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

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

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

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

“I didn’t see the light”

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

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

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

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

That’s when the SMART Army got involved.

“We’re not in a tunnel anymore”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“This is what we do”

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

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

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

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

On December 22, 2025, the Local 5 (East Tennessee) SMART Army hosted a food drive for the local community, putting our union’s val­ues into practice.

“The idea came from one of our first-year apprentices, Briley Lawson,” said Local 5 Organizer Hunter Gossett. “The local donated $1,000 worth of food, and the membership stepped up in a big way: We were able to give food to 148 individuals for the holiday season.”

That’s the SMART Army in action: building better communities.

Briley Lawson

On March 26, 2026, Local 105 (Southern California) SMART Army Coordinator and Organizer Eric Farrar was honored with the San Gabriel Valley (SGV) Volunteer of the Year Award, presented by California State Senator Sasha Renée Pérez of Council District 25.

Farrar received this recognition for his years of dedication to building and leading the SMART Army, organizing impactful community efforts that truly make a difference. His work includes coordinating food packing events supporting Shepherd’s Pantry during Thanksgiving, setting up donation drives for families affected by the Eaton Fire and contributing to the decoration of floats for the iconic Rose Parade.

Pictured: Farrar, second from right, with (L-R) Local 105 Business Manager/President Al Hernandez, Calif. State Senator Sasha Renée Pérez and Local 105 Political Director Fernando Ochoa 

Most recently, Farrar played a key role in helping SMART Local 105 become a presenting sponsor of the Glendora Memorial Day 5K, giving back to the very school district where the local is headquartered.

Brother Farrar’s efforts highlight the local’s commitment to supporting and uplifting the community, and the SGV Volunteer of the Year award is a testament to his leadership, service and the positive impact of union solidarity in action. Great work, brother!

What does union solidarity mean?

For SMART members, solidarity means action — from the jobsite, to the cab of a locomotive, to city council meetings, to marches, rallies and well beyond. And on March 13 in Detroit, it meant taking on harsh conditions to make life better for area students: Local 80 staff and nine members volunteered to help clean up a local park ahead of the annual Detroit St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

The week prior, Local 80 Wayne County Business Agent Scott Lewis connected with leadership at Maybury Elementary School, asking where and how the school most needed help. In response, the school made a simple request: help cleaning the adjacent Murphy Park to ensure it was safe and welcoming for students to enjoy during recess and after school.

Local 80 answered the call.

Although the days leading up to the cleanup brought mild weather, conditions took a sharp turn the day of — dropping to 15 degrees with 40 mile-per-hour winds and scattered snow showers. But that didn’t stop Local 80. In a true demonstration of what solidarity means, the members took on the weather, working diligently to restore the park.

That effort made a real impact. Through their hard work, the Local 80 volunteers helped create a cleaner, safer and more inviting environment not only for the students of Maybury Elementary, but also the surrounding Detroit community.

SMART Army: Building Better Communities.

Each year, Special Olympics Kentucky hosts the Big Brown Truck Pull to raise money for local athletes. Teams of 15 take turns pulling an 18-wheeler UPS cargo truck 12 feet; the teams with the fastest pull times win trophies in dif­ferent categories, with awards also given for fundraising, team spirit and more.

SMART Local 110 showed up in force for the Paducah event, taking third place in the pull and second place in most money raised. Together with other teams and participants, SMART members helped provide funding for Special Olympics athletes to compete in basketball, bowling, softball, cheer leading and track and field year-round on the local, regional and state level, traveling to tourna­ments in Bowling Green, Richmond and Louisville.

That’s what our union stands for. Great work, Local 110!

In Washington, a team of volunteers led by the SMART Local 66 Women’s Committee regularly hosts workshops at Boys and Girls Clubs across Snohomish County — educating both participants and the counselors about how fun it can be to work with your hands.

“The kids get the opportunity to build something with their hands, and the parents and counselors get the opportunity to learn about who we are and why it’s awesome being a sheet metal worker,” explained Local 66 member and International Training Institute Recruitment and Retention Specialist Tammy Meyen.

Boys and Girls Clubs provide voluntary after-school programs for young people, offering kids safe spaces where they can have fun, meet mentors and find pathways to good, fulfilling lives. That mission aligns closely with SMART appren­ticeship programs, which help equip members with pathways to rewarding careers — and lives — in the sheet metal trade.

Stephanie Hobbs, a journeyworker and Local 66 Women’s Committee Outreach and Recruitment lead, started organizing workshops with area Boys and Girls Clubs several months ago. Working closely with Boys and Girls Clubs of Snohomish County Director of Life and Workforce Readiness Jordyn Creager, the women’s committee has orga­nized volunteers to host classes at the Everett (Cascade), Arlington, Marysville, Lake Stevens, Monroe, Tulalip and Sultan clubs, with plans to visit the remaining county clubs in 2026.

“During each class, we share a bit about who we are and what we do as a union,” Hobbs said, “explaining the work behind heating and air systems, roofing, siding and more. The kids then get hands-on experience making metal roses, with stems made from 3/8-inch all-thread, and petals and leaves cut from 24-gauge galvanized steel. They texture and shape the metal with ball-peen hammers, assemble their roses using nuts and washers, and add more depth by bending the petals with pliers to the shape they like.”

By giving local kids hands-on experience with the sheet metal trade — literally — Local 66 volunteers hope to change the lives of Boys and Girls Club attendees and benefit our union.

“The kids, ranging in age from 5 to 18, have shown incredible excitement and pride in their work. It’s been inspiring to see how much they enjoy learning about the trade and creating something they can take home,” Hobbs explained.

“None of this would be possible without the generous support of MacDonald-Miller Facility Solutions, who have provided all of the materials for every class,” she added. “I’m also deeply grateful to our Local 66 volun­teers who continue to show up, give their time and go above and beyond for these events.”

Each year, the organization Fishing For Freedom hosts a no-entry-fee buddy fishing tournament in Truman Lake, Missouri, as a way of giv­ing back to United States military veterans.

“Volunteer boaters share a wonderful day of camaraderie on a beautiful lake with America’s real-life heroes in an attempt to show them how much we appreciate the sacrifices they make that allow us to enjoy the freedoms of the greatest country in the world,” the Fishing For Freedom website reads.

The event is facilitated by donations from sponsors and by volunteers. And in 2025, organized labor stepped up to help make the event happen, with members of the SMART Army working the grill.

“I was blessed to spend a beautiful Sunday afternoon with my SMART union brothers from Local 2 and Local 36, feeding hungry veterans at this year’s Fishing For Freedom,” said Local 2 sister Pamela Blackmore.

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

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

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

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

“I didn’t see the light”

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

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

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

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

That’s when the SMART Army got involved.

“We’re not in a tunnel anymore”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“This is what we do”

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

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

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

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