Ngalengkepan kalimah di handap ieu: Dina 1937, Smith mecenghul salaku wakil presiden salila formasi Uni Maritim Nasional, nu sorangan ngagambarkeun hiji naékna dina aktivisme union di kalangan pelaut di wake of 1933 Scottsboro Boys Case jeung
1934 West Coast waterfront strike (dipingpin ku Harry Bridges's International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union atawa ILWU jeung West Coast Marine Cooks and Stewards atawa MCS), nuturkeun pupusna International Seamen's Union (ISU) jeung turunna Industrial Workers of the World (IWW atawa "Wobblies") dina taun 1920-an. Ironisna, ngaran Smith jadi kasohor lantaran anjeunna diadili sacara internal ku panitia NMU kusabab gagal ngadukung mogok 1934 tapi saterusna ngabersihan union.