After 40 years in the Sheet Metal Workers Union Local 80 — from an apprentice to foremen, business agent then business manager — Mark Saba has paid his dues as a leader in the industry. From his experience on shop floors, he naturally carries the point of view of a journeyman. But now as executive director of SMACNA Detroit, Saba is tasked with advancing the interests of the contractor.
“I retired from Local 80 on a Friday and went to work on a Monday for SMACNA Detroit,” says Saba, who stepped into the director role in 2017. As a local branch of the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA), Saba says his main priority has been to combat an industry-wide labor shortage.