WASHINGTON - The Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association (SMWIA) and the United Transportation Union (UTU) have announced plans to merge into a new 230,000 member union called the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART). Currently, the UTU has a membership of 81,000 members, while the SMWIA has some 150,000 active members.

The General Executive Council of the SMWIA approved the merger. Under the SMWIA constitution, SMWIA membership ratification was not required for this merger. The UTU board of directors voted unanimously to put the merger before the UTU membership for ratification. If ratified, the merger would become effective Jan. 1, 2008.

Under the proposed merger agreement, no UTU general committee of adjustment, local or legislative board will be closed as a result of this merger, nor will any general committee or local lose its jurisdiction.

The proposed merger would create, within SMART, a Transportation Division, whose senior officers would be those elected at the UTU quadrennial convention in August in Hollywood, Fla. The officers would have the same duties of international president, assistant president, general secretary and treasurer, national legislative director, and international vice president as they do under the UTU constitution.

Publication date: 07/16/2007