About Us

ABOUT US

Since before 1888, Local Union #1 of the Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association (now S.M.A.R.T.) has resided right in the heart of Illinois. In 1887, Robert Kellerstrass, Recording Secretary of the Tin and Cornice Makers’ Association of Peoria, Illinois, began communicating with the other local organizations promoting the idea of unity and a national organization. Peoria’s own Kellerstrass was elected General Treasurer at the unions’ first convention in 1888. Because of a shifting of local numbers years later, there has always been some question about Peoria’s real right to the #1. In fact, out of the seven original locals; Kellerstrass drew #1 out of a hat in 1924 when the name of the union was changed to Sheet Metal Workers International Association. In January of 2008 The Sheet Metal Workers International Association merged with The United Transportation Union to become The International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers or S.M.A.R.T. Many items are still on display at Local #1’s office from those very early days of our union, a Tinner’s union banner, a journal from 1888, member badges, and original charters from 1888 and 1924. Now, Local #1 serves 10 counties with a membership of roughly 700 + building trades’ journeymen, residential journeymen, apprentices, industrial, and retired members.

WHO WE ARE

Being a Sheet metal worker is a highly respected trade. Local Union No. 1 serves its members with offices located in Morton, IL and Ottawa, IL. We were established as a local union before starting and becoming part of The International Union on January 25, 1888. We are dedicated to providing an exceptionally skilled work force for our signatory contractors. We are also a member of the West Central Illinois Building Trades Association, the Illinois Valley Building Trades Association, the McLean and Livingston Building Trades Association and the Illinois AFL-CIO.

In a partnership with our signatory contractors we have our own apprenticeship school for training our members, which is self-funded with no taxpayer contributions. We also offer Journeyman upgrade classes to suit the ever-changing demands of our work.

We believe in being on the cutting edge of technology, to better serve our customers, our contractors and our union members. Therefore, we are committed to keeping up with advances being made in our field. This allows us to use the most modern methods and equipment in order to provide the best possible service.

Did you know...

Our union contractors and the members they employ have installed and maintained hundreds of thousands of heating and air conditioning systems in our community for over a hundred years?
Schools, libraries, and most other public buildings are constructed with the help of Sheet Metal Workers?
Sheet Metal Workers Local #1 offers an award winning, platinum level, 4 year apprentice training program that annually produces some of the top trainees in the country?

Why choose a Union Local No. 1 Sheet Metal Worker?
Good sheet metal workers are true craftsmen. Each one is required to have been fully trained in a wide variety of disciplines, putting to use their talents, both mental and physical, on a daily basis. This training assures you of getting a skilled professional, worthy of the respect the Sheet Metal Industry has proudly earned.

How do I find out more about a career in the Sheet Metal Industry?
The majority of our students complete the training and continue on to have productive careers in the construction industry. If you would like to find out more about the Apprenticeship program, and a golden opportunity for an exciting career in the Sheet Metal Industry, start by filling out an Interest Form. Our apprenticeship office will then notify you of when the next application and testing session is available.

Why join the union?
Unions provide social and economic justice to employees who work for an hourly wage. Workers have joined unions because they know they have a far greater chance of success with the strength of a union for support. When an individual goes one-on-one with an employer, the chances for success are virtually zero. American workers have been joining together in democratic unions since the end of the 18th Century. Economic history has shown that only when workers join together in unions, can their voices be heard and the lives of themselves with their families be bettered.

Today, some 14 million men and women belong to unions affiliated with the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO). They include teachers, doctors, lawyers, construction workers, airline pilots, technicians, engineers, and sports stars, to name a few.

``Long ago, we stated the reason for labor organizations. We said that they were organized out of the necessities of the situation; that a single employee was helpless in dealing with an employer; that he was dependent ordinarily on his daily wage for the maintenance of himself and family; that if the employer refused to pay him the wages that he thought fair, he was nevertheless unable to leave the employer and resist arbitrary and unfair treatment; that union was essential to give laborers opportunity to deal on equality with their employer."
- Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court Charles Evans Hughes, in NLRB v. Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp., 301 U. S.1 at 33.

Why join Sheet Metal Workers International Association Union Local 1?
The only union devoted exclusively to helping workers in the sheet metal industry is the Sheet Metal Workers' International Association (SMWIA). We are now united and organized with the United Transportation Union (UTU) and have gained power to become the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers or S.M.A.R.T. Our devotion to our membership and it's growth has only expanded.

Local Union No. 1 has an award winning training program, which will help you acquire the necessary skills to have a successful career in the construction industry. We also offer a very attractive benefits package which includes family health coverage and a plan for retirement with dignity.

To find out more about how you can join Local Union No. 1 , you can e-mail us here: 1smartlocal@gmail.com

For additional information on becoming a SMART union member, visit our international website at www.smart-union.org