Ep. 4: COVID-19, Stimulus Legislation, Canadian Response, Shipyards and Procuring PPEs

In the fourth episode of Talking SMART, we continue our focus on the COVID-19 pandemic, its impact on our members and their communities, and how SMART is mobilizing across North America to help members stay informed and be safe at home and on the job during this crisis.

Our first guest is Steve Dodd, SMART’s director of government and legislative affairs.  Steve addresses emergency stimulus legislation that passed in the United States, as well as its impact on SMART members and their families.

We also talk with Chris Paswisty, an International Representative for SMART sheet metal workers and former business manager of Local 30 in Toronto, Ontario. He discusses the Canadian response to the pandemic and steps members and locals north of the border are taking to protect themselves.

SMART SM Local 33 members John Michaels and Evan Chambers doing their part to protect frontline workers in Ohio with a new batch of nose strips for volunteer mask-makers.

Our third guest is Tommy Fisher, a 39-year SMART member, and longtime International Representative from Mobile, Alabama. He services SMART sheet metal members employed at locations affiliated with the Metal Trades Department of the AFL-CIO. He discusses the work SMART members do in the shipyard industry, how these worksites and employers are responding to the pandemic, and the current situation in the state of Alabama.

Our last guest is Tom Wiant, a 33-year sheet metal worker and financial secretary-treasurer at Local 33, which covers northern Ohio and West Virginia. Tom talks with us about how his local has been able to procure thousands of KN95 masks to protect members in his region, as well as how Local 33 has contributed to SMART’s national initiative to produce and donate metal nose piece strips to volunteers making face masks for health care workers and first responders.

In addition, listen for the open mic segment at the end of this episode, where General President Joseph Sellers answers questions from members about important topics facing them and their families.  

 

RELATED RESOURCES:

• SMART COVID-19 Resources for Union Members
  Online portal with information and links to a variety of resources available to union members.
• SMART Emergency Legislative Alert Page
  Updates on the impact of the legislative and regulatory response to the COVID-19 crisis on members, as well as links to available government resources. 
  
• SMART Transportation Division COVID-19 Reporting Form
  If you are aware of an employee who has tested positive with coronavirus, or if a carrier is refusing to provide a clean and sanitized workplace as well as supplies for sanitation, please let us know by submitting this online form.
  
• State Resources and Benefits Available to U.S. Workers Impacted by COVID-19
  Links for every U.S. state, the District of Columbia and some local municipal resources for workers who have been impacted by COVID-19.
• Provincial Resources and Benefits Available to Canadian Workers Impacted by COVID-19
  Links to resources for each Canadian province and territory for members and workers affected by disruptions caused by the COVID-19 virus.
• Sheet Metal Occupational Health Insitute Trust (SMOHIT)
  SMOHIT’s online COVID-19 portal with up-to-date news and information to keep you and your family healthy.
• SMART Member Assistance Program (SMART MAP)
  Grief and trauma counseling is available to SMART members and their families through