A surge in manufacturing fueled by federal funding is putting sheet metal workers across the country on the job. From Tennessee to Michigan, union members are building the future of battery manufacturing and hydrogen production.
- Thanks to a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the U.S. Department of Commerce and semiconductor manufacturer GlobalFoundries that includes approximately $1.5 billion in direct funding, Local 83 sheet metal workers will soon start on a new chip plant in Malta, New York. And in Burlington, Vermont, retrofit work on an existing GlobalFoundries chip plant is expected to exceed $35 million in federal funding.
- In Clarksville, Tennessee, International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART) union
Local 177 members are hard at work on a Microvast battery plant. Meanwhile, their counterparts in St. Louis, Missouri, are constructing an ICL-IP America, Inc., facility for producing battery materials. Both projects received a boost from $2.8 billion in Department of Energy (DOE) funding allocated through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. - The DOE’s financial support is also propelling the expansion of Ultium Cells, a lithium-ion battery cell manufacturer. A $2.5 billion loan, facilitated by the DOE’s Loan Programs Office, is financing the construction of new plants in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Tennessee. Members of Locals 7, 20, and 177 are already on site, benefiting directly from the project.
- Ford also tapped into DOE funding to kickstart its BlueOval battery facilities in Glendale, Kentucky, and Stanton, Tennessee. A $9.2 billion loan from the DOE’s Loan Programs Office has generated work for current members of Locals 110 and 4, attracted new workers to the union, and helped secure retirees’ pensions.
- On the West Coast, the newly announced California Hydrogen Hub offers a promising development for the clean energy sector. One of seven hydrogen hubs funded by the DOE through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the California facility will produce hydrogen solely from renewable energy and biomass. The project has committed to requiring project labor agreements, paving the way for an expected 220,000 jobs, including 130,000 in construction.
A recent analysis by the Center for Union Facts shows from 2019 to 2022, SMART spent nearly $80 million on left-leaning political advocacy groups, campaigns, and initiatives, which helped pass the laws that opened up this new wave of business.
The SMART union’s spending was primarily focused on three key areas: supporting its own branches and political action committees, hiring consulting firms, and donating to left-leaning causes. Notably, a significant portion of the union’s budget was allocated towards funding special interest groups that align with its political agenda.
The report found that the SMART union’s political spending was overwhelmingly partisan. Between 2019 and 2022, the union sent over $6 million to left-leaning advocacy groups, compared to just $15,000 towards bipartisan efforts and $59,636 towards Republican-led initiatives and campaigns. These efforts do not include apolitical causes like cancer research, which the union is also a significant supporter of.
“It can’t be emphasized enough what a difference it makes when the people implementing funding and writing policy know that SMART workers are engaged in the political process,” said SMART General President Michael Coleman in a press release. “We have pro-union allies in federal offices that are making sure that new laws create jobs for our members.”
Some of the top recipients of SMART union funds included progressive environmentalist groups like the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance and the BlueGreen Alliance, left-of-center economic organizations like the Coalition for Responsible Equitable Economic Development, and Democratic-oriented groups like the California Democratic Party. Labor-focused media outlets also received significant funding from the union.
The Center for Union Facts’ analysis is based on annual financial reports filed by the SMART union with the Department of Labor. The organization sorted the union’s payments into categories such as super PACs, consulting firms, Democratic-aligned groups, bipartisan efforts, Republican-aligned groups, special interest organizations, economically progressive groups, civil rights organizations, environmentalist groups, and left-leaning media outlets.