, 2023.

“General President Joseph Sellers will be remembered as one of the all-time greats of this organization,” Coleman noted. “He cemented our groundbreaking merger and navigated the multitude of challenges that faced this union in the past decade.”

He continued: “General President Sellers has really prepared us for this moment that we’re about to embark on, with all these megaprojects and all these growth opportunities. I’m looking forward to that challenge; to seeing his vision through, making sure that we’re still prepared and taking advantage of the opportunities that lie ahead of us.”

Coleman concluded by reminding members that this is their union.

“Whether it be through the work we put in to get allies elected or through the unfortunate circumstances that put freight rail safety front and center on the national agenda, now is our time to act,” he declared. “I am prepared to move this organization forward, and I will work as hard as I can to advance the interests of all SMART members.” 

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On January 24, 2023, I announced my retirement as SMART General President.

Serving the membership of our union has been a great honor. My family and I have a first-hand understanding of the transformative impact our union can have on a person’s life — through my own life experience and through the daily interactions I have with members from the transportation and sheet metal industries across our two nations.

As you know, I am a sheet metal worker by trade, like my father was before me. Everything I have, and everything my family has, came about because of our union. I’ve had countless conversations with members who have had similar experiences — who, thanks to SMART and the solidarity of our fellow members, have been able to pursue family-sustaining careers and have retired or are on the path to retiring with dignity.

When our two unions formed to create SMART, it was to strengthen ourselves through unity, so that we could make advancements and bring opportunity to sheet metal and transportation workers across the United States and Canada. As General Secretary-Treasurer and General President, I witnessed our first two SMART General Conventions in history. As I look back today, I can say with confidence that our decision to stand together as one has proven to be successful, with our union making real progress throughout the years.

Thanks to the collective effort of SMART members over the decades, the Sheet Metal Workers National Pension Fund was certified in the Green Zone last year. We successfully lobbied for pro-worker legislation like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, as well as funding for the Union Training Innovation Program and the Labour Mobility Tax Deduction for Tradespeople in Canada. All have made enormous investments in each of our industries: The American Rescue Plan put workers back on the agenda, including pension relief.

I am a sheet metal worker by trade, like my father was before me. Everything I have, and everything my family has, came about because of our union.

I am particularly proud of the strides we have made in recruitment and retention. From the SMART Heroes program to the inspiring growth of our SMART Women’s Committee, this union has committed to the work of making sure every community can access the opportunities that I had: good, union, middle class jobs, family-sustaining salaries, pension and health care plans.

United, we successfully lobbied for pro-worker legislation with real labor standards. Together, we have fought tirelessly against Precision Scheduled Railroading and for the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would require two-person crews on freight trains. With an engaged membership and renewed public awareness, we have a real chance for change in rail safety regulation. We have planned together to organize aggressively in all sectors, and we will continue to build on our tradition of solidarity as we move forward.

The time has come now for me to pass that tradition on to new leadership. Michael Coleman, your Assistant to the General President, will serve as the new General President starting on June 1. Mike has dedicated himself to our union since the day he joined SMART in 1985, playing a key role in facilitating the 2019 General Convention, and he will serve each and every one of us with the same drive and passion.

Brothers and sisters, this is our moment. This is due to the members who continue to make their voices heard loud and clear across our two nations, and with leadership who continually fight to hold elected officials at every level accountable on the issues we face. With Michael Coleman as our General President, and with the commitment of the membership to our cause, we will seize this moment for ourselves, our families and future generations.

In solidarity,

SMART General President Joseph Sellers, Jr.

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I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate General President Joseph Sellers, Jr. on his upcoming retirement.

Over the past 10 years, I have had the opportunity to work closely with Joe during my time as a General Vice President, Assistant to the General President and the General Secretary-Treasurer, and I have seen his passion and attention to detail first-hand. Joe has always been a tireless advocate for the hardworking men and women this union represents, across all sectors of the transportation, production and construction industries. He has been a leader in the fight for respect on the job, new work opportunities and safe working conditions for all SMART members.

The progress he helped lead during the past 10 years is comparable to what other leaders would have been proud to achieve over the course of decades. He lobbied for pro-worker policies including the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, the Inflation Reduction Act and rail safety legislation, bringing the voice of SMART’s membership to the halls of power in Washington, DC, Ottawa and beyond. He was a constant supporter of the work of the SMART Women’s Committee, which has provided invaluable support and mentorship to women in our union. He was a driving force behind the creation of the I Got Your Back campaign, which promoted solidarity between members of all backgrounds across SMART. His leadership has been invaluable in helping to bring greater diversity and inclusion to our union, including the formation of the BE4ALL Committee and Recruitment and Retention Council, and to making sure that the voices of all our members are valued and respected.

Joe has always been a tireless advocate for the hardworking men and women this union represents, across all sectors of the transportation and construction industries. He has been a leader in the fight for respect on the job, new work opportunities and safe working conditions for all SMART members.

Looking towards the future, I look forward to working with Michael Coleman. Mike and I have had the opportunity to work together over the past four years. We have talked about the future and believe that together we will be able to achieve great things for this union. I believe that with Mike’s dedication to the members, we will continue to take great strides in creating more work opportunities for our members.

The example Joe leaves us is one of true unionism: He embodies the idea that when we stand together and fight for what is right, we can make real progress. As we look to the future, we do so with the knowledge that Joe’s tireless efforts have put us on the path to a brighter tomorrow. Thank you, Joe, for your service to SMART and the labor movement. Your legacy of success will continue to inspire us for years to come.

In solidarity,

Joseph Powell
SMART General Secretary Treasurer

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Brothers and sisters,

I wanted to open this column by expressing my continued admiration to the dedication and drive all members of the SMART Transportation Division have shown in the face of adversity.

As an example, our bus members in Santa Cruz out of Local 23 have coped with weather challenges posed by massive flooding in the area and helped to evacuate people to safety. Elsewhere on the West Coast, the Midwest and in the Northeast, we’ve dealt with our share of storms that make our work more difficult and stressful for bus operators, transit workers, passenger rail, air and freight rail workers.

I want to thank you for showing up. You do the work that others are unwilling or cannot do, and that keeps this country moving. You are appreciated, and when I travel to your area, I will tell you that in person.

A special congratulations goes out to the members of Local 1715 in Charlotte who ratified a new contract by a near-unanimous margin that secures a significant wage increase and other positive gains. Thank you, General Chairperson Joseph Paglia, Vice General Chairperson and Local President Christy Kiser, Local Chairperson Stanley Valentine, Secretary & Treasurer Chris Johnson, Local Committee of Adjustment Secretary Sabrina White and Bus Department Vice President Calvin Studivant for getting such a positive result!

Congratulations also go out to the Ohio State Legislative Board and State Legislative Director Clyde Whitaker, who made Ohio the ninth state to require a minimum two-person freight rail crew. His poise and truthful testimony in March before the U.S. Senate served as a great example for all of labor. He did a fine job.

You do the work that others are unwilling or cannot do, and that keeps this country moving. You are appreciated, and when I travel to your area, I will tell you that in person.

While we’ve each dealt with our own adversity over the past months, the people of East Palestine, Ohio, have dealt with a unique set of challenges. Thanks to a situation that they had no role in creating, the greed of Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR) came to an ugly head in the southeastern Ohio town.

The headlines and situation following the derailment there in early February are all too familiar, and each subsequent derailment in the months since has made headlines. People in East Palestine have been left with many questions. As the NTSB is thoroughly investigating the derailment to answer the question of “How” this scenario came to pass, we all know the answer to “Why?” PSR and its disregard for safety placed a higher value on getting Norfolk Southern’s train across the road than it did on safeguarding the communities it travelled through or the wellbeing of the crew on it.

The results have been splashed all over your televisions and news feeds. As we pray for the victims and hope that claims made by the carrier, EPA and local officials are true that the people of East Palestine are not in danger, we all owe it to those people to prevent that scene from playing out again and again and again.

Drone footage, doorbell cameras and interviews of the people directly affected have emphasized the points SMART-TD has been making for years about the destructive potential of PSR. With the national attention that has been generated by derailments, it is imperative that we disseminate the facts as we know them and continue to repudiate the role corporate greed plays in the rail industry, making community and worker alike less safe.

It is imperative that we harness this momentum to bring about some good from these disasters. Many states have seen progress on crew-size and train-length bills as the national discussion continues to examine rail safety. It is important that as our families, friends and neighbors come to us as industry experts, we are open and honest about the root cause. We need to stand together and to deliver the truth about the carriers’ conduct and what it has done to jeopardize our personal safety as well as the safety of every city and village we roll through.

As you are all aware, this past quarter has been one of much activity for SMART-TD. I want to take this opportunity to personally thank you for your continued professionalism, and I want to assure you that SMART-TD is engaged in every aspect of what is happening on both national and local levels. We are a party to the investigations into all of the recent derailments, as well as the wave of rail safety legislation that is getting headlines. We stand committed to making your voices heard in the halls of Congress as well as the backrooms of the nation’s rail carriers.

In freight negotiations, Luke Edington and his fellow officers at GC-953, as well as Rick Lee and his officers at GO-049 have leveraged gains on their respective properties into tentative agreements before the membership. GC-953’s agreement preserves the conductor position on Union Pacific and the carrier has withdrawn its nomadic “expediter” plan. GO-049 has achieved for the first time the chance for paid sick leave among T&E employees. I applaud their diligence in working to get these tentative agreements before our members and look forward to seeing other carriers follow suit in crafting similar on-property contracts.

Please continue to keep yourself safe and watch out for your brothers and sisters in your crew base. We will be remembered not for our career accomplishments but for how well we serve as one another’s keeper in trying times like the present.

Fraternally,

Jeremy R. Ferguson
President, Transportation Division

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Fall Economic Statement

SMART appreciates the federal government’s continued investment in the Union Training Innovation Program (UTIP) — a vehicle for new training dollars for our local unions and training centres. We were pleased with the additional language in the Fall Economic Statement linking tax subsidies and credits for green energy technologies in the private sector to good-paying, middle class jobs with commitments to apprenticeships. We recommend that the eligibility of the tax credit is dependent on meeting prevailing wage requirements. The prevailing wage should be determined by the best total wage package (including benefits and pension) available in the province, to ensure the creation of the best job opportunities and attract Canadians to the skilled trades.

Also announced in the Fall Economic Statement: the Investment Tax Credits for Clean Tech and Clean Hydrogen, meant to make Canada competitive with the tax credits announced in the United States’ Inflation Reduction Act. The transition to net-zero is a once-in-a-lifetime economic shift, not seen since the industrial revolution. Let’s make sure Ottawa understands that these tax credits must be tied to the best wages and benefits for skilled trades workers. That includes creating more opportunities for apprentices and equity-deserving groups to start a career in the trades.

Other highlights from the Fall Economic Statement include:

• $250M for sustainable jobs investments, including the creation of a new Sustainable Jobs Training Centre, a new sustainable jobs stream under the UTIP and a Sustainable Jobs Secretariat.
• $26.3M over five years, starting in 2023-24, for the government to take stronger action against non-compliant employers through orders, fines and prosecutions to enforce the Canada Labour Code.
• $1.02B to Service Canada to process EI and OAS claims faster while reducing the EI claims backlog, and $574 million to reduce EI and OAS call centre wait times.
• Making all Canada Student Loans and Canada Apprentice Loans permanently interest-free, including those currently being repaid, beginning on April 1, 2023.
• Introducing two new refundable tax credits for the capital cost of investments in clean technologies and clean hydrogen production. For both tax credits, the government will incentivize companies to create good jobs by scaling access to the tax credit for companies that pay prevailing wages based on local labour market conditions and ensure that apprenticeship training opportunities are being created.
• The announcement of the government’s intention to introduce a corporate-level 2% tax that would apply on the net value of all types of share buybacks by public corporations in Canada, similar to a recent measure introduced in the United States.
• $137 million for the CBSA to enhance frontline capacity and hire additional officers to alleviate border pressures and prevent prohibited or restricted goods from entering Canada.

The transition to net-zero is a once-in-a-lifetime economic shift, not seen since the industrial revolution. Let’s make sure Ottawa understands that these tax credits must be tied to the best wages and benefits for skilled trades workers.

Thank you to all the members, building trades unions and staff who have been actively sending letters and lobbying on these issues. The Liberal/ NDP Cooperation Agreement in parliament has also been instrumental in these progressive initiatives.

Eastern Conference Meeting

On March 14, Locals 56, 409, 437 and 512 gathered in Sydney, Nova Scotia for the first of their biannual meetings. Topics included ongoing projects, happenings in each of the local areas, organizing and the upcoming Canadian Council of Sheet Metal Workers and Roofers, which will be held on July14–15, 2023 in Saskatchewan.

The Eastern Conference also held its first apprentice competition, established to help apprentices have a better understanding of what to expect at the national level. All three apprentices were very nervous at the start of the day but quickly eased into the program and worked hard to complete their project. Thank you to Local 56 for graciously hosting the conference and apprenticeship competition! A job well done by all. Congratulations to Alex Hachey, Nick Skerry and Mitch Campbell, who finished first, second and third, respectively.

Legislative Conference 2023

The theme of the Canadian Building Trades Unions legislative conference this May is “Building Jobs for Tomorrow.” There will be two workshops available to delegates. “Carbon Capture and Storage” will be presented by Pathways Alliance — an organization representing Canada’s six largest oil sands companies — on its project to build one of the world’s largest carbon capture and storage facilities in the oil sands region of northern Alberta. The other workshop is on hydrogen. We will hear from Bear Head Energy on Nova Scotia projects to produce green hydrogen and ammonia and the employment opportunities that such innovative projects will provide for our members in the construction industry.

According to the Canadian Hydrogen Strategy, hydrogen could meet 24% of global energy demand by 2050 and help Canada meet its climate goals. The hydrogen sector is expected to create 350,000 well-paying jobs over the next three decades. As Canada sets its target for net-zero emissions by 2050 and continues retrofitting all buildings across Canada, the need for our highly skilled members to carry out this work is vital. Our members can help reduce our carbon footprint.

Recognition of Dedication

On December 31, 2022, International Representative Mark Curtis retired after 42 years of active service.

During his distinguished career, Brother Curtis served the members of Local 276 (Victoria) as business manager/financial secretary-treasurer, president of the Canadian Council of Sheet Metal Workers & Roofers and in the International Association, where he sat as a General Executive Council member and third general vice president before being appointed as international representative for Western Canada.

Brother Curtis graduated from high school in 1977 and began his sheet metal apprenticeship in 1980, earning his journeyperson’s ticket in February 1985. He worked on the architectural side for various employers including Universal Sheet Metal, Peak Roofing, Central Sheet Metal and Victoria Shipyard. In 1999, he was elected as business manager of Local 276, a position he held until 2015, when he was appointed by then General President Joseph Nigro to represent Canada as an international representative.

Brother Curtis has worked tirelessly for architectural sheet metal to be recognized as a Red Seal trade in Canada. During his career he has represented on various industry committees and councils such as:

• Liaison Dockyard Council
• Vancouver Island Building and Construction Trades Council
• Vancouver Island Metal Trades Council
• Trustee of Local 276 Health Plan & Pension Plan
• Vancouver Island Joint Apprenticeship Committee
• Canadian Council of Sheet Metal Workers & Roofers
• Local Union & Council Pension Plan Trustee (Canada)
• Third General Vice President of the International Association

In February 2023, at a meeting of the Western Canadian Conference of Sheet Metal Workers & Roofers, Brother Curtis was presented with a plaque of recognition for his service. On behalf of all the members, thank you for your years of dedication and service, and may you have a long and healthy retirement enjoying time with your wife, Nola, your friends, family and especially the grandkids!

In Solidarity,

Chris Paswisty
Director of Canadian Affairs

The post Working for a better tomorrow! appeared first on SMART Union.

Funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law helped jumpstart two enormous projects on the East Coast in January, creating jobs for SMART sheet metal workers and bettering the working conditions of SMART Transportation Division members. In Baltimore, SMART TD Alt. National Legislative Director Jared Cassity joined Amtrak officials, President Biden and others to kick off the B&P Tunnel Replacement Program. The Civil War-era tunnel will be replaced by the brand-new Frederick Douglass Tunnel, increasing reliability, capacity and speed from 30 mph to a peak of 110 mph. Not only will this save commuters time on the largest rail bottleneck between Washington, DC and New Jersey; thanks to a new project labor agreement (PLA), both SMART sheet metal workers and SMART Transportation Division members working at Amtrak stand to benefit.

“The sorely needed replacement of the B&P Tunnel represents one of the largest infrastructure projects in the region,” SMART General President Joseph Sellers said at the time. “It will improve the lives of Amtrak riders and the SMART TD members who work those trains, and the PLA covering the project will ensure the job is completed by highly skilled workers — lifting local communities up in the process.”

The PLA, negotiated by Amtrak and the Baltimore-DC Building and Construction Trades Council, will cover the replacement of the Warwick Bridge and is the first of its kind under a 2021 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Amtrak and North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU). The MOU will pertain to Amtrak’s major civil engineering projects moving forward, including the remaining phases of the B&P Tunnel Replacement Program, and will help put SMART sheet metal members to work on critical infrastructure jobs across the country.

The project will also improve working conditions for SMART TD Amtrak employees. The B&P Tunnel is Amtrak’s oldest tunnel on the Northeast Corridor, and it has endured a range of age-related maladies, including excessive water infiltration, structural deterioration and delays that impact more than 10% of trains during the week. Now, thanks to the receipt of funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law — as well as a $450 million contribution from the state of Maryland, which will combine with Amtrak’s intended commitment of approximately $750 million — the SMART TD members on those trains can look forward to performing their duties with significantly less hassle.

“Our members are ready to take on this work, and we as an organization are ready to bring in new members and elevate the working class throughout this nation.”

Further north, $292 million in infrastructure funding is spurring the completion of the Hudson Tunnel modernization project, which will rehabilitate the old North River Tunnel connecting New York and New Jersey, build a new tunnel and improve reliability for the 200,000 passengers who traverse the tunnel each weekday. President Biden visited New York City to champion the project on January 31, 2023, where he noted that this phase of the project would create 72,000 jobs.

“Yesterday in Baltimore, I announced that we’re building [the B&P Tunnel project] under the new project labor agreement. And we’re making sure there is [a PLA] here as well,” Biden said.

Funding for the modernization project faltered under the previous president’s administration. But thanks to the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2021, construction can resume in earnest for this crucial phase. This alone put tens of thousands of union members to work — and once the tunnel has been fully modernized, it will vastly improve working conditions for SMART Transportation Division members working at Amtrak and regional transit systems.

“Since the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’ve seen time and again how important critical infrastructure projects are for our members — both the sheet metal members who work on these projects, and the transit workers who keep our country moving every day,” said General President Sellers. “We applaud the pro-labor leadership of Congress and the Biden administration in putting these funds directly towards projects that benefit working people.”

In addition to New York and Baltimore, the AP reports, infrastructure law funding will spur work on the Brent Spence Bridge, which connects Kentucky and Ohio; the Calcasieu River Bridge in Louisiana; a commuter rail project in Illinois; the Alligator River Bridge in North Carolina; a transit and highway plan in California; and roadways in Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Mississippi.

“Funding from this law — along with renewed investment from private companies — is creating a level of opportunity across our country that is almost unheard of,” SMART Assistant to the General President Darrell Roberts remarked. “Our members are ready to take on this work, and we as an organization are ready to bring in new members and elevate the working class throughout this nation.”

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The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics released its annual report in January 2023, revealing a growth in domestic union membership and illustrating the urgency with which unions like SMART must organize nonunion workers and lobby for new labor laws.

American union membership grew by 273,000 workers in 2022 – matching the surge in organizing witnessed last year, as evidenced by a 53% increase in National Labor Relations Board union election filings.

“Despite the antiquated state of the United States’ labor laws, and despite the anti-worker attacks of CEOs like Jeff Bezos, Howard Schultz and others across industries, workers kept organizing in 2022,” said SMART General President Joseph Sellers. “In our own union, we saw victories everywhere from Philadelphia to Ketchikan, Alaska. The fact that workers continue to persevere in the face of powerful, well-funded opposition serves as a reminder that we must keep up the fight to organize working people in every state.”

Unfortunately, despite high-profile victories at anti-labor corporations like Amazon and Starbucks, nonunion jobs were added to the U.S. economy at a faster rate, lowering American union density to 10.1% of the total workforce. That includes the construction industry, where the percentage of unionized workers dropped from 13.6% to 12.4%, and the transportation and warehousing sectors, where the number of workers represented by a union grew by 46,000, but union density dropped from 16.1% to 15.5%.

Even with those decreases, though, the Economic Policy Institute calculates that more than 60 million workers wanted to join a union in 2022 but couldn’t, often due to illegal union-busting by employers. Additionally, a Gallup poll found that 71% of Americans approve of labor unions – the highest number in almost 60 years.

“These statistics tell us two things,” explained SMART Director of Organizing Darrell Roberts. “First, U.S. labor law needs drastic overhaul, which Congress can take a first step towards by passing the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. Second, every member of this union – from international leadership to rank-and-file members across the country – needs to commit to bringing workers into our union at a mass scale.”

SMART members know first-hand the better pay, working conditions and family-sustaining benefits that unions achieve through collective bargaining and solidarity, Roberts added. That power can only be strengthened if we focus on bringing more workers into our ranks.

“The open shop is adding jobs at a rate that aims to threaten our market share, but we know that workers want what we can provide: good, middle-class jobs,” he said. “We will persevere in our organizing across the U.S. and Canada to make sure more workers can achieve that goal.”

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The Belonging and Excellence for ALL (BE4ALL) Committee launched its first-ever Toolbox Talk on January 19, 2023 — the initial step in an ongoing effort designed to educate, spread awareness and help strengthen SMART and the unionized sheet metal industry. Toolbox Talk #1, titled “On Being a Good Crewmate,” touted the importance of creating welcoming workplace environments and developing a sense of camaraderie and mentorship on the job.

“Studies have shown that new employees, including apprentices, who receive support and mentorship are twice as likely to complete their training and remain successfully employed,” the Toolbox Talk read. “A positive work environment has been shown to alleviate stress not only on the jobsite but in other areas of life as well. We must support each other!”

The BE4ALL Committee will be distributing Toolbox Talks every other month as part of its ongoing work. Those talks will then be given and discussed at local unions, JATCs and jobsites across the country. The goal, the committee says, is for the Toolbox Talks to reduce bullying, harassment, hazing and discrimination on jobsites, and to promote solidarity among SMART members.

“BE4ALL’s mission is to create a culture of excellence, foster a welcoming work environment for all of our members and retain our skilled workforce,” said SMART General President Joseph Sellers. “Our trade relies on teamwork and the solidarity that comes from having each other’s backs, and we hope that these Toolbox Talks will strengthen the connections between all our brothers and sisters.”

Read the first Toolbox Talk here.

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Ohio native Cassandra Kline has been hired as NEMIC’s director of building construction technology. In that role, she serves as a field representative to SMART locals all over the United States and Canada and is responsible for creating and implementing strategies for the use of new and existing technologies in order to expand skills and opportunities for SMART sheet metal workers and signatory employers.

“I’m building relationships with local unions and contractors, promoting new business ideas and technology, as well as representing NEMIC on committees and developing documents for American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accreditation,” Kline said.

As a second-generation sheet metal worker, Kline began her apprenticeship on the advice of her father, who served as the training coordinator at Local 33 in Toledo, Ohio. Kline’s brother is also a sheet metal worker, and she has an uncle who works in the electrical trade, so union life runs in her family. After graduating high school, Kline moved to Panama City Beach, Florida, and worked in the food and beverage industry for several years before returning to Toledo to take a job as a shop maintenance manager’s assistant. This sparked her interest in the field, and she tested and entered the apprenticeship, graduating in 2020.

During that time, she worked at VM Systems Inc., where she gained experience in TAB, architectural, commercial and heavy industrial applications of sheet metal work. In 2021, Kline took classes through the International Training Institute and became a part-time instructor at Local 33 for fire life safety, indoor air quality and TAB. She then joined Gem Inc. as a field supervisor for the TAB division and was soon promoted to service manager.

She says her rise in the field is a testament to the fact that the sheet metal industry provides opportunities to anyone willing to put in the time and effort.

“Be prepared for the opportunities. Show up, work hard and learn everything you can,” she said.

Kline has been settling into her new role and is enthusiastic about working with the rest of the NEMIC staff.

“I’m fortunate to be surrounded by a great team,” she added. “I’m learning every single day and have great mentors looking out for me and helping guide me along the way.”

Kline spends her spare time golfing and enjoying walks with her dog, Huckleberry.

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