Joseph Sellers Jr.

General President, Sheet Metal Workers' International Association

Joseph Sellers, Jr., is a second-generation sheet metal worker who has risen steadily in his 37 years as an industry professional and union official.

Sellers started his apprenticeship in 1980 at Local 19 in Philadelphia and became a journeyman four years later. He was elected to the local’s Executive Board in 1994 and was appointed to be Training Coordinator in 1996. In 2002, after serving as a Business Representative for two years, he became Local 19’s President and Business Manager.

In August 2009, Sellers was elected to the international leadership as 11th General Vice President. The General Executive Council elected him to serve as the union’s General Secretary-Treasurer (GST) effective July 1, 2011, was unanimously re-elected as GST by delegates to the first SMART General Convention in August 2014. Sellers became SMART’s General President May 1, 2015.

As SMART General President and General Secretary-Treasurer, Sellers led special campaigns to increase outreach and awareness for pension and health care issues. He has held several positions with the AFL-CIO and North American Building and Construction Trades Department at the national, state, and local levels.