TALKING SMART

A Conversation about the Belonging and Excellence for All Initiative

In this Talking SMART special episode, SMART General President Michael Coleman, SMACNA President Anthony Kocurek and returning guest host Dushaw Hockett discuss the Belonging and Excellence for All initiative, also known as BE4ALL.  

Their conversation, which took place at the end of August 2023 during the SMART Leadership Conference, explores why BE4ALL is so vital for the unionized sheet metal industry as we enter a period of unprecedented opportunity.  

“We have some projects where the workforce for that project alone exceeds the amount of members we have in that entire local,” said GP Coleman. "We cannot apprentice our way out of this problem. The numbers don’t line up. So, we have to get outside our comfort zone. And we have to look at all kinds of different ways to bring in a workforce that’s not the traditional way we did that. And the issue with that is we need to be welcoming when we do this.” 

The values of belonging and inclusion are not only a core part of the solidarity that defines our organization and the labor movement – they will be crucial to ensuring that local unions can meet the workforce demands created by megaprojects, federal legislation and a new emphasis on our industry. Only by bringing all workers into our union will we be able to secure the jobs, hours and collective bargaining strength that lie before us.  

Dushaw Hockett is the founder and executive director of Safe Places for the Advancement of Community and Equity (SPACEs), a Washington, DC-based organization that is working with SMART and SMACNA to move forward with the BE4ALL initiative. 

Organize, organize, organize!

For this episode of Talking SMART, we sat down with Local 28 Business Agent Marvin Tavarez to discuss his journey from working non-union to being organized into SMART. He breaks down some of the myths about organizing into a union versus taking a more traditional full apprenticeship route.

“Some people are like ‘Oh, that’s the backdoor, that’s the backdoor,’ ” says Tavarez. “But at the end of the day, it all comes down to educating the membership. You know, if you’re not organizing members in, you’re gonna be working against them and not with them.”

Tavarez also discussed his efforts to help build a rank-and-file building trades movement, including organizing rallies attended by thousands in New York City.

“As soon as I got into the union,” says Tavarez, “I felt like I needed to give back, someway, somehow. I was getting so much from the union… what can I do to contribute? So, I started a rank-and-file movement on Facebook. Started with like five members. Within a year, year and a half, it grew to over 10,000 members on social media.”

At the end of this episode, in his last open mic segment before he retired at the end of May 2023, former SMART General President Joseph Sellers discusses the road ahead for SMART, as we work to train a new generation of members and staff up scores of large “megaprojects” across the United States and Canada.

Return to Talking SMART index page.

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Talking SMART is a member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network — working people’s voices, broadcasting worldwide 24 hours a day.

Fighting for Freight Rail Safety

In this episode of Talking SMART, we’re digging into the fight to improve rail safety at both the state and federal levels in the weeks following the disaster in East Palestine, Ohio. 

The East Palestine derailment and other well-publicized accidents since have made clear what SMART-TD and rail labor have been saying for years: Precision Scheduled Railroading is bad for workers, the public and the environment.

SMART-TD Alternate National Legislative Director Jared Cassity and SMART-TD Government Affairs Representative Daniel Banks joined Talking SMART to discuss current efforts to pass state and federal rail safety legislation, as well as how members and allies can get involved.

At the end of this episode, listen to the open mic segment with SMART General President Joseph Sellers, who discusses what SMART is doing to recruit nonunion sheet metal workers and meet the workforce needs presented by megaprojects, infrastructure investment and more.

New Benefits and Incentives for Sheet Metal Travelers

This episode, we’re talking about how a wave of new megaprojects – or projects valued at over $1 billion – is creating unprecedented job opportunities for SMART sheet metal workers across the United States and Canada, as well as driving new changes and growth in the benefits available to SMART members. 

Darrell Roberts

John Daniel

Ken Colombo

To meet the ongoing demand for sheet metal workers, SMART and SASMI are coordinating to expand travel incentives and benefits available to SMART sheet metal workers who are willing to travel for work, and the International is developing resources to help local unions organize to secure more work for SMART members.

Our guests for this conversation are SMART Director of Organizing Darrell Roberts, Local 265 President/Business Manager and SMART 11th General Vice President John Daniel and SASMI Executive Director Ken Colombo.

Throughout the conversation, Roberts underscored how the large volume of pending work presents huge growth and organizing opportunities for SMART, as well as challenges for locals in terms of staffing these large projects. Colombo, meanwhile, detailed the new and increased financial incentives for SMART sheet metal workers willing to travel for work. And Daniel emphasized how megaprojects and new work stemming from infrastructure legislation are driving SMART to innovate to meet workforce needs across our two nations.

“Our absolute need to grow, paired with the megaprojects, the infrastructure spending," said Daniel, "that's going to create the opportunity for us to meet the numbers that we need moving forward. And it's also going to drive us to evolve as an organization.” 

At the end of this episode, listen to an open mic conversation between SMART General President Joseph Sellers and a SMART Local 24 (northern Ohio) member about megaprojects, traveler opportunities and how members can get involved with the union. Talking SMART is a member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network — working people's voices, broadcasting worldwide 24 hours a day.

Talking SMART is a member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network — working people’s voices, broadcasting worldwide 24 hours a day.

Belonging and Excellence for All (BE4ALL)

This episode, we’re talking about the Belonging and Excellence for All project, also known as Be4All. As a joint effort of SMART, union signatory contractors in SMACNA, and the International Training Institute, the project is tasked with working to ensure that all members, particularly those from historically underrepresented groups, feel welcome and experience all the opportunities that come with being a union member. In short, Be4All is a bold, long-term effort to transform the unionized sheet metal industry by creating workplace and business environments that are welcoming and foster belonging for ALL workers and contractors.

We have a special guest host this episode – Dushaw Hockett, founder and executive director of Safe Places for the Advancement of Community and Equity (SPACEs), a Washington, DC-based organization that is working with SMART and SMACNA to move forward with the Be4All project.

At the SMART Leadership Conference in San Francisco in August 2022, Hockett sat down with SMART General President Joseph Sellers, SMACNA CEO Aaron Hilger and SMACNA past President Angie Simon to discuss how both organizations are working together to build a thriving industry where everyone is treated with dignity and respect, everyone feels welcome, and sheet metal workers and contractors work together to achieve the highest standards of excellence in their skills and crafts.

We hope you enjoy the conversation... 

SMART Army Canada Mobilizes for Terry Fox Cancer Run

This episode, we’re talking about how the SMART Army is growing in Canada. Started in 2017, the SMART Army is a key vehicle for getting involved in our communities, raising our visibility and highlighting the important work SMART members do, as well as the essential services we provide. It is also a great way to improve our image among the voters, community leaders, and politicians whose support we count on to back new union-built projects, Project Labor Agreements, and the high workplace and training standards that are the foundations of good jobs that support our families and entire communities.

Jeff Lind

Our featured guest is Jeff Lind, a business representative with SMART Local 280 out of Vancouver, British Columbia. Jeff spoke with us about the pride he and other members feel when they look at the skyline of Vancouver and see all the completed projects they have worked on, including many union-built residential high towers. 

As a SMART Army coordinator, Brother Lind is leading Local 280’s efforts to raise funds for cancer research by participating in the 2022 Terry Fox run on September 18. He also discussed the story of Terry Fox – the Canadian athlete and cancer research activist who, after having one leg amputated due to cancer, embarked on a cross-Canada run in 1980 to raise money and awareness for cancer research. Although the spread of his cancer eventually forced him to end his quest and ultimately cost him his life, his efforts resulted in a lasting legacy in Canada, and around the world.

Click here to support the Local 280 SMART Army in support of the Terry Fox Run for cancer research.

At the end of this episode, listen for the open mic segment with General President Joseph Sellers. With students returning to school this fall, he responds to a question about new indoor air quality work opportunities in schools, supported by funding in the American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and other recent federal legislation backed by SMART, passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden.

Securing Our Future Through Organizing

Organizing is the foundation of our union and our labor movement, and recent years have seen an explosion of union organizing across America. From Starbucks stores and the Amazon Labor Union, to SMART campaigns in Washington state and New Jersey, workers have shown that they are eager to unionize – and unions like SMART are ready to answer the call.

Eli Baccus

Our featured guest is Eli Baccus, an organizer and director of partnership development at SM Local 33 (Northern Ohio). An Army veteran whose primary experiences before joining Local 33 were in residential construction and as a labor attorney, Eli has helped the union experience great success in its organizing, with 14 contractors signing with Local 33 in 2015 alone.

He spoke on the importance of organizing, different strategic approaches, and more: “When we are able to bring in more members and produce more man-hours, it gives us more strength at the bargaining table to help negotiate a higher wage rate for our members.”

At the end of this episode, listen for the open mic segment with SMART General President Joseph Sellers. He responds to a question about what types of new work and large projects are on the horizon for members in our industries.

Talking SMART is a member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network — working people's voices, broadcasting worldwide 24 hours a day.

“You’re either at the table, or you’re on the menu”

A conversation with two SMART members who serve their communities in local elected positions about the importance of having regular working people in office. 

Matt Cherry

Last episode, we heard from Joe de la Cruz, a SMART sheet metal worker in Groton, Conn., who is also a state senator, proudly serving the communities of Groton and New London. This episode we sit down with two more SMART members who have successfully run for elected office. We discuss their sheet metal and transportation careers, what motivated them to run for elected office, specific steps they took to build and run successful campaigns and key issues they focused on once in office.

Our first guest this episode is Matt Cherry, a Local 33 sheet metal member from Toledo, Ohio, who serves as the president of the Toledo City Council. Among other topics, he discussed the importance of support he had from the local labor community, including more than 50 union members who helped with door-knocking during his successful campaign for city council.

Dan O'Connell

Our second guest is Dan O’Connell, a long-time member of the SMART Transportation Division who served as New Jersey State Legislative Director for 20 years, until his retirement in 2018. He also served as the Delran Councilman and Burlington County freeholder. Dan has been a recognizable face across every part of our union as his formidable reputation in the New Jersey State House preceded him prior to his retirement.

Voting, lobbying and writing politicians are one thing, but actually being in an elected position and making decisions that affect our jobs, families and communities is also key. Dan underscored the importance of having regular working people in elected positions: "You're either at the table, or you’re on the menu.”

In addition, listen for the open mic segment with General President Joseph Sellers at the end of this episode. He responds to a question about whether railroad workers are allowed to strike.

Talking SMART is a member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network — working people's voices, broadcasting worldwide 24 hours a day.

Ep. 20: SMART Member Brings Voice of Working Families to CT Statehouse

A conversation with 25-year sheet metal worker and Connecticut State Rep. Joe de la Cruz

Over the next two episodes, we sit down with SMART members who have successfully run for local or statewide public office. We discuss their sheet metal and transportation careers, what motivated them to run for elected office, specific steps they took to build and run successful campaigns and key issues they focused on once in office.

Joe de la Cruz

Our featured guest this episode is Joe de la Cruz, a 25-year sheet metal worker with SMART and vice president of Hillery Company, a signatory metal fabricator located in Groton, Conn. Brother de la Cruz is also a state representative, proudly serving the communities of Groton and New London. He was elected in 2016 to his first term in the General Assembly, after serving on Groton's Town Council and Representative Town Meeting.

In 2020, Joe also kickstarted a national campaign to bring metal nose strips to thousands of volunteer mask makers across the United States and Canada, at a time when masks were in critically short supply. Starting at Local 40, the effort quickly spread to SMART locals across North America, eventually resulting in over 17 million nose strips being produced and shipped to more than 27,000 people who requested them. For his leadership on this effort, Joe was honored in 2021 with the Joseph J. Nigro SMART Army Service Award.

Throughout our discussion, Brother de la Cruz underscored the importance of being engaged and involved with your local community if you want to have a say in what happens, whether it’s with local sports leagues, or on multi-million dollar decisions about Project Labor Agreements.

In addition, listen for the open mic segment with General President Joseph Sellers at the end of this episode. He responds to a question about what steps SMART members should take if they decide to run for office.

Talking SMART is a member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network — working people's voices, broadcasting worldwide 24 hours a day.

Ep. 19: Conversation with SMART TD President Jeremy Ferguson

BNSF "Hi-Viz" Attendance Policy and National Rail Contract Negotiations Were Focus of Discussion

In this episode of Talking SMART, we sit down with SMART TD President Jeremy Ferguson to talk about a subject that is foremost on the minds of many members. In February 2022, BNSF arbitrarily changed its attendance policy and took advantage of a pro-management judge to force (as of now... this episode was recorded in early March), a draconian “Hi-Viz” attendance policy upon the very members who have kept the company operational through the pandemic – and who earned BNSF record profits in 2021. President Ferguson also provides an update on contract negotiations with the national rail carriers.  

Jeremy Ferguson

Brother Ferguson, a member of Local 313 in Grand Rapids, Mich., started railroading in 1994 after serving in the United States Army and attending college, beginning as a conductor on CSX at Grand Rapids, before earning a promotion to engineer in 1995. Ferguson was elected local legislative representative in 1995; local chairperson in 1996; and secretary of the CSX/B&O General Committee, GO 049 in Jacksonville, Fla., in 2007. He was elected second vice general chairperson in 2008 and first vice general chairperson in 2011. At the first SMART Transportation Division Convention in 2014, Ferguson was elected to the position of vice president, and at the second convention in August 2019, he became president of the SMART Transportation Division.

In addition, listen for the open mic segment with SMART General President Joseph Sellers at the end of this episode. He responds to a member question about what labor and management are doing to work together in the sheet metal trade and outlines the stakes for the unionized industry.

Talking SMART is a member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network — working people's voices, broadcasting worldwide 24 hours a day.