2026 SM Annual Leadership Conference
08/16/2026
Training for SMART Sheet Metal Officers, Members, Staff and Guests
2026 (September) Business Managers Only Meeting
09/09/2026
September 2026 Business Managers Only Meeting
2026 SMART Financial Secretary-Treasurer's Seminar
09/09/2026
Training for Sheet Metal Financial Secretary-Treasurers, Officers, Local Union Staff and Guests
You will be able to register for another meeting (duplicate) once first registration is completed.
2026 Baltimore MD Regional Training Seminar
08/31/2026
Training targeting Local Chairpersons, Local Presidents, Local S&T's and Local Legislative Reps
2026 Houston General Chairpersons Conference (GCC)
10/14/2026
Houston Rally / TD Board of Directors / General Chairpersons Meeting
2026 - Strategic/Pressure Organizing
09/14/2026
Class is Monday through Friday. Class times are generally 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day. | This class teaches participants how to strategically disrupt companies performing work under SMART’s trade jurisdiction through targeted pressure campaigns. Participants explore core tactics such as strategic planning, SWOT analysis, and pressure tools, then apply those concepts in daily group exercises using research on real companies. Each day features head-to-head group competitions, with participants evaluated by their peers on contribution and effectiveness. The class concludes with participants developing and presenting a campaign plan for a company they researched prior to attending.
2026 New Business Managers (Ontario, Canada)
09/21/2026
Class is Monday through Friday. Class times are generally 8:00 a. | This five-day leadership course equips new Business and Regional Managers with the strategic and practical tools needed to lead their locals into a stronger future. The class emphasizes proactive problem-solving, leadership accountability, and the development of Strategic Action Plans (SAPs). Through sessions on leadership principles, time management, decision-making, constitutional duties, legal compliance, organizing strategies, and community engagement, Managers gain the skills to manage daily operations, staff, and union growth effectively. Interactive exercises and peer collaboration drive home the importance of inclusive leadership, strong governance, and strategic planning. The week concludes with each participant presenting a customized SAP tailored to their local’s needs and goals. This class is only for Business Managers with priority in this class being given to newly elected Business and Regional Managers.
2026 - Top-Down Organizing
10/05/2026
This class introduces participants to the fundamentals of consultative sales, or top-down organizing. Participants will learn how to identify non-union companies, plan outreach strategies, craft elevator pitches, and navigate meetings with potential signatories. Emphasis will be placed on soft skills and persuasive communication to effectively convey SMART’s value to businesses. Working in small groups, participants will engage in realistic role-play scenarios. Each group will aim to successfully organize at least one company by the end of the week, based on their performance. Class is Monday through Friday. Class starts at 8:00 a.m. every day and goes until finished.
2026 - Labor/Labour History Train-the-Trainer
11/03/2026
Class is Tuesday through Thursday. Class times are generally 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day. | This class will explore the rich history of labo(u)r struggles, key legislative milestones, and the evolving roles of unions in shaping the workplace and broader social policies. The history of SMART, including all crafts and varieties of work represented by our members, will be placed into the context of the broader fight for workers’ rights in the United States and Canada. As fewer of our new members come from union backgrounds today, this class will help build a spirit of trade unionism within our organization to help move it forward.
2027 - Effective Communications: Public Speaking
01/11/2027
Class is Monday through Friday. Class starts at 8:00 am and generally runs until 5:30 p.m. but will actually end when the exercises and content for the day are finished. Houston, TX. This class focuses on building strong public speaking skills for union leaders. Participants will learn how to plan, organize, and deliver clear and confident speeches to different audiences. The course includes hands-on practice with introductory, informational, and persuasive speeches so students can improve their speaking style and confidence. Students will also learn how to manage public speaking nerves, listen actively, and give helpful feedback to others. By the end of the class, participants will feel more prepared to speak in front of groups and share their message effectively. The class includes hands-on learning through small-group exercises and role-play to build real-world communication confidence.
2027 - Collective Bargaining
02/01/2027
Class is Monday through Friday. Class starts at 8:00 am and generally runs until 5:30 p.m. but will actually end when the exercises and content for the day are finished. Houston, TX. Participants will engage in practical learning on key bargaining elements including member surveys, proposal development, strategic research, and use of the National Joint Adjustment Board. The course emphasizes interactive learning through group exercises, SWOT analysis, and mock negotiations using company-specific research. To enhance team dynamics and personal insight, students will complete the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument, fostering awareness of individual negotiation styles and conflict resolution approaches. The program culminates in two intensive days of mock negotiations to solidify skills in a collaborative setting.
2027 - Messaging to Move Members
02/22/2027
Class is Monday through Friday. Class starts at 8:00 am and generally runs until 5:30 p.m. but will actually end when the exercises and content for the day are finished. Description: Houston, TX. This class teaches union leaders how to create communications that inspire members to take action. Participants learn to identify audiences, craft clear and persuasive messages, tell compelling member stories, and use digital communication tools to strengthen engagement. Through a series of connected, project-based exercises, participants develop a complete communications campaign that includes messaging, photography, video, graphic design, and an implementation strategy. Participants leave the course with practical skills, reusable communication products, and a communications plan they can immediately put to work in their local union.
2027 - Top-Down Organizing
03/15/2027
Class is Monday through Friday. Class starts at 8:00 am and generally runs until 5:30 p.m. but will actually end when the exercises and content for the day are finished. Houston, TX. This class introduces participants to the fundamentals of consultative sales, or top-down organizing. Participants will learn how to identify non-union companies, plan outreach strategies, craft elevator pitches, and navigate meetings with potential partner contractors. Emphasis will be placed on soft skills and persuasive communication to effectively convey SMART’s value to businesses. Working in small groups, participants will engage in realistic role-play scenarios. Each group will aim to successfully organize at least one company by the end of the week, based on their performance.
2027 - COMET Train-the-Trainer
04/06/2027
Class is Tuesday through lunch on Friday. Class starts at 8:00 am and generally runs until 5:30 p.m. but will actually end when the exercises and content for the day are finished. Friday is expected to be half the day. This train-the-trainer course prepares union leaders to teach COMET to members and apprentices in their local unions. Participants will learn how to present lessons on bargaining power, the role unions play in the workplace and society, and the importance of organizing. The class also explores the strength of the labor movement in the past and today. Each participant will receive teaching materials and resources to help them confidently deliver COMET training at the local level.
2027 - Lead Negotiator
05/03/2027
Class is Monday through Friday. Class starts at 8:00 am and generally runs until 5:30 p.m. but will end when the exercises and content for the day are finished. TENTATIVE DESCRIPTION: Ottawa, ON. This class helps union leaders improve their skills in contract negotiations. Participants will practice real-life bargaining situations that are common in the sheet metal industry, including HVAC, architectural metal, and metal roofing work. Through hands-on exercises and simulations, they will learn how to lead a bargaining team, respond to employer tactics, and make strong agreements. The class builds skills step by step, starting with simple negotiations and ending with a full multi-employer bargaining simulation. By the end of the course, participants will feel more confident leading negotiations for their members. NOTE: Attendance in this class is limited to one official per local: the Business Manager or their designee.
2027 Advanced Reps: Internal Union Trials
05/17/2027
Class is Tuesday through Thursday. Class starts at 8:00 am and generally runs until 5:30 p.m. but will end when the exercises and content for the day are finished. Description: Chicago, IL. This three-day class will union officials to properly administer the internal disciplinary process under Articles 17–19 of the SMART Constitution and Ritual and the Red Book. Participants will learn the constitutional requirements governing internal union charges, due process, trial procedures, and appeals while developing the skills necessary to conduct fair and impartial proceedings. This class will have full mock trials, where participants will role play prosecutors, witnesses, and accused members. The class will conclude with a simulated appeal to the General Executive Council, and participants will be required to prepare and defend a written response based on the trial record, reinforcing both constitutional knowledge and practical decision-making.
2027 - Production Institute: Collective Bargaining
06/06/2027
Class is Monday through Thursday. Class starts at 8:00 am and generally runs until 5:30 p.m. but will actually end when the exercises and content for the day are finished. Description: St. Louis, MO. Participants will learn key bargaining skills, including member surveys, proposal development, and strategic research. The course emphasizes interactive learning through group exercises, SWOT analysis, and mock negotiations using employer-specific research. The program concludes with two days of mock negotiations designed to build confidence and strengthen effective bargaining strategies in a collaborative setting.
2027 - Production Institute: Class Two
06/07/2027
Class is Monday through Thursday. Class starts at 8:00 am and generally runs until 5:30 p.m. but will actually end when the exercises and content for the day are finished. TENTATIVE DESCRIPTION: St. Louis, MO. The decision on what will be offered in this class has not been made yet. An update will be sent out when the decision is made.
2027 - Bottom - Up Organizing
06/21/2027
Class is Monday through Friday. Class starts at 8:00 am and generally runs until 5:30 p.m. but will actually end when the exercises and content for the day are finished. Description: Ottawa, ON. This class teaches the skills organizers need to use a bottom-up organizing strategy and the mindset needed to make it work. The course relies heavily on role-playing and hands-on exercises that place participants in a mock organizing campaign at a fictional company. Through these role-plays, students practice making first contact with workers, identifying leaders, building an organizing committee, and signing authorization cards. Participants also act out worker actions, community support efforts, and the steps in the union election process.
2027 - New Representatives
09/13/2027
Class is Monday through Friday. Class starts at 8:00 am and generally runs until 5:30 p.m. but will actually end when the exercises and content for the day are finished. Description: Washington, D.C. Participants will learn about the SMART Constitution, labo(u)r law, time management, conflict resolution, charges and trials, decertification and raiding, collective agreements, jurisdictional issues, and how the International and its funds work. The course uses heavy role-playing and a week-long simulation to bring these topics to life. Participants are assigned to one of six fictional locals that are either facing decertification or preparing for elections after trusteeship. Through interactive exercises and an evolving storyline, they switch between the roles of union officials and members while working to solve problems and strengthen their local union. decertification or win their upcoming election, tying class content directly to real-world problem-solving.
2027 - Strategic/Pressure Organizing
10/04/2027
Class is Monday through Friday. Class starts at 8:00 am and generally runs until 5:30 p.m. but will actually end when the exercises and content for the day are finished. Description: Houston, TX. This class teaches participants how to strategically disrupt companies performing work under SMART’s trade jurisdiction through targeted pressure campaigns. Participants explore core tactics such as strategic planning, SWOT analysis, and pressure tools, then apply those concepts in daily group exercises using research on real companies. Each day features head-to-head group competitions, with participants evaluated by their peers on contribution and effectiveness. The class concludes with participants developing and presenting a campaign plan for a company they researched prior to attending.
2027 - New Business Managers
10/25/2027
Class is Monday through Friday. Class starts at 8:00 am and generally runs until 5:30 p.m. but will actually end when the exercises and content for the day are finished. Description: Washington, D.C. This five-day leadership course gives new Business and Regional Managers the tools they need to lead their locals effectively. Participants will learn about leadership, time management, decision-making, constitutional duties, legal compliance, organizing strategies, and community engagement. The class uses interactive exercises and group discussions to build strong leadership and planning skills. By the end of the week, each participant will create and present a Strategic Action Plan (SAP) designed to help their local grow and succeed. This class is only for Business Managers, with priority given to newly elected Business and Regional Managers.