Sheet Metal News
Solidarity pays off for new SMART members in Illinois
In May 2026, the employees of Energy Services in Naperville, Illinois demonstrated the power of solidarity when they voted 17-3 to join SMART Local 265. The National Labor Relations Board election itself was decisive; it was also the culmination of months of organizing and years of relationships built among coworkers who viewed one another as more than just fellow employees.
SMART Canada Celebrates National Indigenous Peoples Day and Partnerships Supporting Indigenous Workforce Development
On National Indigenous Peoples Day, SMART Canada recognizes the rich cultures, histories, and contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples while reaffirming its commitment to creating meaningful pathways into the unionized skilled trades. Through partnerships with Indigenous communities, training organizations, service providers, and local unions, SMART Canada is expanding access to pre-apprenticeship programs, apprenticeships, and long-term careers in the sheet metal and roofing industries.
SMART leaders continue training to better represent production workers
The SMART Education Department and the Production Workers Department held its annual Production Institute in Kansas City, Mo., during the week of June 1, 2026. The focus of the Production Institute, a progressive-format multi-year course, is to train union officials — including stewards — on how to effectively represent our production members.
Shipyard steward turned organizer helps win contract victory in Missouri
Collaboration between the SMART International Association and Local 441 led to the hiring of a retired steward at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Missouri as a subsidized organizer. That, in turn, helped spark a successful internal organizing campaign that won workers a momentous contract — demonstrating the power of organizing from coast to coast.
Local 73 secures work for members by organizing
A recent story from SMART Local 73 (Chicago and Cook County, Illinois) shows just how important organizing is to members and their families. Through coordinated job action, strategic market recovery efforts and strong teamwork from members and staff, Local 73 successfully reclaimed multiple Home Depot rooftop unit replacement projects from a non-signatory contractor and secured the work for a Local 73 union contractor.
2026 AFL-CIO Convention: Delegates plan a unionized future
From June 7-10, 2026, affiliated unions of the AFL-CIO, including SMART, came together for the federation’s convention in Minneapolis, Minn.: charting a path forward for our movement and strategizing on how we can secure a UNIONIZED future. Led by General President Michael Coleman, who also served on the AFL-CIO’s Constitution Committee, SMART delegates attended to bring the voice of sheet metal and transportation members to the largest gathering of organized labor in our nation.
Local 33 builds new partnerships, creates opportunities for members through organizing in West Virginia
Local 33 (Northern Ohio area) has started 2026 with strong organizing momentum, signing six new contractors to date and continuing to grow the local’s market share across multiple districts. These victories are especially significant in West Virginia, where organizing success in a "right-to-work" state requires persistence, relationship-building and commitment from the local’s staff and potential new partners.
Local 63 rebuilds presence in Vermont, puts union members to work through organizing
The union difference isn’t just something that pays off in better pay, safer working conditions and stronger benefits for union members. Study after study shows that unions raise pay and living standards across entire regions, for both union and nonunion workers alike. That’s why organizing is so important, and why SMART works constantly to bring signatory contractors into every state and province of North America. A recent victory in Vermont demonstrated how that work pays off in practice.