For generations, SMART members have used the power of our collectively bargained union contracts to build good lives for ourselves and our families. The stellar pay, good benefits and negotiated pensions that are a hallmark of our union have lifted up sheet metal and transportation workers over the years — even when pay stood still or went down for large parts of the working class.

But despite the power of our contracts, SMART members and families still find themselves impacted by what has been called “the affordability crisis.” And in the United States, recent policies made by Congress and the federal government are consistently making life less affordable for working Americans, according to the Economic Policy Institute (EPI).

“At its core, affordability is shaped by whether workers’ paychecks keep pace with the cost of living,” a recent EPI report reads, explaining that the current crisis results from decades of policies that slowed or pushed down wage growth in the United States and chipped away at workers’ bargaining power. The EPI adds that the current presidential administration “has pursued an agenda that undercuts incomes for all but the wealthiest households, slows job growth, and invites employer exploitation and abuse—including unprecedented attacks on federal workers’ collective bargaining rights.”

The SMART Communications Department has identified some of the actions listed in the EPI report that make it harder for SMART members to afford the cost of living in the United States, listed below.

Federal policy damaged workers’ pay and economic security, including in the construction industry

• One part of the affordability crisis is an increase in the basic costs of living, such as utilities, health care and everyday essentials. But the other half of affordability is being able to pay for those essentials in the first place. A variety of policies passed by the Trump administra­tion make it harder for workers to get the pay needed to afford basic necessities.
• For example: One of the most persistent ways bad-faith employers exploit workers in construction is by misclassifying them as independent contractors. In 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor published a final rule that made it harder for employers to do exactly that.
• But the current administration’s Department of Labor stopped enforcing these misclassification protections. This not only means working Americans will lose overtime, minimum wage and workers’ compensation pay; it lowers working conditions and safety standards on the jobsites where SMART members make their living.

The administration’s approach to construction and energy policy has hurt job creation for SMART members

• Laws like the Inflation Reduction Act and the CHIPS Act had started to create jobs for SMART members on a variety of huge projects, including clean energy projects, chip plants, public transportation infrastructure and more.
• But the Trump administration paused funding for projects autho­rized under the Inflation Reduction Act, threatening millions of jobs — many of which would have been for SMART members.
• Congress passed, and the presi­dent signed into law, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. This law is esti­mated to give $1 trillion in tax cuts for the richest 1% in the country. It will likely cause more than 15 million people to lose health insurance. And it will lead to lost jobs for SMART members on clean energy projects that will no longer have funding.
• The administration’s tariff policy caused chaos in the manufac­turing and construction industries. Uncertainty resulting from the tariffs helped lead to a steady decline in manufacturing jobs in 2025.

Executive orders and policies weakened workers’ rights across industries

• Executive orders that threatened collective bargaining, moves that make it harder for government agencies to protect and empower workers, and the appointment of corporate-aligned officials — these approaches have made it harder for SMART members to stand up for themselves and make ends meet.
• The president issued an executive order that eliminated more than one million federal workers’ right to collectively bargain, taking away their union contracts and representation with the stroke of his pen. SMART members working at U.S. Naval Shipyards were among the workers who were impacted.
• The president fired the general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Jennifer Abruzzo. Abruzzo had worked to strengthen unions and collective bargaining during her time at the NLRB. General President Michael Coleman called her a “champion” for SMART members.
• The president’s nominee for NLRB general counsel was a lawyer at one of the largest union-busting law firms in the country.
• The president revoked a “Good Jobs” executive order that promoted labor standards which benefited SMART members on projects with funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS Act, Inflation Reduction Act and/or the American Rescue Plan Act. The previous executive order, rescinded by the president, had incentivized the use of project labor agreements, high-paying, prevailing wage jobs, and more.
• The president picked the former leader of an anti-union orga­nization to lead the Office of Labor-Management Standards, an agency that oversees the financial disclosures of unions, employers and union-busting consultants.
• The president fired a member of the NLRB for “disfavoring the interests of employers,” undermining the independence of a crucial agency for SMART members and making it so the board was unable to do key parts of its job for months.
• The president issued an executive order on apprenticeships that does not require the federal govern­ment to consult with unions or labor-management partnerships, despite the key role unions like SMART play in registered appren­ticeship programs. This risks taking funding from the proven, high-road training programs that SMART members depend on.

Unfortunately, this is an incom­plete list of the governmental actions that negatively impact members and families.

SMART will continue our attempts to work with the federal government and urge them to change course. Our union will work with any politician, no matter their party, to benefit sheet metal and transportation workers.

The post Special Focus: How governmental decision-making has made life less affordable for SMART members and families appeared first on SMART Union.

Brothers and sisters,

As your general president, my mission is crystal clear. It is to fight for what matters: SMART members and their families. In any arena, by any means — organizing, negotiating or lobbying, whether we’re in union halls, state houses or our nations’ capitals. Fighting for members and fami­lies: That is this union’s North Star.

Here at the SMART International headquarters in Washington, DC, where your leadership and International staff take on that mission, we get to witness first-hand how the United States government works — or doesn’t work. These days, politics are known for divi­siveness and an inability to get things done.

But in January 2026, something unusual happened in Washington. Members of both political parties — 213 Democrats and 17 Republicans — came together to pass a law through the House of Representatives that benefits working Americans by extending Affordable Care Act subsidies. Without these subsidies, SMART members would see their health care costs go up as insurance companies shift the cost burden onto our strong benefit plans.

Unfortunately, this law made no progress in the United States Senate. But the House passage of this bill is still important. It’s proof that our issues aren’t Red or Blue — they’re just common sense. Both Republicans and Democrats recognized that these subsidies help hardworking Americans get the care they need.

Across the United States and Canada, the people who represent us in government have one job: to come together on the issues that matter to working people. We are the people who build and move our two nations. We are the workers who take on the hardest jobs, every single day of the year, to keep our societies running. In return, we deserve governments that stand with us, and for us, when it comes to our priorities.

SMART members and families don’t ask for much. We want good jobs, health care, a stable retirement. We want to be able to provide for ourselves and our families. And as union workers, our governments play a big role in our ability to do those things: to work, to stay safe on the job, to be able to help our loved ones and children stay secure, healthy and pursue their dreams. Whether it’s through rail safety laws or job-creating investments, the people we vote for have a direct impact on our everyday lives.

That’s why we will always work with any politician, no matter their political party, to pass laws that benefit members and their families. Because SMART members are our mission.

As you might already know, 2026 is an election year in the United States. SMART members and families can expect ads, emails and mailers from candidates and elected representatives through Election Day on November 3. You will hear promises from candidates about how they will stand with working Americans, not billionaires and elites. That’s when it will be more important than ever to stand together in solidarity, and pay attention to what candidates DO — not what they say. At the International, we work hard to track what candidates actually do to support SMART members, and we will make sure to communicate which candi­dates support us, regardless of their party. Because as your elected representatives, that is our obligation.

It is the greatest honor of my life to represent you and your families. That is my mission, it is SMART’s mission, and it is the work your union will continue to do every day.

In solidarity,

SMART General President Michael Coleman

The post SMART members are the mission appeared first on SMART Union.

As union workers, we have a lot to be proud of.

General President Michael Coleman says it all the time: SMART members are the people who build and move our two nations. Sheet metal workers and roofers across the United States and Canada help people stay safe, healthy and protected in schools, hospitals, apartment buildings and beyond. Railroaders keep our supply chain moving, transporting essential freight from coast to coast. Bus and transit operators bring parents to work, kids to school — and they bring people together.

That’s what SMART members do for our countries. And in return, we know what we deserve: a good, secure life for ourselves and our families.

That’s what SMART fights for, day in and day out. That’s what we stand for at the bargaining table, in the union hall and on the job. And it is the principle that guides our work here in Washington, DC. One word: Family.

As your general secretary-treasurer, my work spans a variety of different responsibilities. But ultimately, my role is simple. It’s my job to ensure that SMART has the resources and infrastructure, at every level, to fulfill General President Coleman’s vision of a union that fights — and wins — for members.

That means fortifying our foundation. We need to have solid ground to stand on.

Over the last couple years, SMART has taken concrete steps to better members’ lives. Under General President Coleman’s leadership, SMART has partnered with TOOTRiS to provide wraparound child care benefits to sheet metal members at participating U.S. local unions, taking on one of the biggest obstacles facing working people in the country. The general president has made member mental health a priority; that’s why SMART has expanded access to mental health support for members and their families with a new, 24/7 employee assistance program, Union EAP. We are investing in technology — developing tools that help us see around corners, leveraging our institutional knowledge, and providing resources like the Voyager system so local unions can serve members more efficiently and effectively.

On the Transportation Division side, General President Coleman and TD President Jeremy Ferguson are working in lockstep to fight for transportation workers nationwide. State safety and legislative boards won laws to protect members’ jobs and safety in Illinois, New Jersey and beyond. Members ratified national-level rail­road agreements to increase wages, enhance benefits and introduce new job protections — without concessions. Railroaders’ health care costs have remained stable, even as other working Americans face skyrocketing prices.

This is what it means when General President Coleman talks about “fighting for what matters.” These are the victories we can win for ourselves and our fami­lies when we have a strong foundation. And this is why it is so important for us to stay strong in the face of chal­lenges to our jobs, our benefits and our rights.

2025 tested us. Projects were canceled. Costs rose. Tariffs created uncertainty for both Canadian and American members. Families felt pressure. But here’s what I know about SMART members: When pressure builds, we don’t fracture. We reinforce.

That’s why unity isn’t optional. It is essential.

This year is an election year. That means white noise. Distractions. Endless commercials with competing voices telling working people what and who to fear. But our mission does not change with the headlines. Our focus is simple: Good jobs. Secure retirements. Safe workplaces. Strong families.

When we stay focused on that mission — when we remember who we fight for — we strengthen our foun­dation, no matter who occupies any office.

Our foundation is strong because it is built on solidarity. Our families are secure because we fight together. And our future is bright because SMART members never stop building — not just buildings and railways, but opportu­nity for the next generation.

In solidarity,

John Daniel
SMART General Secretary Treasurer

The post Our families. Our future. appeared first on SMART Union.

For decades, SMART-TD members have sounded the alarm about safety in our industry. Railroaders have warned about longer trains, shrinking crews and inspection shortcuts. Transit operators have voiced concerns about the growing violence they face simply for doing their jobs.

For too long, those voices were ignored.

Now the momentum is on OUR side.

Across Capitol Hill, lawmakers are introducing legislation that directly addresses the safety concerns our members have been raising for years. Bills like the Railway Safety Act and the Railroad Safety Enhancement Act aim to strengthen freight rail safety by addressing crew staffing, inspection standards and the risks posed by increasingly long trains. On the transit side, the RIDER Safety Act would help agencies deploy trained personnel to de-escalate conflicts and reduce assaults on operators, while the Bus Operator Safety and Security Act and the Passenger Rail Crew Protection Act would ensure stronger federal protec­tions for passenger rail crews and bus members that mirror the laws currently protecting airline crews.

These proposals represent pivotal steps forward for transportation safety reform.

But let me be clear about something.

These bills aren’t going to become law just because they make common sense. We owe it to ourselves to finish the job.

For years, railroads and transit agencies have tried to dominate the national conversation about safety. They have lobbyists, think tanks and industry groups working every day to shape the narrative in Washington.

But the true experts on transportation safety are not sitting in corporate boardrooms.

They are the men and women operating the trains and buses of this country every single day.

SMART-TD members have spent decades fighting to get a seat at the table in Washington. Thanks to the work of our National Safety and Legislative Department and our State Safety and Legislative Boards across the country, we finally have it.

But we cannot be so happy about getting our seat that we forget to order our meal.

Right now, unions have strong public support, and transportation worker safety has become a bipartisan issue. Lawmakers are listening.

But if they don’t hear from you, our message loses its power. Make no mistake: The lobbyists are more than happy to fill the void created by our silence.

When lawmakers hear directly from YOU, the workers experiencing this reality every day, it changes the conversation.

If you are tired of being told to do more with less while railroads invest in technology designed to replace you, this is your moment.

If you are tired of being hit, kicked, spit on and assaulted while doing your job as a transit operator, this is your moment.

The table is set in 2026.

Call your senators and representatives. Send emails. Write letters to the editor. Call into radio shows when our safety is being talked about. Speak up when these issues are discussed in your community.

The corporations have their public relations plans.

It’s time we disrupt them with the inconvenience of reality on the ground and the truth as only we know it.

SMART-TD has heard you.

Now Congress needs to hear you.

The moment is here.

Let’s not let it slip away. This fight isn’t coming. It is here. Your union needs you not to blink.

In solidarity,

Jeremy R. Ferguson
President, Transportation Division

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I am pleased to share two exciting developments from our Canadian office that reflect both our growth and our continued commitment to supporting our members.

First, we are proud to announce the launch of our new Canadian Facebook page! This is an exciting step forward in how we connect and communicate with members across the country. Our page will serve as a space to highlight SMART Canada initiatives, showcase member stories, celebrate local successes and provide visibility into what the Canadian office and sister locals are accomplishing on the ground every day.

This platform is about representation, connection and pride. It’s a place where members can see the strength of SMART Canada in action, stay informed and celebrate the incredible work happening from coast to coast. We encourage you to follow, engage and share your stories with us by clicking here.

I’m equally excited to announce that SMART Canada is now offering a new benefit as part of our Health & Welfare package: a Financial Wellness Program through Enriched Academy.

We know that financial stress doesn’t just affect wallets; it also impacts health, well-being and overall happiness. With this new initiative, we are tackling these challenges head-on by providing education that can truly transform our members’ financial reality.

Through Enriched Academy, Canadian members will receive:

• Exclusive access to expert financial guidance
• Practical tools to manage and grow their finances
• Interactive webinars and educational resources
• Strategies to build confidence and long-term financial stability

This program is designed to give Canadian members the opportunity to redefine their financial future with knowledge and support tailored to their everyday needs. Reach out to your home local today for more informa­tion and to get signed up.

At the same time, we are encouraged to see continued support from the Canadian federal government for the unionized construction industry through major infrastructure investments. Equally important is the recognition that investing in projects must go hand in hand with investing in the skilled workforce needed to deliver them.

This commitment is reflected in new funding oppor­tunities under the Canadian Apprenticeship Strategy — Investments in Training Equipment program. This initiative is designed to help Red Seal trades modernize and upgrade the tools, equipment and technologies used in apprenticeship training, ensuring workers are fully prepared for today’s jobsite demands.

With the federal government covering up to 50% of eligible costs, this program offers a valuable opportu­nity to strengthen training capacity nationwide. We will actively promote this funding to our locals and encourage them to take full advantage by submitting proposals that enhance their training facilities and support the next generation of skilled tradespeople.

We are proud to continue expanding the value of our membership by investing in initiatives that strengthen both our union and our members’ well-being.

Stay connected, stay engaged, and as always, thank you for being part of SMART Canada.

In solidarity,

Jack Wall

Director of Canadian Affairs

The post New resources and support for Canadian members appeared first on SMART Union.

SMART members often go underappreciated in North American society — and when we are recognized, it’s mostly for the jobs we do.

Not everyone knows what sheet metal workers are, or the vital role railroaders play in the national supply chain. But they do see members on jobsites building new schools and hospitals; in the cab of a freight train, transporting cargo across the country; at the wheel of a bus, bringing Americans wherever they need to be.

What they do not always see is the most powerful part of union membership: We take care of each other.  

Sheet metal and Transportation Division members made that clear in late 2025, when the Buffalo, New York, SMART Army sprang into action to help a brother in need.

“I didn’t see the light”

Dave Garringer, a member of SMART-TD Local 1393, was working as a conductor for CSX Transportation when he made a stop in Rochester, New York, in May of 2023.

As Garringer stepped off the train, he felt the ground shift, and his foot folded “in a very odd way,” he told WNYLaborToday.com. Unfortunately, that was just the beginning for our TD brother — over time, the injury worsened, and in November of 2025, he had to get his left leg amputated below his knee.

Garringer began using a wheelchair, but his Buffalo, New York, home — built in 1890 — didn’t accommodate the wheelchair ramp Garringer needed to get in and out of his house.

“I didn’t see any light. My wife didn’t see any light at the end of the tunnel,” he said in an interview with SMART News.

That’s when the SMART Army got involved.

“We’re not in a tunnel anymore”

SMART-TD’s Dan Banks started spreading the word that a fellow SMART member needed help. Shortly after, Garringer said, Local 71 showed up.

“They didn’t know who I was,” he said. “But there they were in my front yard in the cold, doing something for me and my family out of the kindness of their hearts.”

Local 71, the SMART sheet metal local based out of Buffalo, has helped members with wheelchair-accessible ramps in the past, along with other SMART Army events aimed at supporting the community.  

“I remember him saying this was the first time he felt hopeful in two years, so that kind of hit me right away and got me excited about [the project],” Local 71 Organizer Adam Kerr said. “[SMART] contacted us on October 30th, and then by November 14th we were completely done with the project.”

Kerr added: “The biggest value that you can get out of a union is that collective membership you can lean on. You’re not just coworkers, you’re brothers and sisters.”

Garringer said the display of solidarity has made a huge difference, both materially and otherwise.

“We’re not in a tunnel anymore, and we realized we’re not in this alone — we’re not in this by ourselves,” he said. “And that means a lot in a situation like this, where your whole life has been turned upside-down and it will never be the same.”

“This is what we do”

Garringer has been a proud member of SMART-TD for years. He told WNYLaborToday that he knew well the benefits of having union representation on the worksite and at the bargaining table, particularly when negotiating new contracts. But the wheelchair ramp went a step further.

“I’m very proud of my union, which is a wonderful thing,” he said. “They’re there to fight for you when your contract comes up, but when people need help — they are there.”

SMART-TD’s Banks joined the wheelchair effort, traveling from Cleveland to Buffalo, where he was one of several members interviewed by Buffalo ABC affiliate WKBW.

“This is what we do,” he told WKBW. “We’re a union. We take care of each other.”

The post “We take care of each other:” SMART Army builds custom wheelchair ramp for TD brother appeared first on SMART Union.

The conferences of the International Training Institute (ITI), National Energy Management Institute (NEMI) and the Sheet Metal Occupational Health Institute Trust (SMOHIT) are now the Sheet Metal Industry Institutes Conference (SMII).

The organizations will come together Sept. 22-24 in Atlanta to provide resources, training and opportuni­ties that strengthen the unionized sheet metal industry. While each institute will retain its own focus, keynote speakers and large group sessions will bring together training directors and coordinators; certified techni­cians, supervisors and contractors; and physical and mental health safety champions. Breakout sessions, chosen during registration, allow each attendee to customize their conference experience.

During the conference, SMOHIT will recognize safety champions for the 15th year through the Safety Matters Awards, and NEMI will showcase this year’s inductee into the TABB Hall of Fame, which has celebrated icons in the testing, adjusting and balancing industry since 2003.

The SMII Conference is also an efficient way for industry leaders to attain ITI, NEMI and SMOHIT updates and resources without the need to attend three separate confer­ences throughout the year. Register today!

Register for the SMII Conference here.

Submit TABB Hall of Fame nominations here.

Submit SMOHIT Safety Matters Awards nominations here.

The post Organizations come together for Sheet Metal Industry Institutes Conference in September appeared first on SMART Union.

“Semiconductor plant project creates hundreds of jobs for SMART sheet metal workers in Michigan.”

That would have — and should have — been the headline about a megaproject in the Flint area, one that looked set to change the lives of entire communities. But all that evaporated when political chaos got in the way.

“They were supposed to build a semiconductor chip plant to the tune of a couple square miles on the roof — a lot of work,” explained Mike Carpenter, a sheet metal mechanic and 12-year member of SMART Local 7. “Two hundred tradespeople for 10 to 15 years just in the sheet metal trades, thousands of jobs between other trades, supporting industry, business, transportation. It was going to put Flint almost back to that industrial, automotive attitude that it had back in the ‘70s and ‘80s.”

To be specific, the $55-plus billion project “was expected to be among the largest economic investments in Michigan’s history” and create up to 10,000 jobs, according to Michigan Live. Michigan state and local officials had worked for years to bring the project to the area. And, as Carpenter explained, that scale of project is never just about the work it creates. The impact spreads to area businesses, the local housing market and community members who aren’t directly involved.

“It sounded like everybody was set up for a win,” Carpenter said, adding: “We were really hoping for jobs.”

Then, in the summer of 2025, everything changed.

“Because of massive economic uncertainty at the national level, an advanced manufacturing company we were working with to bring a huge project to Michigan has decided not to move forward with plans to construct a semiconductor plant anywhere in the United States,” Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said in a July statement. “Their board came to this decision amid national economic turmoil, which is at risk of worsening amid threats of even higher tariffs.”

SMART General President Michael Coleman commented on the project cancelation back when the news first broke.

“This project would have been huge for Local 7 sheet metal workers and members of the local community, and its cancelation is devastating for our members, their families and working people in Michigan,” he said. “These projects change lives, and when they get canceled, SMART members and working people lose. It’s that simple. We need our leaders in government to focus on policies that protect our jobs, our communities and our families.”

Carpenter echoed those sentiments.

“It was disheartening, you know. You look forward to years and years of good, steady work, and building your funds back up, and building your pension back up,” he explained. “Taking care of the retired members that helped build what we have, and taking care of the future members — building something that they’re going to be proud of and something that they can profit from after they’ve put their time in.”

As of now, Carpenter said, the massive site of the now-canceled project is sitting empty: hundreds upon hundreds of acres, with site prep ongoing but nothing to put members to work.

“It would be nice to see some cooperation on getting this back up and running,” he concluded. “Michigan taxpayers have a lot of money into that … So it’d be nice to see the taxpayers get a return.”

The post Michigan sheet metal worker details impact of canceled project appeared first on SMART Union.

Public transit is crucial for SMART members and working families in Illinois. The state’s public transportation system, the second largest in the country, helps people get where they need to be every day — and provides jobs for rail workers, transit operators and tradespeople.

But in 2025, as a result of funding issues, Metra and other transit agencies in the Chicago area had proposed service cuts of approximately 40% — which would have had devastating consequences for SMART-TD members, Railroad, Mechanical and Engineering members, and union sheet metal workers in the region.

“Metra, publicly, earlier [in 2025], came out with what we call a ‘doomsday scenario,’” explained SMART-TD Illinois Safety and Legislative Director Robert Guy, referring to the funding cliff that faced transit agencies in Northern Illinois.

“We consider ourselves to be the face of Metra; we interact with the passengers more than any other craft,” he added. “So when you’re talking about reducing 300 on-board personnel, that would have been mostly our members. It would have been devastating.”

Unions united in response, creating the Labor Alliance for Public Transportation and organizing fiercely to pass transit funding legislation that would protect members’ jobs.

That effort paid off on December 16, 2025, when Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the Northern Illinois Transit Authority Act into law.

“Failing to address the transit fiscal cliff simply wasn’t an option, so we applaud those in the General Assembly who supported SB 2111, along with the other stakeholders and the thousands of our fellow union members of the Labor Alliance for Public Transportation for fighting every day to get this vital piece of legislation over the finish line,” Guy said.

An existential funding crisis

Back in early 2025, finding a solution for Chicagoland’s transit crisis looked anything but guaranteed.

The root of the problem dated back decades. Years of underfunding, made even worse by the Covid-19 pandemic, led to an impending fiscal cliff that would have exceeded $750 million in 2026. The only possible outcome from such an extraordinary funding shortage would have been dramatic cuts to Metra, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and Pace — leading to lost jobs for SMART members and disrupting the lives of millions of people in Northern Illinois. The CTA has 309 million riders annually, while Metra and Pace have 35 million riders and 17 million riders each year, respectively.

“[Proposed service cuts] would mean less weekday service,” Guy said. “It would mean drastically reduced early morning service, late evening service, less express service, which really would have made commutes longer.”

Notably, the cuts affected not just SMART-TD members, but the SMART RME members who work on the railroad and the Chicago-area sheet metal workers who build and maintain transit infrastructure.

“This would impact SMART Railroad, Mechanical and Engineering employees, SMART-TD members as well as Local 73 members at the CTA,” said Rob Shanahan, International representative in the SMART RME Department.

Labor organizes to protect jobs, transit

The fight to save SMART members’ jobs and public transit in Northern Illinois lasted throughout 2025.

The Labor Alliance for Public Transportation lobbied in the Illinois General Assembly, fighting to win legislation that would fund public transportation, fix existing inefficiencies in the transit systems and keep members working. At the same time, union members made their voices heard, talking about what the Chicagoland transit system means to them and spreading the word about the upcoming fiscal cliff.

The most important thing throughout the process, Guy said, was solidarity.

“Everyone brought their own perspective, their experience, the stories from the membership. We stayed strong, we stayed together. If we would have cracked at all, we probably couldn’t have got this over the finish line,” he noted. “We really did work as one.”

The result? The Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA) Act, passed in December. The law creates a new regional authority (NITA) to oversee CTA, Metra and Pace, invests in public transit, capital projects and tollways across the state, and addresses the fiscal cliff that threatened so many SMART members’ jobs.

“The bill is going to provide robust funding to continue operations as they currently exist,” said Shanahan, who is a member of SMART Local 256 in Chicago. “It will offer improvements as far as potential expansion, more money to improve facilities and equipment. And finally, it provides some security and stability; it’s a long-term solution to the problem of funding transit in Illinois.”

The law calls for there to be a transition team to move from the current system to the new NITA board system. In a nod to the crucial role unions played in securing the legislation, labor will be part of the transition, Guy said.

“As we were as the legislation moved through the General Assembly, our voices will be heard to protect not only our members currently but hopefully our future members, as we look to expand transit and have a transit system worthy of 10, 15, 20 years down the line,” he concluded.

The post Chicago-area SMART members win big with transit funding bill appeared first on SMART Union.

A pro-worker rail safety bill was officially signed into law by former New Jersey Gover­nor Phil Murphy in early 2025.

A-4460, also known as S3389 in the Senate, enacts strict two-person crew requirements for freight trains, ensuring that critical safety functions are not placed on the shoulders of a single worker. This provision reflects real-world operating conditions and directly addresses risks that rail workers have warned about for years.

The bill also strengthens oversight of railroad infrastructure, requires enhanced safety reporting, mandates the use of modern detection technolo­gies and expands/solidifies the role of labor organizations in investigations of derailments and other accidents. The bill is one of the most comprehen­sive and practical rail safety packages passed in the modern era.

Protecting rail workers and communities is not a partisan issue, but a shared responsibility. A-4460 passed with overwhelming bipar­tisan support.

This landmark legislation repre­sents the culmination of years of dedicated advocacy by the SMART-TD New Jersey Safety and Legislative Board, led by Director Ron Sabol. Together they carried our lived experiences from yards, terminals and crew rooms across the state directly to the halls of the State House in Trenton. Their message was simple and consistent: Rail safety saves lives, and it must be treated as a top priority.

The worker-driven effort behind this legislation was formally recog­nized when Sabol was given the honor of casting a vote for the bill. This honor was extended by Senator Patrick Diegnan, who represents New Jersey’s 18th Legislative District. This acknowledgement recognizes SMART-TD and Sabol’s leadership and tireless advocacy in helping move this legislation across the finish line.

Our rail safety package officially became law on January 20, 2026, when Governor Murphy proved his SMART-TD allegiance with one of his last acts in office.

This worker-led victory proves that when rail workers bring their experiences directly to lawmakers, meaningful change follows!

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