Category: Leadership
National Legislative Director Hynes speaks out in Trains Magazine about railroad issues
SMART-TD National Legislative Director Greg Hynes In an interview to appear in the April edition of Trains Magazine, SMART-TD National Legislative Director Greg Hynes was interviewed about key issues and industry trends including Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR), two-per [...]
President Ferguson: Facing crew challenges, TD and BLET will act in solidarity
Sometimes it takes something major to happen for people to sit up and take notice. A wake-up call, if you will. From the standpoint of our national contract negotiations, our union got another wake-up call even before our first session that is scheduled for the last week in F [...]Trump budget proposal cuts Amtrak, FRA and shorts RRB
If approved as-is, a federal budget proposal for the 2021 fiscal year released Monday, Feb. 10, by President Donald Trump would reduce funding for Amtrak, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and underfund the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB). Amtrak, the national passeng [...]
Texas court rules that SMART-TD has to negotiate crew consist
A federal court in Texas ruled in favor of rail carriers this week, directing the SMART Transportation Division to negotiate over crew-consist without regard to moratoriums barring such negotiation. U.S. District Court Judge Mark T. Pittman, a January 2019 Trump appointee, is [...]
UPDATED w/services: General Chairperson T.K. Vanwinkle passes away
General Chairperson Thomas K. Vanwinkle (GO 919 — Terminal Railroad Association (TRRA) of St. Louis) unexpectedly passed away February 3, 2020. A career railroader, Brother Vanwinkle worked on TRRA as a trainman from 2003 until present. Prior to working at TRRA, Brother Vanwi [...]
Alt. VP Scott Chelette speaks on two-person crews
SMART Transportation Division Alternate Vice President J. Scott Chelette, general chairperson of GO 927, was featured in a television news report about the rail industry’s intention to eliminate the conductor from the cab of freight trains in the wake of Class I freight [...]
SMART-TD files suit challenging NMB’s decision regarding crew consist
On January 23, 2020, SMART Transportation Division and nearly two dozen General Committees brought suit against the National Mediation Board (NMB) challenging its 2-1 decision which granted a National Railway Labor Conference (NRLC) request to appoint an arbitration board mem [...]
FRA’s own report blows hole in arguments against two-person freight crews
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) in a 41-page report released Jan. 13th by its Office of Research, Development and Technology said what railroaders already know. Researchers at the Volpe Center over a period of years performed cognitive task analyses (CTAs) that exam [...]