Each year, the organization Fishing For Freedom hosts a no-entry-fee buddy fishing tournament in Truman Lake, Missouri, as a way of giving back to United States military veterans.
“Volunteer boaters share a wonderful day of camaraderie on a beautiful lake with America’s real-life heroes in an attempt to show them how much we appreciate the sacrifices they make that allow us to enjoy the freedoms of the greatest country in the world,” the Fishing For Freedom website reads.
The event is facilitated by donations from sponsors and by volunteers. And in 2025, organized labor stepped up to help make the event happen, with members of the SMART Army working the grill.
“I was blessed to spend a beautiful Sunday afternoon with my SMART union brothers from Local 2 and Local 36, feeding hungry veterans at this year’s Fishing For Freedom,” said Local 2 sister Pamela Blackmore.
SMART members often go underappreciated in North American society — and when we are recognized, it’s mostly for the jobs we do.
Not everyone knows what sheet metal workers are, or the vital role railroaders play in the national supply chain. But they do see members on jobsites building new schools and hospitals; in the cab of a freight train, transporting cargo across the country; at the wheel of a bus, bringing Americans wherever they need to be.
What they do not always see is the most powerful part of union membership: We take care of each other.
Sheet metal and Transportation Division members made that clear in late 2025, when the Buffalo, New York, SMART Army sprang into action to help a brother in need.
“I didn’t see the light”
Dave Garringer, a member of SMART-TD Local 1393, was working as a conductor for CSX Transportation when he made a stop in Rochester, New York, in May of 2023.
As Garringer stepped off the train, he felt the ground shift, and his foot folded “in a very odd way,” he told WNYLaborToday.com. Unfortunately, that was just the beginning for our TD brother — over time, the injury worsened, and in November of 2025, he had to get his left leg amputated below his knee.
Garringer began using a wheelchair, but his Buffalo, New York, home — built in 1890 — didn’t accommodate the wheelchair ramp Garringer needed to get in and out of his house.
“I didn’t see any light. My wife didn’t see any light at the end of the tunnel,” he said in an interview with SMART News.
That’s when the SMART Army got involved.
“We’re not in a tunnel anymore”
SMART-TD’s Dan Banks started spreading the word that a fellow SMART member needed help. Shortly after, Garringer said, Local 71 showed up.
“They didn’t know who I was,” he said. “But there they were in my front yard in the cold, doing something for me and my family out of the kindness of their hearts.”
Local 71, the SMART sheet metal local based out of Buffalo, has helped members with wheelchair-accessible ramps in the past, along with other SMART Army events aimed at supporting the community.
“I remember him saying this was the first time he felt hopeful in two years, so that kind of hit me right away and got me excited about [the project],” Local 71 Organizer Adam Kerr said. “[SMART] contacted us on October 30th, and then by November 14th we were completely done with the project.”
Kerr added: “The biggest value that you can get out of a union is that collective membership you can lean on. You’re not just coworkers, you’re brothers and sisters.”
Garringer said the display of solidarity has made a huge difference, both materially and otherwise.
“We’re not in a tunnel anymore, and we realized we’re not in this alone — we’re not in this by ourselves,” he said. “And that means a lot in a situation like this, where your whole life has been turned upside-down and it will never be the same.”
“This is what we do”
Garringer has been a proud member of SMART-TD for years. He told WNYLaborToday that he knew well the benefits of having union representation on the worksite and at the bargaining table, particularly when negotiating new contracts. But the wheelchair ramp went a step further.
“I’m very proud of my union, which is a wonderful thing,” he said. “They’re there to fight for you when your contract comes up, but when people need help — they are there.”
SMART-TD’s Banks joined the wheelchair effort, traveling from Cleveland to Buffalo, where he was one of several members interviewed by Buffalo ABC affiliate WKBW.
“This is what we do,” he told WKBW. “We’re a union. We take care of each other.”
On June 21, 2025, Local 5 hosted a SMART Army day of action at the Knoxville union hall, building 50 beds for kids in need and donating them to Sleep in Heavenly Peace of Knox County. The local also hosted its inaugural SMART Army Motorcycle Ride on June 14 to fund the build.
The SMART Southwest Gulf Coast Regional Council held its first-ever apprenticeship competition in spring 2025, bringing together hardworking apprentices from Local 54 (Waller, Texas), Local 68 (Dallas, Texas), Local 67 (San Antonio, Texas) and Local 214 (Baton Rouge, La.) to demonstrate their craftsmanship and dedication to our trade.
Milwaukee Tool donated toolboxes and tools for the contestants, with DeWalt also contributing tools.
The overall winner was Local 54, with apprentices Derek Long, Michael Jerry and Justin Woods taking the championship with their combined total score. Jason Delgado of Local 68 won first place in the HVAC category; Kade Lalonde (Local 214) took first in the Architectural category; and Zane Prejean (Local 214) won the Industrial category. Cooper Ross of Local 67 won the screw-off championship, receiving the prized championship belt.
“The competition was fierce, and our future looks bright with these talented young folks,” Local 54 wrote on Facebook.
SMART-TD Local 202 (Denver, Colo.) sister Tierney Gallegos started her journey as a union railroader just six years ago. But in that short time, she has emerged as a model of leadership, service and solidarity.
“Union leadership is a voluntary position, and not every position is filled with people determined to make a difference,” said Omar Ledesma, local chairperson and alternate safety and legislative representative in Colorado. “Sister Gallegos strives to make that difference. She wants people to know that railroaders still exist. We may not have the numbers we once had, but we are still present in our community and a leader among other unions.”
A conductor for BNSF Railway and the vice president of Local 202 in Denver, Colorado, Sister Gallegos also serves as the secretary of the Local Committee of Adjustment (LCA) for the yard, a role that she was elected to in 2022, and has quickly become an indispensable force.
She mobilized support for SMART-TD’s legislative priorities and broader labor initiatives. From state Senate and House hearings to street-level rallies, Gallegos ensures our members show up proud, powerful and ready to fight for positive change.
Union influence creates a community-wide benefit
Elected to her first four-year term as Vice President two years ago, Sister Gallegos hit the ground running. She assumed leadership of both the Charity Committee and the Ways and Means Committee, where she has redefined what it means to connect union strength with public good. Her efforts have brought Local 202 into collaboration with key organizations such as:
Toys for Tots
The Colorado Railroad Museum
SMART-TD Colorado Legislative Board
Women on the Tools Event
For the third consecutive year, she successfully organized Local 202’s support for the National Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, forging a powerful partnership with the Bienvenidos Food Bank and a local post office to combat hunger and raise awareness. She has made it her mission to bring the message of SMART-TD into the broader community: if something needs to be fixed, the union will get organized and fix it.
Our values lead to a brighter future
Gallegos demonstrates what all SMART-TD members stand for: determination in the face of adversity, strength through unity, service to the community and a commitment to lifting one another when any of us has fallen. Her rise in prominence is a testament to her unshakeable dedication to these values. Great work, sister!
The Saturday before Easter, Local 17 apprentice Leiara Gonzalez-Guerra spearheaded a SMART Army event with fellow members and local officers to deliver food from a local food bank to homebound seniors in Brockton, Mass. That’s solidarity in action — great work, sister!
In May, SMART-TD Local 854 teamed up with the International Longshoremen’s Association Local 970 for a charity golf tournament. The two unions helped raise money for PORTCO, Inc., a Virginia nonprofit that helps veterans and people with disabilities find employment opportunities.
In collaboration with the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA), members of SMART Local 100 donated their time and labor to build two brand-new pavilions from scratch at Broad Creek Memorial Scout Reservation in Whiteford, Md. — helping provide necessary structures for the area outdoor youth center.
“We really appreciate the partnership with Local 100, in conjunction with USA, for coming out and being part of this project,” said Manuel Fonseca, deputy scout executive & COO, Baltimore Area Council, Scouting America. “Having two additional structures for staff and campers is much needed and much appreciated. Scouting is all about safety — along with utilizing them for social activities, having these two new pavilions will provide another option for shelter.”
Each year, more than 23,000 youth visit Broad Creek to participate in activities designed to foster youth development, adventure and team building in the great outdoors. Located just over 40 miles from Baltimore, Broad Creek is the fifth-largest block of undeveloped land in the traditional Baltimore metropolitan area, with 1,624 of the reservation’s 1,676 acres permanently protected under a combination of county, state and federal conservation easements. The campsite offers programming to kids across the area — and staff saw the need for an additional two pavilions to provide places for campers and staff to gather, eat, socialize and potentially take shelter during inclement weather.
That’s where the union volunteers entered the picture. Both USA and Local 100 share the values of solidarity and ensuring young people have access to the great outdoors — for that reason, it was an easy decision for both organizations to come together and build the two pavilions, lifting the burden off Broad Creek’s shoulders.
The Local 100 volunteers took just four days to build the two pavilions essentially from scratch: Besides raw materials and poured concrete, the sheet metal workers and Broad Creek staff assembled every part of the completed structures.
The end result? A demonstration not just of union craftsmanship and efficiency, but of SMART’s principles as well.
“We look forward to many years of future projects with Local 100 and USA,” Fonseca concluded.
Members who participated: Apprentices Nicholas Ray, Andre Matthews, Erick D. Rosa Pineda, Nigel Mills, Gary Plumley Jr. and Zachary A. Evans, plus Organizers Latauna Bigelow and Lester Larios.
In collaboration with the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA), members of SMART Local 100 donated their time and labor to build two brand-new pavilions from scratch at Broad Creek Memorial Scout Reservation in Whiteford, Md. — helping provide necessary structures for the area outdoor youth center.
“We really appreciate the partnership with Local 100, in conjunction with USA, for coming out and being part of this project,” said Manuel Fonseca, deputy scout executive & COO, Baltimore Area Council, Scouting America. “Having two additional structures for staff and campers is much needed and much appreciated. Scouting is all about safety — along with utilizing them for social activities, having these two new pavilions will provide another option for shelter.”
Each year, more than 23,000 youth visit Broad Creek to participate in activities designed to foster youth development, adventure and team building in the great outdoors. Located just over 40 miles from Baltimore, Broad Creek is the fifth-largest block of undeveloped land in the traditional Baltimore metropolitan area, with 1,624 of the reservation’s 1,676 acres permanently protected under a combination of county, state and federal conservation easements. The campsite offers programming to kids across the area — and staff saw the need for an additional two pavilions to provide places for campers and staff to gather, eat, socialize and potentially take shelter during inclement weather.
That’s where the union volunteers entered the picture. Both USA and Local 100 share the values of solidarity and ensuring young people have access to the great outdoors — for that reason, it was an easy decision for both organizations to come together and build the two pavilions, lifting the burden off Broad Creek’s shoulders.
The Local 100 volunteers took just four days to build the two pavilions essentially from scratch: Besides raw materials and poured concrete, the sheet metal workers and Broad Creek staff assembled every part of the completed structures.
The end result? A demonstration not just of union craftsmanship and efficiency, but of SMART’s principles as well.
“We look forward to many years of future projects with Local 100 and USA,” Fonseca concluded.
Members who participated: Apprentices Nicholas Ray, Andre Matthews, Erick D. Rosa Pineda, Nigel Mills, Gary Plumley Jr. and Zachary A. Evans, plus Organizers Latauna Bigelow and Lester Larios.
SMART Army members across North America volunteered their time, energy and donations during the holiday season, helping provide for those in need.
Local 9 (Colorado) partnered with community organization Foster Source, delivering toys to youth in foster care and spreading joy and hope to those who need it most.
SMART-TD Local 1741 members proudly continued the local’s toy collection tradition for San Francisco children and families, distributing gifts to General Hospital and a local domestic violence shelter.
Local 33 members in Toledo, Ohio, stepped up for their community, providing gifts for several families in need and gathering hams for workers who lost their jobs during the holidays after a fire destroyed their place of employment.
Local 265 members (Carol Stream, Ill.) gathered and donated gifts as part of the United States Marines Corps’ Toys for Tots program.
Local 17 members served their community at the Francis Gatehouse with the Merrimack Valley Food Bank, which helps people without adequate access to resources get the nutrition they need.
Local 40 (Rocky Hill, Conn.) apprentices helped set up and take down lighting displays for Goodwill’s Fantasy of Lights event at Lighthouse Point.
Local 83 (Albany, N.Y.) members collected gifts for those in need as part of Toys for Tots.
In an annual tradition, Local 104 members in California’s South Bay volunteered with the set up for the 2024 San Jose Christmas in the Park.
Members of SMART Local 36 in St. Louis partnered with the local SMACNA chapter to help stock food pantry shelves and supply area children’s charities with toys for those who need them.
Local 58 (Syracuse, N.Y.) apprentices volunteered to help fix bikes for the CNY Bike Giveaway event at the New York State Fairgrounds.
SMART-TD Local 0023 partnered with the nonprofit Grey Bears to serve more than 300 meals to seniors in Santa Cruz, Calif.
Local 66 (Seattle, Wash.) brought together 45 volunteers for its Christmas Blessing Holiday Meal Program, providing meals to 47 families, delivering gifts to 112 children and raising $10,400 to support the initiative.
The Local 280 SMART Army made donations at Toy Mountain 2024, a Vancouver, British Columbia-area toy drive that distributes new toys and cash donations to families in need. Local 280 provided more than $1,500 in toys.
TD supports working families nationwide
As workers and their families celebrated during the festive season, SMART-TD members across the country stepped up to ensure that those who might need a little extra help were able to experience the joy of the holiday season.
In Chicago, the members of Local 1534 worked with the Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation, collecting over 100 toys and $200 worth of gift cards for children and teenagers battling cancer.
In Illinois, for the second year in a row, SMART-TD Local 445 hosted the Yuletide Food Drive in partnership with the Jamieson Food Bank in Monmouth, Ill., and the Fish Food Pantry in Galesburg, Ill. Headed up by Brothers Wes Ekstedt, Josh Gordon and Jack Girard, the local collected over 400 pounds of food and nearly $800 to distribute throughout the community.
And in Memphis, Tenn., SMART-TD Local 1557 conducted its second bike drive and secured 100 bikes for the Binghampton Development Corporation after setting a goal of just 20 the year before, which it far surpassed.
TD Local 1557 bike driveTD Local 1534 toy driveTD Local 445 food drive
