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.