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Brothers and sisters,

We are living in divisive times. You see it when you turn on the TV, when you check your phone or open up social media — you may even experience it on the jobsite, in the shop or in the rail yard. People can’t seem to agree on how to solve the problems regular, working Americans and Canadians are facing, and they point the finger at each other in response.

That is no accident. Across our two nations, workers have been facing huge challenges — and whether it’s in politics or the media, powerful people want us to blame each other for these challenges.

There’s no point in sugarcoating how difficult things have been in recent months.

The costs of gas, diesel and groceries kept going up.

Wars taking place halfway across the world have impacted the construction industry and led to increased cybersecurity concerns on the railroad, leading to unpredict­ability and anxiety about our safety and our jobs — how we’re going to provide for our families.

Transit companies continue to slow-walk any real action to protect our SMART-TD transit operators from violent assaults, and confusion over tariffs is still disrupting the produc­tion and manufacturing industry.

It’s a simple fact: This chaos is hurting SMART members.

Workers aren’t the ones causing these problems. We don’t have the power to make the kind of decisions that throw everything in jeopardy for the Americans and Canadians who wake up early every morning and power our two nations.

It’s billionaires, their corporations, their lobbyists and the politicians in their pocket who make those deci­sions. And they are the people who benefit from trying to divide us.

It’s the richest of the rich, the elites who hate our union and everything we represent. They know our strength is in our soli­darity, and that when we all come together, we are unstoppable. We prove that every day: when we win new contracts, when we pass state rail safety laws, when we organize nonunion competitors.

So they try to keep us apart. They try to make us blame each other for the problems we face in our daily lives.

That’s why it’s so important that we all come together over the things we have in common. Our solidarity. Our patriotism, and our love for our families. The fact that we work hard for a living, building and moving our two nations.

That’s what defines us. That’s who we are. Whether you live in the United States or Canada, whether you’re a sheet metal member or a transportation member — no matter who you voted for, where you come from or what your job title is, you belong in this union. We are all SMART brothers and sisters.

Election Day 2026 is steadily approaching in the U.S., and there will be candidates who try to make us forget that fact — the fact that we have so much more in common with each other than with the elites who want to convince us that they are our allies. So regardless of who’s running for what office, and what candidates say to try to get your vote, don’t let them divide us — whether this year in the U.S. or during the next Canadian elections.

From Ontario to Florida, from Chicago to Victoria, let’s continue to stand together. That’s how we win, and that’s how we move forward.

In solidarity,

SMART General President Michael Coleman

SMART General President Michael Coleman joined the United States Congressional Labor Caucus on April 15, 2026, to bring the voice of SMART members to Congress.  

The Congressional Labor Caucus is co-chaired by Representatives Mark Pocan, Donald Norcross, Debbie Dingell and Steven Horsford. The caucus has more than 120 members of Congress working to protect workers’ rights, to advance the priorities of workers and the labor movement, and to connect legislators directly with workers and unions. 

From rail safety legislation to investments in infrastructure, elected representatives have a real impact on SMART members nationwide — which is why it’s important that they hear from us directly. In his meeting with congressmembers and staff, General President Coleman discussed the importance of strengthening and expanding registered apprenticeships, rail and transit operator safety, the need to pass laws that create jobs for sheet metal workers, and more. 

“[Registered apprenticeships] build a strong pipeline of skilled workers for in-demand industries while opening the door to high-paying careers without student debt,” Rep. Pocan said on X after the meeting. “Expanding access to apprenticeships is how we create opportunities for every American, and I will continue to support these critical programs.” 

Bringing member priorities directly to the people who represent them: That’s leadership in action!

Brothers and sisters,

As your general president, my mission is crystal clear. It is to fight for what matters: SMART members and their families. In any arena, by any means — organizing, negotiating or lobbying, whether we’re in union halls, state houses or our nations’ capitals. Fighting for members and fami­lies: That is this union’s North Star.

Here at the SMART International headquarters in Washington, DC, where your leadership and International staff take on that mission, we get to witness first-hand how the United States government works — or doesn’t work. These days, politics are known for divi­siveness and an inability to get things done.

But in January 2026, something unusual happened in Washington. Members of both political parties — 213 Democrats and 17 Republicans — came together to pass a law through the House of Representatives that benefits working Americans by extending Affordable Care Act subsidies. Without these subsidies, SMART members would see their health care costs go up as insurance companies shift the cost burden onto our strong benefit plans.

Unfortunately, this law made no progress in the United States Senate. But the House passage of this bill is still important. It’s proof that our issues aren’t Red or Blue — they’re just common sense. Both Republicans and Democrats recognized that these subsidies help hardworking Americans get the care they need.

Across the United States and Canada, the people who represent us in government have one job: to come together on the issues that matter to working people. We are the people who build and move our two nations. We are the workers who take on the hardest jobs, every single day of the year, to keep our societies running. In return, we deserve governments that stand with us, and for us, when it comes to our priorities.

SMART members and families don’t ask for much. We want good jobs, health care, a stable retirement. We want to be able to provide for ourselves and our families. And as union workers, our governments play a big role in our ability to do those things: to work, to stay safe on the job, to be able to help our loved ones and children stay secure, healthy and pursue their dreams. Whether it’s through rail safety laws or job-creating investments, the people we vote for have a direct impact on our everyday lives.

That’s why we will always work with any politician, no matter their political party, to pass laws that benefit members and their families. Because SMART members are our mission.

As you might already know, 2026 is an election year in the United States. SMART members and families can expect ads, emails and mailers from candidates and elected representatives through Election Day on November 3. You will hear promises from candidates about how they will stand with working Americans, not billionaires and elites. That’s when it will be more important than ever to stand together in solidarity, and pay attention to what candidates DO — not what they say. At the International, we work hard to track what candidates actually do to support SMART members, and we will make sure to communicate which candi­dates support us, regardless of their party. Because as your elected representatives, that is our obligation.

It is the greatest honor of my life to represent you and your families. That is my mission, it is SMART’s mission, and it is the work your union will continue to do every day.

In solidarity,

SMART General President Michael Coleman

Brothers and sisters,

Last summer, I had the chance to take part in the first-ever Belonging and Excellence for All (BE4ALL) Town Hall at my home local in Cleveland, Ohio. Together with SMACNA Past President Tom Martin and a packed house of Local 33 members, plus members from across North America who joined via livestream, we talked all things BE4ALL: What it is, why it’s impor­tant, and how it benefits every single member of our union.

Because that’s the thing, brothers and sisters. BE4ALL is what our union is all about. It’s in the name: Belonging and Excellence for ALL. That belonging is what every member who joins our union deserves: We want to have the opportunity to work, earn a good living and enjoy a long, fulfilling career in our industry. And that excellence is what we pride ourselves on as SMART members. Craftsmanship, hard work and standing up for one another, from the jobsite to the union hall.

Those are the values that BE4ALL is working to bring to every single jobsite, workplace and member across the United States and Canada. Making sure every single one of us feels welcome when we walk onto the job, go to our local union meeting, attend classes at the training center and beyond.

In other words, BE4ALL is about solidarity. It is about our values as SMART members: having each other’s backs, bargaining collectively to win the better pay, benefits and lives that we and our families deserve.

But it’s also more than that. BE4ALL is strategic. It’s about making sure SMART locals and our contractors — the UNIONIZED sheet metal industry — can grow and take on more work in every single part of North America. For our union to thrive, for our pensions to stay secure and for our collective bargaining power to grow, we need to recruit and retain any American or Canadian ready to work hard and commit to SMART.

That is what BE4ALL is all about. And we all have a role to play. There are so many different ways to get involved with BE4ALL. You can attend the BE4ALL Learning Journeys online (or watch the recordings afterwards). You can participate in BE4ALL’s chal­lenges, emailed to members regularly. You can browse the various Toolbox Talks and other resources on the BE4ALL website, beforall.org.

Most importantly, you can do your part to make sure your brothers and sisters feel welcome at work and in our union. That’s how we secure our future.

In solidarity,

SMART General President Michael Coleman

SMART General President Michael Coleman joined the United States Congressional Labor Caucus on April 15, 2026, to bring the voice of SMART members to Congress.  

The Congressional Labor Caucus is co-chaired by Representatives Mark Pocan, Donald Norcross, Debbie Dingell and Steven Horsford. The caucus has more than 120 members of Congress working to protect workers’ rights, to advance the priorities of workers and the labor movement, and to connect legislators directly with workers and unions. 

From rail safety legislation to investments in infrastructure, elected representatives have a real impact on SMART members nationwide — which is why it’s important that they hear from us directly. In his meeting with congressmembers and staff, General President Coleman discussed the importance of strengthening and expanding registered apprenticeships, rail and transit operator safety, the need to pass laws that create jobs for sheet metal workers, and more. 

“[Registered apprenticeships] build a strong pipeline of skilled workers for in-demand industries while opening the door to high-paying careers without student debt,” Rep. Pocan said on X after the meeting. “Expanding access to apprenticeships is how we create opportunities for every American, and I will continue to support these critical programs.” 

Bringing member priorities directly to the people who represent them: That’s leadership in action!

Brothers and sisters,

I’m writing as we approach the end of the year — and everything that comes with it. In the United States, we recently celebrated Thanksgiving, along with Veterans Day and, in Canada, Remembrance Day in early November. By the time you read this, members across our union will have celebrated various holiday traditions — Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year’s Eve and many others — and will be looking forward as we begin 2026.

Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Veterans Day, Remembrance Day — all these holidays mean different things for different people. But to me, they have powerful things in common.

For one, they all carry a message of gratitude. Veterans Day and Remembrance Day remind us to be thankful for the selflessness, the service and the sacrifice of military heroes in the United States and Canada; the people who fought, in the name of something bigger than themselves, to bring us the freedoms we enjoy today. And whatever faith you hold or tradition you recognize, holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas and Hanukkah also remind us to be grateful: for our communities and for each other.

They also remind us to be thankful for our union. For so many of us, our SMART membership is the reason we have the ability to give gifts to family, spend time with loved ones, gather with those we haven’t seen in a while. Those things weren’t given to us. They were earned. They were won by us, working Americans and Canadians, when we came together and used our collective voice to make change.

And that is why, as we take on the first weeks and months of 2026, I’m also filled with determination.

There’s no point in sugarcoating it, brothers and sisters: 2025 was tough. The cost of living has continued to climb. Trade policies at the government level impacted members in both of our nations. In the U.S., legislation passed that will threaten our members’ jobs — in fact, there has already been a negative impact — and will raise the costs of our health care plans. The rich continued to get richer, all while we fight so the people who power North America get the pay and respect they deserve.

But that’s the thing about our union. We are defined by our solidarity. We fight collectively. We bargain as one. We stand together as hundreds of thousands of working people across our two nations, ready to defend each other and fight for our families. As I look back on 2025 — at the way we worked tire­lessly, even in the face of challenges, to win better contracts, safety on the job, and good lives for our families — I know our future is brighter than the past.

Lastly, I want to make sure to note something. The holiday season isn’t always the easiest, even when our societies make it seem like it’s simply a time for joy and celebration. In that spirit, I hope all of you know that your union, your brothers and sisters, are here for you. We have support systems and resources available to members, from the SMOHIT Helpline to Union EAP. We have your back.

When we stand with one another, we know what we can achieve. Let’s continue to do exactly that in the year ahead.

In solidarity,

SMART General President Michael Coleman

As SMART workers, many of us have direct expe­rience with the tactic known as “divide and conquer.”

Anyone who’s been part of an organizing campaign knows what I’m talking about. Bad-faith employers, rather than respecting their employees’ decision to join our union, will try to divide workers against one another. They try to split organizing workers apart so they forget their common ground — the reason they’re organizing — and, as a result, lose the chance to collectively bargain.

We sometimes see it during contract negotiations, too. I know it happened recently for our SMART-TD railroaders working for the Alabama Port Authority, but it can also take place in production shops, when bargaining first contracts with newly organized contrac­tors, and beyond. Rather than bargain in good faith, employers will try to exploit our differences — whether it’s seniority, what language we’re most comfortable speaking, pay differences in previous contracts, you name it — to try to break our unity and win an agree­ment that doesn’t give members what they deserve.

SMART-TD Local 598 members in Alabama refused to be divided based on previously existing pay structures, winning a strong agreement that benefited everyone. And that’s the example every single one of us should follow: on the job, at the bargaining table and in everyday life.

Because brothers and sisters, I believe we are facing constant attempts to divide us — and to conquer our union.

The truth is, when we bargain collectively, we are a pain in the ass for the rich, the powerful, the greedy corpora­tions of the world. Why? Because together, we are stronger. Together, we win contracts that allow our families not just to get by, but to thrive. Together, we achieve real political victories, like the Federal Railroad Administration’s two-person crew rule. Together, we force the hand of transit companies, working to get real change on our buses and passenger trains, not just lip service.

The rich and powerful — the one percent — they don’t like that. Because enough is never enough for them. They need more wealth, more shares, more profit. And so they work overtime to try to destroy our movement.

The ways they try to do that take many forms, including the recently passed spending bill in the United States, which will drive up our health care costs, cancel construction projects and take from our neighbors who are struggling to get by, all while benefiting the richest people in the country. But the playbook they rely on the most is, you guessed it, divide and conquer.

These people will do everything they can, using all their money and influence, to try to make us afraid of each other. They want us to be scared of our neighbors, our fellow workers — hell, even our SMART brothers and sisters — based on all kinds of arbitrary categories. Race, gender, what we believe in, where we were born, etc. We’re all familiar with it.

And of course, we do have differences.

But it doesn’t matter who you voted for, what language you speak best, what you like to do in your free time. We all have so much more in common with each other than we ever will with the billionaires who dominate our news feeds.

Our solidarity is our power, brothers and sisters. And in the fight for our jobs, our families and our future, it’s OUR power, our unity, that matters the most.

As your union brother, I urge all of us to keep sticking together as we move forward.

In solidarity,

SMART General President Michael Coleman

SMART General President Michael Coleman has published a number of videos in recent months — aiming to cut through the noise of corporate media and partisan influencers, and to make sure SMART members are informed about the issues affect­ing their jobs, their futures and their families.

In an August video, General President Coleman briefly discussed the California high-speed rail project. The Department of Transportation pulled $4 billion from the project — funds that were already committed.

“I believe they’re playing politics with our members’ jobs,” Coleman said.

“This project is covered by a project labor agreement and has already created over 15,000 jobs, many of which are building trades jobs, and it’s going to create even more jobs in the future, and these are jobs for SMART members,” he added. “The California High-Speed Rail Authority also has an agreement with SMART to cover SMART railroaders. And these jobs are covered by the Railway Labor Act, the Railroad Retirement Act and the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act.”

“This project is not only an investment for our members now, but for our members in the future,” Coleman concluded. “This administration should stand with our members and recommit to this project.”

Watch the full video here.

The Sheet Metal Occupational Health Institute Trust (SMO­HIT) provides resources to protect union sheet metal workers on the job, at union halls and at training centers across the United States and Canada. SMO­HIT provided automatic external defibrillators (AED) and bleed kits to all locations five years ago, and continues to help members become certified in CPR.

Providing naloxone is no different.

Every SMART union hall and training center is eligible to receive one cabinet with four boxes, or eight doses, of naloxone, a synthetic, potent antagonist for opioid drugs, including morphine and fentanyl. Boxes contain detailed, illustrated instructions on how to administer the drug in case of suspected over­dose, which is as easy as spraying the dose inside the patient’s nose. The metal cabinets, offered to sheet metal union halls and training facilities as a member benefit, are not alarmed and are meant to be hung in highly visible areas, said Jeff Bradley, SMOHIT program administrator.

“We wanted to make it accessible to as many people as possible,” he said. “If they run out, they can always order more from us at no direct cost.”

Once hung on the wall at a training center or union hall, the cabinet’s doses are available for whoever needs them, whether the suspected overdose occurs inside a union building or elsewhere. Members can take a box if they’re concerned about a family member or take one to keep at the jobsite. If an opioid drug is in the medicine cabinet at their house, they should have naloxone on hand. Senior citizens are often prescribed naloxone in addition to any opioid medication in case of accidental overdose. With children, even teens, in the home, naloxone is a good thing to have on hand in case the unthinkable happens.

Opioid overdose can happen to anyone who is taking the medication or who purchases any kind of medi­cation from anywhere other than a licensed pharmacy, including social media and the internet. Workers who share medications or teenagers who buy anxiety medications from social media ads are all at risk — because counterfeit opioids look just like the real thing, said Chris Carlough, SMART director of wellness and mental health support.

“The cabinets and doses were purchased to help members save lives, inside and outside of union build­ings,” Bradley added. “An overdose can happen to anyone, anywhere, and it’s good to be prepared no matter the circumstances.”

Construction workers build their careers in dangerous situations. Even with every safety measure in place, injuries happen, and when they do, 55% of injured construc­tion workers receive a prescription opioid to manage the pain. Of those injured workers, 29% received two or more opioid prescriptions, according to a study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute.

The risk of overdose is a present danger, and that danger differs across populations and industries. Although the rate of overdose deaths in the United States decreased almost 27% from 2023 to 2024, union construction workers are 10 times more likely to develop an opioid use disorder if given a long-term prescription, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“The primary reason we’ve experi­enced a significant drop in opioid overdoses has been the presence of naloxone, so it’s vital we make sure it is visible and available throughout our industry,” Carlough said.

The Belonging and Excellence for All initiative, or BE4ALL, is a joint effort by SMART, SMACNA and the International Training Institute (ITI) designed with one goal in mind: strengthening the unionized sheet metal industry. By boosting recruitment and retention, among other things, BE4ALL aims to bring in and keep the best of the best in the industry, benefiting both local unions and signatory contractors.

Even with that goal, though, members have expressed confusion about BE4ALL. Some think of it as a diver­sity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiative. Some think it’s a program put on by just SMART, or just SMACNA. Others don’t know about BE4ALL whatsoever.

That’s why, on July 17, 2025, SMART General President Michael Coleman and SMACNA President Tom Martin hosted the first-ever BE4ALL Town Hall at the Local 33 union hall in Cleveland, Ohio, discussing the initiative and taking questions from the more than 160 in-person attendees and viewers across North America watching via livestream.

In a powerful conversation moderated by Dushaw Hockett, General President Coleman and President Martin discussed actionable strategies for recruiting and supporting the next generation of sheet metal workers. From communication and mentorship to foreperson training and open-door leadership, they highlighted how BE4ALL is raising the standard for both workers and workplaces — benefiting every single member in the process.

“I spoke before about making our industry more competitive and more attractive to end users. We’re able to bring in more members and train more members, and we’re able to retain those members, if we’re out there supporting [each other],” Coleman said. “We all know the more members we bring in and the more that we retain, [that] builds our pensions, helps with our health insurance cost.”

“If you build confidence, you have respect, you have good culture within your organization, your association or your individual contractor, it helps the bottom line,” added Martin.

Both leaders talked about specific accomplishments achieved by BE4ALL so far. Coleman highlighted the Rapid Response Protocol, a guide to preventing and responding to incidents of bias, harassment or harm, calling it “one of the best documents I have ever read in this industry.” Martin, meanwhile, touched on the BE4ALL website, beforall.org, which has best practices, Toolbox Talks and other resources readily available.

In addition to their moderated discussion, Coleman and Martin took questions from viewers and in-person attendees. Questions spanned a range of topics, including how SMART and SMACNA are working to recruit high school students; how we can better retain the members we recruit, particularly when we know that one bad experience is enough to deter many other potential members in a given community; how we can continue to prioritize mentorship in our industry; and how rank-and-file members can get involved with BE4ALL.

In a defining moment, one virtual attendee asked if BE4ALL was lowering the standards of quality and craftsmanship in the industry.

“Absolutely not,” General President Coleman responded. “In fact, it’s the opposite. It’s about raising the standards for everybody. Along with the support comes the expectation that you’re going to be the best you can be in this industry. That’s what this is about … it makes us all better, it gives us that competitive edge.”