SMART 100 RUNS WASHINGTON
SPRING 2024 UPDATES
ABOUT SMART LOCAL
A WORD F ROM YOUR BUSINESS MANAGER
Union family,
Spring is here! And that means new beginnings, especially for those of us fortunate enough to call ourselves members of SMART Local 100.
We live and work in one of the most amazing places in the world and springtime here is unlike any other. That’s why each year, a million people come to our nation’s capital in March and April alone, just for the National Cherry Blossom Festival.
We’re proud of the work our members are doing in and around the District of Columbia — and we’re also behind some of the new beginnings sprouting in cities and towns across the Mid-Atlantic region. Earlier this year, we stopped by Richmond, Virginia, to see some of the good works our members are doing there, building the future of that city and participating in its booming local economy. We even recorded a new video there to tell all our members about the great work were doing.
Check it out at Facebook.com/SMARTLocal100.
While you’re there, leave a comment telling us where we should visit next time! We want to shout out all the amazing work our members are doing, from the Mason-Dixon line to Virginia Beach, and from Maryland’s Eastern Shore to the Blue Ridge Mountains. Let us know what you’re up to and why we should visit your town next and you and your work may get featured in our next video! We can’t wait to hear from you.
In solidarity,
Richard LaBille III Business Manager SMART 100
Washington, D.C. • Baltimore • Cumberland • Roanoke • Norfolk • Richmond
INTRODUCING
NEW FINANCIAL
SECRETARY-TREASURER
WARREN HACKLEY
Nearly 40 years ago, Warren Hackley lived down the street from a SMART Local 100 office. When he got laid off from his non-Union job, his sister encouraged him to walk down the block and apply at Local 100. The rest is history! Warren spent two years as a helper before entering the apprenticeship program, becoming a journeyman, and eventually graduating to plasma operator, shop steward, conductor, and ending up where he is now — a trustee and your new Financial Secretary-Treasurer (FST).
What does the FST do? Mr. Hackley has a number of responsibilities, including making sure that all agents and organizers are paid, keeping up with bills, and ensuring that Union funds are properly allocated. "At one time, Local 100 struggled with finances," Mr. Hackley explained, "but now that Mr. LaBille has put things in place and restructured, things have changed tremendously and look to have longevity. That’s our main purpose: to make sure 100 can survive for years to come."
Asked what he hopes to accomplish as FST, Mr. Hackley stated: "I hope by the time I finish, the people I’ve represented will understand that I take this job seriously and have tried to give them the best of me, just as they give their best to their jobs. I back all of them, every day, in every way."
Since the day he applied to Local 100 in 1986, Mr. Hackley says he has benefited from all that the Union has to offer. "The benefits that came from working Union allowed me to raise my kids and make sure we had a roof over our heads and food on the table. Trust me, if you worked a Union job, you’ve been taken care of inside and out. If it wasn’t for the Union, I don't know where I would be."
Congratulations to Mr. Hackley on his new role as Financial Secretary-Treasurer of Local 100!
RETURN OF DAVIS-BACON RULE A BOON FOR OUR INDUSTRY
WITH THE RETURN OF A CENTURY-OLD LABOR RULE, SHEET METAL WORKERS AND WORKERS ACROSS THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY STAND TO BENEFIT.
In 1931, the Davis-Bacon Act established a "prevailing wage" standard that required all construction workers be paid a minimum wage based on the industry trends for their region. Prevailing wages ensure that when workers put their minds and bodies to work, they are compensated with family-sustaining wages and benefits.
In 2023, President Joe Biden took yet another step in favor of working Americans by restoring DavisBacon’s prevailing wage standard. Fair, living wages for construction workers are now the rule for federallyfunded projects. This rule will boost wages for over a million workers in the construction industry around the country. What’s more, it will protect the future wages of millions of workers lending their labor to infrastructure and clean energy projects funded through the Inflation Reduction Act.
Prevailing wages bring multiple benefits to workers and their families. They make the building trades a sustainable line of work in which Americans can earn a living, raise a family, and retire with dignity. In the 20th century, they helped to create the largest middle class in history. Today, they continue to bring more and more families into the middle class, and in the process help to reduce the racial pay inequality gap.
The return of the prevailing wage rule is long overdue. It was back in the 1980s, during the height of the Reagan Revolution, that Congressional Republicans
gutted the original rule and pushed workers into a proverbial race to the bottom. Like Reagan’s attack on the Air Traffic Controllers Union (PATCO) and his administration's rewriting of the tax code to give breaks to corporations and saddle working people with a higher bill, the gutting of the prevailing wage rule was an affront to the middle class.
Even today, though, industry executives and their friends on Capitol Hill are sounding the alarm. They’re clear that their intention is to block the Biden Administration as it does the right thing and restores the prevailing wage rule for workers in trades across the construction industry. They should be ashamed.
President Biden’s restoration of the original rule will put an end to greedy contractors underpaying hardworking Americans and make sure that workers bring home the benefits they deserve. That won’t just help individual workers and their families. The entire economy will benefit as working families increase their purchasing power and pay into the tax base. It’s simply a win-win.
In restoring the prevailing wage rule, the administration is living up to its promise to deliver for working Americans. And we’ll all benefit, whether it’s with more money in our pockets or more investment in our communities — or both!
PHOTO CONTEST
Each quarter, Local 100 hosts a photo contest for our members. Have a great shot of you or your Union family on the job? Send it to us at Info@SMART100.org along with your name and the names of anyone in the photo. Your picture could be displayed in the next newsletter! Here’s a gallery of past photos for inspiration:
DAVID GOETZKE: A CLEAR VISION FOR UNION ORGANIZING
Organizer Dave Goetzke maybe wasn’t destined to be a Sheet Metal Worker. Like most young people, he wasn’t sure exactly where life would take him, but he knew he needed a fair wage, strong benefits, and a community to support himself and his family.
At SMART Local 100, Dave hasn’t just found his way, but a home. Now, he’s not just a member, but an organizer, dedicated to building the Union’s membership and projecting a vision for the future of the organization. In the following Q & A, Dave shares what it’s like being an Organizer, what Organizers do for the union, what SMART Local 100 has meant for him personally.
HOW DID YOU BECOME A SMART LOCAL 100 MEMBER?
"I was in college fulfilling my prerequisites for nursing school. We had a baby at home, and money was tight.
I found out that being a fire watch at the Union paid $4 more per hour than my job at the time, so I reached out and applied. I got a call two months after getting my application in saying they needed me the next day, and I was there with bells on. I gave my notice at the hospital and never looked back."
HOW DID YOU BECOME INVOLVED IN THE UNION?
"I’ve always attended monthly Union meetings, beginning during my apprenticeship. Almost as soon as I became a journeyman, an Executive Board member in Baltimore announced that they were
stepping down, and so there was an opening. I threw my hat in the ring, and was appointed to fulfill the role for the rest of the term, and that’s how I met our Union’s Business Manager, Richie LaBille.
Since then, I’ve been able to work with Business Manager LaBille, my fellow Organizer, Rolando Montoya, and other quality individuals who work every day on behalf of our Union family. This is a place where you get out whatever you put in — and more! My story is proof of that."
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE PARTS OF BEING A SMART LOCAL 100 ORGANIZER?
"It’s incredibly fulfilling bringing people into the Union. I’m always hearing how Sheet Metal Workers were treated by non-Union contractors. The stories vary, but they’re never good: unpaid hours, unsafe conditions, and blatant disrespect are sadly just as common as ever.
What’s amazing is talking to some of these same Sheet Metal Workers two or three months after they’ve been organized and hearing how much better they’re being treated. Not only are they in a better place financially, but they have a sense of pride and dignity at work that comes from the respect they receive on the job as Union Sheet Metal Workers."
AS AN ORGANIZER, HOW DO YOU ENSURE SHEET METAL WORKERS RECEIVE THE COMPENSATION AND RESPECT THEY DESERVE?
Bringing Sheet Metal Workers into the Union is the first step. It’s an important one, and in most cases, organizing workers is exactly what they need to have the life they deserve.
Still, there are times we have to go to bat for Sheet Metal Workers, and we’re more than able and willing to do that. We file lawsuits for workers who’ve been cheated by their employers. It’s an important tool we have to hold employers accountable and to recover lost wages for workers. It’s also a powerful deterrent that helps us keep employers honest and can even help prevent workers from being underpaid or unpaid in the future.
In one suit I can remember, the employer owed literally millions of dollars in unpaid wages. It was disgusting. Eventually, a settlement was reached, but I’ll never forget one of the executives saying that he didn’t even know who these people were, that they were just ‘ghost workers’ as far as he was concerned. It just goes to show how little non-Union contractors care. They really don’t think of workers as people.
On the other hand, scoring a win for workers goes a long way, both in terms of the compensation gained for those workers who’ve been wronged, and in terms of keeping our industry honest. It’s a big motivator for Organizers like me, and we’re always glad to see workers getting the justice they deserve and see bad actors being held accountable.
WHAT’S A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN ORGANIZER LIKE?
One day, we're walking the streets of our nation’s capital, talking to Sheet Metal Workers on the job. The next, we’re driving over a hundred miles to places as far afield as Western Maryland, the Eastern Shore, Richmond, or Virginia Beach. SMART Local 100
represents Sheet Metal Workers from the Mason-Dixon Line to the Virginia-North Carolina state line. Being able to travel across this beautiful part of the country to organize workers is just such an incredible privilege.
I live in Maryland, but I’ve been lucky enough to do a lot of organizing work in Virginia too. We’ve gone to Richmond a lot, and that’s really become such a cool place. It’s up and coming, and it’s got a little bit of everything now and it’s becoming a cool city to work, play, and live.
When we head down there, I’m always happy and proud to see how much Sheet Metal Workers are making that revitalization a reality. Just looking across the skyline, you can feel how our people are improving the lives of everyone across that community. And the ripple effect throughout the local economy is huge as well. From the downtown area, to neighborhoods, to the surrounding rural areas, Sheet Metal Workers are helping to grow that economy, and just about everyone is benefitting. There are new condos, restaurants — all sorts of businesses and buildings, and of course there are people from all different industries who are moving to the area, but without Sheet Metal Workers, none of this growth would be possible.
SO YOU’VE TRAVELED ACROSS OUR REGION, ORGANIZED SHEET METAL WORKERS, AND HELPED FIGHT FOR THEM WHEN THEY’VE BEEN WRONGED. DO ANY STORIES IN PARTICULAR STAND OUT TO YOU?
Oh, there are a couple! One is from a lawsuit against a large employer in the District. They had over 50 employees at one job site, and no one had been paid for eight weeks. Of course, being a Union, we’re not going to stand by and let that happen. We brought a complaint against them, but we also made sure they weren’t spared any embarrassment. It’s serious business, but sometimes, you have to have a little fun with these things.
So we started handbilling at their job site several times a week. And we put up a giant fat cat outside the job site so everyone would know they were sitting pretty while taking advantage of workers.
Another one is from Baltimore. SMART International had reached out to Local 100 and requested help for their campaign against an employer who had misrepresented the fire rating in their insulation. That misrepresentation, in turn, led to a fire that caused the loss of an entire building and the deaths of 70 people.
Now, at Pennsylvania Station, in the heart of Baltimore, this same employer was hosting a big reception. They had hors d’oeuvres and cocktails, and everyone was dressed in suits. A couple of us got dressed up in our finest and crashed the event — and it was worth it.
We got there early and walked in like we belonged. Funny thing is, that actually works! We chatted with a receptionist, who took our picture, and we mulled around, eating crab cakes like nothing was happening. Then, as the crowd started pouring in, we made our rounds, slipping fliers onto all of the tables next to the vases and cocktail napkins. None of the guests could avoid seeing our materials. It was hilarious.
On our way out, we spoke with the receptionist again, and even got permission to leave a stack of our fliers there at the desk that guests would pass by on the way out. There was no way anyone left that party without getting SMART’s message!
WHAT HAS BEING ACTIVE IN THE UNION MEANT TO YOU PERSONALLY?
This Union means everything to me — it changed my life! I went from just surviving the grind, living paycheck to paycheck, to actually living my life. I had nothing until I joined the Union and started working with good people who pour as much into my life as I do into theirs.
When I first got started with SMART Local 100, I even got to meet father figures I had never had coming up. My first foreman took me under his wing when I was getting started. We don’t talk every day anymore, but we still stay in touch, and I still call him my Sheet Metal dad.
I'm not not sure where I’d be without my Union family. I bend over backward for my Union because my Union has bent over backwards for me. All SMART Local members all 3000 of them are my family.
Dave Goetzke is an Organizer with SMART Local 100. He lives with his family in Baltimore County, Maryland.
This article has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Beyond 100
NEWS AFFECTING OUR UNION AND OUR TRADE
RAY REASONS, PRESIDENT AND BUSINESS MANAGER OF LOCAL 36, ELECTED SMART VICE PRESIDENT
Last year, Ray Reasons was sworn into office as the newest 11th General Vice President at the international. Vice President Reasons comes to the international from Local 36 in St. Louis, Missouri, where he began his career as an apprentice back in 1994 before becoming a journeyperson in 2000.
While at Local 36, Vice President Reasons helped to successfully defeat so-called “right-to-work” legislation by Missouri state legislators. He also served as trustee of the local’s general fund, JATC, as well as trustee of the Health & Welfare, Pension, 401k and Vacation funds. In 2018, Reasons was elected President and Business Manager of Local 36. Prior to his assuming the highest office at his local, Reasons became a business representative in 2015 after serving three consecutive terms as recording secretary of the Local’s executive board.
Reasons took the reins as 11th Vice President at the International during the 2023 SMART leadership conference on August 1, 2023 in Washington, D.C. He takes over for 6th Vice President Tim Carter, whose retirement began during the conference.
Accepting his new post, Reasons gave thanks to the support he has received from his Local, according to a report by Sheri Gassaway, Missouri Correspondent for the St. Louis/Southern Illinois Labor Tribune. “It is a huge honor to be selected for this position,” Reasons is reported as saying at the leadership conference.
“However, without my membership, full-time staff and the elected officers of Local 36, this would not be a possibility for myself and the local.”
LEARN MORE ABOUT SMART VICE PRESIDENT RAY REASONS’ ELECTION FROM THE ST. LOUIS LABOR TRIBUNE BY SCANNING THE QR CODE.
SMART MEMBERSHIP A GAME CHANGER FOR YOUNG WORKERS
By the age of 24, Anthony LaBeau hadn’t yet heard anything about the trades. But his whole life changed when he joined SMART Local 104 in Northern California.
After researching the trades, Anthony attended a trade fair where he met with sheet metal workers from Local 104. “I was instantly intrigued and had this feeling that I was born to do this,” he told SMART’s Belonging and Excellence for ALL (BE4ALL) in a recent interview.
Since then, Anthony has enjoyed a career in Sheet Metal that allows him to provide a comfortable life for his family. And he loves the work itself. “Building America with the quality craftsmanship that we learn and providing for my wife and two kids brings me the most pride and gives me the greatest sense of fulfillment.”
READ ANTHONY’S FULL STORY AT SMART-UNION.ORG BY SCANNING THE QR CODE
THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE ACT: DELIVERING FOR AMERICAN WORKERS
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, passed in 2021, is now delivering new projects. Workers are the biggest beneficiaries.
For decades, American infrastructure has been on the decline. State and federal roads have been crumbling, getting only patch jobs where complete overhauls are needed. Bridges, quite famously, have even collapsed for lack of maintenance or replacement, even killing drivers as they’ve fallen.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is finally beginning to change that. It provides billions of dollars in funding for infrastructure projects from roads and bridges to water and sewer improvements, mass public transit, and more.
This record investment in America’s overlooked infrastructure by itself makes the bipartisan law historic. But that’s not the only thing that makes the bill historic in nature. An executive order designates a portion of the funds set to be disbursed under the law to be put aside for investing in underserved communities. It also allows
local governments to center environmental justice and job creation standards in infrastructure projects.
Appropriately named the Justice40 Initiative, this order sets a goal for 40 percent of the investments in infrastructure made under the act go to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution. And across our country, it is almost always marginalized and underserved communities who bear the brunt of all forms of pollution. Now, disadvantaged communities across the country have the opportunity to secure resources to live healthier lives and for their residents to earn familysustaining wages. And these are wages that will go to Sheet Metal Workers and countless other workers in the building trades.
Whether it's a new railroad, new housing, or weatherizing aging buildings, SMART Members and members of our extended Union family will be the ones making it happen. That’s why it’s so important that Unions like ours be vocal and active. We need to ensure that infrastructure projects are awarded to organized contractors that will invest in their workers and their communities. And we must also be vigilant that agreements made under this order include explicit commitments to promoting workers’ rights and opportunities.
That’s not all Unions can do. We can partner with local governments on projects from the conventional to new, climate-resilient infrastructure. We can also help in the push for community workforce agreements and other strong labor standards in infrastructure project proposals. Everyone — especially workers and their communities — win when projects are built by local union apprentices receiving good wages, benefits, and top-notch training.
Cities and counties across our region and indeed around the country will be revitalized by infrastructure projects that put workers first. It’s not just a physical transformation of communities, but the added investment in people. And it begins with registered apprenticeships.
As we know at SMART 100, apprenticeships develop the next generation of tradespeople through the highest industry standards of training. Apprentices earn as they learn, too, allowing them to gain the training they need for a lifelong career without sliding into debt.
Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) will also be integral to the Initiative's rollout. Cities and towns will ensure strong labor standards on new infrastructure projects when they sign PLAs that outline in writing that the workers on a jobsite will receive strong wages, generous benefits, and safe, fair working conditions.
Last but not least, Unions can help by advocating for workforce goals on projects. These will ensure that more women and people of color are brought into the trades and help to enforce those goals with oversight committees jointly chaired by labor leaders and municipal officials.
Having labor at the table on new infrastructure projects isn’t just good for workers — it's a smart idea for cities and counties too. Municipal leaders should be in close contact with Sheet Metal Workers and other local building trades Unions to take on the infrastructure boom together. By working with unions to include strong community and workforce standards in project proposals, municipalities can help secure these muchneeded funds and ensure their communities are full of trained, successful workers ready to take them into the future.
IN MEMORIAM
George A. Altenbach, Jr.
Freddie M. Baker
Mark P. Broderick
Michael D. Chick
David G. Cirillo
Philip A. Dornberger III
Ronald L. Edwards
Lawrence W. Goff
Warren H. Lacy
Millard W. Pence
Daniel E. Reichert, Jr.
Thomas E. Shaffer
Lawrence W. Smith
Thomas A. Stewart
Bernard H. Thompson, Jr.
John C. Walther
STAY CONNECTED
Did you know that SMART Local 100 has a brand new Twitter and Facebook? It’s a great way to stay connected with the latest from your union!
Don’t miss a single update. Head to SMART100.org/SignUp now to update your contact information.
We’re excited to unveil our new website, SMART100.org, rebuilt to service our members’ needs. From benefits to reps to apprenticeships and more, find everything you need on your computer or phone at the same old URL!
