Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association (SMWIA) was born in an era that saw America dominated by wealthy big money interests. It was a time when not a single banker or corporate executive was punished for behavior that saw families destroyed, thrown out of their homes and penniless while workers were arrested for the simple act of standing up for their First Amendment rights.

Because of the efforts of the working people who founded the Labor Movement and our Union, later generations saw a country that included social and economic reform that created the largest and most prosperous middle class in the history of the world while opening doors to economic opportunity for millions of Americans families.

Unfortunately, the days that spurned working people to take to the streets are back. And this Union, like previous generations of sheet metal workers and today’s Wall Street occupiers, will rise up to the challenge... 

(Read full article here.)   (Go to Action Alerts for list of Occupy Wall Street events.)

Mike Rowe testifies before US Senate about the skilled trades.

Visit the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California new website demonstrating the benefits of Project Labor Agreements. This site presents the facts on how PLAs benefit your city, your community, and California's economy. Project Labor Agreements stimulate local economies, support local development, and save cities money! Visit the website now at: www.calmunilabor.com.

Federal and State governments and worker advocates have posted on-line information to help unemployed and uninsured workers.

Through the combined efforts of government agencies and worker advocates, new information to help unemployed and/or uninsured workers find and receive assistance has been posted on-line.

The federal government has created an excellent interactive website outlining the provisions of the Obama Administration’s new health care reform law. The site tailors information for a worker’s specific circumstances and location. It can be found at: www.healthcare.gov.

Additionally, the Safety Net for the Unemployed Workgroup, a coalition of human service, labor, state department staff, and legislative staff, has produced a very useful document with a long list of resources for laid off workers whose benefits have exhausted. The document also describes the 2-1-1 assistance line that can direct people to various appropriate resources.
This document can be found at: www.edd.ca.gov/unemployment/pdf/Assistance_For_Unemployed_Californians.pdf.