International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers

What International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers does

SMART (International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers) is a labor union incorporated as a nonprofit membership organization headquartered at 2828 East 45th Street, Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 1888 as the Tin, Sheet Iron and Cornice Workers International Association, SMART represents over 150,000 skilled workers across the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico in construction, manufacturing, service, railroad, and shipyard industries. The organization was formed through successive mergers, most notably the 2012 merger with the United Transportation Union that produced its current scope across sheet metal, air, rail, and transportation trades, with the present name officially adopted at the August 2014 Las Vegas general convention.

SMART operates through a federated structure of chartered local unions, with SMART Local 20 (Indiana) functioning as a representative operating subsidiary. Local 20 maintains seven area offices (Indianapolis, Lafayette, Terre Haute, Fort Wayne, Evansville, South Bend, Gary/Portage) plus affiliated operations in Louisville KY (Local 110), Cincinnati OH (Local 24), and Dayton OH (Local 24). Core "products" are member-facing services: a membership portal (smw20.com), an apprenticeship and training program (smw20training.com), a contractor directory organized by geography, secure member login, and a links/resources hub connecting members to partner organizations. SMART holds no proprietary technology platform; distribution is via area offices, social media (Facebook pages per area, YouTube), and direct organizing outreach.

The business model is subscription-recurring membership dues collected from 150,000+ members, supplemented by apprenticeship tuition and benefit trust income (health insurance, pension). Pricing (dues amounts) is not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is community-led: recruitment via local offices, apprenticeship pipelines, and signatory contractor relationships across the SMACNA contractor ecosystem. Strategic partnerships include SMACNA (Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association), NEMI (National Energy Management Institute), AFL-CIO, and multiple state and regional building trades councils. The organization is governed by elected officers and representatives, with no parent company, no outside investors, and no traditional equity ownership structure.

Name

International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers

Legal name

International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers

Website

https://smw20.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1888

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

SMART is a 137-year-old labor union representing over 150,000 skilled sheet metal, air, rail, and transportation workers across the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It operates through local chapters (e.g., Local 20 with 7 Indiana area offices) providing collective bargaining, apprenticeship training, and contractor dispatch services funded by membership dues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Labor Union Membership Services

NAICS

Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing (332322)

SIC

Sheet Metal Work (3444)

akta.pro primary industry

Sheet Metal & Ductwork Contracting (IMAFALAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sheet Metal Fabrication & Light-Gauge Metalwork Training (EDAOADAD)

Keywords

• Labor union representation
• Collective bargaining services
• Apprenticeship training programs
• Sheet metal trade union
• Transportation workers union

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Union Membership Dues: The union generates revenue through membership dues from over 150,000 skilled workers across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Dues support organizing efforts, collective bargaining, training programs, and member services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART) is a labor union that represents over 150,000 skilled workers in the sheet metal, HVAC, roofing, air, rail, and transportation trades across the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Through its local chapters such as SMART Local 20 (Indiana), the organization provides union membership, collective bargaining for wages and benefits, apprenticeship and journeyman training programs, and job placement through a network of affiliated contractor employers.

Product overview

SMART Local 20 operates as a labor union membership organization serving sheet metal workers in Indiana. Rather than a technology platform with integrated products, the organization provides a portfolio of member-facing services including: a union membership portal (SMART Local 20 Union Membership Portal), an apprenticeship and training program (Sheet Metal Workers Local 20 Apprenticeship & Training Program), a contractor directory organized by seven geographic areas across Indiana, a secure member login section, and a links/resources hub connecting members to partner organizations. The organization represents over 150,000 skilled workers across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico through the parent International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SMART Union Membership
• Sheet Metal Workers Apprenticeship & Training Program

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SMACNA (Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partnership with SMACNA representing sheet metal and HVAC contractors. Links page includes SMACNA logo and reference to cooperative relationship between union and contractor association.
• NEMI (National Energy Management Institute)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEMI sponsors ventilation education initiatives in schools and partners with SMART on industry training and certification programs.
• Indiana Building & Construction Trades CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated with the Indiana State Building & Construction Trades Council, part of the broader building trades union movement in Indiana.
• Northwest Indiana Building TradesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional building trades council representing union construction workers in Northwest Indiana.
• AFL-CIOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSMART is affiliated with the AFL-CIO, the largest federation of unions in the United States, providing political advocacy and organizing support.
• Michiana Sheet Metal Contractors AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional contractor association in the Michiana area (South Bend region) representing sheet metal employers.
• TeladocminorOthersTeladoc is linked as a member benefit resource for union members to access healthcare services.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• United Steelworkers (USW): Large industrial and manufacturing union covering metals, mining, and related production workers. Comparable in manufacturing membership, dues-funded structure, and apprenticeship pipeline for skilled trades.
• Operative Plasterers' and Cement Masons' International Association (OPCMIA): Building trades union for plasterers and cement masons with similar apprenticeship, contractor network, and AFL-CIO affiliation. Comparable in scale, structure, and skilled construction trade focus.
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW): One of the largest US building trades unions representing skilled electrical workers. Directly comparable as a sister AFL-CIO construction trades union with similar apprenticeship, collective bargaining, and contractor network models.
• International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM): Major transportation and manufacturing union with members in aerospace, rail, and industrial sectors. Comparable in transportation trade representation following SMART's UTU merger and similar collective bargaining structure.
• International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (BAC): Building trades union for masonry and tile workers. Comparable as an AFL-CIO craft union with apprenticeship training, local union structure, and contractor network business model.
• International Brotherhood of Boilermakers: Skilled trades union representing boilermakers and related metal fabrication workers in construction, manufacturing, and shipyards. Directly comparable in metal trades, apprenticeship training, and shipyard/railroad industry overlap.
• International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT): Building trades union representing finishing trades including glaziers and floor coverers. Comparable as an AFL-CIO construction trade union with apprenticeship programs, local chapters, and contractor partnerships.
• Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA): Largest union representing construction laborers with 500,000+ members. Comparable AFL-CIO construction union with apprenticeship, training, and regional local structure similar to SMART Local 20.

Broad incumbents

• North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU): Umbrella organization representing 14 building trades unions including affiliates of SMART. Comparable as the parent federation through which SMART Local 20 coordinates policy, training, and apprenticeship standards across trades.

Others

• Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association (SMACNA): National contractor trade association that is SMART's primary bargaining counterpart. Included as an ecosystem peer rather than direct competitor; the cooperative union-employer relationship is core to SMART's business model and revenue.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SMW20FW
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sheet-metal-workers-local-union-no-20-welfare-benefits-fund

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers