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On February 23, 2026, workers at SPX Cooling Technologies, LLC in Springfield, Missouri, voted to ratify their first contract as SMART members. The three-year agreement includes a $1,500 ratification bonus, wage increases of over 11%, the preservation of health and retiree benefits and just cause protection against unfair discipline.

The victory came from workers who were organized to stand together and utilize labor’s oldest and most powerful weapon: the strike! On two different instances in November 2025, SPX workers struck, first for one day to protest the company’s removal of low-rise chairs from the workplace, and then once more for two days to protest the company’s hostile and callous response.

“We went to the picket line. We had our signs out there. We let the company know that this is not acceptable to us,” said SPX employee and SMART Local 208 member Andrew Stracke.

“The majority of our shop is looking for union representation”

SPX Cooling Tech employees at the Springfield facility, which opened in 2024, manufacture cooling towers and air-cooled heat exchangers; cooling towers, in particular, are in high demand as investment increases in data centers. The components that SPX employees manufacture are vital for the continued boom in data center construction.

Workers started to talk about organizing in response to various issues in the shop. Stracke, a Local 208 negotiating committee member who has worked at SPX since 2024, alleged instances of favoritism, different wage rates for different people, inconsistent discipline policies and more.

“I was actually the one that placed the call to [a union] office up in St. Louis,” Stracke recalled. “And I felt like the first thing I told them was, ‘look, the majority of our shop is looking for union representation.’”

“Me and Andrew, we were just kind of talking with each other one day about, you know, the unfair working conditions that we were experiencing at the time at the shop. We were just kind of trying to figure out what we could do about it. It was just regular old employees,” added fellow SPX worker and negotiating committee member Wyatt King. “One employee by yourself, you know, you’re not going to have a lot of weight behind you, but when you organize into a union, you can actually address unfair working conditions and unfair wages.”

Members demand a change

The workers at SPX Cooling Technologies in Springfield overwhelmingly elected SMART Local 208 to represent them in a July 2025 National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) election.

But despite the workers’ strong support for the union, SPX initially opposed their organizing. The day after workers won their election, management took away the low-rise chairs that workers used on the job, forcing them to work on their knees.

“I was just astonished … everybody was just kind of like, ‘well, you know, it’s clear retaliation towards electing a union to represent us,’” said King. “I mean, some of those guys in the shop are 60 years old working on the concrete, on their knees all day.”

On Friday, November 7, workers engaged in a one-day grievance strike over the removal of chairs. The strike was covered by the Springfield News-Leader newspaper.

“Any concerns that we’ve raised, whether it’s about chairs, retaliation, harassment, intimidation — they’ve just stonewalled us on all of it. There’re no discussions,” SMART Central States Regional Production Council Organizer Richard Harris said in an article in the News-Leader. “We should be able to sit down and talk about these issues and resolve them. We shouldn’t have to resort to this.”

Workers attempted to serve their strike notice on an SPX supervisor. But the supervisor refused to meet with them. Instead, a woman workers identified as the supervisor’s wife pulled up to the picket line in a white sedan with two anti-union signs taped to her back windows. One read: “F**k the Union.” The other: “Do what lil b*tches do best while down on your knees!!!” She proceeded to drive back and forth in front of the picket line, shouting profanities at the workers and threatening to have them arrested.

The week after the strike, workers submitted a harassment complaint with SPX’s General Counsel in Charlotte, N.C., regarding the signs. The complaint was signed by nearly everybody in the shop. In the meantime, management continued to threaten workers for participating in the strike. One worker who took part in the strike was verbally reprimanded for “not walking with a purpose.” 

Unsatisfied with SPX’s handling of their harassment complaint, workers struck a second time on November 24 and 25. Picket signs read: “Walk with purpose! We strike today!”

Direct action gets the goods

Seasoned union leaders know how difficult first contract campaigns are. The legal consequences for bargaining in bad faith are next to nothing — a notice posting and promise not to do it again — so many employers adopt a strategy of endless delay. According to recent studies, 63% of first contracts fail to settle in one year, and 43% are still unresolved after two. The average time from NLRB certification to first contract — if one is ever reached — is 465 days!

How, then, did SPX workers manage to win their first contract in under six months? By recognizing the structural power they have within the data center economy, and by taking direct action to resolve their grievances. The strikes had an immediate effect on SPX’s demeanor at the bargaining table. Company representatives freely admitted the top priority was getting units assembled and out the door, which the strikes interfered with. Before the strikes, the company was agreeing to meet to bargain once every six weeks; after the strikes, the parties were meeting six days per month.

Collective strength and common ground

In the following months, Local 208 members say, the workers stood strong. And when they voted to ratify their first contract as SMART members, their agreement included a clause requiring the company to provide low-rise chairs.

“We’ve held so many meetings with the bargaining unit, and the participation has been outstanding,” said Stracke. “We have a really high percentage of people that work in the facility that are completely on board. They’re completely invested, they’re excited to see what working with this union and negotiating a contract, what could come of it. And already we have seen the union step up whenever they needed to step up, and give us answers when we need answers.”

In turn, the negotiating committee reports, the relationship between workers, Local 208 and management has started to improve.

“I think we’re in the middle of establishing a great line of communication and work relationships between the company, the employees and the union, and hopefully, this is a relationship that we’re able to keep going even beyond our first contract,” said Logan Hirst, SPX worker and Local 208 negotiating committee member.  

Other members of the negotiating committee are similarly optimistic about the road ahead — largely because, as SMART members, they’re not just individuals at work anymore. They’re part of something bigger.

“We’re not just bringing up our complaints to management, and they just do whatever they want with it. We actually have a voice, we have a lot of weight behind us now, and they actually have to listen to us,” said King. “They have to negotiate fairly. … We’re all standing together to make real change in our workplace.”

The SMART difference:
  • Workers at SPX Cooling Technologies, LLC in Springfield, Missouri, voted to ratify their first contract as SMART members in February.
  • The three-year agreement includes a $1,500 ratification bonus, wage increases of over 11%, the preservation of health and retiree benefits and just cause protection against unfair discipline.
  • On two different instances in November 2025, SPX workers struck, first for one day to protest the company’s removal of low-rise chairs from the workplace, and then once more for two days to protest the company’s hostile and callous response.
  • The average time from NLRB certification to first contract — if one is ever reached — is 465 days. SPX workers won their first contract in under six months.

In the summer of 2025, SMART Local 170 (Pico Rivera, California) recognized and celebrated the incredible career and lasting impact of Mario A. Vega, who retired after 42 years of dedication to SMART as a member, leader and strong advocate for the union­ized production and manufacturing industry.

Left to right: SMART Regional Organizing Director Manuel Gonzalez, Local 170 Dues Administrator Vanessa Medina, Maria Vega, retired Local 170 Business Manager Mario Vega, Local 170 Business Manager Roberto Torres-Muniz and Gloria Rodelo, Local 170 office manager

Brother Vega joined Local 170 in 1983. Two years later, he was appointed a shop steward at Simpson Strong Tie. His commitment soon earned him the trust of the membership, which elected him, in 1990, to both the Local 170 Executive Board and as a trustee of the Local 170 Group Insurance Benefits Trust.

On April 1, 2015, Vega became a Local 170 business representative, and after two years, he was elected to serve as the local’s business manager and financial secretary-treasurer. From then until his retirement, Brother Vega devoted himself to organizing, advo­cating and empowering his union brothers and sisters as business manager. His leadership helped secure fair wages, strong benefits and dignity on the job for count­less members.

Throughout his career, Vega has been more than a leader in our union. He has been a mentor, a friend and a source of inspiration. His contributions have shaped not only our organization but also the lives of countless colleagues and workers in the production industry.

“As Mario moves into this well-earned chapter of his life, we want to thank him for all he has given and wish him and his wife, Maria, health, joy, relaxation and new adventures in retirement,” the local wrote. “Congratulations, Mario! You have truly made the differ­ence at SMART Local 170 — and you will be deeply missed. On behalf of the entire local, we sincerely congratulate you on your retirement. Your contributions have been invaluable, and your legacy will endure in the history of our organization.”

SMART Local 398 members from San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) and North County Transit District (NCTD) came together in February and April 2026 for two impactful rounds of training designed to educate, empower and build stronger connections within their workplace and across San Diego County transit employers.

Local 398 members on NCTD operate commuter trains, dispatch trains, perform security work to ensure passengers can take public transit safely, and clean and maintain NCTD train stations and facilities. Members on MTS perform light rail vehicle overhauls and repairs, inspect and repair catenary lines, track maintenance, cleaning and maintenance of MTS train stations and facilities, operation of light rail vehicles, clerical work, warehouse material handling and logistics, as well as maintenance and repair of transit fare machines.

Workers at both transit systems operate across San Diego County but rarely — if ever — interact. With these training sessions, SMART brought members a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas, compare best practices and build a unified approach to common workplace issues. Participants engaged in hands-on learning, open discussions and strategy sessions aimed at strengthening both individual capability and collective voice.

“If we want stronger membership, we need stronger connections. This training is helping build those needed connections,” said Local 398 MTS Maintenance of Way Department worker Rene Fuentevilla. 

Local 398 MTS Light Rail Vehicle Department worker Scott Wildhaber agreed.

“The training sessions reminded me that no matter where we come from or what department or transit agency we work for, a lot of us are dealing with the same workplace issues and want the same things: respect, fairness and a voice on the job,” he said.

The first session, held on February 26, laid the groundwork by focusing on core knowledge, shared challenges and the importance of collaboration. A second, more advanced training followed on April 30, reinforcing those lessons with hands-on learning while deepening relationships among the participants. Both sessions were held at SMART Local 206’s McClees Hall.

Beyond the technical and professional development, the training confirmed that many of the challenges facing transit workers are not isolated, but shared across agencies, regions and operating models.

Notably, the training was developed and led by representatives from two distinct departments —the SMART Railroad, Mechanical and Engineering (RME) and the Production Workers Departments — each with different day-to-day functions but facing many of the same workplace challenges. By working together to design and deliver the program, these departments demonstrated how diverse roles within SMART can align around the shared goals of solidarity, bringing respect to and empowering workers. The collaboration not only strengthened the content of the training, but also intentionally exposed participants to the breadth of skills, perspectives and experiences across SMART — underscoring both the diversity and solidarity that define their union.

“Much thanks goes to SMART’s Director of Production Workers Dave Goodspeed and International Organizers Laura Nunez and Julian Posadas for their leadership and collaboration in building and delivering this training,” said SMART RME Department Director Peter Kennedy. “Your commitment made it possible to bring MTS and NCTD workers together, strengthen our knowledge, and move forward with a stronger shared purpose. We also want to thank Dave Gauthier and Local 206 for their unwavering support of the members of SMART Local 398, as they make our training possible with their facilities.”

On February 23, 2026, workers at SPX Cooling Technologies, LLC in Springfield, Missouri, voted to ratify their first contract as SMART members. The three-year agreement includes a $1,500 ratification bonus, wage increases of over 11%, the preservation of health and retiree benefits and just cause protection against unfair discipline.

The victory came from workers who were organized to stand together and utilize labor’s oldest and most powerful weapon: the strike! On two different instances in November 2025, SPX workers struck, first for one day to protest the company’s removal of low-rise chairs from the workplace, and then once more for two days to protest the company’s hostile and callous response.

“We went to the picket line. We had our signs out there. We let the company know that this is not acceptable to us,” said SPX employee and SMART Local 208 member Andrew Stracke.

“The majority of our shop is looking for union representation”

SPX Cooling Tech employees at the Springfield facility, which opened in 2024, manufacture cooling towers and air-cooled heat exchangers; cooling towers, in particular, are in high demand as investment increases in data centers. The components that SPX employees manufacture are vital for the continued boom in data center construction.

Workers started to talk about organizing in response to various issues in the shop. Stracke, a Local 208 negotiating committee member who has worked at SPX since 2024, alleged instances of favoritism, different wage rates for different people, inconsistent discipline policies and more.

“I was actually the one that placed the call to [a union] office up in St. Louis,” Stracke recalled. “And I felt like the first thing I told them was, ‘look, the majority of our shop is looking for union representation.’”

“Me and Andrew, we were just kind of talking with each other one day about, you know, the unfair working conditions that we were experiencing at the time at the shop. We were just kind of trying to figure out what we could do about it. It was just regular old employees,” added fellow SPX worker and negotiating committee member Wyatt King. “One employee by yourself, you know, you’re not going to have a lot of weight behind you, but when you organize into a union, you can actually address unfair working conditions and unfair wages.”

Members demand a change

The workers at SPX Cooling Technologies in Springfield overwhelmingly elected SMART Local 208 to represent them in a July 2025 National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) election.

But despite the workers’ strong support for the union, SPX initially opposed their organizing. The day after workers won their election, management took away the low-rise chairs that workers used on the job, forcing them to work on their knees.

“I was just astonished … everybody was just kind of like, ‘well, you know, it’s clear retaliation towards electing a union to represent us,’” said King. “I mean, some of those guys in the shop are 60 years old working on the concrete, on their knees all day.”

On Friday, November 7, workers engaged in a one-day grievance strike over the removal of chairs. The strike was covered by the Springfield News-Leader newspaper.

“Any concerns that we’ve raised, whether it’s about chairs, retaliation, harassment, intimidation — they’ve just stonewalled us on all of it. There’re no discussions,” SMART Central States Regional Production Council Organizer Richard Harris said in an article in the News-Leader. “We should be able to sit down and talk about these issues and resolve them. We shouldn’t have to resort to this.”

Workers attempted to serve their strike notice on an SPX supervisor. But the supervisor refused to meet with them. Instead, a woman workers identified as the supervisor’s wife pulled up to the picket line in a white sedan with two anti-union signs taped to her back windows. One read: “F**k the Union.” The other: “Do what lil b*tches do best while down on your knees!!!” She proceeded to drive back and forth in front of the picket line, shouting profanities at the workers and threatening to have them arrested.

The week after the strike, workers submitted a harassment complaint with SPX’s General Counsel in Charlotte, N.C., regarding the signs. The complaint was signed by nearly everybody in the shop. In the meantime, management continued to threaten workers for participating in the strike. One worker who took part in the strike was verbally reprimanded for “not walking with a purpose.” 

Unsatisfied with SPX’s handling of their harassment complaint, workers struck a second time on November 24 and 25. Picket signs read: “Walk with purpose! We strike today!”

Direct action gets the goods

Seasoned union leaders know how difficult first contract campaigns are. The legal consequences for bargaining in bad faith are next to nothing — a notice posting and promise not to do it again — so many employers adopt a strategy of endless delay. According to recent studies, 63% of first contracts fail to settle in one year, and 43% are still unresolved after two. The average time from NLRB certification to first contract — if one is ever reached — is 465 days!

How, then, did SPX workers manage to win their first contract in under six months? By recognizing the structural power they have within the data center economy, and by taking direct action to resolve their grievances. The strikes had an immediate effect on SPX’s demeanor at the bargaining table. Company representatives freely admitted the top priority was getting units assembled and out the door, which the strikes interfered with. Before the strikes, the company was agreeing to meet to bargain once every six weeks; after the strikes, the parties were meeting six days per month.

Collective strength and common ground

In the following months, Local 208 members say, the workers stood strong. And when they voted to ratify their first contract as SMART members, their agreement included a clause requiring the company to provide low-rise chairs.

“We’ve held so many meetings with the bargaining unit, and the participation has been outstanding,” said Stracke. “We have a really high percentage of people that work in the facility that are completely on board. They’re completely invested, they’re excited to see what working with this union and negotiating a contract, what could come of it. And already we have seen the union step up whenever they needed to step up, and give us answers when we need answers.”

In turn, the negotiating committee reports, the relationship between workers, Local 208 and management has started to improve.

“I think we’re in the middle of establishing a great line of communication and work relationships between the company, the employees and the union, and hopefully, this is a relationship that we’re able to keep going even beyond our first contract,” said Logan Hirst, SPX worker and Local 208 negotiating committee member.  

Other members of the negotiating committee are similarly optimistic about the road ahead — largely because, as SMART members, they’re not just individuals at work anymore. They’re part of something bigger.

“We’re not just bringing up our complaints to management, and they just do whatever they want with it. We actually have a voice, we have a lot of weight behind us now, and they actually have to listen to us,” said King. “They have to negotiate fairly. … We’re all standing together to make real change in our workplace.”

The SMART difference:
  • Workers at SPX Cooling Technologies, LLC in Springfield, Missouri, voted to ratify their first contract as SMART members in February.
  • The three-year agreement includes a $1,500 ratification bonus, wage increases of over 11%, the preservation of health and retiree benefits and just cause protection against unfair discipline.
  • On two different instances in November 2025, SPX workers struck, first for one day to protest the company’s removal of low-rise chairs from the workplace, and then once more for two days to protest the company’s hostile and callous response.
  • The average time from NLRB certification to first contract — if one is ever reached — is 465 days. SPX workers won their first contract in under six months.

The SMART Education Department and Production Workers Department held the third annual Production Institute in Indianapolis, Ind., during the week of August 25, 2025 — bringing together union officials from across North America, including rank-and-file stewards, to train on how to effectively represent SMART production members.

The Production Institute is a three-year, progressive-format class, with attendees from last year advancing to the second round of courses. A new first-year class attended in 2025, along with the returning 2023 and 2024 groups. The first years studied the basics of labo(u)r history, steward training and collective bargaining. The second-year class was focused on a more in-depth investigation of organizing, steward training and collective bargaining. Finally, the third-year class prepared for and role-played a mock grievance arbitration and collective bargaining sessions.

“Each day, all three classes were brought together to talk about subjects like right to work and knowing your rights for the U.S. participants, while the Canadians discussed top-down organizing strategies in the production sector,” said SMART Director of Education Eli Baccus. “Congratulations to the third-year class for being the first-ever students to graduate from the Production Institute!”

The SMART Education Department and Production Workers Department held the third annual Production Institute in Indianapolis, Ind., during the week of August 25, 2025 — bringing together union officials from across North America, including rank-and-file stewards, to train on how to effectively represent SMART production members.

The Production Institute is a three-year, progressive-format class, with attendees from last year advancing to the second round of courses. A new first-year class attended in 2025, along with the returning 2023 and 2024 groups. The first years studied the basics of labo(u)r history, steward training and collective bargaining. The second-year class was focused on a more in-depth investigation of organizing, steward training and collective bargaining. Finally, the third-year class prepared for and role-played a mock grievance arbitration and collective bargaining sessions.

“Each day, all three classes were brought together to talk about subjects like right to work and knowing your rights for the U.S. participants, while the Canadians discussed top-down organizing strategies in the production sector,” said SMART Director of Education Eli Baccus. “Congratulations to the third-year class for being the first-ever students to graduate from the Production Institute!”

Production workers in Oregon will soon have a pathway to better training and more job oppor­tunities thanks to Local 16’s new state-registered production apprenticeship program, a long-gestating idea that will help workers in the manufacturing sector for years to come.

The new program will be a two-year apprenticeship, with five weeks of intensive daytime training each year, administered by the Local 16 JATC.

“We saw a need for an apprenticeship for our produc­tion shops,” said Local 16 Regional Manager Brian Noble. “We wanted to get training for members so they could always improve themselves and be more qualified and skilled for signatory contractors.”

Local 16 Regional Representative Darrin Boyce explained that Local 16 had an extraordinarily strong production membership in the 1980s, but thanks in part to the trade policies of President Ronald Reagan, he argued, and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) later on, the manufacturing sector was deci­mated, leading to decline. In addition, until a few years ago, Local 16 representation for production workers was siloed off from that of the building trades, with different officers assigned to different shops.

“You don’t have the shared resources, you’re not bouncing ideas off of each other,” Boyce said. “So [Noble] decided to break up [that siloing].”

It didn’t take long for elected officers to realize that many of the issues production workers raised during bargaining could be addressed through formalized training that spoke to members’ needs — in other words, a state-registered program that helped workers achieve guaranteed wage rates, assisted contractors with securing work opportunities and helped SMART members build their skills.

Noble noted that a state-registered program that meets Oregon’s established labor standards is especially impor­tant right now. By going through the apprenticeship program, Local 16 production workers and contractors may be able to secure work in the burgeoning offshore wind industry.

“In Oregon, we have labor standards set up for any of the offshore wind platforms, and the development for offshore wind, [that include] apprenticeship requirements,” he said.

Coming up with a state-registered production appren­ticeship program was one thing. Creating it was another.

“Some of the challenges were getting our contractors on board with adding contributions in their contracts to the JATC,” Noble said. In other words, employers who previously hadn’t provided funding for training needed to see that there would be bang for their buck.

“We ended up bringing the contractors to the table to be like, ‘hey, what kind of training would you guys want?’” said Boyce. “And so really what we’re looking at is having the last year [of the apprenticeship program] being tailored to each shop.”

Local 16 also needed to work with the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries to ensure the program met all the criteria to be state registered and to structure the apprenticeship in a way that benefited members. Because production workers have different daily schedules and demands compared with building trades members, making evening instruction a more difficult task, Local 16 designed the production apprenticeship to not only meet the high standards set for state-registered apprenticeship programs, but also to allow members to collect unemployment pay while they attend the five-week course. (Oregon law allows apprentices in state-registered programs to do so, Boyce said.)

The apprenticeship program is becoming reality. Now, Noble and Boyce think it could benefit Local 16 members for the long term — whether from offshore wind project work, day-to-day job satisfaction, Local 16’s market share or all of the above.

“The direct benefit for members is a pathway to that higher-wage position in the facilities they work in, with a guaranteed timeline and a direct path that isn’t just at the whim of the contractor,” Noble said. “I also think it’s an opportunity for us to organize more production facilities.”

“We know why union is better, and that is the quality,” added Boyce. “You’re not going to have a high turnover rate. You’re going to have lifelong workers, dedicated, that are going to be making the company a lot of money. And one of the ways to show them that is with a good, state-registered apprenticeship program where we have qualified people and we’re giving them the training that specifically addresses their needs.”

Production workers in Oregon will soon have a pathway to better training and more job oppor­tunities thanks to Local 16’s new state-registered production apprenticeship program, a long-gestating idea that will help workers in the manufacturing sector for years to come.

The new program will be a two-year apprenticeship, with five weeks of intensive daytime training each year, administered by the Local 16 JATC.

“We saw a need for an apprenticeship for our produc­tion shops,” said Local 16 Regional Manager Brian Noble. “We wanted to get training for members so they could always improve themselves and be more qualified and skilled for signatory contractors.”

Local 16 Regional Representative Darrin Boyce explained that Local 16 had an extraordinarily strong production membership in the 1980s, but thanks in part to the trade policies of President Ronald Reagan, he argued, and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) later on, the manufacturing sector was deci­mated, leading to decline. In addition, until a few years ago, Local 16 representation for production workers was siloed off from that of the building trades, with different officers assigned to different shops.

“You don’t have the shared resources, you’re not bouncing ideas off of each other,” Boyce said. “So [Noble] decided to break up [that siloing].”

It didn’t take long for elected officers to realize that many of the issues production workers raised during bargaining could be addressed through formalized training that spoke to members’ needs — in other words, a state-registered program that helped workers achieve guaranteed wage rates, assisted contractors with securing work opportunities and helped SMART members build their skills.

Noble noted that a state-registered program that meets Oregon’s established labor standards is especially impor­tant right now. By going through the apprenticeship program, Local 16 production workers and contractors may be able to secure work in the burgeoning offshore wind industry.

“In Oregon, we have labor standards set up for any of the offshore wind platforms, and the development for offshore wind, [that include] apprenticeship requirements,” he said.

Coming up with a state-registered production appren­ticeship program was one thing. Creating it was another.

“Some of the challenges were getting our contractors on board with adding contributions in their contracts to the JATC,” Noble said. In other words, employers who previously hadn’t provided funding for training needed to see that there would be bang for their buck.

“We ended up bringing the contractors to the table to be like, ‘hey, what kind of training would you guys want?’” said Boyce. “And so really what we’re looking at is having the last year [of the apprenticeship program] being tailored to each shop.”

Local 16 also needed to work with the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries to ensure the program met all the criteria to be state registered and to structure the apprenticeship in a way that benefited members. Because production workers have different daily schedules and demands compared with building trades members, making evening instruction a more difficult task, Local 16 designed the production apprenticeship to not only meet the high standards set for state-registered apprenticeship programs, but also to allow members to collect unemployment pay while they attend the five-week course. (Oregon law allows apprentices in state-registered programs to do so, Boyce said.)

The apprenticeship program is becoming reality. Now, Noble and Boyce think it could benefit Local 16 members for the long term — whether from offshore wind project work, day-to-day job satisfaction, Local 16’s market share or all of the above.

“The direct benefit for members is a pathway to that higher-wage position in the facilities they work in, with a guaranteed timeline and a direct path that isn’t just at the whim of the contractor,” Noble said. “I also think it’s an opportunity for us to organize more production facilities.”

“We know why union is better, and that is the quality,” added Boyce. “You’re not going to have a high turnover rate. You’re going to have lifelong workers, dedicated, that are going to be making the company a lot of money. And one of the ways to show them that is with a good, state-registered apprenticeship program where we have qualified people and we’re giving them the training that specifically addresses their needs.”

Delegates to the Third SMART General Convention in August 2024 left Las Vegas with an array of union apparel, including a SMART laptop bag, SMART-branded hats and SMART polo shirts.

What convention attendees may not have realized is that those items — along with a growing range of SMART merchandise — were designed, assembled, fabricated and embroidered by their union brothers and sisters in Ontario, Canada.

“I’m super proud of that, and we’ve been continuing to have more locals as well as our International purchasing more products,” said Local 540 (Mississauga, Ontario) Business Manager and Financial Secretary-Treasurer Derek Evans. “It makes me feel good to know that our members made these products, and our other locals are proud to know that these products are made by our members instead of another union or nonunion.”

Local 540 is the only SMART local in Canada that strictly represents production workers. Members work in a variety of industries (HVAC, automotive, fire life safety, etc.) and with a broad range of materials — including, as of approximately 10 years ago, two shops in the garment and apparel sector. That was when Sonny Wu, the owner of an apparel company called Season Group, approached the local (as well as other unions) to inquire about transitioning to signatory status.

“He wanted to get into making union-made apparel that he could sell to other unions throughout Canada and the United States,” Evans explained. “Ultimately, he made the decision to select SMART Local 540.”

Local 540 Business Manager Derek Evans (left) with Wilson Wu of Union Made Apparel

That decision has proven fruitful, even as things have changed in the years since. Sonny Wu retired, splitting his business into two separate shops — Season Group and Union Made Apparel — headed by Vincent Hu and Sonny’s son, Wilson, respectively. (Sonny remains very much involved.) And Local 540 members at both shops are now producing pieces for a huge number of their fellow union workers: SMART Local 30 and Local 285 in Toronto, the SMART Transportation Division, the Amalgamated Transit Union and many others, as well as workplace uniforms and gear.

For Wilson Wu, it’s important that labor movement merchandise is made by union members in North America.  

“A lot of goods nowadays, they’re bought from somewhere overseas — but we make everything in-house,” he explained.

“We’re end-to-end manufacturing, from sourcing the raw materials — locally made cotton — to dying the fabric, to cutting and sewing, trimming, design consultations, as well as decorating the garments, whether it’s embroidery or screen printing.”

Plus, Wu said, the union advantage pays off in the shop’s bottom line.

“We’ve gotten a lot more work ever since we’ve unionized; our workers are a lot happier,” he explained. “No regrets. It’s probably the best decision we’ve ever made.”

Wilson and Sonny Wu

The Ontario garment industry’s workforce is extraordinarily diverse, Evans said: Many employees are of Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and Indian descent, along with other countries throughout Asia (and Europe). The same goes for Local 540 sheet metal production shops, particularly in the automotive industry.

As a result, Local 540 has worked to ensure that these members — no matter who they are, where they come from or what language they speak most comfortably — receive the support they deserve. Contracts and workplace communications are translated into a variety of languages, and Local 540 has worked with companies to provide assistance to members navigating the immigration process and applying for Canadian citizenship.

“It has been a learning experience, but the members tend to be welcoming,” Evans said. “The opportunities we have are going to come through diversity and inclusion of different races and cultures. The workforce is changing.”

What’s most important, he added, is that all members — regardless of their ancestry or first language — continue to reap the benefits of union representation. Local 540 member Chris Ferreira, a longtime garment industry worker, indicated that the union difference is certainly being felt.

“It’s been great working at Union Made Apparel,” he said. “There’s been quite a bit more work, it’s a lot more reliable. I’ve been in embroidery for quite a few years, and it’s not too easy to get reliable orders. So yeah, it’s been great, real great being part of Local 540.”

Vincent Hu of Season Group

Delegates to the Third SMART General Convention in August 2024 left Las Vegas with an array of union apparel, including a SMART laptop bag, SMART-branded hats and SMART polo shirts.

What convention attendees may not have realized is that those items — along with a growing range of SMART merchandise — were designed, assembled, fabricated and embroidered by their union brothers and sisters in Ontario, Canada.

“I’m super proud of that, and we’ve been continuing to have more locals as well as our International purchasing more products,” said Local 540 (Mississauga, Ontario) Business Manager and Financial Secretary-Treasurer Derek Evans. “It makes me feel good to know that our members made these products, and our other locals are proud to know that these products are made by our members instead of another union or nonunion.”

Local 540 is the only SMART local in Canada that strictly represents production workers. Members work in a variety of industries (HVAC, automotive, fire life safety, etc.) and with a broad range of materials — including, as of approximately 10 years ago, two shops in the garment and apparel sector. That was when Sonny Wu, the owner of an apparel company called Season Group, approached the local (as well as other unions) to inquire about transitioning to signatory status.

“He wanted to get into making union-made apparel that he could sell to other unions throughout Canada and the United States,” Evans explained. “Ultimately, he made the decision to select SMART Local 540.”

Local 540 Business Manager Derek Evans (left) with Wilson Wu of Union Made Apparel

That decision has proven fruitful, even as things have changed in the years since. Sonny Wu retired, splitting his business into two separate shops — Season Group and Union Made Apparel — headed by Vincent Hu and Sonny’s son, Wilson, respectively. (Sonny remains very much involved.) And Local 540 members at both shops are now producing pieces for a huge number of their fellow union workers: SMART Local 30 and Local 285 in Toronto, the SMART Transportation Division, the Amalgamated Transit Union and many others, as well as workplace uniforms and gear.

For Wilson Wu, it’s important that labor movement merchandise is made by union members in North America.  

“A lot of goods nowadays, they’re bought from somewhere overseas — but we make everything in-house,” he explained.

“We’re end-to-end manufacturing, from sourcing the raw materials — locally made cotton — to dying the fabric, to cutting and sewing, trimming, design consultations, as well as decorating the garments, whether it’s embroidery or screen printing.”

Plus, Wu said, the union advantage pays off in the shop’s bottom line.

“We’ve gotten a lot more work ever since we’ve unionized; our workers are a lot happier,” he explained. “No regrets. It’s probably the best decision we’ve ever made.”

Wilson and Sonny Wu

The Ontario garment industry’s workforce is extraordinarily diverse, Evans said: Many employees are of Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and Indian descent, along with other countries throughout Asia (and Europe). The same goes for Local 540 sheet metal production shops, particularly in the automotive industry.

As a result, Local 540 has worked to ensure that these members — no matter who they are, where they come from or what language they speak most comfortably — receive the support they deserve. Contracts and workplace communications are translated into a variety of languages, and Local 540 has worked with companies to provide assistance to members navigating the immigration process and applying for Canadian citizenship.

“It has been a learning experience, but the members tend to be welcoming,” Evans said. “The opportunities we have are going to come through diversity and inclusion of different races and cultures. The workforce is changing.”

What’s most important, he added, is that all members — regardless of their ancestry or first language — continue to reap the benefits of union representation. Local 540 member Chris Ferreira, a longtime garment industry worker, indicated that the union difference is certainly being felt.

“It’s been great working at Union Made Apparel,” he said. “There’s been quite a bit more work, it’s a lot more reliable. I’ve been in embroidery for quite a few years, and it’s not too easy to get reliable orders. So yeah, it’s been great, real great being part of Local 540.”

Vincent Hu of Season Group