International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART)

International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART)
Name	International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers
Abbreviation	SMART
Founded	2011
Location	United States and Canada
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Membership	Approx. 216,000 (variable)
Key people	Joseph Sellers Jr., Michael Coleman

International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART) is a North American trade union representing workers in sheet metal, construction, HVAC, transportation, aircraft, and rail industries. Formed by the merger of two established labor bodies, the organization engages in collective bargaining, apprenticeship training, political lobbying, and industry partnerships across the United States and Canada. SMART operates within the broader labor movement alongside organizations such as the AFL–CIO, Teamsters, and United Auto Workers while interacting with federal agencies and industry stakeholders.

History

SMART was created in 2011 through the merger of the Sheet Metal Workers' International Association and the United Transportation Union, linking lineages that trace to the 19th and 20th centuries. The antecedent unions had historical connections to events and institutions such as the Knights of Labor, the American Federation of Labor, the Congress of Industrial Organizations, and the Railway Labor Act. Historical leaders and episodes linked to the merger include figures associated with the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, the Order of Railway Conductors, and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. The union's formation paralleled labor developments following the Taft–Hartley Act era, the New Deal labor framework, and transportation deregulation episodes like the Staggers Rail Act. Post-merger, SMART navigated campaigns and disputes reminiscent of past labor actions such as the Pullman Strike, and adapted to technological change highlighted by companies like Boeing, Bombardier, and General Electric.

Organization and Structure

SMART's governance combines regional and craft-based systems derived from its predecessors, with a national leadership anchored in an elected general president and executive board. The union's internal architecture echoes organizational models found in unions such as the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Service Employees International Union, and United Steelworkers, and engages with bodies like the National Mediation Board and the National Labor Relations Board for dispute resolution. Local lodges and transportation divisions operate under bylaws that reference contractual frameworks used in negotiations with carriers such as Amtrak, CSX, Union Pacific, and freight railroads. SMART's pension and benefit administration interfaces with plans and trusts reminiscent of multiemployer arrangements governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act and overseen by trustees similar to those in the Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL–CIO.

Membership and Workforce

SMART's constituency includes sheet metal workers, HVAC technicians, railroad engineers, conductors, dispatchers, and aircraft mechanics employed by companies such as Boeing, Airbus, Bombardier, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Norfolk Southern, and Canadian National Railway. Membership categories reflect occupational classifications similar to the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the Plumbers and Pipefitters, encompassing apprentices, journeypersons, retirees, and federal employees covered under statutes like the Railway Labor Act and collective bargaining agreements with carriers including Amtrak and Metra. Demographic and workforce trends affecting SMART mirror shifts seen at the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Transportation Security Administration, and the Federal Aviation Administration, with implications for occupational safety standards administered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Collective Bargaining and Labor Actions

SMART engages in collective bargaining campaigns across sectors, negotiating master agreements, supplemental agreements, and local contracts with employers such as Honeywell, Siemens, Alstom, and Caterpillar. The union has coordinated strikes, work actions, and arbitration cases analogous to disputes involving the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, the Association of Flight Attendants, and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. SMART's bargaining strategies interact with legal regimes including the Railway Labor Act, the National Labor Relations Act, and arbitration precedents from the National Mediation Board. High-profile negotiations have occurred with metropolitan transit agencies like the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, SEPTA, and the Chicago Transit Authority, and with manufacturing employers in industrial centers such as Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Montreal.

Political Activities and Affiliations

SMART conducts political advocacy, endorses candidates, and participates in legislative lobbying on issues such as transportation funding, infrastructure bills, trade policy, and labor law reform. The union coordinates political efforts with organizations including the AFL–CIO, Change to Win, and regional labor councils, and engages with federal institutions like the United States Congress, the Government of Canada, and state legislatures in California, New York, and Illinois. SMART's political work intersects with campaigns and coalitions that have involved figures and entities such as the Democratic National Committee, Congressional leaders, provincial governments in Ontario and Quebec, and municipal administrations overseeing transit authorities. The union also files amicus briefs and comments before regulatory bodies including the Surface Transportation Board and the Federal Railroad Administration.

Training, Education, and Apprenticeship Programs

SMART administers apprenticeship programs, journeyman training, and continuing education through a network of training centers and partnerships with community colleges, technical institutes, and workforce development boards. Training standards reflect competencies found in curricula at institutions like the National Center for Construction Education and Research, the ApprenticeshipUSA initiative, and union training trusts, and cover skills relevant to employers such as Carrier, Trane, and Johnson Controls. The union's training efforts address certifications and credentials recognized by bodies like the American Welding Society, the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies, and state licensing boards, and collaborate with workforce initiatives funded under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

International and Industry Relations

SMART engages with international counterparts and industry groups, interacting with unions such as Unifor, the Canadian Labour Congress, the Trades Union Congress, and the International Transport Workers' Federation. The union participates in cross-border labor discussions involving multinational companies including Bombardier, Siemens Mobility, and Alstom, and monitors trade agreements like the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement and tariff measures affecting manufacturing supply chains. SMART's industry relations extend to partnerships with employers, apprenticeship consortia, labor-management committees, and standards organizations such as the American National Standards Institute and the International Organization for Standardization.

Category:Trade unions Category:Labor unions in the United States Category:Labor unions in Canada