SMART Local 71

SMART Local 71 101: How does union employment work? (Just a reminder that this is our new social media series created to answer common questions about who we are, what we do, and the opportunities available through our union! You can check our page to catch up from previous weeks!)

SMART Local 71 partners with more than 30 contractors who perform different types of sheet metal work throughout our area.

The union hall acts as a hiring hall, helping connect our skilled members with those partnered contractors when they need a qualified workforce.

This gives our members access to multiple employment opportunities while giving contractors the benefit of trained, reliable sheet metal workers.

For members, union employment helps provide more than just a paycheck. Contractor contributions help support wages, healthcare and welfare benefits, retirement contributions, and continued training.

At the end of the day, union employment is about creating strong opportunities for workers, supporting quality contractors, and helping keep the sheet metal trade moving forward.

Interested in learning more or joining Smart Local 71? Visit smartlocal71.com/application or call Adam Kerr at (716) 912-9007!

SMART Local 71 101 - Who is SMART?

SMART Local 71 is proud to recognize Safe + Sound Week, a nationwide initiative focused on the importance of workplace safety and health programs.

Every worker deserves to go home safe and sound at the end of the day. In the sheet metal trade, safety is not just a policy or a checklist. It is a commitment we make to ourselves, our coworkers, our contractors, and our families.

This week serves as a reminder to keep safety at the front of every job, every task, and every conversation. By working together, staying aware, and continuing to strengthen our safety practices, we help protect the people who keep our industry moving.

At Local 71, we pledge to make workplace safety a priority today and every day!

It’s a grand slam-packed month for Smart Local 71! Have you gotten your tickets yet? It’s not too late… until it is! Don’t delay any longer, get in on the fun with Smart Local 71!

Buffalo Bison Baseball Retiree Only
Date: 8/05
Time: 1:05 PM
Who: Retirees Only
Tickets: Call the Union Hall (716) 835-8836
Cost: $5

Buffalo Bison Baseball Family Night
Date: 8/07
Time: 7:05 PM
Who: Members + Friends/Families
Tickets: Call the Union Hall (716) 835-8836
Cost: $5

Bowling Family Day
Date: 8/29
Time: 11 AM - 1 PM
Who: Members + Friends/Families
Tickets: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C044DA4AA2AABFBC25-64569000-bowling?useFullSite=tru

SMART Local 71 101: Who is SMART Local 71? In case you missed it, this is our new social media series created to answer common questions about who we are, what we do, and the opportunities available through our union!

SMART Local 71 is a labor union made up of skilled sheet metal workers in Western New York.

As part of SMART’s Sheet Metal Division, Local 71 represents workers across Erie, Niagara, Wyoming, Orleans, and Genesee counties.

Our members use their voices, skills, and training to bargain for better wages, stronger benefits, safer worksites, and a career they can build on with pride.

Local 71 members perform many different types of sheet metal work, including commercial HVAC and ductwork, testing and balancing, industrial fabrication, welding, architectural metals, service work, and more.

At the heart of Local 71 is a commitment to training, craftsmanship, safety, and supporting one another in the trade.

Check out our page as we continue answering common questions about SMART Local 71 and the opportunities available through a union sheet metal career!

Learn more about SMART Local 71! SMART Local 71 is Buffalo and Western New York's sheet metal workers' union. We are a 600+ strong organization of HVAC fabricators/installers, industrial welders, architectural metal workers, TAB technicians and CAD designers.

On July 23, SMART Local 71 welcomed 14 students from CAHill’s aQuiRe Construction Academy!

The aQuiRe Construction Academy is designed to introduce students to different trades throughout the industry and help prepare them to enter the workforce. This group included recent graduates from McKinley High School’s P-TECH program, Pathways in Technology Early College High School.

During their visit, we talked about the benefits of joining a labor union, what a career as a sheet metal worker can look like, and what it is like to work on the job. The students also had the opportunity to get hands-on experience by fillet welding T-joints.

This was a high-energy group that asked great questions throughout the tour. Many of these students will be attending Alfred State next year to continue their education, while others are ready to jump straight into the workforce.

Local 71 wishes each of them the best as they take their next steps, and we hope to see some of them build a career with us in the future!

Summer Picnic 2026!

Thank you to everyone who came out and joined us!

Introducing SMART Local 71 101, a new social media series created to answer common questions about who we are, what we do, and the opportunities available through our union!

For our first post, we’re starting with the basics: Who is SMART?

SMART stands for the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers.

SMART represents workers across the sheet metal, roofing, production, manufacturing, rail, and transportation industries by helping members advocate for better wages, stronger benefits, safer worksites, and long-term career opportunities.

SMART is divided into two main divisions: the Sheet Metal Division and the Transportation Division.

Follow along as we continue breaking down more about SMART Local 71, the sheet metal trade, apprenticeship opportunities, union benefits, and how to get started!

To learn more about Smart Local 71 visit our website -> https://www.smartlocal71.com/

SMART Local 71 101 - Who is SMART?

As we approach warmer months, we want to remind our members of how dangerous working in the heat can be! Make sure you are taking enough rests throughout the work day to cool down and stay hydrated. If you or a team mate begins showing signs of heat exhaustion, immediately take a break, remove yourselves from the hot environment, and slowly rehydrate. Heat Exhaustion can quickly turn to Heat Stroke which can lead to permanent disability or death.

Symptoms of Heat Exhaustion include:
- Dizziness or Light-headedness
- Headache or Nausea
- Heavy Sweating
- Muscle cramps, pain or spasms in the abs, arms or legs
- Heat rash (skin irritation caused by excessive sweating)

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has great resources for learning more about heat related illnesses ->

Our upcoming events are OUT of this world... a grand slam.... some may even say... striking! Either way, our next event is this week and we hope you can pencil us in! Details are below ⬇️🍗⚾🎳

Summer Outing
Date: 7/18
Time: Noon - 9PM
Who: Members Only
RSVP To Attend: Call the Union Hall (716) 835-8836
Rule The Grill: https://www.smartlocal71.com/bbq-smoke-off-registration?fbclid=IwY2xjawS8s2RleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFWWVd5OXJadlBZS0t0ZmdGc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHsZoND2SrOCI3orc0Zel2jB8Zfg8sfIDj4cYE0FmFWxlVxaLyfbI7w0e5Zie_aem_9zAKQZYIN37oXHKPlhMi-Q

Buffalo Bison Baseball Retiree Only
Date: 8/05
Time: 1:05 PM
Who: Retirees Only
Tickets: Call the Union Hall (716) 835-8836
Cost: $5

Buffalo Bison Baseball Family Night
Date: 8/07
Time: 7:05 PM
Who: Members + Friends/Families
Tickets: Call the Union Hall (716) 835-8836
Cost: $5

Bowling Family Day
Date: 8/29
Time: 11 AM - 1 PM
Who: Members + Friends/Families
Tickets: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C044DA4AA2AABFBC25-64569000-bowling?useFullSite=tru