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Doses of opioid antagonist are assisting sheet metal workers in the United States and Canada.
Toxic workplace culture is hard on human resources and the bottom line. Working with your labor-management partner can smooth the road.
Stop the CBD! Complaining, blaming, and defensiveness are the fastest way to communication breakdown.
SMACNA & SMART
Mastering the Art of Difficulty
The great thing about a successful partnership is that in it, you’re never alone. Whether cruising along smoothly or facing new or difficult situations, in a well-connected partnership, you’ve always got a person, persons, or entity with whom to share the burden, rally ideas, and troubleshoot solutions. And in the sheet metal industry, when labor and management lead together, they deliver results. This is the theme of the 2026 Partners in Progress Conference, scheduled for February 16-18 in Orlando, Florida, at the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin. The Best Practices Market Expansion Task Force has been hard at work on a great line-up of speakers, breakout sessions, and learning opportunities that will help labor and management continue to forge a successful path forward. Registration is open now at pinp.org/conferences/pinp26
This issue of Partners and Progress looks at new and sometimes difficult obstacles the sheet metal industry is facing—and tackling together. It showcases some of the creative and successful ways labor and management are leveraging each other’s expertise to find new opportunities, grow existing success, and lead together.
Megaprojects are taking up space—literally and figuratively— in the sheet metal industry landscape, presenting new and often complex opportunities for labor-management partnerships to connect and collaborate. These massive endeavors require immense labor and supply quantities, calling for coordinated planning, scheduling, and workforce procurement. In “Charging Head. Together.” on page 4, we look at a 500-acre EV battery plant in Michigan that required SMACNA contractor Allied Mechanical Services and Local 7 to leverage their strong relationship to make it a success.
Whether or not your organization is currently familiar with megaprojects, there is a good chance you will, at some point, be a part of one of these huge undertakings. Any time the scope and scale of a project exceeds labor requirements, and your organization requires assistance fulfilling said requirements, you’ve got a megaproject on your hands. SMACNA and SMART have developed a wealth of resources to help your organization run a successful megaproject while maintaining your core work—the backbone of the sheet metal industry. Check out “Megaproject Resources” on page 6 for some of the resource material SMACNA and SMART have produced, and be sure to visit smacna.org and smart-union.org to learn more and to connect with your local chapter or union.
Over 100 years ago, Welsch Heating and Cooling opened its doors, manufacturing and installing pot-bellied stoves. In the 50s it started dabbling in the residential market, and by the 70s and early 80s, this was the company’s bread and butter. Since then, it has worked alongside Local 36 to develop one of the most successful residential service contracting firms in St. Louis.
In an interview with SMACNA’s Seth Lennon, Welsch’s Paul Heimann and Scott Pires sit down with Chris Racherbaumer and Jake West from Local 36 to talk about how they’ve maintained residential market share and what the future looks like in this sector. Read all about it in “Rousing Residential Market Share” on page 8.
SMOHIT, the jointly funded health and safety arm of the unionized sheet metal industry, has provided many resources that protect workers across the United States and Canada, including automatic external defibrillators (AED), bleed kits, and CPR certification. In its most recent initiative, SMOHIT is providing naloxone (Narcan) cabinets to union halls and training centers and saving lives. See “Nalozone cabinets help union sheet metal workers save lives” on page 10 to learn more about the opioid crisis and how contractors and union representatives can work together to address this health crisis.
According to the Society for Human Resource Management, toxic workplace culture has contributed to $223 billion in turnover costs in the United States over the past five years. Read that again. $223 billion in preventable costs to businesses across the country is a figure worth pausing to consider, especially in an economy sensitive to global forces and fluctuations. The truth is, bullying isn’t just hard on an organization’s culture and human resources—it is an absolute drain on the bottom line. In “The Real Cost of Bullying” on page 12, we look at some hard truths about the personal and financial burden of toxic workplace culture and address some important ways SMACNA and SMART are offering solutions by working together.
If you want to have any kind of conversation—difficult or otherwise—there are some basic rules: listen before you speak, maintain eye contact, stay level-headed. Communication expert John Millen shares another tip: stay away from CBD! No, he isn’t referring to the marijuana/hemp derivative. Millen shares six tips for avoiding complaining, blaming, and defensiveness, especially when the topic of conversation is uncomfortable. See “Six ways to stop blaming and complaining” on page 15 and change your conversation style forever.
Charging ahead. Together.
When working on a Michigan EV battery plant megaproject, labormanagement cooperation was key to success.
By Mike McConnell • Photos courtesy of Allied Mechanical Services
When Allied Mechanical Services bid
to be one of the sheet metal contractors working on a massive EV battery plant in mid-Michigan, company management knew they couldn’t go it alone. The SMACNA member would need to lean on its labor partners to see the project through.
“As soon as we found out about the opportunity, my first call was to our business agent,” says Larry Decker, sheet metal operations manager with the Kalamazoo, Michigan-based company.
The project Decker is referring to is known as BlueOval Battery Park. The campus spans 500 acres, anchored by a 2 million-square-foot building that’s almost a mile long. When completed in 2026, the $3 billion factory in Marshall, Michigan, will produce batteries for Ford Motor Co.’s current and future electric vehicles. An estimated 1,700 will work there, making the plant a major job provider for the region. Allied, which is fabricating and installing much of the plant’s ductwork, is
one of several SMACNA members working on the BlueOval project. Others involved include Ventcon, H.M. White, S&Z Sheetmetal, McShane Mechanical, Universal Wall Systems Inc., Liberty Sheet Metal, CSE Morse, and Applegate Heating and Air Conditioning.
Rise of the megaproject
The plant is an example of what are commonly called megaprojects. While the US Labor Department officially considers federally funded construction projects budgeted at $35 million or more to be megaprojects, in the private sector the term is often used to describe much larger jobs, pegged at more than a billion dollars. They often take years to complete, generating substantial local economic activity during their development. And in the last five years, they’ve become more common as federal grants help spur development of medical centers, airports, power plants, skyscrapers, military facilities, and stadiums nationwide.
“
As soon as we found out about the opportunity, my first call was to our business agent.
— Larry Decker, sheet metal operations manager, Allied Mechanical Services.
”
Profitable and high profile
For contractors like Allied, winning such a project offers the chance for years of secure, profitable work. Construction companies that successfully complete massive jobs boost their chances at winning similar future work. However, when tackling these high-profile projects, experience, planning, scheduling, training, and staffing are especially critical. Union contractors that successfully bid on these huge projects say that a cooperative labor-management approach is also vital to succeeding without straining company resources.
In Allied’s case, the company had recently fabricated all of the ductwork for an LG battery plant megaproject in Holland, Michigan, so Decker and other members of management knew what they were getting into. Decker knew he needed to talk to Vance Saunders, a business representative with Local 7, to discuss staffing on the multiyear project.
“We needed to get a good feel for what the workforce availability was from now through the end of this project,” Decker says. “Do we have enough people internally? Do we need to incentivize this project to draw in labor from outside our Local? Are we going to pay over scale? The business agent helps us figure that out.”
Experience matters
It helps that Local 7 has some experience with megaprojects in its coverage area, Saunders says. The union supplied workers for a General Motors Ultium battery plant erected in Lansing, Michigan, about 1 ½ years ago, as well as coordinating with Allied on the Holland battery plant. Plus, the union has been involved in a number of automotive assembly plant projects in the region.
Saunders says an advantage for signatory contractors in Local 7’s coverage area is that the union has increased its membership in recent years by organizing journeypersons, apprentices and preapprentices to work on these megaprojects. “We’ve added quite a few young people to our trade,” he says. “We lucked out on this project in Marshall. Through the NMA (National Maintenance Agreement), we were allowed to use pre-apprentices. They’re working hand-in-hand with our journeymen and learning the
day-to-day skills that are required on a project like this and to be a qualified sheet metal worker.”
Too big to staff alone
However, on a project as big as BlueOval, the Local still needed to bring in workers from outside. Lured by the good pay the project offered, SMART brought in about 50 sheet metal workers from states like Arizona, North Carolina, Florida, and Texas. Word-of-mouth among workers helped, too. “It’s been pretty much seamless,” Decker says. “Anytime we needed help, our agents were available to supply it.”
According to Doug Bamm, a senior field superintendent with Allied, getting the staff necessary to tackle the project is only part of the battle. “To complete these megaprojects, it takes an entire team, from ownership and business agents, to foremen and apprentices,” Bamm says. “You’ve got to figure out how to put people with people who can make them successful. They all have good skills. (But) not everybody’s skill set is the same. Some do hospitals, some do remodels, some do new builds, and some do mega plants like this. So, to me, it’s getting a core group who can figure it out how to work well together.”
Bamm says he believes that Allied has become a go-to contractor for megaprojects in the region. “The owners are willing to take on the work,” he says. “And I think we’ve got workers who really want to take on this kind of work. We seem to have been able to build on lessons learned and everybody’s still enjoying it. At the end of the day, it’s an amazing feeling to be able to finish one of these things.”
Michael McConnell’s experience encompasses B2B and B2C copywriting, online journalism, and newspaper reporting. He’s always interested in finding out the stories behind interesting people and projects. Contact him at mrmcconnell36@gmail.com.
MEGAPROJECT Resources
from SMACNA and SMART
Edited by / Jessica Kirby
When a project’s workforce needs exceed the union’s or council’s capacity and they require assistance to meet those needs, regardless of the project’s size, scope, or monetary value, that is considered a megaproject.
When planning a megaproject, start with the details. That includes the project name, scope of work, specific requirements, initial workforce needs, who is available near the project, and who may travel. Does the workforce need a progression in growth schedule? Who is your team? How will you designate team assignments? Will you need assistance from the international?
Decide what resources and workforce do you have and what you need. What workforce is available in your local area? What plans are in place for travelers (housing, meals, offsite attractions)? What tools do you have for adding workforce or members? What staff do you already do you have? What type of training do you need to provide? Are there any work-specific accommodations? Is there funding or worksite initiatives? What is your plan for advertising?
Determine your top priorities and create a plan outline. What do you need and how are you going to get it? Your plan and
timeline is a living document you should look at constantly to track whether you are meeting benchmarks and potential delays and adjust accordingly. Use Helpspot is the contact and marketing landing spot for input information. Your international organizer and representative are there to assist.
Visit the SMART website at smart-union.org for timeline examples, flow charts, and other resources.
Commonly Asked Contractor Questions
How can contractors overcome the challenge of securing bonding for large projects?
Contractors can explore options such as partnering with bonding companies, providing collateral or financial guarantees, demonstrating a strong track record of successful project completions, or forming joint ventures with established firms.
What strategies can contractors employ to address workforce shortages in large projects?
Contractors can collaborate with other firms and their
Resources
labor partners to pool resources and humanpower, use subcontractors or labor brokers, invest in training, and development programs to enhance the skills of existing workforce.
How can contractors effectively manage the complexities of large construction projects?
Effective project management strategies include thorough planning, clear communication, robust risk management practices, utilization of project management software, regular progress monitoring, and proactive problem-solving.
What are the benefits of partnering with other contractors on large projects?
Partnering with other contractors allows for the sharing of resources, expertise, and risk, which can enhance project competitiveness, improve project execution, mitigate financial burdens, and foster collaboration among industry peers.
Visit smacna.org to find a chapter and contractors in your area.
What are some key considerations when forming partnerships with other contractors?
Important considerations include aligning project goals and objectives, establishing clear roles and responsibilities, defining project scope and deliverables, outlining financial arrangements and profit-sharing agreements, and formalizing partnerships through legally binding contracts.
What resources are available to contractors facing challenges in large construction projects?
Contractors can leverage resources such as industry associations, professional networks, online forums, training programs, government agencies, financial institutions, legal advisors, and consulting firms specializing in construction management and project delivery.
Visit smacna.org to learn more about SMACNA, what they have to offer, and how they can assist you.
Core Work
In the fast-paced world of the unionized sheet metal industry, it is easy to get caught up in the excitement about megaprojects. However, amidst the rush of these large-scale endeavors, it is crucial for union leaders and contractors to remember the paramount importance of maintaining core work.
Local union leaders find themselves dedicating time and resources to recruiting workers for megaprojects. Meanwhile, contractors focus on bidding and managing these massive endeavors. However, amidst the frenzy, we must not lose sight of our core work. SMART International and SMACNA are committed to assisting local unions and contractors in preserving our core work. From monitoring projects to providing training and best practices, they offer a wealth of resources to help maintain our focus.
Core work is the backbone of our industry and the steady foundation on which our businesses and livelihoods rely. Large projects may dazzle with their size, but it’s the core work that sustains us in the long run. If we neglect our core work, we risk losing projects and the very essence of our industry, and competitors are eager to capitalize on any opportunities left behind.
Let’s prioritize our core work by partnering with other contractors and local unions. By leveraging the resources provided by SMACNA and SMART, we can sustain the industry’s foundation and build a brighter foundation for all.
Visit smacna.org and smart-union.org to learn more.
Rousing Residential Market Share
By Jessica Kirby • Photos courtesy of SMACNA
for gaining market share in residential and points to a strong relationship
Welsch Heating & Cooling and Local 36 have gaining and holding residential market share dialed in. Backed by the contractor’s 130 plus years in business and a solid team of organizers and management at Local 36, the St. Louis market is rife with opportunity.
In an interview with SMACNA’s Seth Lennon about the residential market, Paul Heimann, controller at Welsch, and Scott Pires, residential technician, discuss challenges, problemsolving, and labor-management cooperation in the residential HVAC market. Chris Racherbaumer and Jake West from Local 36 share how the labor market has changed and why having a strong relationship with Welsch Heating & Cooling has facilitated growth in the market.
Roots in residential
The residential climate in St. Louis is promising with opportunities for growth, Heimann says. The company began its residential service focus in the early 70s, and Heimann attributes the company’s success to entering the sector early and staying the course.
“St. Louis has a strong presence in the residential market because we never gave it up 20, 30 years ago when everyone was chasing large commercial contracts and high-rises,” he says. “We saw the need and opportunity to continue to do housing.”
During the 70s, 80s, and 90s, there were 6,000 houses a year being built, and all of those have come back to market as replacements, closing the loop on what Heimann calls the “circle of life” in the residential market.
“We like to do track homes, new construction, and custom homes, and we like to service them for a number of years,” he says. “We do some humidifiers, air cleaners, air purification systems—whatever the homeowner needs. Fifteen years down the road we are there to change it out and do it again.
“So, I consider it a whole circle of life for us as a business, and if we continue to do the work correctly, not only do we keep those homeowners, but we also find more to do.”
Growth has also meant diversification and expansion in the service end, Pires says. He notes that moving into geothermal, for example, has created important opportunities for the company. “A lot of companies just want to do the basic equipment, but if you can expand your footprint, the world is your oyster.”
Of course, the market has had its ups and downs, and through it all, perseverance has differentiated Welsch Heating & Cooling from the non-union market. Although staying in the market was a bit of a gamble 40 years ago, it is paying dividends now.
“We find that people are willing to pay the price for the right contractor,” Heimann says. Being the “right” contractor often comes down to exceptional service—the rarity of which is a pain point among current trends of investment companies buying up
Welsch Heating & Cooling shares best practices
with Local 36 as a driver in their success
residential companies and focusing more on profit than on customer needs.
“That trend has turned customer service into a number one priority here in St. Louis,” Heimann says. “We are able to provide them with a good job at the right price, and it makes everything whole.
The union difference
“We pride ourselves on being a union company,” he adds. “With us, customers are getting highly-trained, qualified individuals through Local 36, which has been very supportive of our efforts to continue to stay in that residential market.”
Establishing an adequate workforce and finding the best qualified people to send to contractors can be a challenge but working closely with JATCs and unions like Local 36, which maintains a strong pool of people to draw from whenever contractors make requests, might be the signatory industry’s best asset.
“With the growth the HVAC industry has seen, we have been hiring pretty substantial numbers, well over 100 apprentices a year for the last couple years,” West says. “Meeting those demands is challenging, but we are always trying to reach out to schools and tech programs and community colleges to find those people who want to get into the HVAC industry and want to get into the union.”
The biggest draw for residential is the opportunity or a booming sector. The pay and the benefits are also attractive when compared with the non-union shops, as well as steady, reliable work.
“You see ebbs and flows in the commercial market,” Heimann says. “You can work there for a couple of years and then get laid off and go work for another commercial contractor. Typically, in residential, when we get a worker, we don’t like to give them up. One strength of the union is that is has diversified its training program so when one person gets earmarked for the residential market, they have a training program for that sector.”
Labor-management cooperation
The role of labor-management cooperation is an important one, especially with the union sector poised to take on more market share over the coming years. Welsch and Local 36 have a long-standing positive relationship, and Pires says having levelheaded people on both sides means organizations can overcome just about anything.
“If you have something going on and you can go to your rep, and they want to sit and talk with you and you have the same goals, it is not hard to get along,” he says.
“I am a big believer that we are both in the same business,” Heimann says. “The union’s job is to sell us man hours, and our job is to sell man hours to the customer. If we are compatible in meeting that goal, there should be no issues.”
West says the key to cooperation is open communication and being able to have a conversation while remaining level-headed.
"Staying competitive and growing market share will require companies and the laborforce to stay abreast of new technologies and developments in the residential market."
“If an issue arises, being able to work through it and refer to our CBA so we can focus on solving the issue and moving on,” he says. “That is what really projects us as being strong in the industry. If we are butting heads and not getting along that creates opportunities for our non-signatory competitors to step in.”
A future in residential
Staying competitive and growing market share will require companies and the laborforce to stay abreast of new technologies and developments in the residential market. Pires says new, higher-end systems are almost like smaller commercial VRFs, for example. “Things are definitely getting more technical and advanced,” he says.
From the labor and workforce development side, West and Racherbaumera are hard at work finding qualified people and ensuring they are trained in the very specific discipline of a heating and cooling technician.
“That’s going to be one advantage signatory contractors have over their competition,” West says. “They have access to an organization that is dedicated to finding these people, training then up, and getting them employed.
“Our goal is to keep businesses focused on business so they can continue to go out and bid without having to worry about finding manpower because that’s our responsibility,” Racherbaumer says. “They can stay focused on growth.”
Welsch is steadfast on heating and cooling, believing there are enough customers out there to do that. “We are heating and cooling specialists,” Heimann says. “That is what our people do every day. In five years, SMACNA and the union could gain some of the market share back just based on staying true to our values, educating the customer, and doing the customer service correctly.
“If we do all of that, our business will continue to grow and expand just based on the best practices of being a good, solid heating and cooling company. The sky is the limit.”
Related Reading:
The Best Practices Market Expansion Task Force along with Welsch Heating & Cooling has developed a comprehensive best practices resource on winning and retaining market share in the residential sector. Access this and other valuable resources for building your labor-management partnership at pinp.org under “Best Practices Tools”.
NALOXONE cabinets help union sheet metal workers save lives
Doses of opioid antagonist sent to union halls, training centers across the United States and Canada
Jerry G. Hovarter, business manager and financial secretary/ treasurer for Oklahoma’s Local 124, received a phone call in March 2023 that changed everything.
“The call came on a Sunday morning regarding one of our first-year apprentices,” he recalls. “He had passed away from a drug overdose the day before.”
In September that same year, SMOHIT reached out to Hovarter about another first-year apprentice, this apprentice reaching out through the hotline for help. Between SMOHIT and Local 124, he was able to access treatment, but that was just the beginning of his story.
“Unfortunately, he could not overcome his addictions and passed away on July 3, 2024, from an overdose,” Hovarter says. “When SMOHIT offered naloxone cabinets for the apprenticeship training center and for the union hall, I was all-in to install a cabinet at both locations. I hope we never have to use it, but being prepared and having it available could save a life.”
It is because of stories like this that SMOHIT—the health and safety arm of the unionized sheet metal, air conditioning and welding industry—has launched an initiative to provide union halls and training centers with a free Naloxone (Narcan) cabinet containing four boxes, or eight doses, of the substance, which is a potent synthetic antagonist for opioid drugs, including morphine and fentanyl.
Boxes contain detailed, illustrated instructions on how to administer the drug in case of suspected overdose, which is as easy as spraying the dose inside the patient’s nose. The metal cabinets are not alarmed and are meant to be hung in highly visible areas, said Jeff Bradley, SMOHIT program administrator. “We wanted to make it accessible to as many people as possible,” he said. “If they run out, they can always order more from us at no direct cost.”
Hildreth, manager
construction division for
Corporation in Kansas, says having the cabinets on site can make a life and death difference. “Beyond that, by making naloxone readily available we normalize conversations about substance use and the resources that SMOHIT provides to our members,” he says, encouraging SMACNA contractors to support the initiative by following suit.
“We can use the cabinets and talk more openly with our crews about why we’re making naloxone available,” he says. “Also, we can treat overdose response like we do first aid, CPR, and AED training and make it a part of our safety culture. Visible support from company leadership makes it clear that this is about supporting all our people.”
The cabinets’ doses are available for whoever needs them, whether the suspected overdose occurs inside a union building or elsewhere.
The cabinets’ doses are available for whoever needs them, whether the suspected overdose occurs inside a union building or elsewhere. Members can take a box if they’re concerned about a family member or take one to keep at the job site.
Matt
–
Waldinger
By / Jessica Kirby • Photos courtesy of SMOHIT
“The cabinets and doses were purchased to help members save lives, inside and outside of union buildings,” Bradley added. “An overdose can happen to anyone, anywhere, and it’s good to be prepared no matter the circumstances.”
Bradley encourages SMACNA contractor and union leadership to address communication about the kits with a general education approach to help reduce the stigma around substance use. “The benefits of carrying naloxone help union members, their friends, and their family,” he says. “I make naloxone available to all of my kids, who are in their 20s, and they take it without question. The younger generations are familiar with it and are willing to help if the need arises without judgment.”
Construction workers build their careers in dangerous situations. Even with every safety measure in place, injuries happen, and when they do, 55% of injured construction workers receive a prescription opioid to manage the pain. Of those injured workers, 29% receive two or more opioid prescriptions, according to a study from Workers Compensation Research Institute.
Although the rate of overdose deaths in the United States decreased almost 27% from 2023 to 2024, union construction workers are 10 times more likely to develop an opioid use disorder if given a long-term prescription, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“The primary reason we’ve experienced a significant drop in opioid overdoses has been the presence of naloxone, so it’s vital we make sure it is visible and available throughout our industry,” says Chris Carlough, SMART director of wellness and mental health support.
But it’s not only injured workers who should have naloxone on hand. Opioid overdose can happen to anyone who is taking the medication or who purchases any kind of medication from anywhere other than a licensed pharmacy, including social media and the internet. “Workers who share medications or teenagers who buy anxiety medications off of social media ads are all at risk because counterfeit opioids look just like the real thing,” Carlough says.
In fact, if an opioid drug is in the medicine cabinet at a worker’s home, they should have a kit at the ready. Senior citizens are often prescribed naloxone in addition to any opioid medication in case of accidental overdose. With children, even teens, in the home, naloxone is a good thing to have on hand in the case the unthinkable happens.
At the end of May, 119 orders have been placed, with more requested over the summer. Approximately 72 sheet metal union halls and 154 training centers will have naloxone cabinets in their buildings by next year, Bradley expects.
Labor and management can work together to shift the workplace culture around health and safety relating to injury and opioid use. “Workplace safety education and enforcement are paramount, along with ergonomics,” Bradley says. “Preventing injuries that necessitate prescription medication serves as an
effective deterrent to opioid use. Promote alternatives like physical therapy, mindfulness, and non-opioid pain relief.”
Each year, on the first day of class, Hovarter addresses students with information about SMOHIT and the union’s employee assistant program (EAP). In that conversation, he includes contact information for ways to seek help with drug or family issues they may be experiencing, and now he draws attention to the naloxone cabinet.
He adds that contractors can help support the initiative by sharing with employees the SMOHIT and EAP contact information in person and on shop and jobsite billboards.
“Our contractors do support our determination to get our members the best quality care for drug or alcohol addiction,” he says. “They usually call me to reach out to any members in need.”
Lon Fett, secretary/treasurer at Harrison-Orr Air Conditioning, LLC in Oklahoma, sees the benefits of having the cabinets in place and sees the initiative as something unions and contractors should be adopting together.
“Hopefully, that cabinet never has to be used, but we’d rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it,” he says. “Secondly, having the cabinets in place should, hopefully, help bring awareness to the issue of addiction.”
He acknowledges that, much like mental health awareness in the past, addiction is something not typically discussed openly.
“We, as an industry, must change that,” he says. “Having the cabinets in place can help drive the conversations needed to bring awareness to those in the labor force.”
He encourages contractors to consider having a Naloxone cabinet in their offices and shops, noting contractors can’t expect training centers and union halls to be 100% responsible for bringing awareness to issues of addiction.
“We’ve got to get behind it,” he says. “Contractors can include awareness training and how to identify signs of addiction in our safety programs and jobsite “toolbox talks,” as well as encourage the use of available resources—like the SMOHIT hotline and EAP—that help deal with these types of issues.
“Hopefully, if the information is shared enough, workers will be more likely to use it, if needed.”
To request a naloxone kit for your training center, union hall, or office, reach out to SMOHIT at 703-739-7130.
Jessica Kirby is editor-publisher for Point One Media, a small but sturdy family-owned trade magazine creator representing some of North America’s best construction associations. She can usually be found among piles of paper in her home office or exploring British Columbia’s incredible wilderness.
If you or anyone you know is suffering from addiction or struggles with substance misuse, please reach out to the SMOHIT hotline at 1-877-884-6227.
The Real Cost of BULLYING
By Natalie Bruckner
Bullying in the workplace is not just an interpersonal issue—it’s a financial, operational, and systemic one with farreaching consequences. In the construction industry, where teamwork, safety, and skills are critical, the effects of bullying don’t just stay between individuals. They impact mental health, disrupt crew dynamics, affect retention and recruitment, reduce productivity, and undermine the reputation of the entire sector.
Across job sites and offices, the ripple effects can be seen in everything from absenteeism and substance use to turnover and long-term talent loss. According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), toxic workplace culture has also contributed to $223 billion in turnover costs over the past five years alone.
SMART and SMACNA have always been leaders in addressing workplace bullying, and now they’re doubling down, taking even stronger steps to tackle it across the industry. Through a growing number of national and local initiatives, SMART and SMACNA are not only raising awareness but building a new foundation for workplace culture.
“We’ve done a lot of groundwork over the past several years,” explains Lisa Davis, field representative and MAP specialist at SMOHIT. “With SMART and SMACNA, we have the BE4ALL
Committee that specifically focuses on fostering respectful workplaces where everyone feels they belong. In addition to that, there are several committees offering support to different groups.
“The International runs an incredibly successful Women’s Committee that supports sister members, and the SMART and SMACNA Rise Committees [Respect, Integrity, Support, Empowerment] provide welcoming spaces for underrepresented members, embrace diverse cultures, lift up underrepresented voices, value different perspectives, and empower all members to reach their highest potential.”
SMOHIT also delivers mental health, culture, and harassment training and education resources to both SMART and SMACNA members.
Over time, the way employers and the workforce understand workplace bullying has started to shift. It’s not just about “bad behavior” between individuals—it goes far deeper than that. “It used to be seen as normal,” says Tammy Meyen, recruitment and retention specialist at the ITI. “There was this old idea that you had to tear people down to build them up, much like military training. But that kind of thinking doesn’t hold up anymore. Not in the military, not in construction, not anywhere.”
• Photos courtesy of SMOHIT
“
It’s sad to see how the divided political environment can empower people to express hate and negativity, which can come out in the workplace... At least it helps to reveal where the real challenges lie, which allows us to build workplace supports where needed.”
—Chris Carlough, SMART’s director of wellness and mental health support
”
This shift in thinking is crucial, but it’s also complicated by new challenges, one being the rise of social media. As former SMACNA president and owner of EB&I Tony Kocurek explains, “For the contractor trying to control workplace bullying, the workplace environment is not only affected by what happens directly in the workplace, but social media can now make bullying possible 24/7 anywhere. There is no way the contractor can control this alone; it needs to be both management and labor working together to recognize it when it occurs, take action to stop it, and make it known to all that it is not tolerated.”
Despite these efforts and continual progress, harmful attitudes linger, shaped in part by today’s divisive political climate. Chris Carlough, SMART’s director of wellness and mental health support, notes how broader social dynamics can influence behavior on the job. “It’s sad to see how the divided political environment can empower people to express hate and negativity, which can come out in the workplace,” he says. “At least it helps to reveal where the real challenges lie, which allows us to build workplace supports where needed.”
Davis and Carlough share that at a recent SMACNAsupported training event, one discussion focused on the connection between loneliness, bullying, and substance use disorder. “One participant surprisingly suggested that bullying was okay because that’s how things have always been done,” Carlough says. “While it surprised us, that actually sparked a discussion so we could better learn about that mindset and then explain the impacts of bullying. These sessions open the door to deeper healing and connection, and will hopefully lead to a cultural change.”
The health costs of bullying have been highly publicized with studies showing that nearly half of those targeted experience stress-related health problems. Up to 70% show symptoms of PTSD and around 40% report debilitating anxiety or clinical depression. And the physical symptoms—ranging from insomnia and fatigue to gastrointestinal disorders and high blood pressure—can be long-lasting.
“It’s a health issue which in turn becomes a financial one on a national and global level,” Davis says. “Conservative estimates put the cost of bullying to American businesses at around $300
billion a year. When you add in mental health crises, addiction, and suicide, the number may be closer to $960 billion.”
And that’s before considering the HR toll: the time spent managing conflict, re-recruiting skilled workers, or dealing with absenteeism and productivity issues. In one landmark survey, 40% of bullying targets voluntarily left their jobs. In 64% of cases, the target is the one who either quits or is pushed out, and Davis adds that less than 10% of bullies are disciplined or removed.
That imbalance creates a toxic culture, and is a significant challenge to both recruitment and retention. “If you lose one person because of bullying, it’s not just about that one person,” Meyen says. “It’s about the message that sends. Other workers see what happened, and they think, ‘I’m next.’ Or they tell others
“For the contractor trying to control workplace bullying, the workplace environment is not only affected by what happens directly in the workplace, but social media can now make bullying possible 24/7. anywhere.
—Tony Kocurek, ormer SMACNA president and owner of EB&I
”to stay away from the industry. That hurts everyone—our crews, our contractors, our union.”
Kocurek, echoes this sentiment, adding, “For today’s contractor, bullying is not only something that cannot be allowed, but also truly cannot be afforded for not only the obvious reasons of how productivity, morale, and the project bottom line can be destroyed in the short term, but also, in the long term, in today’s job market where competition for workers in general is so intense, having something that creates a distasteful and intimidating work environment can literally mean the end to the industry’s workforce future.”
It’s a challenge with so many layers, and one that touches union identity itself. In smaller markets, where union contractors are competing daily with non-union employers, those reputational risks can be especially damaging.
“When someone gets organized into the union and then gets pushed out again because of bullying, it’s not just that we’ve lost that person and their skills,” says Meyen. “They go back to the non-union side and tell others not to bother. That makes it 10 times harder to recruit the next person.”
Carlough notes that outsider sentiment is indeed a challenge, especially for journey-level workers organized in from the nonunion sector. “I spent 20 years as a union organizer, so I was a little more in touch with what was going on in the non-union
side a long time ago. There is already a perception out there that we have some dinosaur-type ways, and it’s true, we have a long way to go, but when it comes to mental health and this whole bullying, hazing, and harassment thing, I feel that SMART and SMACNA are ahead of that curve and we represent a movement because we have a lot riding on our shoulders.”
That forward momentum is being matched by local efforts on the ground. Western Washington Sheet Metal JATC, for example, recently hosted a peer training event that included sessions on mental health, self-regulation, and building a personal window of tolerance. Similar efforts have been launched in Utah and are planned for New Mexico. Through their partnership with SMOHIT, SMACNA Western Washington offer a Member Assistance Program (MAP) that provides mental health resources and support to SMART workers and their families.
While leaders on both sides are optimistic in their battle against bullying and see a cultural shift happening, they are realistic that change happens very slowly.
“Culture change is like drilling stainless steel,” Davis explains. “You have to go slow. If you rush it, you burn your bit and harden the steel. Education, recruiting, retention efforts, and committee momentum are all vital. We have to look at the whole person, the team, the company, the union—because if one part isn’t healthy, none of us are.”
Ultimately, Carlough, Davis, Meyen, and Kocurek agree that in an ideal world we would never have to have this conversation again. “In a dream world, we wouldn’t need BE4ALL or RISE or women’s committees,” Meyen says. “We’d just show up and be part of the whole.”
Natalie is an award-winning writer who has worked in the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, the United States, and Canada. She has nearly three decades' experience as a journalist, editor, and brand builder, specializing in construction and transportation. When she's not writing, you will likely find her snowboarding, mountain biking, or climbing mountains with her rescue dog.
6 Ways to Stop Blaming and Complaining
By John Millen
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the Wwsdom to know the difference.
— Alcoholics Anonymous Serenity Prayer
Most of the large organizations I work with are undergoing tremendous change, which often produces great tension and conflict. That’s why, when working with teams of leaders, I’ll often include a slide that says:
NO CBD!
Of course, those leaders, maybe like you, think I mean the increasingly popular CBD, Cannabidiol, the marijuana/hemp derivative, which is said to create a sense of calm and wellbeing. My prescription is different, but can also give you a sense of calm and well-being. My full slide reads:
NO CBD!
No Complaining
No Blaming
No Defensiveness
These three behaviors—complaining, blaming, and defensiveness—are what we revert to when we are under stress. When we feel threatened by changes in our professional or personal lives, we often take solace in verbalizing our misery. We complain about the changes, we blame other people, we defend ourselves and our egos.
As leaders, we must avoid CBD at all costs. For leaders today, our number one job is to lead people through constant change. Some researchers posit that the pace of change today is the slowest we will see in our lives.
All of these CBD behaviors, while maybe providing momentary ego relief, have zero positive effects. In fact, they often have negative effects: dragging other people down; increasing the negativity in your organization; or even being counterproductive, making the effects of change worse.
Complaining everywhere
And this doesn’t only happen in the workplace. People carry convenience-sized CBD with them wherever they go.
In some organizations, teams spend their time fighting one another, wasting time and energy, instead of fighting their competitors.
For some people, complaining is a way of life, blaming others in good times and bad. For most of us, we can fall into this pattern under stress, sometimes not realizing where we are.
It’s critical for leaders to be positive and proactive during change. Here are six keys for dealing with CBD in yourself and others:
1. Change your perspective. Our response to change often stems from the fear of loss. Through our evolution as human beings, we have been hard-wired to protect our resources. We view work as a zero-sum game: any change at work means I might lose out and someone else will get my stuff.
That’s part of why we often hear people say, “I hate change!” In my workshops, I’ll ask leaders to move beyond this emotional reaction by considering the fact that we accept and even encourage change in our personal lives: we marry, we have children, we move to bigger houses… and change continues.
As they say, the only certainty in life is change.
2. Control your response. We don’t have control over events but we can control our responses. No one can make you angry— only you can decide your response to something others do or say. If you need reinforcement on this point write down the passage of the Alcoholics Anonymous Serenity Prayer at the start of this article.
3. Reframe as a problem solver. Consistent with controlling your response is reframing yourself to be a problem solver. Taking action on what you can solve will give you a sense of control and mastery over your own destiny.
Start with small wins. It will not only help you, but those around you as they see a proactive problem solver at work. If you can’t solve a problem, let it go. It’s not yours to worry about.
4. Limit your complaining. I’ve worked with a woman sales leader who uses her “five-minute rule.” She allows her team to complain as much as they want, let it loose—for five minutes. After that, accept where you are and move on.
5. Get it out of your system. Sometimes five minutes is not enough. You can reduce your anger, anxiety, and other emotions by releasing them from your mind and body. Exercise, meditation, and mindfulness are great practices to find your balance. To release a specific issue, consider writing it down. Write an angry email that vents all of your true feelings— without adding a name. Do not send this email!
Keeping a journal or writing lists of concerns over time might allow you to see a pattern of your persistent concerns.
6. Let it go. Easier said than done, but we benefit from just letting things go. Most changes in our lives are not as bad or as good as we see them at the time. In the end, most will be a blip on the radar.
In work and life, change is inevitable. Your response is not. Choose to be proactive.
Stay away from CBD!
John Millen, storytelling and communication coach, conference speaker, and course creator, has more than 25 years of communication experience, including serving as VP of Communications for Fortune 100 companies nationwide and The Hartford. His purpose is to help leaders and entrepreneurs grow their businesses and careers by developing their storytelling and communication skills. Learn more at johnmillen.com
