GEN Z Offers Crucial Support for union and SMACNA membership

By / Sheralyn Belyeu

Gen Z, the generation born between 1997 and 2012, is the most pro-union generation living. They are skeptical of authority, passionate about fairness, eager to belong, and they are bringing their enthusiasm to a union hall near you.

Elizabeth Moses of Local 280 in British Columbia is one of them. “I think unions are great, because I was non-union for a long time, and it was really hard to set boundaries,” she says.

After years of struggle in another trade, Moses listened to a friend who advised her to join SMART. Moses was so impressed that she persuaded her younger brother, Machot Moses of Windsor, Ontario, to join SMART, as well.

“Unions allowed me to have more freedom, and you don’t have to negotiate wages,” Moses says. “There are people out there who aren’t paid very well because they weren’t able to negotiate, or they were underpaid compared to their coworkers because of who they are in their identities. Unions guarantee that you have a foundation to build your life on instead of constantly worrying about the future.”

“In a union, you can’t just get fired,” says Amanda Filpo, a trustee and the women’s committee president for Local 28 in New York City. “There are rules. Once you become a journeyperson, you get a minimum pay, which goes up with our contract negotiations. You can change companies, you can travel, you can take time off. As long as you keep up your union dues, you can always come back.”

Free education is another huge attraction for Gen Z. “We get paid to learn,” Filpo says. “Some of the people I graduated college with are not even making half of what I make, and the price of living is the highest it’s ever been. Why would Gen Z go into debt to go to college where there’s not a job at the end?

In the union, you do an apprenticeship, you’re paid to learn, and you come out with zero debt. Then you have a job and you have skills. Since we’re part of our International, if you ever need to move, you can take your skill to another local and have that retirement package.”

Aaron Schoonbaert, chief operating officer at Price Industries in Atlanta, says the Gen Z is asking for direction on soft skills early. “Back in the day, employees received leadership and listening skills further into their career, but now it’s being asked for right off the bat,” he says.

Young trainees meet once a month for about a year, with training in the mornings and team building in the afternoon. “The team building exercises we get the best feedback on are the ones where they participate in a charitable event,” Schoonbaert says. “When young employees find out that supporting those in need locally really matters to us, they connect a little better to the company.”

Filpo finds that some people leave industries when they don’t see opportunities for growth. “In sheet metal, we have different avenues,” she says. “We create, we fabricate, we have the political side, and we have teaching careers, so you can end up being an instructor. There are so many different ways you can go with your career. If somebody wants to stay in the industry, there’s a lot of growth.”

Moses appreciates the career growth she has found with SMACNA contractors.

“Having to fight to find training is hard,” she says, “but some companies make sure that you get those skills, so when you’re done, you’re not struggling to find the next job.”

Mark Miller, general manager for Spectrum Sheet Metal in Richmond, BC, says Gen Z is easy to work with. “If they’re treated fairly and not treated like ‘old school’, they’re going to hang around,” Miller says. “As long as they’re part of the group and they’re looked after fairly, they will stay in the industry.”

When Miller hires a Gen Z who comes to Spectrum from non-union, he says, “It’s not the work they’re leaving. Whether they work here, they work in Calgary, or they work in California, the basics of what we do are the same. They’re not quitting work; they’re quitting an employer or a person.”

Unfair treatment in her previous trade convinced Moses to join SMART. “When I have an issue with somebody, the union will look into it,” she says. “They’ll check in on you, see how your situation is, and see what they can do for you. They help you find another job if it’s not a suitable environment.”

She goes so far as to say union support has changed her life. “I can be more involved, and I feel valued,” she says. “I work on the executive board now, and I have a position where I can speak up for other apprentices.”

Miller notes that working with Gen Z is a little different from working with older generations. For the most part, members of Gen Z are not motivated by money.

“Probably the biggest challenge we run into is that Gen Z is not as motivated by money,” Miller says. “Every generation prior has been motivated by money, so if you’re going to penalize them, you take money away and if you want to show them appreciation, you give them more. That was acceptable up until now.”

Of course, Gen Z needs money to live, but it’s not as high a priority as acceptance and inclusion. “What motivates Gen Z is the sense of belonging and being part of a group,” he says. “They don’t really care to put in all the extra efforts to be the champion, but they do want to feel like part of a family.”

In New York, labor and management work together to build a sense of community with Gen Z. Contractors and unions cosponsor family picnics or parades aimed at showing employee appreciation.

“We do workshops on mental health and addiction and host mentorship programs,” Filpo says. “We agree that unionism is a family by looking out for each other and protecting our work to make sure that the work continues to build.”

Miller looks for natural ways to strengthen relationships on the worksite, which benefits all generations, not just Gen Z. One simple practice is allowing team members to grill their lunches together about once a month. Earlier this year, an employee took advantage of this tradition to throw himself a retirement party.

“He put a barbecue on,” Miller says, “Not just for our group, but he took the entire job site, and they all felt, ‘Now we’re all together. Now we work together.’”

The lunch was very simple and cost around CA$200. “Who cares for 200 bucks? If you can take a group of 100 people and they work together for only a week, what you’ve gained for that $200 is probably an unmeasurable amount of progress on the site.”

“Let’s bring these younger ones in,” Miller says. “Let’s get them trained the best that we can, so that in four or five years, they are running a lot of the areas around here. They’re going to be the senior people. Let’s make sure they can do their job, and do it well, and find a way to make it work for everyone.” ▪

A Colorado native, Sheralyn Belyeu lives and writes deep in the woods of Alabama. When she's not writing, she grows organic blueberries and collects misspellings of her name.