Category: Leadership Messages
SMART-TD supports potential run by Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan for Rob Portman’s Senate seat
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Feb. 3, 2021) — The nation’s largest freight railroad worker union pledges its full support to U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio as he considers a potential bid for the United States Senate. “Rep. Ryan, throughout his 10 terms as a representative of Ohio’s 17th and [...]
Keystone XL would have cost rail jobs
Misinformation has been circulating regarding an executive order signed by President Joe Biden that revoked the permit of the Keystone XL pipeline and supposedly “eliminated 11,000 union jobs.” The 11,000-job number came from a press release issued in October 2019 by TC Energ [...]
CBC issues update on National Rail Contract negotiations
January 22, 2021 — The Rail Unions comprising the Coordinated Bargaining Coalition (CBC), negotiating together in the current round of National Negotiations, have issued the following statement: The CBC and the nation’s Rail Carriers first met concerning the November 1, 2019, [...]SMART-TD Safety Condition Report is launched for members to submit info about unsafe conditions
To address the growing safety concerns of our membership, we have implemented a universal Safety Condition Report that is now available on the SMART-TD website for all members to use. This form will become the primary tool to report and collect data concerning unsafe working [...]VSTD waiver of elimination period extended through February 2021
The SMART Voluntary Short Term Disability Plan (VSTD) has temporarily suspended the elimination period for COVID-19 disabilities. Previously, the waiver of the elimination period began in the month of March and extended through May of this year and then was once again extende [...]SMART-TD Wins Another Victory in the Crew Consist Battle
On January 8, 2021, Arbitrator Wendell Bell issued his arbitration award regarding the process and procedure in arbitrating the Carriers’ (UP, BNSF, NS & KCS) attack on the Crew Consist Moratoria. The arbitration, known as a “Procedural Public Law Board,” had the pu [...]
Rail unions petition Homeland Security to enhance passenger rail security after U.S. Capitol insurrection
CLEVELAND, Ohio (Jan. 13, 2021) — The leaders of two of the nation’s largest railroad worker unions urgently petitioned the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in a letter Jan. 13 to enact a “No-Ride List” on passenger rail carriers after the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection in W [...]
Rail unions petition FRA to protect Amtrak passengers, personnel after U.S. Capitol insurrection
CLEVELAND, Ohio (Jan. 12, 2021) — The leaders of two of the nation’s largest railroad worker unions urgently petitioned the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in a letter January 11 to prevent security vulnerabilities and to protec [...]