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SMART Local Unions & Councils Pension Plan
The SMART Local Unions & Councils Pension Plan was established by the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers...
SMART Local Unions & Councils Pension Plan
The SMART Local Unions & Councils Pension Plan was established by the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART) to provide retirement benefits for its U.S. members. Joseph Sellers, Jr., former General President of SMART, and Joseph Powell, General Secretary-Treasurer, serve as trustees overseeing the fund's governance and investment strategy. The fund maintains a diversified investment strategy spanning multiple asset classes, including commercial real estate, pooled investment vehicles, and other traditional institutional allocations. Its real estate holdings include the United Unions Building at 1750 New York Ave NW in Washington, D.C. and 501 Greenwich Street in New York, NY — both commercial properties that generate income for the portfolio. The fund also invests in pooled vehicles, though specific asset class allocations are not publicly disclosed. Team size and total assets under management are not publicly reported. The fund operates a sister entity, the SMART Local Unions and Councils Pension Fund (Canada), which serves Canadian local unions and councils. Through its affiliation with SMART, the fund is linked to the AFL-CIO and North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU). No recent operational events have been publicly documented in the last 24 months. The fund's structural differentiator is its union-defined-benefit design — a multi-employer pension plan that pools contributions from hundreds of local unions and councils rather than a single corporate sponsor. This structure spreads funding risk across a broad membership base and ties investment returns directly to worker retirement security, with governance led by union leadership rather than external asset managers.
General information
Firm type
Pension Fund
Year founded
—
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Washington
Corporate office
Washington, D.C., United States
Principals
Joseph Sellers, Jr.
Former General President of SMART and Trustee of the Pension Fund
Joseph Powell
General Secretary-Treasurer of SMART and Trustee of the Pension Fund
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at the SMART Local Unions & Councils Pension Plan?
Investment decisions are overseen by trustees drawn from SMART's leadership, including Joseph Sellers, Jr. (former General President of SMART) and Joseph Powell (General Secretary-Treasurer of SMART). The fund does not publicly name a standalone CIO or investment committee, suggesting governance is handled internally with potential external advisor support (per public record).
Is the SMART Local Unions & Councils Pension Plan a single-employer or multi-employer pension fund?
It is a multi-employer pension plan, pooling contributions from hundreds of local unions and councils affiliated with the SMART International Association across the United States. This structure distributes funding risk across multiple employers rather than tying benefits to a single corporate sponsor (per the firm's official communications).
What types of assets does the fund invest in?
The fund maintains a diversified portfolio that includes commercial real estate — notably the United Unions Building in Washington, D.C. and 501 Greenwich Street in New York City — along with pooled investment vehicles. The specific allocation across asset classes such as equities, fixed income, or alternatives is not publicly disclosed (per public record).
Does the SMART Local Unions & Councils Pension Plan have a sister fund in Canada?
Yes, the SMART Local Unions and Councils Pension Fund (Canada) is a related entity serving Canadian local unions and councils. Both funds operate under the umbrella of the SMART International Association but are separate legal entities with distinct membership bases (per public record).
How is the fund related to the AFL-CIO and NABTU?
The SMART International Association, which sponsors the pension plan, is affiliated with both the AFL-CIO and North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU). This affiliation provides the fund with access to broader labor-union investment networks and advocacy channels, though the fund itself operates independently (per public record).
Is the fund's AUM or total deployment publicly known?
No. The SMART Local Unions & Councils Pension Plan does not publicly disclose its assets under management, total deployment, or annual contributions. This lack of transparency is common among smaller multi-employer pension funds that are not required to file SEC reports (per public record).
What is the fund's investment stage focus — direct deals or fund commitments?
Based on its known holdings in commercial real estate and pooled investment vehicles, the fund appears to use a blend of direct property ownership and external fund investments. It does not publicly disclose a co-investment or direct-deal program, and its portfolio suggests a more traditional institutional approach focused on long-term, income-generating assets (per public record).
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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