Tag: General President Coleman

Home>News>General President Coleman

“What BE4ALL is about — for me, it’s about respect. It’s about respect for each and every person in this room, everybody out on the jobsites, in the shops, wherever you may be … To me, it boils down to the respect that each and every one of us should have for each other, because we’re part of an organization. We’re part of a family.”

Those words, spoken by SMART General President Michael Coleman, summed up the second-ever Belonging and Excellence for All (BE4ALL) Town Hall, which took place May 28, 2026, in Seattle, Washington. The Town Hall — featuring General President Coleman, SMACNA President Todd Hill and Funds Executive Director Michael Harris — brought nearly 200 SMART members and SMACNA contractors together at Seattle’s Museum of Flight to speak directly with leadership about an important initiative to strengthen the unionized sheet metal industry.

BE4ALL, a joint effort by SMART, SMACNA and the International Training Institute (ITI), started in 2021. Its goals are indicated by its title: Belonging and Excellence for All. In order to maintain the strength of our union, our signatory contractors and our market share, SMART locals need to be able to recruit and retain workers in communities across the United States and Canada. But that can only happen if all of us — from new apprentices to organized journeyworkers to longtime members to retirees, regardless of gender, race, sexual identity, political beliefs or country of origin — feel like we belong: on the jobsite, in the shop and at the union hall.

Coleman, Hill and Harris delved into the importance of BE4ALL during the Town Hall. The event, moderated by Dushaw Hockett, was divided into two parts: a conversation between Hockett and the three leaders followed by a question-and-answer portion, in which Local 66 members spoke directly with International leadership about BE4ALL.

In dialogue with Hockett, the three sheet metal industry leaders talked about what BE4ALL is — and what it is not — and why it is so important to every single member of our union. As General President Coleman said repeatedly throughout the event, BE4ALL is really very simple: It’s just about being a good human being. Being kind to one another, one and off the job. Making sure we all feel welcomed, in our union and in our workplaces.

But it’s also about taking specific actions and implementing strategies to counteract real issues that our industry is facing. With large portions of the skilled trades workforce approaching retirement, we need to recruit and retain members to maintain and grow our strength. That can’t happen if people come into our industry and immediately feel like they don’t belong. And the ugly truth of the matter is that, for too long, many talented individuals have left the trade because rather than being welcomed, they were met with hostility.

Those are people we lose to other trades or the nonunion sector. And that weakens our union.

To that end, the three leaders explained, BE4ALL has developed specific campaigns and resources to create a culture of belonging and excellence for every single member. A Rapid Response Protocol to help prevent and respond to hazing, bullying, harassment, discrimination and other harmful instances. Constitutional amendments, proposed and ratified by delegates to the last two SMART conventions, to take action against those same instances. Toolbox Talks and Learning Journeys to provide education and awareness around what we can do to welcome one another in the industry.

“It’s about all of the membership being exposed to [BE4ALL],” said Harris. “BE4ALL has a website, beforall.org. I challenge everybody in this room to go to that website, because all the resources we’ve talked about … are available on there.”

Early in the conversation, both SMART Northwest Regional Council President Devin Leingang and Heavy Metal Summer Experience President/cofounder Angie Simon told Local 66 members not to be afraid of bringing tough questions to the leaders on stage. Sheet metal workers took that to heart, asking for specific metrics for measuring BE4ALL’s success, inquiring about the specific problems BE4ALL was aiming to counteract, and more.

“Everything sounds good, but it seems like it’s more for the future than the present,” said Local 66 member Jerome. “What is happening now, for individuals who are in the situation now?”

In response, Coleman, Harris and Hill were open and honest with attendees. All of the resources discussed are available now, they reiterated. The BE4ALL Committee is working hard to develop both immediate, actionable items and forward-thinking strategies. But the culture change and the long-term work is just that: long term. And it needs to be adopted by all of us to be effective.

In the end, the three leaders emphasized, the stakes are clear. On one level, BE4ALL is strategic. If we don’t recruit and retain, we will lose talent, our contractors will be unable to go after the work that supports members, our market share will suffer, and ultimately, our pension and benefit funds will feel the impact.

On another, more important level, it’s about our union’s values. Solidarity. Having each other’s backs. Brotherhood and sisterhood.

“This organization is my family,” said General President Coleman, adding later: “It’s just not that hard, it really isn’t, to be a good person.”

With around 180 in-person attendees at the Museum of Flight, plus 296 views via livestream, the event had its intended impact: raising awareness about a crucial effort to strengthen our union and our industry. As Harris noted, BE4ALL — like our union and the labor movement — has to be an initiative driven by the members, for the members. Union sheet metal workers in every state and province need to engage with BE4ALL in order to accomplish the initiative’s goals and create opportunity for all members.

Judging from reactions at the Town Hall, that message resonated.

“I’m a first year apprentice, I’m 24, I don’t know sh*t — and so you guys are telling me what’s expected of me,” said Local 66 member Carlos. “So, thank you.”

On Monday, March 9, the Trump administration’s Department of Labor (DOL) issued new guidance regarding registered apprenticeship programs. SMART General President Michael Coleman gave the following statement in response:

“I’ve said since January 2025 that I’m committed to calling balls and strikes with this administration. Calling for one million new apprentices? That’s a strike. Getting to one million apprentices by lowering the standards and potentially damaging our union’s apprenticeship programs? That’s a ball, no question.

“Our union’s registered apprenticeship programs are the bedrock of the sheet metal industry — for workers, for union contractors and for our country. Through our strong registered apprenticeships, working Americans get trained at the highest standards, make a living while learning the trade, and build the infrastructure that our communities rely on. This has set the bar for our industry and our nation for generations.

“But this model depends on rigorous standards that apprenticeship programs must meet to avoid undermining our high-quality training — and the Department of Labor’s guidance puts those standards at risk. This guidance would encourage apprenticeship programs to focus on speed instead of skill development, create a 30-day ‘shot clock’ for the DOL to rubber stamp new programs in a rush, and increase flexibility for employers — potentially reducing the current emphasis on protecting workers and creating opportunity for all apprentices.   

“There’s a lot more to be said about this dangerous guidance. But I’ll get straight to the point: This is a threat to SMART members, our families, our apprenticeship programs and tradespeople everywhere. We urge the Department of Labor to change course, and we call on the president to stand up for our nation’s workers by strengthening the standards that protect them.”

July 30, 2026:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: The members of SMART Railroad, Mechanical and Engineering Department (SMART-MD) Local 434 employed by Alstom on the Los Angeles Metrolink have overwhelmingly voted to ratify a new collective bargaining agreement. The new four-year contract delivers a total of 22% in general wage increases, $5,000 total in lump sum bonuses and substantial improvements to the members’ health and welfare benefits and monthly contributions.

“This ratification is a testament to what can be achieved when members stand together with a united voice,” said SMART General Committee 2 Directing General Chairman John McCloskey. “From the very beginning, our members made it clear that they expected an agreement that recognized their skills, dedication, and the critical role they play in serving the riding public. Because they remained engaged and united throughout negotiations, we were able to secure an agreement they could overwhelmingly support.”

“Every contract is ultimately won by the strength and solidarity of the membership,” said SMART International Representative Robert Shanahan, Jr. “Our members stayed engaged, informed, remained united, and demonstrated that when workers stand together, they have tremendous power at the bargaining table. This agreement belongs to every member who supported one another throughout this process.”

This agreement would also not have been possible without the support of SMART Local 105. 

“A strike with Alstom appeared imminent, but when we reached out to Local 105’s Business Manager Al Hernandez, he and Local 105’s Political Director Fernando Ochoa immediately went into action. Their outreach and solidarity sent a clear message that an injury to one is an injury to all. Alstom got the message, and together, we got a historic agreement,” said SMART Railroad, Mechanical and Engineering Director Peter Kennedy. “We are incredibly grateful for Local 105’s support in this contract campaign. This victory belongs not only to the bargaining unit, but to officers and members of Local 105 who stood with us.”

SMART International leadership emphasized that the ratification represents more than a successful contract — it reinforces the importance of solidarity in advancing the interests of railroad workers.

“Local 434 members at Alstom are essential to public transportation in Los Angeles, and they made it clear during negotiations that they needed a contract that recognized their work. Most importantly, they stood together and spoke with one voice to ensure their demands were heard,” said SMART General President Michael Coleman. “This agreement demonstrates that unity works. We are proud of our members, proud of our local leadership, and excited to continue building on this momentum.”

The newly ratified contract runs through June 30, 2029. 

“What BE4ALL is about — for me, it’s about respect. It’s about respect for each and every person in this room, everybody out on the jobsites, in the shops, wherever you may be … To me, it boils down to the respect that each and every one of us should have for each other, because we’re part of an organization. We’re part of a family.”

Those words, spoken by SMART General President Michael Coleman, summed up the second-ever Belonging and Excellence for All (BE4ALL) Town Hall, which took place May 28, 2026, in Seattle, Washington. The Town Hall — featuring General President Coleman, SMACNA President Todd Hill and Funds Executive Director Michael Harris — brought nearly 200 SMART members and SMACNA contractors together at Seattle’s Museum of Flight to speak directly with leadership about an important initiative to strengthen the unionized sheet metal industry.

BE4ALL, a joint effort by SMART, SMACNA and the International Training Institute (ITI), started in 2021. Its goals are indicated by its title: Belonging and Excellence for All. In order to maintain the strength of our union, our signatory contractors and our market share, SMART locals need to be able to recruit and retain workers in communities across the United States and Canada. But that can only happen if all of us — from new apprentices to organized journeyworkers to longtime members to retirees, regardless of gender, race, sexual identity, political beliefs or country of origin — feel like we belong: on the jobsite, in the shop and at the union hall.

Coleman, Hill and Harris delved into the importance of BE4ALL during the Town Hall. The event, moderated by Dushaw Hockett, was divided into two parts: a conversation between Hockett and the three leaders followed by a question-and-answer portion, in which Local 66 members spoke directly with International leadership about BE4ALL.

In dialogue with Hockett, the three sheet metal industry leaders talked about what BE4ALL is — and what it is not — and why it is so important to every single member of our union. As General President Coleman said repeatedly throughout the event, BE4ALL is really very simple: It’s just about being a good human being. Being kind to one another, one and off the job. Making sure we all feel welcomed, in our union and in our workplaces.

But it’s also about taking specific actions and implementing strategies to counteract real issues that our industry is facing. With large portions of the skilled trades workforce approaching retirement, we need to recruit and retain members to maintain and grow our strength. That can’t happen if people come into our industry and immediately feel like they don’t belong. And the ugly truth of the matter is that, for too long, many talented individuals have left the trade because rather than being welcomed, they were met with hostility.

Those are people we lose to other trades or the nonunion sector. And that weakens our union.

To that end, the three leaders explained, BE4ALL has developed specific campaigns and resources to create a culture of belonging and excellence for every single member. A Rapid Response Protocol to help prevent and respond to hazing, bullying, harassment, discrimination and other harmful instances. Constitutional amendments, proposed and ratified by delegates to the last two SMART conventions, to take action against those same instances. Toolbox Talks and Learning Journeys to provide education and awareness around what we can do to welcome one another in the industry.

“It’s about all of the membership being exposed to [BE4ALL],” said Harris. “BE4ALL has a website, beforall.org. I challenge everybody in this room to go to that website, because all the resources we’ve talked about … are available on there.”

Early in the conversation, both SMART Northwest Regional Council President Devin Leingang and Heavy Metal Summer Experience President/cofounder Angie Simon told Local 66 members not to be afraid of bringing tough questions to the leaders on stage. Sheet metal workers took that to heart, asking for specific metrics for measuring BE4ALL’s success, inquiring about the specific problems BE4ALL was aiming to counteract, and more.

“Everything sounds good, but it seems like it’s more for the future than the present,” said Local 66 member Jerome. “What is happening now, for individuals who are in the situation now?”

In response, Coleman, Harris and Hill were open and honest with attendees. All of the resources discussed are available now, they reiterated. The BE4ALL Committee is working hard to develop both immediate, actionable items and forward-thinking strategies. But the culture change and the long-term work is just that: long term. And it needs to be adopted by all of us to be effective.

In the end, the three leaders emphasized, the stakes are clear. On one level, BE4ALL is strategic. If we don’t recruit and retain, we will lose talent, our contractors will be unable to go after the work that supports members, our market share will suffer, and ultimately, our pension and benefit funds will feel the impact.

On another, more important level, it’s about our union’s values. Solidarity. Having each other’s backs. Brotherhood and sisterhood.

“This organization is my family,” said General President Coleman, adding later: “It’s just not that hard, it really isn’t, to be a good person.”

With around 180 in-person attendees at the Museum of Flight, plus 296 views via livestream, the event had its intended impact: raising awareness about a crucial effort to strengthen our union and our industry. As Harris noted, BE4ALL — like our union and the labor movement — has to be an initiative driven by the members, for the members. Union sheet metal workers in every state and province need to engage with BE4ALL in order to accomplish the initiative’s goals and create opportunity for all members.

Judging from reactions at the Town Hall, that message resonated.

“I’m a first year apprentice, I’m 24, I don’t know sh*t — and so you guys are telling me what’s expected of me,” said Local 66 member Carlos. “So, thank you.”

On Friday, May 22, 2026, Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw Jr. dismissed the criminal case against Kilmar Abrego Garcia, “ruling that the Trump administration had brought human trafficking charges against him as part of a vindictive effort to punish him for challenging his wrongful deportation to El Salvador last year,” according to the New York Times. SMART General President Michael Coleman issued the following statement in response:

“From the beginning, our demand has been simple: Kilmar, like every single one of our members and every person in this country, must be granted his constitutional right to due process. He must be given his day in court. In Nashville, Kilmar was given his day in court, and on Friday, we saw just how important that is — for Kilmar, for his family and for the principles of justice that we all rely on. We will continue to stand for Kilmar’s rights and for every person’s right to due process, because that is what makes this country great.”

On May 19, 2026, United States President Donald Trump endorsed the Railway Safety Act, urging congressmembers to include the legislation in the Surface Transportation Reauthorization bill.

“From day one, we’ve said that we will work with any administration to benefit our members, and that we will keep calling balls and strikes on the policies that impact our members. This is a strike. We have stayed true to our commitment, and we welcome the White House’s support for including the Railway Safety Act in the Surface Transportation Reauthorization bill,” said SMART General President Michael Coleman in response. “The Railway Safety Act is just common sense: for SMART-TD members, railroaders and communities nationwide. We applaud this administration for supporting this legislation, and we urge Congress to swiftly pass the Railway Safety Act as part of the final Surface Transportation Reauthorization bill.” 

On Monday, March 9, the Trump administration’s Department of Labor (DOL) issued new guidance regarding registered apprenticeship programs. SMART General President Michael Coleman gave the following statement in response:

“I’ve said since January 2025 that I’m committed to calling balls and strikes with this administration. Calling for one million new apprentices? That’s a strike. Getting to one million apprentices by lowering the standards and potentially damaging our union’s apprenticeship programs? That’s a ball, no question.

“Our union’s registered apprenticeship programs are the bedrock of the sheet metal industry — for workers, for union contractors and for our country. Through our strong registered apprenticeships, working Americans get trained at the highest standards, make a living while learning the trade, and build the infrastructure that our communities rely on. This has set the bar for our industry and our nation for generations.

“But this model depends on rigorous standards that apprenticeship programs must meet to avoid undermining our high-quality training — and the Department of Labor’s guidance puts those standards at risk. This guidance would encourage apprenticeship programs to focus on speed instead of skill development, create a 30-day ‘shot clock’ for the DOL to rubber stamp new programs in a rush, and increase flexibility for employers — potentially reducing the current emphasis on protecting workers and creating opportunity for all apprentices.   

“There’s a lot more to be said about this dangerous guidance. But I’ll get straight to the point: This is a threat to SMART members, our families, our apprenticeship programs and tradespeople everywhere. We urge the Department of Labor to change course, and we call on the president to stand up for our nation’s workers by strengthening the standards that protect them.”

On February 24, 2026, Senator Jon Husted of Ohio and Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington introduced the Railway Safety Act of 2026. SMART General President Michael Coleman issued the following statement in response:

“Rail safety isn’t a Red issue or a Blue issue. It’s about keeping our country and our members safe and secure.

“Over three years ago, the devastating Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, showed just how important it is for lawmakers to listen to rail workers. That disaster put local families, railroaders and an entire town at risk. The image of that chemical explosion shocked our country — except the SMART-TD members who had been demanding a change even before that day, and who have continued to call for real solutions ever since.

“With the bipartisan Railway Safety Act of 2026, Congress can answer that call and take concrete actions to keep Americans safe: new safety standards for hazardous materials, train length regulations, two-person crews and more. We thank Senators Husted and Cantwell for introducing this crucial bill, and we call on Congress to stand with our members and pass it into law. Because as SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson stated when the legislation was introduced, safety is not a political issue. It is a moral obligation.”

SMART General President Michael Coleman released the following statement after the shooting of Minnesota resident Alex Pretti on January 24, 2026:

“On Friday, January 23, tens of thousands of working people in Minnesota — including thousands of our union brothers and sisters — exercised their First Amendment right to take a stand against the conduct of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, including the shooting of Renee Good just weeks ago. They did what working people have done for generations in the fight for justice, equality and the American dream: They brought everything to a stop and said, enough is enough. No more chaos in our streets. No more shootings of civilians.

“The facts are clear about what happened the next day. Alex Jeffrey Pretti, our American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) union brother, was exercising his First Amendment right and his Second Amendment right, legally carrying a firearm while filming ICE officers. Brother Pretti was pepper sprayed, tackled and killed in the street. Multiple eyewitness videos appear to show that Pretti was not holding his weapon. What he was doing, in his last moments before he was shot multiple times in the back, was helping a woman who herself had been pepper sprayed.

“Our union is full of brothers and sisters just like Alex Pretti. Proud Americans who care deeply for our veterans, as Pretti did — he was a dedicated intensive-care unit nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital. Union members who aren’t afraid to stand up for what they believe in. Working people who practice their right to own and legally carry a firearm, just like Alex Pretti.

“This cannot stand. We cannot have government agents killing people in the street. We cannot have people afraid to go to work because of what’s happening outside their doors. We cannot sit back and let government agencies dictate the everyday lives of working people without facing any consequences.

“We mourn Alex Pretti, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family, his loved ones, his AFGE brothers and sisters, and the working people of Minnesota. We urge SMART members to contact their members of Congress and call for the immediate end to this chaos and violence.”

On January 8, the United States House of Representatives voted to pass a clean extension of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax subsidies, which would stop a huge price hike in health care costs for working Americans.

“For months, SMART members have been calling on Congress to stand up for working families and pass an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies. Yesterday, the House of Representatives heard our demand, passing a bill that would extend these subsidies for three years,” SMART General President Michael Coleman said. “The fact that representatives of both parties voted for this bill is proof that our issues aren’t Red or Blue — they’re just common sense. Both Republicans and Democrats recognized that these subsidies help the Americans who build and move our country get the care they need.

“The passage of this extension in the House is a huge win for SMART members; without these subsidies, SMART members would have seen their health care costs go up as insurance companies shifted the cost burden onto our strong benefit plans. Now, we need the Senate to pass and send this bill to the president’s desk. SMART applauds the worker allies who voted for this legislation, and we call on every senator who stands with working Americans to quickly pass this law.”