The International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers traces its roots back to January 25, 1888. In January 1888, seven unaffiliated local unions representing employees in the sheet metal industry met in Toledo, Ohio to discuss forming a national union. Two of the seven unions represented were from Toledo, Ohio and Youngstown, Ohio. On January 25, the seven unions agreed to become the Tin, Sheet Iron, and Cornice Workers’ International Association. The Toledo Local, in spite of being offered to be Local #1 by the delegates, drew #6 from a derby hat. The Youngstown Local became Local #5.

The International Association went through several name changes early on in its existence. In 1896 it became the Amalgamated Sheet Metal Workers International Association. In 1903, the name was changed to the Sheet Metal Workers’ International Alliance. The name was changed again in 1924. In that year the name became the Sheet Metal Workers International Association. The name remained unchanged until 2008.

The processor to SMART had a tradition of representing employees in the transportation industries, specifically locomotive. For this reason, the Sheet Metal Workers International Association and the United Transportation Union began working on a merger in 2005. In 2008, the merger was finalized, and the newly merged union chose SMART as its name.

At the local level, SMART 33 was chartered in 1988. SMART 33 covers Northern Ohio, most of West Virginia, two counties in Michigan and one county in Pennsylvania. The territory it covers is a result of the territory covered by eight separate local unions that were merged together. Now, these once separate locals are districts within SMART 33. SMART 33 has district offices in Akron, Cleveland, Lorain, Martin’s Ferry (Wheeling, WV District), Toledo, and Youngstown, Ohio, and Charleston, Clarksburg and Parkersburg, West Virginia. See Map.