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).
After SMART-TD member Dave Garringer suffered a life-threatening injury on the job, he "didn't see any light" at the end of the tunnel. That's when the Local 71 SMART Army showed up to build a custom wheelchair ramp for their brother in need; now, "we're not in a tunnel anymore," Garringer said.
“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. Local 7 member Mike Carpenter explains the impact in a recent interview.
When a funding cliff threatened the well-being of SMART members and working families in Chicagoland, organized labor stepped up, eventually winning a funding bill that helps provide security and stability moving forward.
A pro-worker rail safety bill was officially signed into law by former New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy in early 2025, showing the impact that SMART-TD rail workers can have when we make our voices heard.
On December 4, 2025, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey strengthened protections for public and private transit workers by signing H. 4645 into law. Several SMART-TD members championed this legislation from Day 1, pushed to get it over the finish line, and were present for the signing.