This vote was a complete repudiation of the four-year effort of the Sheet Metal Workers International Association to take over the UTU, said Steve Simpson, delegate from Local 489, following the vote.

Additional elections for UTU International officers will be held Aug. 9 and Aug. 10. Pending elections are for seven International vice presidents, eight alternate vice presidents, and an alternate national legislative director. Also to be elected are members of the board of appeals, executive board, and their alternates.

Terms of elected officers and alternates begin Jan. 1, 2012.

Per an arbitrators ruling in the pending litigation and arbitration of whether the merger agreement between the UTU and the Sheet Metal Workers International Association (SMWIA) is an enforceable agreement, a parallel election is being held for officers of the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation (SMART) Workers Union.

Futhey, Martin, Thompson and Stem were elected, by acclamation, as president, asssistant president, general secretary & treasurer, and national legislative director, respectively, of SMART.

As to the parallel SMART election, Arbitrator Michael Gottesman required that if SMWIA so requests, the UTU convention will hold separate elections for officers of UTU and of SMART. SMWIA General President Joe Nigro has so requested. Accordingly, after nominations for each UTU officer position are closed and the election completed, nominations and elections for the corresponding SMART officer positions are being opened.

The holding of the convention and procedures for election are provided for in the UTU Constitution. It is available for viewing by clicking on the following link:

http://www.utu.org/worksite/PDFs/UTU_Constitution_012710.pdf