SMART Union

It’s the weekend. Thank a union.

#TradeJobsWork for working Americans and Canadians, for employers and for our two nations!

National Careers in Trades Week is a national campaign that highlights various careers in the trades. We are actively working to reach people seeking rewarding, essential careers with excellent pay and strong benefits, including healthcare and pensions. While U.S. workers are experiencing a stagnant job market with fewer job postings and positions that are harder to secure, well-paid, skilled trade job openings continue to grow due to infrastructure and other projects vital to the economy. During the Second Annual National Careers in Trades Week (April 6-10, 2026), we encourage you to share your story on social media. What motivated you to pursue a career in the trades? What positive effects have you noticed from working in the trades? From April 6-10, we’ll be sharing posts all week about the advantages of joining the trades and starting your career now! Please be sure to tag your company and SMACNA in your social media post, and use the hashtags #TradeJobsWork and #CareersinTrades

"This is a threat to SMART members, our families, our apprenticeship programs and tradespeople everywhere."   GP Coleman responds to DOL's guidance on apprenticeships: smart-union.org/trump-administ…

Our good luck charm is a union card 🍀 Happy St. Patrick’s Day from America’s unions! Remember to celebrate today with union-made goods: aflcio.org/StPatricksDay

Being a union member pays off in the construction industry. Every week, every month, every year. Members working full-time in construction earn more compared with full-time nonunion workers.   Source: Median weekly earnings data in construction, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“For railroaders, safety policy is not theory. It is survival.” After the Washington Post Editorial Board criticized the Railway Safety Act of 2026, SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson responded with the railroaders’ perspective: smart-union.org/president-ferg…

Take a look at this article by Jennifer Lohr that features some of the remarkable women who work as SMCA contractors and are part of SMART Local 19’s workforce. #WomenInConstruction smca.org/news/wic-week-…

.@BLET, @SmartUnionWorks, @Local_126, and the CFL were out knocking doors on Chicago's Southwest side for Rep. @AaronOrtiz_IL and Patty Garcia ahead of the primary election on Tuesday, March 17!

In addition to two panels of industry experts, the event featured remarks and highlighted federal indoor air quality legislation from Congressmen Paul Tonko (D-NY), Don Beyer (D-VA) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) that SMART encourages members of Congress to support.

SMART joined building, engineering and other industry professionals to co-host the “Indoor Air Quality for a Healthier America” Congressional Briefing to highlight the critical role SMART members play in helping deliver clean indoor air.

UNION WIN: In Tucson, Arizona, SMART Local 359 organized to help win a rare project labor agreement in a "right-to-work" state, creating jobs for sheet metal workers and local community members. smart-union.org/local-359-help…

Workers support Elizabeth Granato for Cook County Board! This weekend, members of @IBEW Local 134, @SmartUnionWorks Local 73, & @ATUComm Locals 241 & 308 knocked doors in Mayfair to talk about her record of delivering for working families. Thank you @liuna Local 6 for hosting!

Watch as she details her journey in the trade, some of her proudest accomplishments, her experience turning out as an apprentice the same year she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and more!

As Women in Construction Week rolls on, we're proud to spotlight Local 104 (Northern California) sister Rita Magner. A 34-year member of our union, Rita helped pave the way for countless sisters to follow in her footsteps as a proud sheet metal worker: youtube.com/watch?v=5wWqV5…

WORKER WIN: In recent negotiations, Colorado Pacific Rio Grande Railroad sought concessions from SMART-TD Local 204. But members held firm: their agreement preserves base earnings while increasing effective hourly pay and improving overtime opportunities: smart-union.org/notches-change…

#WomeninConstructionWeek spotlight: Local 17 (Boston) sister Renee talks about her balancing career, what she values about her work, how she got into the trade and more!   “I always wanted a job with a positive impact on society, and a job that matters.”   youtu.be/185PD7Fa1Io?si…

Congratulations to our Local 179 sister Charon!

"We actually have a voice, we have a lot of weight behind us now. ... We're all standing together to make real change in our workplace."

On February 23, 2026, workers at SPX Cooling Technologies in Springfield, Missouri, voted to ratify their first contract as SMART members. Watch several of the workers tell the story of how they organized to join Local 208.   youtu.be/2hrIgMT3n48?si…