The 5 Critical Ways Sheet Metal Workers Local 19 Is Reshaping The Trades In 2025
Sheet Metal Workers Local 19 is not just a union; it is a powerful, evolving force in the construction and industrial trades across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. As of Tuesday, December 23, 2025, the organization is making headlines with aggressive new training initiatives and a continued commitment to securing high-quality careers for its over 4,300 members. The union’s focus on expanding its reach and modernizing its training programs is setting a new standard for skilled trades labor in the Mid-Atlantic region, directly addressing the industry’s need for highly qualified journeypersons and apprentices.
The latest updates reveal a strategic push into workforce development, particularly through a newly certified pre-apprenticeship program designed to diversify its ranks and streamline the path into a lucrative union career. This focus on fresh talent, combined with robust benefits and deep community involvement, positions SMART Local 19 as a critical player in the region’s economic and construction landscape.
SMART Local 19: A Profile of Power and Reach
Sheet Metal Workers’ Local Union No. 19, affiliated with the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART), is one of the most influential building trades unions in the Mid-Atlantic.
- Full Union Name: Sheet Metal Workers’ Local Union No. 19 (SMART Local 19)
- Affiliation: International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART)
- Headquarters: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Geographic Scope: Pennsylvania (PA), New Jersey (NJ), and Delaware (DE)
- Offices: Philadelphia, Delaware, and Central Pennsylvania
- Membership: Over 4,300 skilled and licensed workers
- Key Leadership: Bryan J. Bush (President/Business Manager)
The union's primary mission is to provide the highest quality craftsmen for the residential, commercial, and industrial sheet metal industry while ensuring fair wages, comprehensive benefits, and a secure retirement for its members.
1. The Game-Changing Pre-Apprenticeship Program Launch
One of the most significant and recent developments for Local 19 is the official approval and rollout of its new Pre-Apprenticeship Program. This initiative is a direct response to the growing demand for skilled labor and a proactive step toward building a more inclusive workforce.
A 1000-Hour Pathway to a Career
The Pre-Apprenticeship Program is a rigorous, six-month, 1000-hour course that has received official certification from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is designed to give candidates a foundational understanding and hands-on experience before entering the full, highly competitive Apprenticeship Program.
The curriculum is a strategic blend of classroom instruction and practical, hands-on training, ensuring participants are job-ready and possess the core competencies needed for success.
Targeting Underrepresented Groups
Crucially, the program is specifically open to high school students, women, veterans, and other underrepresented groups, making it a powerful tool for workforce diversification. By lowering the barrier to entry and providing dedicated training, Local 19 is actively cultivating the next generation of union sheet metal workers. This initiative is managed through the Sheet Metal Workers Local 19 Joint Apprenticeship Training Fund (JATF) of Philadelphia and Vicinity.
2. Deepening Topical Authority: The Scope of Sheet Metal Work
The members of Local 19 are not limited to a single trade; they are multi-skilled craftsmen whose work is essential to nearly every major construction project. Their expertise spans three critical areas:
- Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC): This is perhaps the most well-known area, involving the fabrication, installation, and maintenance of ductwork and climate control systems in commercial and industrial buildings.
- Sheet Metal Fabrication: Sheet metal workers are masters of metal, fabricating custom products from various materials for a multitude of purposes, from specialized industrial equipment to commercial kitchen components.
- Architectural Metal Installation: This high-end work involves installing metal roofing, siding, ornamental metalwork, flashing, and architectural panels that define the exterior aesthetics and weatherproofing of modern structures.
Local 19 supplies skilled journeypersons and apprentices to projects across the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors, ensuring that all work meets the highest standards of safety and quality.
3. Unmatched Training Infrastructure and Facilities
The quality of a union is often measured by its commitment to training, and Local 19 excels through its dedicated Joint Apprenticeship Training Fund (JATF) facilities. These centers are the backbone of their superior workforce.
The JATF Network
The union operates two major hubs to cover its expansive territory:
- Philadelphia Training Center: This facility brings together many groups and purposes for a common goal: ensuring a constant supply of highly skilled sheet metal workers for the Philadelphia and Vicinity area.
- Central PA Training Center: This center serves a vast area, covering nineteen (19) counties within Central Pennsylvania, demonstrating the union’s commitment to training members far beyond the major metropolitan areas.
Apprentices undergo extensive training, which includes both technical skills and essential safety protocols, ensuring they are prepared for the demands of today's complex construction environment.
4. Securing the Future: Benefits and Retirement
The core value proposition of joining SMART Local 19 lies in the stability and security provided by its negotiated contracts. The union fights for higher wages, better benefits, and a funded retirement that non-union workers often cannot match.
The Defined Benefit Pension Fund
Local 19 members benefit from the Sheet Metal Workers Pension Fund of Local Union No. 19, a multi-employer defined benefit plan. This fund, established in 1956, provides a predictable stream of income in retirement, along with crucial death and disability benefits to eligible employees and their families.
By providing a funded retirement, the union ensures its members can look forward to a secure post-career life, a major differentiator in the construction industry.
5. Community Service and Notable Projects
Beyond the job site, Local 19 maintains a strong presence in the communities it serves through community service and involvement in key regional projects. This commitment reinforces the union's role as a civic partner.
The Broad Street Market Revitalization
A recent example of their community commitment was their involvement in the revitalization of the historic Broad Street Market. Sheet Metal Workers Local 19, led by individuals such as Jon Dellinger and Mike Ford, stepped up to the challenge, lending their expertise to preserve a vital piece of local history. This type of engagement highlights the union's dedication to the long-term health and infrastructure of its service area.
Furthermore, the union is instrumental in providing the workforce for major commercial and institutional construction, ensuring that essential infrastructure like schools, hospitals, and new commercial developments in cities like Philadelphia are built with the highest union standards.
The combination of a newly certified pre-apprenticeship program, an expansive geographic reach, best-in-class training facilities (JATF), robust benefits, and a commitment to community service solidifies Sheet Metal Workers Local 19’s position as a leading force in the skilled trades, offering a clear and secure career path for thousands of workers across PA, NJ, and DE.
Detail Author:
- Name : Mason Upton
- Username : moises75
- Email : bbayer@yahoo.com
- Birthdate : 1975-12-23
- Address : 313 Willms Neck West Melyna, MO 17876-3196
- Phone : +1.224.295.6463
- Company : Wiegand, Graham and Pacocha
- Job : ccc
- Bio : Qui sunt accusantium nobis laboriosam dolore officiis quia. Ut neque deleniti aut qui incidunt tempora. Quas minima ut dolor fugit magni. Quo est deserunt soluta ut architecto consectetur dolorum.
Socials
linkedin:
- url : https://linkedin.com/in/zanderherman
- username : zanderherman
- bio : Non eligendi alias qui eaque quia.
- followers : 3426
- following : 2052
tiktok:
- url : https://tiktok.com/@zander_official
- username : zander_official
- bio : Sunt eos eligendi eius sunt.
- followers : 492
- following : 2943
instagram:
- url : https://instagram.com/zanderherman
- username : zanderherman
- bio : Aut perspiciatis facilis consequatur non. Quod error et adipisci magni qui qui dolores.
- followers : 6471
- following : 149
facebook:
- url : https://facebook.com/zanderherman
- username : zanderherman
- bio : Ab voluptatem consequuntur vitae veritatis.
- followers : 3873
- following : 1719
twitter:
- url : https://twitter.com/herman2016
- username : herman2016
- bio : Eos sed eveniet ratione aperiam iste. Optio quaerat ullam autem eum eos non voluptatem eaque. Est facilis accusamus fugiat eveniet cumque est.
- followers : 6086
- following : 1938
